Crystal Mall is an enclosed, two-level regional mall in Waterford, Connecticut. It is situated in a central retail area off the Hartford Turnpike (Route 85), across from a smaller, open-air shopping center, Waterford Commons. The mall covers a gross leaseable area of almost 800,000 square feet, making it Connecticut's ninth largest mall, boasting over 130 shops. Its primary trade area includes a trade population of about 300,000 people, mostly serving the nearby towns of Waterford, Stonington, Norwich, Groton and New London.
Video Crystal Mall (Connecticut)
History
The mall was developed in 1984 by New England Development. When it opened, it was the only regional mall in the area, and many smaller shopping centers faced strong competition. Some, like nearby New London Mall, were eventually forced to change strategies, such as becoming a "lifestyle center".
After about 10 years in operation, Crystal Mall's look was becoming outdated, and management realized it needed to be renewed. In 1997, the mall underwent a renovation to upgrade its interior design. The previous dark color scheme was replaced by a brighter white, the food court was remodeled, and lighting as well as other fixtures were improved. The elegant center chandelier was slated to be removed during the renovations, but the fixture was popular with shoppers, so it was shined and has remained. The mall has still been criticized for its aging exterior look, and for not updating its tenants to keep up with the times.
In 2006, one of the mall's longstanding anchors Filene's closed its store, as this was one of a number of New England Malls that had both a Macy's and Filene's. After the May Co Department Store Company was purchased by Federated Department Stores (now renamed Macy's) duplicate stores were closed at many New England malls. The anchor space remained empty for over a year. In late 2007, it was announced that two non-traditional anchors would fill the vacant space: Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond. Both retailers opened a few months later in early 2008, with Christmas Tree Shops on the first level, and Bed Bath & Beyond on the second level.
Maps Crystal Mall (Connecticut)
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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