- Rhode Island Mall
Infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Rhode Island Mall
image_width =
caption =
location =Warwick, Rhode Island ,USA
address =
coordinates =
opening_date = 1968
developer =
manager =
owner =
architect =
number_of_stores = approx. 10
number_of_anchors = 3
floor_area = convert|579499|sqft|m2 (GLA) [cite web |url=http://www.icsc.org/apps/dmmdisp.php?dispid=RI0040 |title=Rhode Island Mall |accessdate=2008-03-14 |work=International Council of Shopping Centers ]
floors = 2
parking =
website =
footnotes =Rhode Island Mall is a two-story, enclosed
shopping mall located in the city ofWarwick, Rhode Island ,USA . It opened in 1968 as the Midland Mall, as the first two-level mall inNew England .cite web |url=http://warwickonline.com/warwickonline/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32869&Itemid=174 |title=Rhody's first mall listed on deadmalls.com |accessdate=2008-03-03 |last=Moore |first=Russell J. |date=2007-06-05 |work=WarwickOnline.com] Four years later,Warwick Mall was opened approximately a mile North of the Midland Mall. Although the two malls co-existed for several years, Rhode Island Mall began to lose stores onceG. Fox , one of itsanchor store s, closed in 1994.Currently, Rhode Island Mall is a
dead mall , and has been listed onDeadmalls.com .cite web |url=http://www.deadmalls.com/?/malls/rhode_island_mall.html |title=deadmalls.com page for Rhode Island Mall |accessdate=2008-03-15 |last=Clarke |first=Kevin |date=2005-03-06 |work=deadmalls.com] Its anchor stores currently includeKohl's ,Wal-Mart , and Sears.History
The Rhode Island Mall opened in 1968 as the Midland Mall, which was then the first two-level enclosed shopping mall in New England. The larger
Warwick Mall opened to the north of the Midland Mall in 1972. The Midland Mall's long-time anchor stores were Sears andG. Fox , and the mall also hosted one junior anchor in a Cherry & Webb store on the first level.The Midland Mall was extensively renovated and re-branded as the Rhode Island Mall in 1984; part of this renovation included a
food court .Current status
In 1988,
May Department Stores acquired Boston-based department store chainFilene's . May merged its previously ownedG. Fox division into Filene's in 1993, and converted all of its stores, including the Rhode Island Mall location, to the Filene's name. Filene's closed their Rhode Island Mall location four years later, in favor of the existing store at Warwick Mall. After the closure of Filene's, nearly one-third of the mall (including both the former Filene's and the food court) was demolished for a two-level anchor, featuringKohl's on one level andWal-Mart on the other; neither store opens into the mall concourse.Many of the mall's vacant spaces have been purchased by
Royal Ahold , owners of theStop & Shop supermarket franchise; this purchase has led to local speculation that Royal Ahold is attempting to keep the Wal-Mart from being converted to a Supercenter store with a full grocery section.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.