The Streets At Southpoint
History
The Streets at Southpoint took four years of planning and over two years of construction. It opened on March 8, 2002, with anchors Hecht's, Sears, JCPenney, Belk, and Nordstrom. The mall had around 300,000 visitors during its first three days of operation. The mall is home to many firsts for the area, including North Carolina's first Nordstrom and Apple Store. Other stores that were new to the Research Triangle area included Aveda, California Pizza Kitchen, Hollister Co., and Pottery Barn Kids. The Streets at Southpoint was the first mall to come to the Durham area in nearly three decades. The opening of the mall was chosen as the most important story of the year in Durham's Top 10 Business Stories of 2002.
On December 28, 2018, it was announced Sears would shutter as part of an ongoing decision to phase out of its traditional brick-and-mortar format. On February 1, 2019, it was revealed that the previous Sears outpost was being considered as part of a future enhanced development envisioned for the property. On June 23, 2023, Brookfield, the mall development firm, had won the approval for an enhanced development to occur outside the mall which is set to include an additional 100,000 square feet of retail space, 300,000 square feet of offices, up to 200 hotel rooms, and more than 1,382 apartments. Brookfield had determined that it's appropriate to invest in the property as places like Fenton and Raleigh Iron Works come into the market.
By 2023, since the government lockdown, The Streets at Southpoint had announced several newest additions, among them are Peloton, Warby Parker, Offline by Aerie, Evereve, LoveSac, and Lovisa, in addition to a new much larger store format for Apple.
In December 2024, it was announced that Dick's House of Sport, a concept by Dick's Sporting Goods will be replacing Sears.
List of anchor stores
| Name | Year opened |
Year closed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMC Theatres | 2013 | — | Replaced Consolidated Theatres |
| Belk | 2002 | — | |
| Consolidated Theatres | 2002 | 2013 | |
| Hecht's | 2002 | 2006 | Became Macy's |
| J. C. Penney | 2002 | — | |
| Macy's | 2006 | — | Replaced Hecht's |
| Nordstrom | 2002 | — | First location in North Carolina |
| Sears | 2002 | 2019 |
Architecture
The Streets at Southpoint was designed and developed by Urban Retail Properties with an old-fashioned Main Street concept. RTKL Associates Inc. served as the architect and also provided environmental graphic design services, incorporating the logo design throughout the development, reinforcing the shopping center's identity. The mall is a "hybrid mall," combining a traditional enclosed mall with an outdoor pedestrian wing. A 70-feet glass wall separates the two portions of the mall.
The Streets at Southpoint's developer, Jim Farrell, wanted to add to the Main Street feel, envisaging playing children as a fixture of the mall. He enlisted A.R.T. Design Group to create statues of some of the children of local leaders. There are 23 statues in total throughout the mall, taking three years to create.
Over 2 million red bricks were used to line both the exterior and interior of the mall. Architects were inspired by downtown of Durham and the brick façades of the buildings at UNC and on Franklin Street. Hand rails throughout the mall include pieces of maps of Durham. The food court, entitled "Fork in the Road," was inspired by old tobacco warehouses.
A 70-foot smokestack can be found at the end of the outdoor stretch of the mall in an effort to pay homage to the heritage of downtown Durham. Mature trees and shrubbery were shipped in from other locations in order to make the mall seem as if it has been in Durham for a long time. The outdoor Main Street includes larger retailers and stand-alone restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory.
Reception
As of 2023, the mall had received on average over 1 million visitors every month since its opening.
Gallery
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70 foot glass wall separating the indoor and outdoor portions -
Main Street & Southpoint Street -
Nordstrom in the mall -
A water fountain at an entrance of the mall -
A statue in the mall -
JCPenney in the mall -
Belk in the mall -
Macy's in the mall -
Former Sears in the mall -
A juggler performs at the mall
References
- ^ "The Streets at Southpoint". Brookfield Properties.
- ^ Thompson Smith, Samantha (8 March 2002). "Southpoint opens today; area braces". The News & Observer. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ^ Schill Rives, Karin (11 March 2002). "Southpoint debut deemed a success". The News & Observer. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ^ Cannon, Steve (16 January 2002). "Southpoint to get powerful new owner". The Chapel Hill News. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ^ Krishnan, Anne (31 December 2002). "Southpoint takes top slot". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ Thomas, Lauren (2018-12-28). "Sears is closing 80 more stores in March, faces possible liquidation". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
- ^ Eanes, Zachery (2019-02-01). "Streets at Southpoint owners are considering big changes for the regional mall".
- ^ Eanes, Zachery (June 22, 2023). "The Streets at Southpoint won approval from the city of Durham to build apartments, offices and a hotel". Axios.
- ^ "City Council vote clears way for expansion of Streets at Southpoint in Durham". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Photos: New Apple Southpoint opens in Durham, North Carolina - 9to5Mac".
- ^ "The Streets at Southpoint". The Streets at Southpoint. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ Coleman, Peter (2006). Shopping environments evolution, planning and design (1st ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN 9780080480909. OCLC 1086535499.
- ^ Fawcett, Anne (6 March 2002). "Outdoor part of Streets will take getting used to - Many signs guide shoppers to the Main Street portion". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ Sweet, Kimberly (3 March 2002). "Southpoint puts out welcome mat". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ Glassberg, Ronnie (20 October 2000). "Local leaders' children models for mall's statues - Developer says the bronze statues of playing children will help create a street scene". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ Sweet, Kimberly (26 March 2002). "'D.C. has FDR; now Durham has Mark' - Statue at Southpoint captures essence of teen in wheelchair, says his mom". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
External links
