Lakeview Plaza

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Lakeview Plaza is a shopping mall located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It is anchored by JCPenney and is located across E. Magnolia Ave. from Edgelake Plaza.

Contents 1 Early Years: The 'Mid-Cities' Era 2 Later Years: The 'Lakeview Centre' Era 3 Today: The 'Lakeview Plaza' Era 4 Directory (February, 1969) 5 Tenancy Changes Prior to Closure

[edit] Early Years: The 'Mid-Cities' Era

The mall opened on May 8, 1968, and was then known as Mid-Cities Mall. It was developed by Darcell Properties, in conjunction with the local Mid-Cities Merchants Association in 1965, but building of the propsed mall would not begin until 1967. Montgomery Ward was its first store to be built and opened, followed by the rest of the enclosed mall building. JCPenney, the mall's flagship anchor and also the largest store in the mall at nearly 100,000 Sq. Ft with two floors of selling space, would be the final tenant to be constructed. A JCPenney Auto Center was also built as an outparcel on the southwest corner of the mall land. At its peak, Mid-Cities boasted over 20 various shops, services, and restaurants.

Interconnecting both anchors was a simple dumbell styled mall. The main concourse stretched 44-feet across, and stretched nearly 300 feet between the two main anchor stores.

During its nearly-two decades in this phase of life, this was where all community events were held. It's central location between the twin cities of Manitowoc and Two Rivers were a huge catalyst for its early success and popularity with residents.

[edit] Later Years: The 'Lakeview Centre' Era

The 1980s, however, were the beginning of the end. Starting with the opening of Edgewater Mall in 1979 (this is known today as Edgelake Plaza), boasting another 20 tenants along with a H.C. Prange Co. and Prange Way as anchors, and a big blow with the closure of Montgomery Ward a few years afterwards. The once-prosperous mall began on an unrecoverable spiral into closure in September of 2000. There were other contributing factors:

• The city's overall economy, which was beginning to suffer.

• The newly-opened Interstate 43 corridor, linking all of the Lakeshore communities to the major metro areas of Green Bay and Milwaukee, furthering residents' shopping options.

• With I-43's opening, the 151 / Calumet Ave. corridor leading into the city from the southwest, became a hotbed of retail activity. A Shopko and attached mall were built in the 1980s, along with Wal-Mart, joined by a pre-existing K-mart, and another strip mall, the Park Plaza, further up the road. Many former mall tenants fled to this region.

The mall attempted several things to survive.

• Small bits of remodeling in the 1980s, including new lighting and carpeted flooring over what was once just polished concrete

• Retitling the mall Lakeview Centre

• Filling in the former Wards with a local variety store upon Woolworth's closure in the late 1980s/early '90s, but this soon closed in 1995. This anchor hasn't been reoccupied since.

• Retenanting the mall's empty space with many things. Antiques dealers, services, a karate school, and even (for a time) a Hardee's fast-food restaurant, was tucked into the mall's former front entryway next to Penney's.

Osco Drug (now CVS Pharmacy) would pull out in 1997 for new digs across the street to the south of the mall property, thus allowing for a drive-up window.

With only 5 tenants remaining by the turn of the New Millennium, and the rising costs of maintenance to the aging structure, the mall was finally closed to the public after September 31, 2000. Those tenants remaining, minus JCPenney (explained below) were given notice to evict. Most remaining shops had moved downtown, or to the Calumet Ave. corridor. Only one (a nail salon) jumped ship to Edgelake Plaza.

[edit] Today: The 'Lakeview Plaza' Era

Since its closure, the mall has not seen any new occupants since and is starting to show signs of decay. JCPenney, nor the outparcel auto center (which they now lease out to a local tire and service center) were not affected in the eviction notice due to their ownership of their buildings and the land upon which they sit. Being the only Penney's location in the immediate region, it continues to thrive today. Compared to the rest of the mall, this part of the parking lot and the buildings are still upkept and clean.

[edit] Directory (February, 1969)

Major Anchors:

• JC Penney (Only existing store left today}
• Montgomery Ward (1968-early 1980s)

Junior anchors:

• Woolworth
• Osco Drug
• A&P Supermarket (Located at the rear of Mall. Connected to the building, but no interior mall access)

Other Shops & Services:

• Armored Knight (Restaurant/Lounge)
• Bresler's 33 Flavors (Ice Cream parlor)
• Fanny Farmer (Candy)
• Farmer's Insurance Group
• Fashions by Mr. R (Jr. / Misses Apparel)
• Kinney Shoes
• Lord's Ltd. (Men's Apparel)
• Mall Mystique (Gifts)
• Martin's Beauty Salon (Ladies' Hairstyling)
• Maurices Ladies' Apparel Shops
• Mid-Cities Barber (Men's Hairstyling)
• Mid-Cities Liquor
• Neumode Hosiery
• Radio Shack
• Singer Co. (Fabrics / Notions / Sewing Machines)
• Sunkist Cleaners (Dry Cleaning services)
• Thought of You (Cards / Gifts)

[edit] Tenancy Changes Prior to Closure

• 1976: Id Boutique opens
• Late 1970s: A&P closes
• 1979-1980: Several stores jump across the road to the new Edgelake Plaza (Edgewater Mall). Among them, id and Kinney Shoes
• 1982: Bressler's 33 Flavors becomes a Mother's Ice Cream location.
• Mid-1980s: Ward's closes
• 1985: RadioShack moves to ShopKo Plaza
• Late 1980s: Hardee's opens a fast food restaurant in the S.E. Mall entry. They would close in the mid 1990s.
• Early 1990s: Woolworth's closes
• 1997: Osco moves to a new store, closes Lakview location.