South Shore Plaza

Infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = South Shore Plaza


caption =
location = Braintree, Massachusetts
opening_date = 1961
developer =
manager = Simon Property Group
owner = Simon Property Group
number_of_stores = 180
number_of_anchors = 3
floor_area = 1.161 million ft² [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1063761/000104746907001496/a2176251z10-k.htm]
floors = 2
parking = 7388
website = [http://www.simon.com/mall/directory.aspx?ID=147 simon.com/mall/directory.aspx?ID=147]

South Shore Plaza is an enclosed shopping mall located in Braintree, Massachusetts, United States. One of New England's largest shopping malls,Fact|date=November 2007 it is anchored by Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Sears and currently measures at almost 1.2 million ft² of retail and dining space, including a large food court. A redevelopment is currently underway and when complete in 2010, the center is expected to be 1.607 million ft² and include a newly constructed three-level, 150,000 ft² Nordstrom.

History

South Shore Plaza originally opened in 1961 as an open-air plaza with a 120,000 ft² Filene's and 30 smaller stores. A 300,316 ft² Jordan Marsh (since converted to Macy's) opened in 1968. The center was enclosed in 1976 and saw additional anchors Lord & Taylor open in 1979 and Sears open in 1980, when the mall reached 100 stores.

An expansion in 1995-1996 added a second level (including "Boardwalk Cafes", the food court) and nearly doubled the size of the mall, while expanding the original Filene's store to include a home store. The mall was given a bright and airy feel, largely because of abundant skylighting and wide, spacious corridors. 1996 also saw the Jordan Marsh store renamed Macy's, while in 1998 Simon Property Group acquired the mall owner, Corporate Property Investors, and assumed management.

In 2005, May Department Stores (the then parent of Lord & Taylor and Filene's) was acquired by Federated Department Stores (the owner of Macy's). This led to Federated briefly closing the Filene's store in March 2006, before using the space to relocate its Macy's store that May (the remainder of the Filene's stores were renamed Macy's later that year). Federated sold the Lord & Taylor chain later that year, while selling the vacant Jordan Marsh/Macy's space to Simon Property Group. Future plans call for razing the original former Jordan Marsh store for a new wing of mall retail space and the construction of a new Nordstrom in 2009-2010.

With the redevelopment underway, store relocating is occurring and new retail stores are opening.

American Eagle Outfitters recently opened a flagship store at South Shore Plaza.

Location

South Shore Plaza is in the Boston metropolitan area, located off Interstate 93 on Granite Street/Route 37 in Braintree, Massachusetts. Around it there are several other stores such as Circuit City, and restaurants like Uno Chicago Grill, The Cheesecake Factory, and T.G.I. Friday's.

Anchors

*Lord & Taylor (123,500 ft²)
*Macy's (227,000 ft²)
*Nordstrom (150,000 ft², "opening 2010")
*Sears (207,000 ft²)
*AMC Theatres (1.2 miles from South Shore Plaza)

External links

* [http://www.bostoncentral.com/shopping/malls/p58.php Boston.com article on South Shore Plaza]
* [http://www.simon.com Simon Malls]
* [http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=147 South Shore Plaza]