The Boulevard Mall is located at 3528 S. Maryland Pkwy in Paradise, Nevada, United States (an unincorporated town in the Las Vegas Valley). The mall, located on 75 acres (30 ha), is a single-story super-regional mall with 1,180,000 sq ft (110,000 m2) of lease-able retail space. The mall has 140 stores, of which there are seven anchor stores (Goodwill, John's Incredible Pizza Company, Marshalls, 99 Ranch Market, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (coming soon), Headz Up (coming soon), and Sears).
Initially announced as the Parkway Mall in September 1963, it opened as The Boulevard Mall on March 6, 1968, as the state's first enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall. The 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2) mall contained 26 stores and four department stores upon opening. The mall became one of the top shopping spots in the Las Vegas Valley, and was popular among tourists because of its close proximity to the Las Vegas Strip. Customer attendance decreased after the opening of the nearby Fashion Show Mall in 1981. The Boulevard Mall was renovated in 1984. An expansion and further renovations began in 1990 and were completed in 1992, at a cost of $60 million. It was the largest mall in southern Nevada until 2003.
Beginning in 2008, the mall was affected by a decrease in customer attendance due to the Great Recession. By early 2012, the mall experienced increased customer visitations after introducing several Hispanic community organizations as tenants, in response to the growing nearby Hispanic community. Sansone Companies purchased the mall in November 2013, at a cost of $54.5 million, and then launched a $25 million overhaul of the mall which included several unique tenants.
Video The Boulevard Mall
History
Construction
The Boulevard Mall was initially announced as the Parkway Mall on September 27, 1963. The mall was to include more than 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2), including three department stores and various other shops. A total of 6,000 parking spaces was also planned. The mall, with an expected cost of $12.5 million, was to be built on 62 acres (25 ha) at the southeast corner of Maryland Parkway and Desert Inn Road. The project's developer would be the Las Vegas-based Parkway Investment Company, a subsidiary of Paradise Homes. Individuals involved in the project included partners Harry Lahr, Irwin Molasky, and Merv Adelson.
After the mall's announcement, it was announced that Sears, Roebuck and Co. would build their own store at the mall's northern end. In December 1963, Broadway-Hale Stores, Inc. announced plans to build an $8 million department store at the mall's southern end. The three-story Broadway store was to be designed by the Los Angeles-based Charles Luckman and Associates, and was to include 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m2), including a restaurant and a tire service center. The store was expected to employ approximately 300 people, and was expected to be open by fall 1965. Groundbreaking for the Sears, Roebuck and Co. store began on June 30, 1964.
Construction of the mall began in 1965. The mall was designed by Texas architects Robert R. Weber and Associates. Construction of the Broadway's three-floor 152,000 sq ft (14,100 m2) store began in October 1965. The Sears store was completed in December 1965, and was the mall's first department to open. By 1966, the mall was known as the Boulevard Shopping Center, with the Dallas-based Haas and Hayne Investment Corporation as the owner and developer.
On April 29, 1966, a 100-year time capsule was buried at the entrance of the Broadway store (eventually a Macy's store), with plans to open it on April 29, 2066. Nevada governor Grant Sawyer and lieutenant governor Paul Laxalt attended the time capsule ceremony along with city and county officials. KLAS-TV, a local news channel, was also present to film the ceremony. Items placed in the capsule included the Nevada state flag, copies of the Las Vegas Sun and Las Vegas Review-Journal, and KLAS' film coverage of the ceremony. The Broadway store was expected to open on October 31, 1966, while the mall was expected to be finished in spring 1967. The mall cost a total of $12.5 million to construct.
Opening and operation
The Boulevard Mall opened at 10:00 a.m. on March 6, 1968, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Nevada governor Paul Laxalt and Nevada state senator Floyd Lamb. The Boulevard was the first enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall to open in Nevada. The mall's theme at that time was meant to resemble a European village. Its signature entrance was designed by John Graham Jr., who had also designed the Space Needle tower in Seattle, Washington.
The mall opened with 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2) of retail space, which included 26 stores. The mall featured four department stores: The Broadway; JCPenney; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and Ronzone's. Ronzone's - Nevada's largest family-owned merchandise retailer at the time of the mall's opening - was later acquired by Diamond's, which expanded the 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) store inside the mall. Dillard's later acquired the Diamond's store location, before eventually opening a new 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) Dillard's department store in the mall's east wing.
