Everything That You Need to Know About the NorthTown Mall in Spokane

The NorthTown Mall in Spokane is one of the biggest shopping malls in the city. It first started as an open-air center in 1955 and then went through several modifications that led to the expansion of the shopping mall. The biggest expansion took place between 1989 and 1991.

Brookfield Property Partners was the owner of the shopping mall until 2018. Currently, six companies are in charge of running it – Regal Cinemas, Marshalls, Kohl’s, Get Air Trampoline Park, Barnes & Noble, and J. C. Penney.

The history of the NorthTown Mall

The plan to start the shopping center came up after Joe Albertson decided to open a supermarket called Albertsons on its side. He started his supermarket the next year and made plans with E.D. McCarthy, his agent, to start a shopping center in the same location. However, they didn’t have permission to acquire the land. As a result, they looked for various options to own the land beside Albertsons.

Once they managed to acquire the plot, McCarthy proposed to name the shopping center Northtown. A few renowned companies like W.T. Grant and Woolworth showed interest in opening their stores at the shopping center.

McCarthy and Albertson worked hard to secure a substantial loan from Travelers Life Insurance, and soon they handed over the responsibility of constructing Northtown to H. Halvorson Inc. The company managed to finish constructing the shopping center in 1955.

Expansion of the NorthTown Mall

Northtown became immediately popular because there weren’t any notable shopping centers in Spokane before that. This led companies to set up their stores, but it required an expansion to accommodate everyone. Sears came up with the idea to build a 208,000 square feet departmental store inside Northtown. The officials also agreed to expand the shopping mall that included an expansion of 110,000 square feet for retail outlets and 30,000 square feet for the Albertsons store.

It took Sears a couple of years to finish its construction work in the mall. This approach gave The Crescent a chance to confirm its plan to open its departmental store in the NorthTown Mall. It finished its construction by the end of 1961 and the NorthTown Mall officials made a grand opening in March 1962.

Today, the NorthTown Mall is a hub for movie-goers, shopping enthusiasts, and food lovers. It’s one of the most-visited places in Spokane with locals and tourists flocking the shopping mall during weekends to enjoy to their fullest.