MacArthur Center
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = MacArthur Center
| image = Macarthercenter.JPG
| image_width =
| caption = Exterior view of MacArthur Center's food court balcony
| location = Norfolk, Virginia, United States
| coordinates = {{coord|36.848918|-76.288038|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| opening_date = {{Start date and age|March 12, 1999}}
| owner = S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.
| manager = S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.
| number_of_stores = 140
| number_of_anchors = 0 (space for 2)
| floor_area = {{cvt|900000|ft2}}, including {{cvt|400000|ft2}} retail and {{cvt|100000|ft2}} food & entertainment
| floors = 3
| website = {{URL|shopmacarthur.com}}
}}
MacArthur Center is a shopping mall in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, in the center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.{{Citation |last=Batts |first=Battinto Jr. |title=Why high-end stores aren't buying into Hampton Roads |date=2006-08-06 |url=http://hamptonroads.com/node/135681 |access-date=2007-11-23 |publisher=The Virginian-Pilot}}{{Citation |last=Frankenberry |first=Rita |title=Trying to grow up-scale at Chesapeake's Towne Place |url=http://hamptonroads.com/node/314931 |publisher=The Virginian-Pilot |date=2007-08-23 |access-date=2007-11-23}}
Built by the Taubman Company, the mall is owned by S.L. Nusbaum Realty since August 2023.{{cite web|url=http://www.secinfo.com/drDX9.2mr.d.htm|title=TAUBMAN ACQUIRES ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN MACARTHUR CENTER}} The {{Convert|1.1|e6ft2|abbr=unit}} mall is adjacent to the General Douglas MacArthur Memorial. There are {{cvt|400000|ft2}} of mall tenant shops and {{cvt|100000|ft2}} of food and entertainment offerings, including the Regal MacArthur 18 movie theater.
Mall history
=1990s-2000s=
Plans were announced in June 1994, for a shopping mall bounded by Monticello and City Hall Avenues, Freemason Street and St. Paul's Boulevard. The Southwest corner of the site at Monticello and City Hall Avenues, what would become the corner of the Dillard's tenant at the mall, had previously been the site of Norfolk's historic City Market. That was demolished in the early 1950s for a single building complex with a JCPenny store, garage and office tower, later known as the Systems Management America (SMA) tower—which was imploded on November 24, 1996. The remainder of the 17-acre site had sat vacant since being razed in the early 1960s.
The original mall was intended to have Macy's, who had signed a letter of interest during the early stages of development for the property.{{cite news|title=Macy's in Norfolk|last=Peck|first=Jeanne|date=June 1, 1994|work=Daily Press}} The mall officially opened on March 12, 1999.{{cite web |url=https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/future-of-norfolk-macarthur-center/291-fb2392d5-e8e2-44d7-913b-c184d3bff2f8 |title=MacArthur Center: Then, Now, and Beyond |author=Townsend, Philip |work=WVEC |date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=September 21, 2023}}
Beginning in 2005, MacArthur Center operated "MacArthur on Ice", a {{convert|7200|ft2|adj=on}} ice skating rink on the property.{{Citation |last=Garrow |first=Hattie Brown |title=MacArthur Center's ice rink reopens for season 3 |url=http://hamptonroads.com/node/429731 |publisher=The Virginian-Pilot |date=2007-11-18 |access-date=2007-11-23}}
=2018-2023 store closures and loan default=
At the end of the 2010s, the MacArthur Center experienced a wave of store closures due to changing customer spending habits and the effects of the retail apocalypse.
In 2018 and 2019, J Crew,{{Cite web |last=Pierceall |first=Kimberly |title=MacArthur Center to lose J.Crew, two other stores |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/vp-bz-macarthur-jcrew-20200115-wlwhkuzspbae7bx6uo3pnq6en4-story.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Fossil, Yankee Candle, Banana Republic,{{Cite web |last=Pierceall |first=Kimberly |title=Banana Republic latest to close at Norfolk's MacArthur mall |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/article_7d102964-12b5-11e9-9b50-031a385ccf98.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Williams Sonoma,{{Cite web |date=2018-12-11 |title=Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn to close at MacArthur Center |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/williams-sonoma-pottery-barn-to-close-at-macarthur-center/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=wavy.com |language=en-US}} Pottery Barn, Eddie Bauer,{{Cite web |last=Adhikusuma |first=Briana |title=Eddie Bauer to close soon in Norfolk's MacArthur Center |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/article_dae3d3f4-6113-11e9-9d1f-47f4cd07de20.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Charlotte Russe,{{Cite web |title=charlotte russe closing in hampton roads - Google Search |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=charlotte+russe+closing+in+hampton+roads |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=google.com}} Forever 21,{{Cite web |date=December 11, 2019 |title=Forever 21 next to leave MacArthur Center |url=https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/forever-21-next-to-leave-macarthur-center/291-ce5dc9e7-c08b-489f-b855-844fb819965e |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=13newsnow.com |language=en-US}} Brighton Collectables, Chicos,{{Cite web |last=Adhikusuma |first=Briana |title=Three more stores closing in Norfolk's MacArthur mall by Saturday |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/article_d925d7b8-1e8f-11e9-a28c-ab11b56f5992.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Zales and many other stores announced their closure at the mall. On April 5, 2019, Nordstrom closed their store at the mall, leaving Dillard's as the only anchor store remaining.{{cite web | url=https://pilotonline.com/business/consumer/article_12ae4304-1f20-11e9-bec1-1b7667a28906.html | title=Nordstrom to leave MacArthur Center mall }}
In 2020, primarily due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Express,{{Cite web |last1=Pierceall |first1=Kimberly |last2=Korfhage |first2=Matthew |name-list-style=and |date=2021-01-08 |title=Hampton Roads restaurants and retail that closed in 2020 during the pandemic |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/2021/01/08/hampton-roads-restaurants-and-retail-that-closed-in-2020-during-the-pandemic/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Victorias Secret, Talbots,{{Cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Carolyn |title=Two retailers to leave MacArthur Center |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/article_653a28c9-cd00-5ce3-a272-525026f20ef0.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Abercrombie and Fitch, Papyrus,{{Cite web |last=Zumbach |first=Lauren |title=Greeting card retailer Papyrus closing all stores |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/ct-biz-papyrus-closing-stores-20200121-xmlhdyxkpbbelgabkasbya5qey-story.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} Francescas, The Walking Company, Justice, J Jill, New York & Company, and others closed at the mall.
