| McAlister Square | |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates: | 34.8384°N -82.3631°W |
| Opening Date: | March 25, 1968 |
| Developer: | E. M. "Ned" Apperson[1] |
| Number Of Anchors: | 3 (former) |
| Floor Area: | 500000square feet |
| Floors: | 1 (anchors had 2) |
McAlister Square is a 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.
The 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 18th, for a March 25th 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 500000square feet of leasable space. A Winn-Dixie grocery store, movie theater and bank branch were outparcels.
In 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 Upton's anchor, which had replaced the Meyers-Arnold store, closed shortly thereafter.
The 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, Greenville, Greenville Literacy Association,Public Education Partners, 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]