The mall was popular among tourists because of its close proximity to the Las Vegas Strip, located two miles west of the mall. The Boulevard Mall became one of the top shopping spots in the Las Vegas Valley, resulting in Maryland Parkway becoming a popular retail corridor. The mall was financially successful during the 1970s, but experienced a loss in customers after the 1981 opening of the nearby Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Boulevard Mall was remodeled in 1984. A major expansion and renovation began in October 1990, and was completed in August 1992, at a cost of $60 million. The expansion added approximately 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) of retail space, as well as a 24,000 sq ft (2,200 m2) food court, and three multi-tiered parking decks. A surveillance system was also installed throughout the mall, and included 140 cameras, as well as horseback and bicycle security, and a security podium. In July 1997, Woolworth Corporation announced the closure of its remaining F. W. Woolworth retail stores, including one at the Boulevard Mall. At the time, the store contained 51,170 sq ft (4,754 m2) and a restaurant. The store closed later that year. By the end of 1997, the mall had 124 stores and five anchor stores: Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, Marshalls, and Sears. The mall also had a 13-vendor food court and three restaurants.
By April 1998, the mall encompassed 1,250,000 sq ft (116,000 m2), and was owned by Dallas-based MEPC American Properties. General Growth Properties purchased the mall that month. It kept the title of "The Largest Mall in Southern Nevada" until the Fashion Show Mall's renovation in 2003. In May 2004, renovation plans were announced for the mall. Among the planned changes was the addition of a pedestrian shopping and restaurant streetscape. Interior changes would include a children's play area, new landscaping, new seating, new tile flooring, a remodeled food court, refurbished bathrooms, and the addition of a family bathroom. Two new entrances were also planned: one on the mall's west side, near a parking garage, and another on the mall's east side, near Dillard's. Circuit City added in May 2004, replacing the older store nearby. The mall was scheduled to remain open during the renovations, with construction expected to begin in summer 2004 for completion in fall 2005.
The mall's two-story Dillard's store closed in 2008, and the mall suffered from the effects of the Great Recession, followed by Circuit City in March 8, 2009. By 2011, the five-mile radius surrounding the mall had a Hispanic population of 45 percent, and several Hispanic community organizations began discussions to start operating inside the mall, whose management planned to lessen its focus on department stores and improve customer attendance by adding community organizations in the mall's vacant store space. Up to that time, the mall had become a popular site for Hispanic events, which included hosting Fiestas Patrias, and a Cinco de Mayo festival, as well as the 2011 season of the reality television series La Academia.
The Mexican Patriotic Committee, offering afterschool and parental programs as well as seminars, began operating at the mall in October 2011, in a space that had been vacant for five years. The Hispanic Museum of Nevada opened at the mall in early 2012. The Mexico Vivo Dance Studio and Cultural Arts Center also opened in the mall around the same time, in a 6,380 sq ft (593 m2) space. Stores at the mall were also now offering Mexican-style candy, piñatas, and quinceañera dresses. Ric Jimenez, the mall's general manager, said at the time, "There has been a demographic shift that is very typical of a lot of Southwestern cities. It was once a cosmopolitan, upper-middle-class area in the '60s and '70s when the mall was built. Because of urban sprawl, people started leaving the core of the city for bedroom communities like Green Valley and Summerlin. There was an ethnic shift, and socioeconomically, we are a lot different now." The addition of Hispanic organizations resulted in an increase of customer attendance at the mall. Discussions were also underway for non-Hispanic community organizations to open at the mall. The mall became a common gathering place as a community center for the nearby Hispanic and Filipino population.
Rouse Properties, formed in August 2011, took over ownership and operations of the mall in January 2012. Rouse Properties continued the strategy of appealing to the Hispanic and Filipino population. In 2013, the mall was the location of two large Filipino-related events, celebrating Pinoy pride and the Filipino Independence Day. That year, KMCC, an affiliate channel of the Spanish MundoFox network, announced a deal to relocate to a new 4,722 sq ft (438.7 m2) space inside the mall's east court that would include administrative offices and a control room. The channel would also be broadcast to mall shoppers through large television monitors. The channel began operating in July 2013.
Sansone purchase and new tenants
Rouse Properties owned the mall until June 2013, when the mall was acquired by Midland Loan Services, related to PNC Bank. At that time, the mall was valued at $61.2 million. In July 2013, the lenders put the mall up for sale, with "best offer" as the listed price. On November 21, 2013, the mall was sold for $54.5 million to Sansone Companies, owned by local developer Roland Sansone. The sale was announced 11 days later. The mall's ownership was officially listed as Boulevard Ventures LLC (56.15 percent ownership) and 2495 Riviera LP (43.85 percent ownership). Sansone purchased 56 of the mall's 75 acres; the remaining acreage was owned by the Macy's and Sears stores.
