Asheville Mall is a regional mall in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville Mall is located off Interstate 240 in eastern Asheville. It is predominantly a one-story mall. Its anchors are Belk, JCPenney, Sears, and two Dillard's locations, Dillard's South and Dillard's North & it has 132 stores and is the largest mall in Western North Carolina. It also dominates the areas retail.
History
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Asheville Mall was developed by R. L. Coleman and Company opening in stages beginning with Sears on February 3 1972 and the rest of the shopping center opening November 23 1973. The mall's development was met with resistance from city officials and nearby property owners. During site grading a neighbor pulled a shotgun and threatened a bulldozer operator with it. During the construction's final phase a helicopter crashed into roof and had to be removed with a crane. The copter was being used to move air conditioning units onto the roof at the time of the crash. The center's completion is a testament to the negotiation skill and perseverance on Mr. Coleman's part. The original anchors were The Bon Marche, Belk, and Sears. The S & W Cafeteria moved to the Mall from downtown Asheville in 1974. Shortly after the opening, an Ivey's was added in the mid-1970s, along with a minor addition to the mall. In 1989, JCPenney joined the mall, adding onto a wing that had been added earlier in the decade. Montgomery Ward opened in 1994 in the space that housed The Bon Marche, later regional chains Meyers-Arnold and Uptons. After Dillard's purchased Ivey's in the early 1990s, that store was converted to a Dillard's. Belk expanded its store and added a second level in 2000. In the same year the mall added a Food Court with a Sbarro, Charley's Grilled Subs, Sarku Japan, Panda Express & a Little Cajun Star. Chick Fil-A opened the first store in the region in the mid eighties. This was the only location in company history open on Sundays due to mall rules until 1997 when the lease was renegotiated. The mall also expanded a wing from JCPenney to Belk adding about 30 stores. The Coleman family sold the mall in 1997. After Montgomery Ward's closure in 2000, its store became Dillard's Men's, Children's, and Home, with the original Dillard's becoming a women's store. In 2012 a new sit-in restaurant came to Asheville Mall called Wild Wok, a Sushi and Asian Restaurant. In March 2009, Barnes & Noble relocated their store to the Asheville Mall. The store is two stories and is the largest Barnes & Noble store in the state. In order to make room for the store, Gap and Champ's Sports were relocated. H&M announced its coming to the mall in late 2013 and opened in mid-2014, but in order to make room Abercrombie & Fitch had to close along with other stores and moved to Asheville Outlets about 6 miles away. In 2011, Belk nearly doubled their ladie's shoes and handbag departments. Both were relocated to the front of the store. A Coach section and Laura Mercier Cosmetics counter were also added.
References
External links
- Asheville Mall
- Sky City: Asheville Mall
- Guide to the Asheville Mall, and other Shopping Attractions in Asheville
