Mervyns

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Dean
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Mervyns

Post by Dean »

Mervyns has been discussed within various threads (use SEARCH feature to locate)...yet, there has not been a thread devoted to the chain.

It has been announced that the chain is "returning" to downtown San Bernardino CA...after a number of years. Their former site, across the street from the Carousel Mall, is now a CalTrans office building.

Mervyns will join the Inland Center Mall...down the street from the Carousel Mall. Comical how San Bernardino has two malls! Mervyns will assume the former BROADWAY turned Macy*s site. Macy*s moved across the mall to the former Robinsons-May building. Funny tho, that May Company had left the mall prior to the Rob-May merger. The former May site became Gottschalks. After the merger, Rob-May added a brand new building to the mall. So, the only tenant in their original bldg is SEARS.

Anyway, back to Mervyns!

From their site:
our heritage
Our founder, Mervin Morris, knew he was on to something upon opening our first store in San Lorenzo, California in 1949. This little family store was an instant success and today has been attributed to inventing the mid-range department store. In fact, Mervin Morris had achieved a number of firsts. Mervyns was the first to offer customers revolving credit, advertise sales in the newspaper, and the first to focus on young families.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervyn's
The listing mentions something I had heard before. The Y in the chain name should've been an I, as the founder's name is Mervin. Yet, the sign company had misspelled the name...and Mervin did not have them change the spelling.

There is history of the chain/sites...as many have closed over the years.

I especially enjoyed the Mervyns turned VONS in Las Vegas:
http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtop ... vyns#p8918

What other transformations have taken place over the years with Mervyns closings?
Jeff
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Jeff »

Mervyn's left a number of markets over the last few years.

Around here, Mervyn's is thriving it seems opening new stores. The only closed Mervyn's that I can think of off the top of my head:

Fontana, off Sierra. Moved across the freeway and that site became a Food 4 Less.
Lakewood - Lakewood Mall. Store moved to a single level store built connected to the west of the old store. This is the time Macy's built their new store at Lakewood (for it to close a few years later). When both Macy's and Mervyn's opened, they "closed" the old store and gutted it for more stores and the 2nd level food court. While this occured, you were able to walk through the old store to get to the new Mervyn's and Macys while construction was occuring.
wnetmacman
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Re: Mervyns

Post by wnetmacman »

The closed stores were further east. There were stores in Florida at one time, thanks to former parent Dayton Hudson, now Target. Most recently, they left Louisiana, Texas and Colorado. There were only 7 stores in Louisiana, and three of those were closed in New Orleans after Katrina and never reopened. One New Orleans store had been closed for several years. In Louisiana:

Alexandria - now Burlington Coat Factory
Baton Rouge - Cortana Mall, now empty
Monroe - Pecanland Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory
Kenner - Esplanade Mall - now empty (Macy's closed their original Macy's store as well, but plans to reopen soon)
Westbank NO - Oakwood Mall - now empty
Slidell - Northshore Square Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory (see a pattern here)
New Orleans ease - The Plaza - torn down

There were stores throughout Texas. I remember when the store in Longview opened (also now BCF) right next to what was called the next generation Target. (The Target relocated recently to a much bigger store)
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runchadrun
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Re: Mervyns

Post by runchadrun »

Dean wrote:It has been announced that the chain is "returning" to downtown San Bernardino CA...after a number of years. Their former site, across the street from the Carousel Mall, is now a CalTrans office building.
The Mervyn's location is across the street from one of the first Socal Food4Less stores, which was one of Yucaipa's first forays into supermarkets.

From what I've read Carousel Mall, which I remember as Central City Mall, is facing a major transformation a la Paseo Pasadena and Santa Monica Place. It will take a lot of redevelopment in that area if it's going to be a success.
Dean wrote:Mervyns will join the Inland Center Mall...down the street from the Carousel Mall. Mervyns will assume the former BROADWAY turned Macy*s site.
That is going to be a big Mervyn's. Are there any other 3-level Mervyn's out there?
Jeff
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Jeff »

runchadrun wrote: That is going to be a big Mervyn's. Are there any other 3-level Mervyn's out there?
Glendale Galleria is three levels.

And from what I've read, the new IC Mervyn's is only 98,000sq ft for the new store, which means one level of the Broadway is going to be sealed off.
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runchadrun
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Re: Mervyns

Post by runchadrun »

Jeff wrote:Glendale Galleria is three levels.

