The mall was originally anchored by a department store named Britt's which was later replaced by JC Penny and by Sears where Belk is located now. The was also a third anchor mid mall that went under several names. The place once housed Leon's, Colony Men’s Store, The Junction, Newsom's Music Center, Kress (with a coffee shop), Meyer's Shoe Store, Baskin Robbins and many others. My mother used to buy me a banana split at the lunch counter at Woolworth's. We rarely shopped in Montgomery.
Where was the Kress in the mall? Is it where Citi Trends is now or elsewhere? I researched this mall thoroughly today (see the comment I left earlier for opening dates of the stores. That middle anchor had so many names through the years.
I was born and raised in selma for 22 years, I've only recently moved away, I can remember when the jc penny was still in business and times when many other of the smaller shops within were doing their closeout sales. As my hometown it's sad to see many of the things there just shutting down, that leaves no room for community growth. Keep up the good work guys!
I was born and raised there, I moved when I was 8 but my dad lived there until he recently passed, I used to come there and I miss this place man, so many memories and stuff. I’m getting Selma tattooed on my forearm for my first tattoo. I miss going to the foot locker in that mall 😕
I remember when the suite with the dark gray walls by the fan was the main Foot Locker and the suite they’re at now was the Kids Foot Locker. Worked at the kids one one summer. Have a lot of teenage memories in that mall, hanging out for hours in the old bookstore, Circuit City, and Blockbuster..
I was in this mall on October 6, 2020 and it seems far more dead now than it was in this video, with even fewer stores open. The fountain was empty and a good many lights were out and flickering. A flea market store is now in the JCPenney but doesn't have the mall entrance open. The mall opened March 2, 1972, but two stores opened earlier. Sears was the first store to open on July 14, 1971 in the eastern anchor space. Kress was the second, November 26, 1971, and I wonder if it was where Citi Trends is now. Britt's opened March 2, 1972 in the western anchor spot and Kartus opened March 2, 1972 in the center anchor spot (the one you see past the fountain when you go in the middle mall entrance). Britt's closed and was later replaced by JCPenney which opened November 3, 1976 and closed April 2014. Sears closed March 1993 (quite unusual for that time period) and was later replaced by McRae's which opened March 13, 1996. Belk bought McRae's April 29, 2005 and March 8, 2006, it had a grand opening as Belk. However, it wasn't the first Belk here. The middle anchor has a complex history. Kartus opened there March 2, 1972 but it was purchased and renamed as Mr A's Ltd. August 1973, and that got rebranded as Belk-Avery March 24, 1977, then during June 1977 it was being advertised as just Avery's. July 31, 1981, Avery's closed and a store called Wm. Henry opened by February 5, 1981 that had purchased the assets of Avery's. The Wm. Henry store was gone by July or August, then Beall's opened October 15, 1981, and was a new store not associated with the previous string of stores in that middle space. Beall's renamed themselves to Beall-Ladymon July 1985, and they closed February 1994. Goody's opened in the space August 11, 1994, and closed July 2008. Unbelievably, Goody's reopened in that space November 2, 2011 and closed again March 28, 2015. It may hold a record for the number of different stores in an anchor spot in a mall. There was also a store called Leon's in the mall which opened June 3, 1973 and closed June 1993 but I have no idea where it was in the mall. -- Researched by Evans A Criswell October 7, 2020 from Selma Times-Journal archives
3Cr15w311 As I remember, Leon’s was a small chain of higher-end ladies apparel stores in central Alabama. The flagship store was on Broad Street in downtown Selma. It’s second Selma location was the first store on the left as you exited Sears. They also had a separate space for the children’s department at some point on the opposite side of the hall.
This is- was my home, I’v been to this mall so many times, I’m only 16, but I’v had so much of a happy long life in Selma , I might not of been born in Selma ,but I was raised in since I was 1 there, me and my Nana going to get cloths and shoes, going to the blockbuster when it was still open, too bad I can’t go with her anymore, if you stopped By Pilcher Mcbryde you might of met her before she passed, her name was Barbara
Not only the mall is sad but there's no decent restaurants unless you want barbecue or burgers. The city doesn't have many jobs to offer. Therefore there's no money to put back into that town.
