Sumter Mall is a 43-acre shopping mall located in Sumter, South Carolina. The anchors are Belk, Roses, and Sykes.[1]
 | |
| Location | Sumter, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Opening date | August 6, 1980 |
| Developer | Jim Wilson & Associates |
| Owner | Hull Property Group |
| No. of stores and services | 46 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (3 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 345,000 square feet (32,100 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
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The first use of the name "Sumter Mall" was for a 20-acre downtown mall that became known as Sumter Towne Mall. Construction of this mall was announced by Plaza Associates Inc. in 1973.[2] Completed in 1975 and defunct by 1982, this mall has also been known as the Sumter Downtown Mall and the Downtown Sumter Mall.
In 1979, the mall was announced by Jim Wilson with Belk and JCPenney as anchors.[3] The mall cost $12.5 million to build and was named Jessamine Mall, sometimes referred to as Jasmine Mall, after the state flower of South Carolina.[3][4] The mall opened on August 6, 1980.[5] On August 21, 1980, business was announced to be excellent at the mall with people traveling from surrounding areas to shop there.[6] In 1989 a 53,000 square foot Sears was announced for the mall.[7]
In 2000, the mall was sold to Hull Storey Gibson who cited Sumter's position as the retail and financial center of the surrounding area as the reason for purchasing the mall.[8] In 2002, the mall was renovated and renamed Sumter Mall.[9] In 2003, the mall had its grand opening under its new name.[10] The mall is one of the counties largest taxpayers paying $1.3 million annually.[10] The mall is fully enclosed and employs approximately 850 people.[3] The mall's size was originally reported as being 431,617 square feet, but was later reported as 345,000 square feet.[3][10]
In 2009, a Sykes Enterprises call center was announced for Sumter Mall.[11] The call center opened on September 29, 2010, with attendance from Governor Mark Sanford.[12][13]
In 2011, a Books-A-Million was announced for the mall,[14] which has since been built.
On December 17, 2020, it was announced that JCPenney would be closing in March 2021 as part of a plan to close 15 stores nationwide.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Sumter Mall Shopping". Sumter Mall. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Sumter Mall Plans Told; Store Names". The Sumter Daily Item. October 9, 1973. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d O'Boyle, Peter (May 16, 1979). "Plans for Jessamine Mall Announced". The Sumter Daily Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Leonard, Michael (June 2, 1981). "60-Store Enclosed Shopping Mall Planned". Herald-Journal. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
- ^ Berlin, Barry (August 6, 1980). "Crowds Jam Mall for Grand Opening". The Sumter Daily Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Osteen, Graham (August 21, 1980). "Jessamine Mall Business Excellent". The Sumter Daily Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Quarles, Billy (October 29, 1989). "Sumter's worst kept secret is out: Sears opening in Jessamine Mall". The Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Dudley, Tim (January 16, 2000). "Jessamine has been sold, and mall manager says 'exciting things' are on the way". The Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Lucas-Parker, Sharyn (November 9, 2002). "Jessamine Mall gets new look, new name". The Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ a b c Lucas-Parker, Sharyn (March 19, 2003). "Sumter Mall to kick off grand opening". The Item. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Jobs on the way". The Sumter Item. April 23, 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ Trautsch, Susan. "Grand opening of Sykes means jobs for Sumter". South Carolina Radio Network. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ "Governor Watch". Columbia Regional Business Report. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ "Local & State". The State. August 10, 2011.
- ^ "J.C. Penney closing more stores after exiting bankruptcy. Will your store close in March 2021? See the list".
Further reading
edit- Jim Davenport (24 November 1990). "Shoppers Fill Stores Across South Carolina". Herald-Journal. Spartanburg, SC. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
The mall opened at 8 a.m. and was packed an hour later, Kathy Burnam, manager of Jessamine Mall, said.
External links
edit33°56′59″N 80°22′21″W / 33.94986°N 80.37256°W
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