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Southpark MallSouthPark Mall opened on February 12, 1970 with three deparment stores and one million quare feet, about five miles south of downtown Charlotte, NC. This area of town was considered the outskirts at the time, and people thought it was crazy to build a big shopping mall in the middle of pastures. The mall was planned by the Belk and Ivey families, who originally built, owned and operated the mall. The design of this shopping mall was revolutionary, with immaculate architecture and incredible design, boasting an underground parking deck. So with the flagship Belk and Ivey's stores, Sears was the third anchor store to join the mall and with that SouthPark was a Charlotte shopping revolution. Eventually, the mall got some competition with the two-story Eastland Mall built 6 miles northeast. Eastland also had Sears, Belk, and Ivey's - however they also had a 4th department store, JC Penney and an ice skating rink. SouthPark Mall grew more affluent and upscale over the years. A convience center opened behind Sears with a Harris Teeter grocery store and the SouthPark Cinemas 3. The mall's interior and department stores were subsequently renovated, however these were more of 'upgrades' than massive renovations. In 1986, a major expansion had been announced. The May Department Store company announced that retailers Thalheimer's and the upscale Lord & Taylor were to join the mall, in addition to a new food court. The food court and Thalheimer's department store joined the mall in a new wing, however Lord & Taylor never officially followed through with the project. The new wing opened in 1987. In 1990, there was a major buyout of Ivey's by Dillard's deparment store, and the following year Thalheimer's reverted to Hecht's. At this time, Belk, Dillard's, Hecht's and Sears were the mall's anchors. In the 90s, SouthPark staples such as Woolworth's and Morrison's Cafeteria left the mall, and there were many changes to stores in order to contend with the new competition of Carolina Place Mall. The convience center's Cinemas 3 closed because of the new Phillip's Place Cinemas about 1 mile away, and the Harris Teeter store moved to their newer, much larger location across Sharon Rd. in Morrocroft. It was also announced in the late 90s that mega-upscale retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom would join the mall in its biggest expansion yet. Soon after, Belk and Ivey's sold the mall to Rodamco, then the mall was sold to Simon Property Group. Saks pulled out of the project, but Nordstrom opened their doors in 2004. Two new parking decks were added, and a third is slated for opening in 2006. The expansion began in 2000 and is scheduled to finish at the end of 2006. Today SouthPark Mall is home to the flagship and largest Belk department store, one of the largest Dillard's store, a newly renovated Hecht's store, the state's second Nordstrom, and soon to come - the first Neiman Marcus in the Carolinas. The mall also has a new Dick's Sporting Goods store on the site of the former Sears, which closed in 2003 due to underperformance. SouthPark is also home to affluent restaurants The Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano's Little Italy, Morton's Steakhouse and McCormick & Schmick's. The mall now boasts 1.4-million square feet and will eventually have nearly 7,600 parking spaces. On the grounds of the mall today, where the former convience center was, is an oudoor stage called Symphony Park. Here, during the summertime, people can come and experience "Pops in the Park," a show by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. External links See Southpark Mall (Moline) for the mall located in Moline, Illinois. See Southpark Mall (Colonial Heights) for the mall located in Colonial Heights, Virginia.
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