Swansea Mall

Infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Swansea Mall


image_width =
caption =
location = Swansea, Massachusetts
address = 262 Swansea Mall Drive, Swansea, MA 02777
coordinates = coord|41.755261|N|71.218296|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=Swansea Mall
opening_date = 1975
closing_date =
developer =
manager =
owner = [http://www.pyramidmg.com/home/default.asp Pyramid Management Group]
architect =
number_of_stores = approximately 80
number_of_anchors =
floor_area =
floors = 1
parking =
website =
footnotes = [http://www.visitswanseamall.com/ Mall website]
[http://www.ggp.com/Properties/MallDirectory.aspx?smuid=718 GGP's page on this mall]

Swansea Mall is a shopping mall located in Swansea, Massachusetts. It is a large, single-level, fully enclosed, regional shopping mall with over 80 stores in the Southeastern Massachusetts area. It is currently owned by GGP (General Growth Properties, Inc.).

Located off I-195, Exit 3, Swansea Mall is situated at the intersection of US Route 6 and Route 118.

History

Built around 1975, Swansea Mall originally opened with 3 anchors: Sears, Edgars, and CaldorFact|date=February 2008. The mall even had a 4-screen movie theater, arcade, and the popular chain stores of the time (for example, B. Dalton Bookseller, Kay Bee Toys, Papa Gino's, and Waldenbooks). A fourth anchor, Apex Stores, was added as part of a major expansion around 1979. Also, two out-parcels were located just south of the original mall, namely Toys R Us and Service Merchandise. The mall was busy in its heyday from the late 70s and throughout most of the 80s.

Towards the end of the 80s, Swansea Mall began to change. The theater closed. Edgars went out of business and was replaced by another local department store, Jordan Marsh. In 1989, a new larger and more modern mall, Emerald Square, opened up about 20 minutes north in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. This 3-level behemoth hurt many local malls in the area, including Swansea Mall. In 1996, Jordan Marsh was replaced by Macy's. Caldor also went out of business. This was followed by Apex in 2001. Around this time, a small food court was started to compete with other malls and their services. By the end of the decade though, about half of the stores lay vacant in the mall.

After Caldor shut down, Wal-Mart stepped into its location and that has brought many shoppers back to the mall. Across the street, a 12-screen megaplex has sure increased customers back to the area and to the mall. Current stores include Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Borders Express, FYE, Gap, GameStop, Hallmark, Olympia Sports, PacSun, PayHalf, Radio Shack, and Victoria's Secret. Toys R Us is still open, though the former Service Merchandise now holds two new stores, Dollar Tree and PriceRite. In October 2007, Old Navy opened.

External links

* [http://mepadata.env.state.ma.us/pls/portal30/MEPA_WEB.MEPA_QUERY_DETAIL.SHOW?p_arg_names=eoea_nbr&p_arg_values=14133 Proposed expansion as of 2007]