By the time of the purchase, the mall was considered to be dated and run down. Sansone wanted to begin various renovations and sign up new tenants by summer 2014, with plans to conclude his overhaul of the mall in spring 2015. Sansone planned to add unique tenants that were not usually associated with malls. Among the new tenants that Sansone wanted were restaurants, a bowling alley, a miniature golf course, a movie theater, and a Hispanic/Filipino supermarket. Sansone launched his overhaul with a planned cost of $25 million. Restaurant construction was underway inside the mall in March 2015. At the time, general manager Timo Kuusela said about the mall, "Ten years ago, it was basically just packed with people all the time, and we had a lot more national tenants. It made money with no effort. Today, we really have to work to meet the needs of the demographic we serve." Extensive exterior renovations were underway in April 2015, resulting in an Art Deco façade. The mall was 85-percent leased at the time, compared to 75-percent a few years earlier.
At a cost of more than $2 million, the old Dillard's store was gutted and prepared for several possible tenants before they were decided. Call-center operator Sutherland Global Services planned to occupy the entire 103,000 sq ft (9,600 m2) second floor of the Dillard's store by summer 2015. A 28,000 sq ft (2,600 m2) Goodwill thrift store opened inside the mall in October 2015, occupying part of the first floor of the old Dillard's store. It was the first Goodwill store to open inside an enclosed shopping mall. A 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) John's Incredible Pizza Company restaurant opened in December 2015, taking up the remainder of Dillard's ground floor while 99 Ranch Market replaced Circuit City of the same year. Both businesses were part of Sansone's plan to add unique mall tenants. The new pizza restaurant immediately became the chain's most profitable location.
In March 2016, Sansone Companies announced plans to add a 31,000 sq ft (2,900 m2) SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium inside the mall, with plans to have it opened by November 2016. As of September 2016, tenant occupancy was around 95 percent. SeaQuest opened on December 11, 2016, and occupies space previously held by nine individual stores in the mall. Clown 'N Around, an attraction consisting of carnival games and small rides, operated at the Boulevard Mall for nearly 10 years, until the end of 2016. In December 2016, Las Vegas Weekly wrote that the Boulevard Mall may be the "most charming shopping center" in Las Vegas. On January 4, 2017, Macy's announced they would be closing their store in the mall. In February 2017, plans were announced for a 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) TeleTech call center to be opened inside the mall by May 2017. The center was to be built at a cost of $245,000 and would employ approximately 500 people.
On March 3, 2017, plans were announced for a then-unnamed 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) complex containing miniature golf, go-karts, and laser tag. The complex was expected to be opened by late summer 2017. The complex was part of Sansone's continued strategy to add non-traditional tenants in response to retailers' struggle against online shopping alternatives such as Amazon. The complex was opened later that year. JCPenney announced on March 17, 2017 that they would be closing their Boulevard Mall store. On March 20, 2017, plans were announced for Galaxy Theatres to open a movie theater at the Boulevard Mall under a 35-year lease. The theater was intended to be opened around December 2017, in time for the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The theater would be built in tenant space located across from SeaQuest, which would require relocating some stores.
The call center opened around March 2017. Macy's store closed on March 26, 2017. In June 2017, the 178,000 sq ft (16,500 m2) store was sold for approximately $3.5 million to a company associated with the Troesh family, who partnered with Roland Sansone on his purchase of the mall. Under the deal, Sansone would manage the former Macy's space, while discussions included the possibility of retail on the first floor and an office tenant for the second floor. JCPenney's store closed on July 31, 2017.
In October 2017, Sears sold its Boulevard Mall store to a Sansone-affiliated investor group, which leased the space back to Sears to keep the store operational. The sale allowed for plans to develop the large parking lot surrounding the store, with various possibilities having been discussed, including a hotel. That month, multiple deals were being seriously considered for selling the mall, although the deals were still in the early stages. The new entertainment complex, named Rex Center, opened with 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) of space on October 27, 2017.
In November 2017, it was announced that Barton Associates, a Massachusetts staffing firm, had signed a lease for approximately 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m2) of office space inside the mall, near the recently opened TeleTech call center. The new office space would be built at a cost of $800,000, with plans to have it opened in January 2018. Also announced was a second call center by Intouch, a Canadian company which leased 54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) inside the mall with plans to hire 1,000 employees for an opening in 2018. At the time of the announcements, the mall had approximately 175,000 sq ft (16,300 m2) of office space remaining. The Galaxy movie theater did not open as scheduled, and instead was expected to be opened during the first half of 2018.
In February 2018, plans were announced for a 41,000 sq ft (3,800 m2) entertainment complex at the mall that was expected to be opened later that month. The complex, known as Headz Up, would include a mural room with approximately 60 murals that appear three-dimensional when viewed from a certain angle. Other planned aspects of the complex included a virtual reality attraction, multiple escape rooms, and an area for indoor archery tag, which would be played using rubber arrows. One of the archery tag rooms was created using leftover shelves from the mall's JCPenney store. Later in February 2018, it was announced that Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would open an office on the second floor of the vacant Macy's building. The office would employ approximately 850 people, and was expected to be opened by the end of summer 2018.
Maps The Boulevard Mall
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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