Cloverleaf Mall

Cloverleaf Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in Chesterfield County, Virginia on U.S. Route 60 just west of State Route 150. The mall opened in 1972 and featured two anchor stores, J. C. Penney, and Sears. A third anchor, Thalhimers, opened a year later.

Cloverleaf Mall
LocationChesterfield, Virginia, U.S.
Address7201 Midlothian Turnpike (US 60)
Opening date1972
Closing date2008; Demolished 2011
DeveloperLeonard Farber
ArchitectCarneal and Johnston
No. of stores and servicesAbout 70 at peak
No. of anchor tenants3 at peak
Total retail floor area760,000 sq ft (71,000 m2)
No. of floors1

However, the surrounding neighborhoods began to undergo a socioeconomic crisis and developments were occurring away from the mall. This led to a decline, especially in the 1990s and 2000s when businesses left for nearby Chesterfield Towne Center. The mall was eventually closed in 2008 and was ultimately demolished in 2011 to make way for a mixed-use development featuring a Kroger Marketplace.

History

The mall opened in 1972 and featured two anchors: J. C. Penney and Sears. Thalhimers was added a year later as a third anchor. There was also a two-screen movie theater.

Cloverleaf was very successful through the 1970s and 1980s. Major renovations were done to the mall in the 1980s. Thalhimers added a second floor to the anchor and the two-screen theater was moved to a standalone building behind the mall. The space vacated by the original theater was replaced by a food court.

Decline

Even though the mall was thriving through 1970s - 1980s, it saw a decline in the 1990s, when customers began staying away from the mall as they started to fear some of the youth there. Kids were seen with "baggy pants, and chains hanging off their belts."[1]

In 1996, two clerks from a dollar store inside the mall were found stabbed to death. As of 2019, the murders still remain unsolved.[2]

Not only that, but nearby Chesterfield Towne Center just underwent a major renovation, and development was expanding west, away from Cloverleaf.[1]

These factors caused people to stray away from Cloverleaf Mall, and instead go shopping at Chesterfield Towne Center, which was a safer, newer, and bigger mall just five miles west of Cloverleaf.

In 2000, JCPenney closed their Cloverleaf store and moved to Chesterfield Towne Center, followed in 2003 by Sears and Hecht's, which replaced Thalhimers. The movie theater, owned by Regal Cinemas at the time, was also closed down in 2001.

Redevelopment

In 2005, a local church wanted to buy the mall to turn it into a multi-purpose facility, with one of the former anchors becoming a sanctuary with about 5,000 seats.[3] However, Chesterfield County didn't approve the church's plans, and purchased the mall instead.

Cloverleaf Mall permanently closed in 2008. The mall, along with all outparcels (except for a Firestone auto care center) were demolished in 2011 to make way for Stonebridge, a mixed-use development featuring the first Virginian Kroger Marketplace along with many other commercial tenants, and apartments. [4][5]

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References
  1. Gergory, Donna C. (2008-02-27). "Remembering 35 years of Cloverleaf Mall". Chesterfield Observer. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  2. "23 years later, family still looking for answers in unsolved Cloverleaf Mall murders". 8News. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  3. Bruno, Lesley Howson. "Why Richmond, Why?!? History of Cloverleaf Mall". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  4. "Cloverleaf Mall and Stonebridge". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  5. Staff, Richmond com. "New "Super" Kroger Opens at Old Cloverleaf Mall". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-10.

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