McAlister Square is an American repositioned shopping mall in Greenville, South Carolina. It is notable for being the first enclosed shopping center in South Carolina,[1] and the largest shopping center in the state at the time it was built. It is now a hybrid property, with the largest tenant being the University Center of Greenville.
.jpg) Entrance to McAlister Square, October 2014 | |
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| Location | Greenville, South Carolina, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°50′18″N 82°21′47″W / 34.8384°N 82.3631°W |
| Opening date | March 25, 1968 |
| Developer | E. M. "Ned" Apperson[1] |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 (former) |
| Total retail floor area | 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 (anchors had 2) |
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History
editThe mall was first announced in December 1965.[2] Construction of the mall began in June 1967, with what was termed "Phase One" of the mall, with anchors Meyers-Arnold (63,000 sq ft) and Ivey's (60,000 sq ft) and 245,000 sq ft of interior space and an opening date of early 1968.[3] "Phase Two", also announced at this time, was to include a third anchor, a "convenience center", and a theater, for a total of 600,000 sq ft of space by 1970.[4] Meyers-Arnold and Ivey's opened on February 15, 1968, with completion of the mall anticipated for March 18, for a March 25 opening. At this time, a majority of tenants had been announced, including junior anchors S. H. Kress & Co. and Walgreens Drug.[5] A Belk-Simpson department store was added in 1974, bringing the mall to approximately 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of leasable space. A Winn-Dixie grocery store, movie theater and bank branch were outparcels.
Decline
editIn 1990, the Ivey's store was converted into a Dillard's, and the store closed in 1995, when Dillard's relocated to Haywood Mall. Belk-Simpson would announce their closure in October 1998, and would close in January 1999.[6] The Uptons anchor, which had replaced the Meyers-Arnold store, closed shortly thereafter.
Current use
editThe mall is owned by the Greenville Tech Foundation and houses a variety of non-profit and educational businesses, with the largest tenant being The University Center of Greenville.[7] While no space in the main mall continues to be used as retail space, the mall is filled with a plethora of non-profit organizations and businesses. Some of the current tenants include: Thrive Upstate, Greenville Literacy Association, Public Education Partners, Urban League of the Upstate and SC Works. Outparcels include a Publix grocery store, the Camelot movie theater, a Truist bank branch and other retailers. South Carolina's first freestanding Chick-fil-A, which opened in the 1990s when the mall also had a Chick-fil-A at center court, is still in business along Laurens Road. The mall has been repainted and re-landscaped since its transformation into a mixed-use center.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "16 more stores open today at McAlister Square". The Greenville News. March 25, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ "A look back on the history of Greenville, SC's McAlister Square". GVLtoday. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
- ^ "How McAlister Square got its name, place in Greenville history". The Greenville News. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
- ^ Trim, Jack (June 30, 1967). "Construction To Start Next Week In McAlister Square". The Greenville News. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ "New Tenants Named At McAlister Square". The Greenville News. March 17, 1968. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ "Clipped From The Greenville News". The Greenville News. 1998-10-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ "History of UCG - University Center of Greenville". New.ucgreenville.org. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
- ^ Jeter, John (2023-09-09). "How Greenville Tech Foundation found new purpose for McAlister Square". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2024-08-02.