Danville Mall

Danville Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Danville, Virginia. The property opened in 1984 as Piedmont Mall and was developed around a group of department-store anchors serving the Danville area and surrounding communities. Its original anchors were J. C. Penney, Hills, Belk-Leggett, and Globman's. The center later expanded its anchor lineup when Sears opened in 1995. The mall's ownership and operating profile changed substantially over time. General Growth Properties acquired the property in 1995. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the mall experienced anchor changes reflecting broader shifts in the American department-store sector. Hills was sold to Ames, which operated the location until 2001. The former Hills/Ames space was subsequently reused by Boscov's, whose Virginia debut at the mall took place in November 2005. Boscov's closed in 2008 after the company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and identified the location as one of its unprofitable stores. General Growth Properties later filed for bankruptcy, and Hull Storey Gibson acquired the mall in 2012. Under the new ownership, the property was repositioned and renamed Danville Mall. The redevelopment program included announced renovation work, remodeling of the Belk store, and the closure of a second Belk location. The former Boscov's space was eventually reused in part by Dunham's Sports, which opened on the lower level in November 2015. The mall subsequently lost two more traditional department-store anchors. Sears announced in May 2018 that its Danville location would close as part of a nationwide store-reduction plan; the store shut in August 2018. J. C. Penney announced in June 2020 that its mall store would close as part of a broader plan to close stores, with the location expected to cease operations around October 2020. These closures left Belk and Dunham's Sports as the mall's remaining anchor tenants. Danville Mall is therefore best understood as a regional retail destination whose identity has evolved from a conventional department-store-anchored mall into a smaller, reconfigured shopping center. Its current anchor base consists of Belk and Dunham's Sports, while former anchor spaces associated with Boscov's, J. C. Penney, and Sears are vacant according to the cited reference. The property continues to operate as an enclosed mall, with Hull Property Group responsible for management.

Danville Mall opened in 1984 in Danville, Virginia, under the name Piedmont Mall. Its original anchor lineup consisted of J. C. Penney, Hills, Belk-Leggett, and Globman's. Globman's closed in 1990 and was later used as an auxiliary space for Belk. Sears was added as a fifth anchor in 1995, the same year General Growth Properties acquired the mall. The property underwent several anchor transitions during the following decade. Hills was sold to Ames and operated under that name until closing in 2001. In November 2005, the former Hills/Ames location became the first Boscov's store in Virginia. Boscov's later closed the store in 2008 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and identifying it as one of ten unprofitable locations slated for closure. A further ownership change occurred in 2012. Hull Storey Gibson purchased the mall after General Growth Properties filed for bankruptcy. The new ownership announced a renovation program and changed the property's name from Piedmont Mall to Danville Mall. The work included remodeling the Belk store and closing a second Belk location. In November 2015, Dunham's Sports opened on the lower level of the former Boscov's space. The mall's department-store base contracted again in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Sears announced in May 2018 that its store would close as part of a nationwide plan affecting 42 locations; the Danville store closed in August. On June 4, 2020, J. C. Penney announced that its Danville Mall store would close as part of a plan involving approximately 154 stores, with the closure expected around October 2020. Following these departures, Belk and Dunham's Sports remained the mall's active anchor stores, while the former Boscov's, J. C. Penney, and Sears anchor spaces were listed as vacant in the cited reference. The property's history reflects the broader evolution of enclosed regional malls in the United States. It began with several traditional department-store anchors, experienced replacement and consolidation among those retailers, and later adopted a more diversified anchor strategy under new ownership. Despite the loss of several major department stores, Danville Mall remains an operating enclosed shopping center managed by Hull Property Group.

• 2020

  J. C. Penney announced its closure

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  J. C. Penney announced that its Danville Mall location would close as part of a broader store-reduction program.

• 2018

  Sears closed

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears anchor closed in August after being included in a nationwide store-closure plan.

• 2015

  Dunham's Sports opened

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dunham's Sports opened on the lower level of the former Boscov's space in November.

• 2012

  Ownership changed and the mall was renamed

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Hull Storey Gibson acquired the property and renamed Piedmont Mall as Danville Mall while pursuing renovations.

• 2008

  Boscov's closed

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Boscov's closed the location after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

• 2005

  Boscov's opened

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Hills/Ames space became Boscov's first Virginia store in November.

• 1999

  Hills became Ames

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Hills store was sold to Ames and operated under the Ames name until 2001.

• 1995

  Sears joined the anchor lineup

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears was added as a fifth anchor, and General Growth Properties acquired the mall.

• 1990

  Globman's closed

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Globman's ended operations at the mall, and the space was later used as an auxiliary Belk location.

• 1984

  Piedmont Mall opened

  [1]Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed shopping mall opened in Danville with J. C. Penney, Hills, Belk-Leggett, and Globman's as its original anchor stores.

A regional enclosed shopping mall serving Danville and nearby communities, with a tenant mix centered on department-store, apparel, and sporting-goods retail.

• Department store · 1984

  Belk

  Belk is a department-store anchor at Danville Mall and has been associated with the property since its 1984 opening. The store was remodeled as part of the renovation activity undertaken after Hull Storey Gibson acquired the mall. Belk is one of the two active anchor stores identified in the cited reference.

• Sporting-goods store · 2015

  Dunham's Sports

  Dunham's Sports occupies the lower level of the former Boscov's anchor space. It opened at Danville Mall in November 2015 and supplies the property with a sporting-goods-oriented anchor concept. It is listed alongside Belk as one of the mall's remaining active anchors.

• Department store · 1984

  J. C. Penney

  J. C. Penney was one of Piedmont Mall's original anchors when the property opened in 1984. The store remained an anchor for decades before announcing a closure in 2020 as part of a larger J. C. Penney store-reduction plan. The location was expected to close around October 2020.

• Department store · 1995

  Sears

  Sears joined the mall's anchor lineup in 1995. Its Danville Mall store later became part of a nationwide closure plan announced in 2018 and closed in August of that year.

• Department store · 2005

  Boscov's

  Boscov's opened in November 2005 in the former Hills/Ames anchor space, becoming the chain's first Virginia store. It closed in 2008 after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and designated the store as unprofitable.

• 2020

  J. C. Penney store closureOther

  Background

  J. C. Penney announced a plan to close approximately 154 stores.

  Action taken

  The company announced that its Danville Mall store would close around October 2020.

  Aftermath

  Belk and Dunham's Sports remained the only active anchor stores identified in the cited reference.

  Source

• 2018

  Sears store closureOther

  Background

  Sears announced a nationwide plan to close 42 stores.

  Action taken

  The Danville Mall Sears store was selected for closure and shut down in August.

  Aftermath

  The mall lost one of its long-standing department-store anchors.

  Source

• 2015

  Dunham's Sports opened at the mallProduct launch

  Background

  The mall had a vacant former Boscov's anchor space following Boscov's 2008 closure.

  Action taken

  Dunham's Sports opened on the lower level of the former Boscov's location in November.

  Aftermath

  The store became one of the mall's two remaining active anchor tenants.

  Source

• 2012

  Hull Storey Gibson acquired the mallM&A

  Background

  General Growth Properties had filed for bankruptcy, creating the context for a change in ownership of the property.

  Action taken

  Hull Storey Gibson purchased the mall and subsequently operated it through Hull Property Group.

  Aftermath

  The property was renamed Danville Mall, renovation plans were announced, and the Belk store was remodeled.

  Source

1. 1Danville Mallen.wikipedia.org