This mall was kind of doomed to begin with. Selma is not very big, and near to Montgomery, AL, which had 2 big malls with 3 to 4 anchors. The Montgomery Mall used to be the place to be, with anchors like Parisean, Gayfors, and JC Penny. It was the fashion mall, closed about 15 to 20 years ago due to bad neighborhoods, gang activity and crime. Southern Bulevard area where it was located is very bad now, but used to be nice. As ppl in poverty moved east into Montgomery from Selma, Southern Bulevard area declined. Eastdale Mall (still going strong) is the other big mall in Montgomery, located on the east side, it features an ice skating rink at its center and a movie theater. When Montgomery Mall closed, The Shoppes at East Chase opened up even further east Montgomery as an outside mall. Selma Mall had to compete with the big successful Montgomery Mall through the 80s and 90s, which made Selma mall start dying in the 80s. Selma too has had lots of crime and poverty through the years as Southern part of Montgomery did, but Selmas issues started much earlier. This mall was opened in the 70s, never renovated, and starting dying less than 10 years later. I really wish someone could get into what is left of the Montgomery Mall and film it. Last i heard few years ago, some of it was demolished, some repurposed as warehouses. Not sure of its final fate these days. Thanks so much for doing this video and sharing it to the world! No mall videos have been done in my state of Alabama much, so this is greatly appreciated!
It is kinda sad to see. I lived in Ohio & there are malls I went to on Saturdays and you couldn't find a parking spot. Now when you go there it's almost like a Ghost town. It's like that in several different towns I been to that had booming malls in the 90s.
@@bellesmom238you are a liar! Selma mall never had several robberies. That's just a lie you wanted to say. Alabama is a republican state but you just wanted to spew your ignorant political rant under this comment. Focus on being a mother! Judging off your incompetence your child would be better off raised by wolves than you.
When I was a child back in the 80s this mall used to be packed...So many memories of Selma back then. I used to be so happy to go to Selma.
ong
Why
The mall was originally anchored by a department store named Britt's which was later replaced by JC Penny and by Sears where Belk is located now. The was also a third anchor mid mall that went under several names. The place once housed Leon's, Colony Men’s Store, The Junction, Newsom's Music Center, Kress (with a coffee shop), Meyer's Shoe Store, Baskin Robbins and many others. My mother used to buy me a banana split at the lunch counter at Woolworth's. We rarely shopped in Montgomery.
My mom worked at Kress when I was a little kid. It is too bad that Selma has gone downhill.
Where was the Kress in the mall? Is it where Citi Trends is now or elsewhere? I researched this mall thoroughly today (see the comment I left earlier for opening dates of the stores. That middle anchor had so many names through the years.
3Cr15w311 As I recall, Kress was the first store on the left as you were walking out from Britt’s/Penny’s towards Sears/Belk.
I was born and raised in selma for 22 years, I've only recently moved away, I can remember when the jc penny was still in business and times when many other of the smaller shops within were doing their closeout sales. As my hometown it's sad to see many of the things there just shutting down, that leaves no room for community growth. Keep up the good work guys!
Really sad how much Selma has went down hill! My favorite store when I was little was Peppermint Records!
Mine too.
I've been gone 21 years now. I worked at peppermint records in 94
What y’all know bout that
@@lilduttypbd4863 LOL I know I was assistant manager there with Curtis and Roosevelt
What in the world could make a mall die in the historical town of Selma is it really the economy
I was born and raised there, I moved when I was 8 but my dad lived there until he recently passed, I used to come there and I miss this place man, so many memories and stuff. I’m getting Selma tattooed on my forearm for my first tattoo. I miss going to the foot locker in that mall 😕
I remember when the suite with the dark gray walls by the fan was the main Foot Locker and the suite they’re at now was the Kids Foot Locker. Worked at the kids one one summer. Have a lot of teenage memories in that mall, hanging out for hours in the old bookstore, Circuit City, and Blockbuster..
Definitely southern hospitality. I live in Selma and if you go up north people ain't nice like they are here.
