Edgewater Mall

Edgewater Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States. It opened in 1963 under the name Edgewater Plaza and is recognized as the first enclosed shopping mall in Mississippi. The center was developed as a regional retail destination for Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast area, bringing together department stores, specialty retailers, food and service businesses, and entertainment in a climate-controlled indoor format. The mall's early tenant mix included Godchaux's, Gayfers, and J. J. Newberry. Its first major expansion took place in the early 1970s, when a new wing was added and extended to a Sears department store. Construction of that wing required the demolition of the Edgewater Gulf Hotel. Sears opened in July 1972, giving the property another major department-store anchor and strengthening its role as a regional shopping center. Tenant changes subsequently reflected broader shifts in American department-store and discount retailing. J. J. Newberry closed in 1979 and was replaced by JCPenney in the same year. McCrory Stores, which operated a variety-store or dime-store format at the mall, remained until 1996. In the late 1990s, Edgewater Mall underwent a substantial expansion and renovation program. The project added a McRae's department store, later converted to Belk, and enlarged both the JCPenney and Sears locations. The Sears store gained a second story, while JCPenney expanded into space that had previously been occupied by a Jitney Jingle supermarket. Gayfers was acquired by Dillard's in 1998, making Dillard's another principal anchor at the property. Edgewater Mall was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm disrupted operations and required extensive rebuilding. Sears was the first store at the mall to reopen after the hurricane, while Dillard's sustained the greatest damage among the anchors and did not reopen until 2008. The recovery period demonstrated the mall's continuing importance to the local retail infrastructure while also marking a major physical and operational interruption in its history. Sears later announced that its Edgewater Mall store would close in September 2017. The departure reduced the number of major anchors from four to three. In November 2018, Premiere Cinemas opened in the former Sears space, adding a cinema and entertainment use to the property and replacing at least part of the former department-store footprint. The mall's principal anchors are identified as Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, and Premiere Cinemas. Its positioning is that of a regional enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving Biloxi and nearby communities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Edgewater Mall began operations in 1963 in Biloxi, Mississippi, as Edgewater Plaza. Its opening made it the first enclosed shopping mall in Mississippi, establishing a new retail format in the state and creating a centralized indoor marketplace for the Biloxi area. The initial tenant roster included Godchaux's, Gayfers, and J. J. Newberry, combining department-store and variety-store retail with smaller specialty businesses. During the early 1970s, the center expanded with a new wing leading to a Sears department store. The project involved demolishing the Edgewater Gulf Hotel, and Sears opened in July 1972. This addition broadened the mall's regional draw and gave it a major anchor on a new side of the complex. J. J. Newberry later closed in 1979 and was replaced by JCPenney, preserving a department-store presence in that portion of the property. McCrory Stores also operated a variety store at the mall until 1996. A major expansion and renovation program followed in the late 1990s. The work added McRae's as an anchor, later changing to Belk, expanded JCPenney and Sears, and created a second story for Sears. JCPenney extended into space formerly used by a Jitney Jingle supermarket. Another important anchor transition occurred in 1998, when Gayfers was sold to Dillard's. These changes left the mall with a department-store-centered tenant structure that included Dillard's, McRae's or its successor Belk, JCPenney, and Sears. Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage to Edgewater Mall in 2005. The storm temporarily disrupted the center and led to different reopening timelines for its anchors. Sears was the first store to resume operations. Dillard's experienced the most severe damage and was rebuilt, reopening in 2008. The rebuilding preserved the mall's role as a major retail facility in the Biloxi area after one of the region's most consequential natural disasters. The next major change came with the national contraction of the Sears department-store chain. In June 2017, Sears announced that its Edgewater Mall location would close in September. The closure reduced the mall's anchor count from four to three and left a substantial former department-store space available for reuse. In November 2018, Premiere Cinemas opened in the former Sears location, shifting part of the center's anchor strategy from department-store retail toward entertainment. The mall is identified with Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, and Premiere Cinemas as its principal anchors. Its historical development follows the evolution of enclosed regional retail: an early enclosed shopping format, expansion through department-store additions, post-acquisition tenant changes, recovery from a major hurricane, and adaptive reuse of a closed department-store location for cinema entertainment. Public reference material does not establish a founder, owner, parent company, current management team, or official website, so those fields remain unspecified.