After Starwood Capital Group defaulted on a $750 million loan for the mall,{{Cite web |last=Pierceall |first=Kimberly |title=MacArthur Center mall owner in default on $750 million loan |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/vp-bz-macarthur-center-loan-20191219-jmqhxxjgfjartgaesrr5sdmraa-story.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=pilotonline.com}} management was temporarily handed over to JLL until Spinoso Real Estate Group began managing the mall in 2021.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-10 |title=New company managing MacArthur Center after former owner defaults on loan |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/new-company-managing-macarthur-center-after-former-owner-defaults-on-loan/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=wavy.com |language=en-US}}
In May 2021, Apple announced they would close their MacArthur Center location leaving the Lynnhaven Mall location as their only store in the Hampton Roads area.{{Cite web |last=Steeber |first=Michael |date=2021-05-03 |title=MacArthur Center Apple Store permanently closes May 14 |url=https://9to5mac.com/2021/05/02/apple-store-macarthur-center-norfolk-closing-may-14/ |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=9to5Mac |language=en-US}} Following a shooting in April 2022, Texas De Brazil closed its location at the mall.{{Cite web |date=April 28, 2022 |title=Texas de Brazil leaves MacArthur Center, citing safety issues as the reason for its closure |url=https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/texas-de-brazil-closes-temporarily-downtown-norfolk-safety-issues-macarthur-center/291-d40c1711-2eed-4463-abef-28fda133b14e |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=13newsnow.com |language=en-US}} In December 2022, Barnes & Noble closed.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-03 |title=MacArthur Center Barnes & Noble to close on Dec. 21 |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/tcc-extends-contract-with-barnes-noble-college-macarthur-center-locations-to-close/ |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=wavy.com |language=en-US}} In June, 2023, Chili's closed, after almost two decades at the mall.{{Cite web| date=June 20, 2023| title=Chili's Leaving MacArthur Center in Norfolk|url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/chilis-leaving-macarthur-center-in-norfolk/amp/|access-date=2023-06-20|website=wavy.com|language=en-US}}
=Purchase by the city=
In March 2021, the city of Norfolk announced plans to redevelop or demolish the mall by 2030 to make room for new developments. The mall would continue to operate normally until then.{{Cite web |title=Norfolk ponders tearing down MacArthur Center mall in 2030 plan for downtown |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/consumer/vp-bz-macarthur-center-downtown-20210305-b65fhxqbcjg63da6lvddtmvtxu-story.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=The Virginian-Pilot}}
In early July 2023, a month after the city of Norfolk purchased the mall, Dillard's, which has been one of the mall's major anchors since the mall's opening, announced it would close its upper two floors to become a single floor clearance store, and that the interior entrance to the mall from Dillard's would be permanently closed. Its last day was September 4, 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.13newsnow.com/amp/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/dillards-last-day-macarthur-center-norfolk/291-68bfedb6-8bc7-4d2f-9c05-360b07058bff/|title=Another department store leaves MacArthur Center: Dillard's last day|date=September 4, 2023|access-date=September 24, 2023|website=13newsnow|language=en}}
In mid-July 2023, the development authority voted to allocate $4 million to purchase Dillard's, meaning that the mall was now be entirely under City of Norfolk control and will potentially pave the way for redevelopment plans.{{cite web|url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/dillards-is-done-macarthur-center-store-to-close-for-good/|title=DILLARD'S IS DONE, MACARTHUR CENTER STORE TO CLOSE FOR GOOD}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|MacArthur Center}}
{{Hampton Roads Shopping}}
{{Shopping malls in Virginia}}
Category:Downtown Norfolk, Virginia
Category:Economy of Norfolk, Virginia
Category:Shopping malls in Virginia
Category:Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia
Category:Tourist attractions in Norfolk, Virginia