Eastgate Towne Center

Eastgate Towne Center (formerly known as Eastgate Mall) was developed by Independent Enterprises, a precursor of today's CBL & Associates. The open-air shopping venue was built on the site of a former drive-in theater, which was owned by Independent Enterprises.
The complex was designed by Toombs, Amisano & Wells. Originally known as Eastgate Center, it began construction in September 1961 and was completed in August 1962. At the time, the center was anchored by a 2 floor 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) Miller Brothers store and had a Winn-Dixie grocery store, as well as a Morrison's Cafeteria location. A second construction phase, finished in 1965, added a single-screen cinema, and two more anchors: Loveman's and JCPenney. At the time, the total leasable square footage of the mall was some 550,000 square feet (51,000 m2), making it the largest shopping mall in Tennessee for a time. This was later followed by a food court, which included Baskin Robbins, Mr. Cookie, Glen Gene Deli, Chocolate Sunday, Chinese Combo King, and Cozzolis.
A commercial competitor, Northgate Mall, opened for business in March 1972. This, plus the need to do repairs after a damaging fire in 1971, initiated a move to fully enclose the older shopping center, which would then be known as Eastgate Mall. Loveman's later became Proffitt's in 1986, while Miller Brothers became Hess's during the same year. A Sears Outlet was also added as a freestanding structure. The three department stores remained in the mall until the late 1980s, with Proffitt's remaining in the former Loveman's until 1992. Eastgate was also the home of two local radio stations from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. WBDX 102.7 housed its studios in small glass box in the middle of the mall, and then later in a 10 by 10 feet (3.0 by 3.0 m) room with windows that faced the walkway in the center of the mall until they moved to the old WJRX studio on Ringgold Road in East Ridge in 1998. WFXS 102.3 also had their studios in the mall and shared office space with WBDX from 1993 until 1996, when they moved to their current home at 821 Pineville Road on Moccasin Bend.
Category:Malls in Tennessee
Category:Malls that opened in 1962