Richlands Mall Explained

Richlands Mall
Location:Richlands, Virginia, United States
Opening Date:October 1980
Developer:GG Industries, inc. and Tazewell Industries
Owner:Coldwell Banker Commercial BRE
Number Of Anchors:2
Floor Area:148216square feet[1]
Floors:1

Richlands Mall is a shopping mall located in Tazewell County, Virginia. The mall is anchored by Grant's Supermarket and Roses.

History

Richlands Mall was announced in 1979 by Atlanta-based group GG Industries inc. Operating under a subsidiary known as Tazewell Associates, they would develop the shopping center, which was to be the first air conditioned mall in the region.[2] [3] The mall was to be roughly 162,000 square feet, and feature a supermarket, a drug store, a restaurant, and 35,000 square feet of other interior tenant space. In addition, a garment facility would occupy over 20,000 square feet of space at the mall.[2] It was estimated that the mall would employ about 350 people, and generate $20 million dollars in sales.[2]

The mall was retrofitted from an old textile mill known as the Eastern Isles Manufacturing Plant, which was located on Front Street across from the Clinch Valley community hospital.[2]

The property would be completed, and opened to the public in October 1980. Roses, Kroger and Eckerd Drug anchored the mall, with interior tenants Sidney's, Pic' N Pay, Western Steer Restaurant, Twin Cinema and Baskin Robbins present at opening, among others.[3]

In 1987, both of the Eckerd Drug locations in the area, including the one in Richlands Mall, were rebranded as SupeRx drug stores.[4]

1990s

In January 1991, a new restaurant would open at the mall, named 'The Fig Tree.' Their menu consisted of a variety of foods, from Mexican cuisine, to steaks, shrimp and more. The Fig Tree was named because of the twisted fig trees located throughout the mall during the time.[5]

The SupeRx Drug Store inside the mall would become Revco drug in 1994.[6] Then, in September 1998, Revco drug would become CVS Pharmacy, announced by public notice in the newspaper.[7]

2000s

It was announced at the beginning of March 2000 that Kroger would close its doors on March 24 of the same year, citing underperformance.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Richlands Mall. December 9, 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211019190312/https://fletcherbright.com/shopping-centers/va/107 . October 19, 2021.
  2. News: New Shopping Centers To Open In October . Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press . June 20, 1979 . 13 . . November 22, 2023.
  3. News: Summer Opening for Center . Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press . March 12, 1980 . 1 . . November 22, 2023.
  4. News: The Richlands & Tazewell area Eckerd stores are becoming SupeRx Drug Stores! . Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press . November 18, 1987 . 8 . . December 9, 2023.
  5. News: New restaurant opens in Richlands Mall . Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press . January 30, 1991 . 5 . . November 22, 2023.
  6. News: You've Got A New Friend In Town. SupeRx Is Now Revco. . Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press . July 20, 1994 . 9 . . December 9, 2023.
  7. News: Public Notice Revco is now CVS Pharmacy . Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press . September 16, 1998 . 5 . . December 9, 2023.
  8. News: Richlands Mall Kroger to close . . March 1, 2000 . 8 . . November 22, 2023.