And from what I've read, the new IC Mervyn's is only 98,000sq ft for the new store, which means one level of the Broadway is going to be sealed off.
You beat me to my edit! I just realized the Glendale store is 3 levels and came back to edit my post. My recollection of the Inland Center Broadway is that it also had a small basement level where the offices were.

I also just saw this picture taken yesterday on flickr of a former Sears in San Francisco that's now a Mervyn's. It looks like a late 1940's/early 1950's vintage. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lawnmeadow/2335474367/
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Groceteria
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Groceteria »

runchadrun wrote:I also just saw this picture taken yesterday on flickr of a former Sears in San Francisco that's now a Mervyn's. It looks like a late 1940's/early 1950's vintage.
The building used to contain not only a Mervyn's, but also a Toys R Us and a Good Guys. It was a big store...
Dean
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Dean »

runchadrun wrote:
Dean wrote:It has been announced that the chain is "returning" to downtown San Bernardino CA...after a number of years. Their former site, across the street from the Carousel Mall, is now a CalTrans office building.
The Mervyn's location is across the street from one of the first Socal Food4Less stores, which was one of Yucaipa's first forays into supermarkets.

From what I've read Carousel Mall, which I remember as Central City Mall, is facing a major transformation a la Paseo Pasadena and Santa Monica Place. It will take a lot of redevelopment in that area if it's going to be a success.
I had been told that the Food4Less had been ZODYS. PayLess Drugs used to be in the right side of the building, alongside Food4Less. PayLess closed ~10yrs ago...and has been vacant ever since.

Yes, Carousel/Central City Mall is in desperate need of help. Montgomery Wards closed when the chain closed, and has been sitting vacant ever since. Harris was acquired by Gottschalks and merged/moved to the Inland Center Mall. Harris has been vacant ever since. JCPenney closed a few years ago. So, the three (3) main tenants are vacant. I guess what retail stores are left, are all situated upstairs. The majority of downstairs is leased as offices. When real estate WAS booming...they wanted to build condos and such around the Mall. Believe plans have all stalled with the current real estate/economy situation.
mike t. whittier ca
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Re: Mervyns

Post by mike t. whittier ca »

One of the first Mervyns stores to open in southern calif. was in Huntington Beach on Adams ave. & brookhurst. in a former Grants store. Across the street from Two Guys. This was around 1977.
Jeff
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Jeff »

mike t. whittier ca wrote:One of the first Mervyns stores to open in southern calif. was in Huntington Beach on Adams ave. & brookhurst. in a former Grants store. Across the street from Two Guys. This was around 1977.
Which looks like its still a Mervyns.
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Brian Lutz
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Brian Lutz »

Up here in the Seattle area, most of the former Mervyn's stores I know of remain vacant for the time being after they closed at the end of 2006. Here are the ones I know of for sure:

Southcenter mall (Tukwila): Vacant
Factora Mall (Bellevue): Vacant, will most likely be demolished soon as part of a redevelopment of the property
Redmond (freestanding store): Now a Kohl's
Lynwood (Freestanding store near Alderwood Mall:) Vacant
Everett Mall (Everett, former Fredrick and Nelson store:) Turned into LA Fitness and Steve and Barry's, may be vacated again soon with Steve and Barry's recent financial troubles
Commons at Federal Way(formerly Sea-Tac Mall): Demolished several years ago, with the space used to build a new Target store
The Sledgehammer - Version 2.0 - Seattle Area Malls, Retail History, and other random things.
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submariner
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Re: Mervyns

Post by submariner »

Don't forget:

Silverdale, WA: Kitsap Mall: Gutted to the exterior walls and turned into a Kohl's
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Re: Mervyns

Post by marshd1000 »

The Bellis Fair Mall Mervyn's in Bellingham, WA became a Kohl's.
Dean
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Dean »

As mentioned above, MERVYNS is returning to San Bernardino CA @ the Inland Center Mall.

The 40+ year old BROADWAY is truly getting quite a face-lift.

Site is set to open this fall.
Jeff
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Re: Mervyns

Post by Jeff »

i went by there about a month ago and seeing all that old stonework getting covered up made me sad.

I wonder if its going to be three levels.
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