Cottonwood Mall (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Cottonwood Mall is a shopping mall located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The mall is anchored by Conn's, Dillard's, JCPenney and formerly anchored by Sears (formerly Montgomery Ward) which closed in September 2018, Macy's (formerly Foley's) which closed in 2017, and Mervyn's which closed in 2008. The mall is the second largest mall in the state of New Mexico (after Coronado Center) with a gross leasable area of 1,041,680 square feet (96,775 m2).; it features over 130 stores, as well as a food court and Regal Cinemas (formerly United Artists) Theater. Cottonwood Mall is managed by Washington Prime Group.
In May 2014, as part of Simon Property Group's spinoff of smaller malls, ownership of the mall was transferred to Simon spinoff Washington Prime Group, although Simon was retained as the mall's manager until early 2016. Washington Prime would later become WP Glimcher, and take over management of the mall. However in that same year WP Glimcher was renamed back to Washington Prime Group.
== History ==
Cottonwood Mall was built on part of an 89,000 acre parcel of land given by King Philip IV of Spain in 1710 to Francisco Montes Vigil, who later sold the land, which included only some farmland along the Rio Grande, to Captain Juan Gonzales of the Spanish Army. The land grant is known as the "Alameda Land Grant" (alameda means "cottonwood grove" in Spanish). In 1929, 20,500 acres were purchased by Albert F. Black who established the Seven Bar Ranch. The Black family built an adobe home and in 1947 a small airport which was known as the Seven Bar Airport, and later the Alameda Airport. Surrounded by growing urban areas, the Black family sold off much of the remaining ranch for the development of new residential subdivisions. The Alameda Airport remained in operation until 1986, when it was closed to make way for 1983 plans for the 95 acre mall project.
When Cottonwood Mall opened in July 1996, it was the first regional mall to open in Albuquerque in thirty years. To this day, and with the exception of a new mall under construction in the South Valley, it is the newest completed enclosed shopping mall in New Mexico. Original anchors included Dillard's, Foley's, JCPenney, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward. The Montgomery Ward store closed due to bankruptcy, and it was replaced by Sears, and following the closure of Mervyns in 2008 due to liquidation, its lower level became Conn's in 2013. Foley's became Macy's in 2006 as part of Federated Department Stores (now Macy's inc) consolidating May's Department Stores brands which also includes Foley's, but however Macy's closed in 2017.
In 1999, Cottonwood Mall was one of three New Mexico malls (with the two others being Winrock Center and Coronado Center) involved in a federal lawsuit regarding free speech. The malls had their rights of activity regulation challenged after protesters attempted to hand out leaflets at the malls. The case was dismissed. The 1972 case Lloyd Corp. v. Tanner states that shopping malls may limit speech activities (such as distribution of pamphlets) on premises.
On May 31, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 72 stores nationwide. The store closed in September 2018.
== Gallery ==
=== Videos ===
File:Cottonwood Mall Is It A Dead Mall? Retail Archaeology|Mall Tour
Category:Malls in New Mexico
Category:Malls in the United States
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:Washington Prime Group Malls
Category:Multi-Level Malls
Category:Malls that opened in 1996
Category:Former Macy's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Mervyn's-anchored Malls
Category:JCPenney-anchored Malls
Category:Former Sears-anchored Malls
Category:Dillard's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Foley's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Wards-anchored Malls