SouthPark | The Early Years

Updated (3/31/08) with additional renderings.

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Grand Opening, 1970. Pictured are anchor department store leaders George Ivey and John Belk. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

From the collection of Patrick Richardson comes these rare advertisements, photos and renderings of SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina from 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1970.

You may remember that Patrick generously gave LiveMalls pictures of SouthPark in 1975 a few weeks ago. Those photos were well received and he promises more in the future.

Thank you again to Patrick for these contributions.

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Original rendering of mall by architect Jean Surratt, 1964. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Cows grazing on what would eventually be the mall site, with uptown Charlotte skyline in the background, 1966. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Mall site with general building footprint and present streets marked, 1966. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. 1968 rendering of mall. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. 1968 rendering of Fountain Court. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. 1968 rendering of J.B. Ivey & Company mall entrance. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of footers being poured for Ivey's (now Dillard's), 1969. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Belk (at right) and mall under construction from Fairview Road side, 1969. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Fountain Court under construction, 1969. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of mall under construction with footers for Sears in foreground, 1969. Ivey's (now Dillard's) is at left towards rear of photo, Belk is at right. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Grand Opening advertisement for Sears, 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson).

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Aerial view of mall at Grand Opening, 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Ivey's (now Dillard's) readies for opening, January 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Mannequins waiting to be placed at Ivey's (now Dillard's), 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Better Sportswear department at Ivey's (now Dillard's), 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Juniors department at Ivey's (now Dillard's), 1970. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Easter ad for Coplon's, 1970 (courtesy Pat Richardson.)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Easter ad, 1970 (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
SouthPark 1975
The Evolution of the Fountain Court at SouthPark
Belk, SouthPark
Dillard's, SouthPark
Macy's (Thalhimers / Hecht's), SouthPark
Nordstrom, SouthPark
Sears, SouthPark

Belk, Cleveland Mall, Shelby North Carolina. (cantnot)

Dillard's, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1970-2006 facade under renovation (photo by RiverwoodCLT)

Dillard's, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1970-2006 facade under renovation (photo by DaAchiever)

Dillard's, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1970-2006 facade under renovation (photo by RiverwoodCLT)

Dillard's, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina, New barrel vault for entrance under conmstruction (photo by RiverwoodCLT)

Vintage Belk Bag

If you have any memories of shopping at Belk stores in the 1970s, this should bring back a wave of nostalgia. I found this old bag in my basement in pretty horrible shape, so I decided to make a scan of it for posterity.

This bag was used in vintage '70s Belk stores like the ones listed below:

Previously on LiveMalls
Hudson Belk, Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, North Carolina
Belk, Eastland Mall, Charlotte, North Carolina
Belk, Hanes Mall, Winston Salem, North Carolina
Belk, Monroe Mall, Monroe, North Carolina
Belk, Richmond Plaza, Rockingham, North Carolina
Belk, Independence Mall, Wilmington, North Carolina

South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, California. (friend of cantnot)

Nordstrom, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, California. Mall entrance (friend of cantnot)

Marshall Field & Company, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Mall entrance. (cantnot)

Marshall Field & Company, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Mall entrance detail. (cantnot)

Nordstrom, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Exterior entrance (cantnot)

JCPenney, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Mall entrance (cantnot)

Lord & Taylor, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Mall entrance (cantnot)

Sears, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Mall entrance (cantnot)

Sears, Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Exterior entrance (cantnot)

Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg, Illinois. Mall entrance (cantnot)

SouthPark | 1975

From the collection of Patrick Richardson comes these photos of SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. These were all taken in 1975 in the main wing outside of Sears. They are a little dark, but very interesting.

According to Patrick, "If you were facing Sears, the stores on the right side were Richman Brothers, Julie's, Thom McAn, and Chess King. I believe Pet-A-Rama, Stride Rite, and Brittains were on the other side of the aisle. The area directly in front of Sears was very open and had huge columns and large sky-lights."

Thank you to Patrick for these contributions.

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Brittains, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Thom McAn and Chess King, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Chess King, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Richman Borthers, Julie's and Thom McAn, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Richman Brothers, Julie's and Sears, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Stride Rite and public phones, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Pet-A-Rama, 1975. (Pat Richardson)

A mid-1970s ad for Pet-A-Rama, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. (Pat Richardson)

A mid-1970s ad for Slug's Choice, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Before The Cheesecake Factory arrived, Slug's Choice was THE restaurant of its era at SouthPark. (Pat Richardson)

UPDATE - 6/24/07

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Aerial view of Ivey's, 1976. (Pat Richardson)

Patrick Richardson found a great aerial photgraph of Ivey's SouthPark from an old edition of The Charlotte Observer. You can see Belk and the mall entrance in the background as well.

Thanks again to Patrick for these contributions.

Previously on LiveMalls
The Evolution of the Fountain Court at SouthPark
Belk, SouthPark
Dillard's (former Ivey's), SouthPark
Macy's (former Thalhimers and Hecht's), SouthPark
Neiman Marcus, SouthPark
Nordstrom, SouthPark
former Sears, SouthPark

Dillard's, Carolina Place, Pineville, North Carolina. Upper level exterior entrance. Photographed with camera phone 4/1/06.

Dillard's, Carolina Place, Pineville, North Carolina. Mall entrance. Photographed with camera phone 4/1/06.

Sears, Carolina Place, Pineville, North Carolina. Photographed with camera phone 4/1/06.

JCPenney, Carolina Place, Pineville, North Carolina. Photographed with camera phone 4/1/06.

Hecht's, Carolina Place, Pineville, North Carolina. Photographed with camera phone 4/1/06.

Hecht's, Friendly Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (orignial 1967 building). Photographed with camera phone 10/04/05.

Boscov's, Piedmont Mall, Danville, Virginia. Exterior signage. Photographed with camera phone 12/17/05.