Escondido Village at Valley Boulevard (now Valley Parkway) and Ash Street in Escondido, California, was the first enclosed, and first fully air-conditioned, shopping mall in California, opening in 1964, and costing $10 million to build. It was advertised as a shopping center with an "enclosed sidewalk" or "an air-conditioned sidewalk and mall"; the term "mall" was not yet synonymous with an enclosed shopping center, and was used in its original meaning of "a long, planted or green space". Walker Scott, the San Diego–based department store chain, was an anchor, as was Mayfair Markets, with TG&Y discount stores joining later. At launch, the center was long on a single-axis mall, had of gross leasable area, 40 stores, and of parking for 1,250 cars. Sears joined later as the second department store anchor, adding . Mike Schuerman, "Fedco slated to hire 500 for new Escondido store", "Shoptalk" (column), Escondido Daily Times-Advocate, September 4, 1986.
The center had its official opening on August 6, 1964. Prior to then, several tenants had already opened for business:
Alfredo's Restaurant Mayfair Market San Diego Trust and Savings Ting's Drugs Walker Scott Union Oil Service
Stores opening on August 6 were:
Benbough's Furniture Bon Ton ice cream shop Bradley's Continental Coiffures Flynn's Candies Fraser's Hafter's-Haggarty House of Fabrics Leona Ray Sportswear Frances Formals—Little Fawn bridal shop Master's Candy Motherhood Shops Peter Pan (youth fashions) Polynesian Pet Shop Radio Station KOWN Rogers Barber Shop Rusty's Gifts T. G. & Y Variety The Ivy Shop (men's wear) Tish's Book and Art Gallery Valley Donut Shop
Stores with a planned opening after August 6 were:
Village Nutrition Gallenkamp Shoes Joseph Jewelers Streicher's Shoes Sir George's Smorgasbord Chuck's Steak House Aunt Emma's Pancake House
Walker Scott Escondido The Walker Scott store, the chain's fifth, cost $3,750,000, and officially opened with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. on April 6, 1964, ahead of the center's formal opening on August 6. Designed by Brand-Worth & Associates, the store had numerous notable features. Walls, floors and fixtures were color coordinated. The signage was custom-made in a classic raised Roman typeface.
Carpet The store featured a specially-made multi-color carpet in eight related shades around the perimeter of the store, in a progressive spectrum from red to blue. The men's department carpet was dark blue, the dress department reds and purples, the juniors and lingerie departments pink and orchid colors, and in ladies' sportswear, vermilion and lavender.
Walls The store had wall murals in classic Roman themes by Rick Chase, a Southern California muralist. Other walls were covered in metal sculptures, including acid-etched brass trees in recesses in the walls of the apparel areas. In the sportswear department, three sculptured metal trees were made with more than 9,000 stylized leaves. Decorative grill work enclosed the glass well of the escalators.
Anchor changes Walker Scott and Sears (relocated to North County Fair mall) both closed in 1986, with Fedco taking the Sears space and expanding it to . (now the site of The Home Depot).
Transformation to strip-style center The mall was transformed into an unenclosed strip-style neighborhood shopping center in 1991 to improve its competitive position after losing business to North County Fair, which opened in 1986.
External links Shades of Escondido - Shopping Mall
References