• 2018

  Premiere Cinemas opens

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Premiere Cinemas opened in the former Sears location in November.

• 2017

  Sears closure announced

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears announced the closure of its Edgewater Mall store for September 2017.

• 2008

  Dillard's reopens after rebuilding

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dillard's reopened after rebuilding following the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

• 2005

  Hurricane Katrina damage

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged the mall and forced a staged recovery by its anchor stores.

• 1998

  Dillard's takes over Gayfers identity

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Gayfers was sold to Dillard's, changing one of the mall's anchor-store brands.

• 1997

  Expansion and renovation

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall added McRae's, enlarged JCPenney and Sears, and added a second level to Sears.

• 1979

  JCPenney replaces J. J. Newberry

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  J. J. Newberry closed and JCPenney took its place during the same year.

• 1972

  Sears wing opens

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  An early-1970s expansion created a new wing and Sears opened there in July 1972.

• 1963

  Opening as Edgewater Plaza

  [1]Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The center opened in Biloxi as Edgewater Plaza and became Mississippi's first enclosed shopping mall.

A regional enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving Biloxi and the surrounding Mississippi Gulf Coast market.

• Department store anchor

  Belk

  Belk is one of Edgewater Mall's principal department-store anchors. The location originated from the mall's late-1990s expansion, when McRae's was added, and later took the Belk identity. Its department-store format contributes apparel, accessories, beauty, home, and related merchandise to the center's retail mix.

• Department store anchor · 1998

  Dillard's

  Dillard's is a principal department-store anchor at Edgewater Mall. It assumed the role formerly associated with Gayfers after the Gayfers chain was sold in 1998. The store was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina, rebuilt, and reopened in 2008, making it a significant part of the mall's post-storm recovery.

• Department store anchor · 1979

  JCPenney

  JCPenney became an Edgewater Mall anchor in 1979 after replacing J. J. Newberry. Its space was later enlarged during the mall's major late-1990s renovation, including an expansion into an area previously occupied by a Jitney Jingle supermarket. The department-store format broadens the mall's apparel, home, beauty, and general-merchandise offering.

• Cinema and entertainment anchor · 2018

  Premiere Cinemas

  Premiere Cinemas occupies the former Sears location at Edgewater Mall. It opened in November 2018 after Sears departed, adding a dedicated cinema and entertainment destination to the mall and helping repurpose a large former department-store footprint.

• 2018

  Open Premiere Cinemas in the former Sears spaceProduct launch

  Background

  Following the departure of Sears, the mall had an opportunity to repurpose a large anchor location for a non-department-store use.

  Action taken

  Premiere Cinemas opened in the former Sears location in November 2018.

  Aftermath

  The conversion added entertainment to the mall's anchor mix and reduced reliance on traditional department-store occupancy.

  Source

• 2017

  Close the Sears locationOther

  Background

  Sears announced the closure of its Edgewater Mall store as part of its broader store-contraction period.

  Action taken

  The Sears store was scheduled to close in September 2017.

  Aftermath

  The mall lost one of its four major anchors, and the former Sears space was later reused by Premiere Cinemas.

  Source

• 1997

  Undertake a major expansion and renovationStrategy

  Background

  The mall sought to modernize and enlarge its facilities while strengthening its anchor-store lineup.

  Action taken

  The project added McRae's, expanded JCPenney and Sears, and added a second story to Sears.

  Aftermath

  The renovation increased the mall's department-store capacity and created the anchor configuration that preceded later ownership and tenant changes.

  Source

• 1972

  Add a Sears-anchored expansion wingStrategy

  Background

  The mall pursued a major early expansion to extend its enclosed retail footprint and add another department-store anchor.

  Action taken

  A new wing was constructed after the Edgewater Gulf Hotel was demolished, and Sears opened in July 1972.

  Aftermath

  The project expanded the center's regional department-store offering and established Sears as a major anchor for decades.

  Source

1. 1Edgewater Mallen.wikipedia.org