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Commerce

Not Just A Fairy Tale

The City of Englewood was honored with the prestigious Economic Developer’s Council of Colorado Large Community of the Year for the work accomplished with the renovation and revitalization of Cinderella City Shopping Mall.

Cinderella City opened for business on March 7th, 1968, making it the largest shopping mall west of the Mississippi. According to developer Gerri Von Frellick, it was the largest shopping center under one roof in the world. It all began in 1963 when Von Frellick made an offer to purchase the KLZ tower property on East Hampden. Because of opposition from neighbors in that area, Von Frellick was forced to reconsider his location for a shopping center. He then approached City Council to buy the land on West Hampden, the location of the 65-acre City Park. On January 25th, 1965 the land was purchased from the City for $1 million. It took an additional 3 years to complete the project.

When it opened, Cinderella City Shopping Center was 1.35 million square feet of enclosed space. It boasted some 250 stores, services and restaurants on three levels, plus a 600-seat theater. The shopping center consisted of five individually named malls connected by a center court, known as the Blue Mall. It featured a spectacular fountain with a 35-foot high spray. A handcrafted Italian carousel was installed. The carousel was a double-decker that stood 28 ft. high, was lit by more than 2,000 bulbs, and contained 28 hand-painted panels. When all seats were full, the carousel held about 70 people. A three-minute ride cost $1.00.

Cinderella City enjoyed tremendous success until the early 1980's, when a downturn in the economy coupled with growing competition caused many of the anchor stores to close. In 1991, the City of Englewood began steps to redevelop the site. By 1995, the mall was virtually deserted by its shoppers and its tenants. Montgomery Ward was the final tenant to vacate the premises in December of 1997.

CityCenter Englewood replaced Cinderella City with a transit-oriented development (TOD). This TOD is a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use concept that includes retail, entertainment, residential, office, civic and open space elements with a transit focal point. The former Foley's building has been renovated into the new Englewood Civic Center, which houses the City Hall offices, the Library, Municipal Court and the Museum of Outdoor Arts. The Civic Center was the first feature of CityCenter Englewood to open when it made its debut in June 2000.

The Civic Center creates the cornerstone of the redevelopment of Cinderella City that includes Wal-Mart, Trammell Crow apartments with first floor retail, Office Depot, Gant Sports, IHOP, Q’doba and other retail and commercial businesses, second floor office with first floor retail, an RTD light rail station and a Bally's Fitness Center.

The outdoor spaces lend themselves to pedestrian traffic, gathering areas and display space for public art. Concerts, programs and events are staged in the ampitheater of the Piazza. The fountain area provides both beauty and fun with the variety of water flows and interactive areas.

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