I was in this mall on October 6, 2020 and it seems far more dead now than it was in this video, with even fewer stores open. The fountain was empty and a good many lights were out and flickering. A flea market store is now in the JCPenney but doesn't have the mall entrance open. The mall opened March 2, 1972, but two stores opened earlier. Sears was the first store to open on July 14, 1971 in the eastern anchor space. Kress was the second, November 26, 1971, and I wonder if it was where Citi Trends is now. Britt's opened March 2, 1972 in the western anchor spot and Kartus opened March 2, 1972 in the center anchor spot (the one you see past the fountain when you go in the middle mall entrance). Britt's closed and was later replaced by JCPenney which opened November 3, 1976 and closed April 2014. Sears closed March 1993 (quite unusual for that time period) and was later replaced by McRae's which opened March 13, 1996. Belk bought McRae's April 29, 2005 and March 8, 2006, it had a grand opening as Belk. However, it wasn't the first Belk here. The middle anchor has a complex history. Kartus opened there March 2, 1972 but it was purchased and renamed as Mr A's Ltd. August 1973, and that got rebranded as Belk-Avery March 24, 1977, then during June 1977 it was being advertised as just Avery's. July 31, 1981, Avery's closed and a store called Wm. Henry opened by February 5, 1981 that had purchased the assets of Avery's. The Wm. Henry store was gone by July or August, then Beall's opened October 15, 1981, and was a new store not associated with the previous string of stores in that middle space. Beall's renamed themselves to Beall-Ladymon July 1985, and they closed February 1994. Goody's opened in the space August 11, 1994, and closed July 2008. Unbelievably, Goody's reopened in that space November 2, 2011 and closed again March 28, 2015. It may hold a record for the number of different stores in an anchor spot in a mall. There was also a store called Leon's in the mall which opened June 3, 1973 and closed June 1993 but I have no idea where it was in the mall. -- Researched by Evans A Criswell October 7, 2020 from Selma Times-Journal archives
3Cr15w311 As I remember, Leon’s was a small chain of higher-end ladies apparel stores in central Alabama. The flagship store was on Broad Street in downtown Selma. It’s second Selma location was the first store on the left as you exited Sears. They also had a separate space for the children’s department at some point on the opposite side of the hall.
This is- was my home, I’v been to this mall so many times, I’m only 16, but I’v had so much of a happy long life in Selma , I might not of been born in Selma ,but I was raised in since I was 1 there, me and my Nana going to get cloths and shoes, going to the blockbuster when it was still open, too bad I can’t go with her anymore, if you stopped By Pilcher Mcbryde you might of met her before she passed, her name was Barbara
Beautiful Mall!!🎉
It looks like the town of
Spring hood in Freddy's dead the final nightmare
I remember when the Selma Mall was packed now it's dead
Not only the mall is sad but there's no decent restaurants unless you want barbecue or burgers. The city doesn't have many jobs to offer. Therefore there's no money to put back into that town.
Elections have consequences.
I’m praying for Sema’s economy and citizens.🙏🙏🙏
This mall was kind of doomed to begin with. Selma is not very big, and near to Montgomery, AL, which had 2 big malls with 3 to 4 anchors. The Montgomery Mall used to be the place to be, with anchors like Parisean, Gayfors, and JC Penny. It was the fashion mall, closed about 15 to 20 years ago due to bad neighborhoods, gang activity and crime. Southern Bulevard area where it was located is very bad now, but used to be nice. As ppl in poverty moved east into Montgomery from Selma, Southern Bulevard area declined. Eastdale Mall (still going strong) is the other big mall in Montgomery, located on the east side, it features an ice skating rink at its center and a movie theater. When Montgomery Mall closed, The Shoppes at East Chase opened up even further east Montgomery as an outside mall. Selma Mall had to compete with the big successful Montgomery Mall through the 80s and 90s, which made Selma mall start dying in the 80s. Selma too has had lots of crime and poverty through the years as Southern part of Montgomery did, but Selmas issues started much earlier. This mall was opened in the 70s, never renovated, and starting dying less than 10 years later. I really wish someone could get into what is left of the Montgomery Mall and film it. Last i heard few years ago, some of it was demolished, some repurposed as warehouses. Not sure of its final fate these days. Thanks so much for doing this video and sharing it to the world! No mall videos have been done in my state of Alabama much, so this is greatly appreciated!
Heartbreaking I went there when it the mall was in its hay day . Thank you for showing .
Now eastdale starting to die out which is so saddening
@@gissellemendoza2628 Its coming back now
It is kinda sad to see. I lived in Ohio & there are malls I went to on Saturdays and you couldn't find a parking spot. Now when you go there it's almost like a Ghost town. It's like that in several different towns I been to that had booming malls in the 90s.
city trend in there still open
Do you know if it is in the space where Kress used to be?
Sad
Put some $$$$ in it😄😎😘
THATS WHATS WRONG WITH IT , BEEN ROBBED TOO MANY TIME , YOU DEMORATS NEED TO LEARN , MONEY AINT FREE , WORK , QUIT GOV HANDOUTS
🤔
PUT SOME MONEY IN THE CITY😍💯
@@bellesmom238you are a liar! Selma mall never had several robberies. That's just a lie you wanted to say. Alabama is a republican state but you just wanted to spew your ignorant political rant under this comment. Focus on being a mother! Judging off your incompetence your child would be better off raised by wolves than you.
I live here and I just wanna say that Citi Trends is lit as fuck.