Connecticut Post Mall
The front entrance to the mall
LocationMilford, Connecticut, U.S.
Coordinates41°14′13″N 73°02′17″W / 41.236965°N 73.038087°W / 41.236965; -73.038087
Address1201 Boston Post Road
Opening date1960
DeveloperSol Atlas
ManagementCentennial Real Estate
Owner
  • Centennial Real Estate
  • Montgomery Street Partners
  • USAA Real Estate[1]
No. of stores and services215[2]
No. of anchor tenants5
Total retail floor area1,334,000 sq ft (123,900 m2)[3]
No. of floors2 with partial third floor (3 in Macy's)
Websiteshopconnecticutpostmall.com

Connecticut Post Mall (formerly known as Westfield Connecticut Post) is a shopping mall, located on the Boston Post Road (Route 1) in Milford, Connecticut. It is currently the largest mall in the state of Connecticut[3] and is partially owned and operated by Centennial Properties. The mall features the traditional retailers Macy's, Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Target.

History

The original, open-air mall was built by Sol Atlas[4][5] and opened in 1960,[6] anchored by a W. & J. Sloane furniture store and a Stop & Shop supermarket at opposite ends.[7] In 1962, the sixth branch of the Alexander's department store chain opened.[8] Following an early fire at the west end of the mall, a Caldor discount store was built as the new anchor.

In 1981, the mall was enclosed. The mall underwent a renovation in 1990, which added the Skyview Cafe food court, and lost anchor Alexander's. In August 1991, JCPenney opened in the former Alexander's space. G. Fox was added in 1991 and was rebranded as Filene's in 1993. Caldor closed in May 1999 and was later demolished. Stop & Shop relocated to a freestanding store sometime in the late 1990s and was demolished for Sears, which opened in April 2000.[9]

The Mall strongly opposed the proposed rival New Haven Galleria mall at Long Wharf, filing over 15 lawsuits.[10][11]

A $118 million[12] 480,000-square-foot (45,000 m2)[13] expansion project took place in 2005–06, adding:

  • an additional level of parking
  • a 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m2)[13] third floor to Filene's which was later rebranded as Macy's in 2006.
  • a large extension to the building with a 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m2)[13] movie theater (Connecticut Post 14, replacing the Milford Fourplex, previously located in an adjacent building. Was Cinema De Lux, later a Rave Cinemas, now a Cinemark), a new food court, and two more anchors, Dick's Sporting Goods and Target on the site of the former Caldor.

In December 2015, Westfield sold Connecticut Post in a $1.1 billion deal involving five malls.[14]

In 2017, it was announced Boscov's would be replacing JCPenney, which would shutter as part of a strategy implemented to modernize their brick-and-mortar format.[15][16][17]

In October 2018, Sears announced that they would close their location at the mall as part of an ongoing decision to eliminate its brick-and-mortar format.[18] In 2020, the previous Sears outpost was to be razed for a new mixed-used development project called The Post.[19] However, these plans are being reevaluated after Milford P&Z Commission declined the proposed project to be built.[20]

In November 2018, Dave & Buster's joined the mall.[21]

In May 2019, it was announced that a Muse Paintbar would open.[22]

A Guacamole's Mexican restaurant opened in August 2019.[23]

In May 2021, it was announced that a Cast Iron restaurant would open.[24]

P.F. Chang's announced in August 2022 that it would open in 2023.[25]

In October 2023, plans were approved to demolish the former Sears and replace the space with housing. The project would include three phases, with phase one to be completed by 2026, phase two to be completed by 2028, and phase three to be completed by 2033.[26]

References

  1. ↑ Bill Cummings (December 21, 2015). "Connecticut Post mall has new owner". Connecticut Post. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Connecticut Post Mall - Milford, Connecticut". Westfield Connecticut Post Mall. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Largest Connecticut Shopping Malls". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Shopping Center Set for Milford", New York Times, July 29, 1956
  5. ↑ "Sol Atlas Dies; Build was 66". The New York Times. July 31, 1973.
  6. ↑ Debra Hazel. "Fresh Start". International Council of Shopping Centers. Archived from the original on December 31, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Connecticut Post Mall". MALL HALL OF FAME. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Alexander Chain Opens 6th Store", New York Times, August 21, 1962
  9. ↑ "Connecticut Post Center". MALL HALL OF FAME.
  10. ↑ Sangeetha Ramaswamy (2000). "New Haven sues Milford in latest Long Wharf mall battle". Yale Herald Online. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  11. ↑ Carole Bass (1998). "Retail of Woe". New Haven Advocate. Archived from the original on December 15, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  12. ↑ "CONSTRUCTION CONCERNS: Expansion project means parking problems at mall". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on May 28, 2005.
  13. 1 2 3 Brian McCready (November 13, 2003). "Expansion of Milford mall off until spring". New Haven Register. Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Westfield sells Milford's Connecticut Post, 4 other malls for $1.1 billion". Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  15. ↑ Turmelle, Luther (March 22, 2017). "J.C. Penney at Milford mall to close | News". ctbulletin.com. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Boscov's to replace J.C. Penney in Milford". Connecticut Post. January 11, 2018.
  17. ↑ Wingate, Kendra. "Boscov's celebrates grand opening in Milford". Milford-Orange Bulletin.
  18. ↑ Alexander Soule (October 15, 2018). "Sears bankruptcy claims Milford department store".
  19. ↑ "Milford Mall May Not Survive Unless Apartments Allowed: Officials".
  20. ↑ "Milford Mall apartment plans rejected by board". October 7, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  21. ↑ Meghan Yost (November 7, 2018). "Dave & Busters Opens at The Connecticut Post Mall in Milford". Wtnh.com. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Muse Paintbar to open in Milford Mall". May 13, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Guacamole's opens at Milford Mall". August 2, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar will open new location in Milford this May". May 20, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  25. ↑ "P.F. Chang's coming to Connecticut Post Mall in Milford". August 3, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Milford P&Z Approves Connecticut Post Mall Regulation Change". Patch. October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
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