An extant asset
Before this year, I had only been lucky enough to pass through Madison on a few occasions; thrice by land and once by air. I always loved the central part of the city and its location on a narrow isthmus. In fact, since then I’ve lived in two major cities located on the same geographical feature, Manila and Seattle.
Hilldale's former interior concourses. (Source for all)
On either side of that narrow strand of land and its density, the city rambles out into sprawl common to most American cities. Each end has their own massive, directionally named shopping mall, with East Towne and West Towne representing their respective ends. But closer toward older and higher urban density is a long time player, Hilldale.
Hilldale Mallmanac ca. 2010. View the full PDF version here.
Though there was almost no snow on the ground, it was bitterly cold as I made my first personal visit to Hilldale shopping center. At one time in its history enclosed, all shops are now only accessible from the exterior save for a few offices located beneath the center’s north end.
1 & 2- Metcalf’s Market on Hilldale’s north end. 3- Target was built behind the property. 4 & 5- Looking south down Price Place. 6 to 8- Remnants of the former northern interior concourse, now just a short access to lower level offices.
Starting from that northern end, home to supermarket and anchor retailer Metcalf’s, I made my way south along the walkways on the street traversing Hilldale, Price Place. Light flurries fell as I passed upscale retailers such as White House | Black Market, Madewell, and Sur La Table.
Hilldale Mallmanac ca. 2017. View the full PDF version here.
These were all located in what was, for the most part, the original structure. Across the street sit more upscale names such as Anthropologie, Evere and Indochino, but these were added more recently when Hilldale shopping senter was "lifestyle" centered from a previously enclosed version.
At the center’s mid-point is what once served as the main entranceway to the enclosed portion of Hilldale. Once hosting a concourse radiating from both the north and the south, only the center portion remains as an interior vestibule leading only to Macy’s, the lone traditional department store anchor.
Hilldale Mallmanac ca. 2020. View the full PDF version here.
After a quick warm up, I continued to the south end of Hilldale shopping center, past a miniscule open green space the was built where small interior mall shops once resided. Behind the area lay LL Bean and The Apple Store, two more recent additions to the facility’s lineup.
1 to 9- The northern half of Hilldale shopping center. 10- The other only remaining piece of the former enclosed mall once served as the main entrance, though it’s been reduced to only a vestibule leading to Macy’s today.
Finally reaching the south end, I made my way to the flanking side of Hilldale. Here, more of the original center was on display with its speckled, earth tone brickwork dressing the common area leading to the hulking, rectangular, brutalist Macy’s façade.
1 to 3- Inside the former main entrance to the enclosed portion of Hilldale. 4 & 5- Looking south down Price Place from Macy’s. 6 to 8- The Green stands where the southern enclosed concourse once stood.
Just past Macy’s northern walls lay more recent additions to Hilldale shopping center. An exterior walkway had been added in this area leading to Price Place, past the mall’s curling rink and several other retailers. The individually domed outdoor dining areas of Café Hollander restaurant were something I hadn’t previously seen.
Hilldale Mallmanac ca. 2022. View the full PDF version here.
Despite the freezing temperatures, a number of patrons had showed up once Hilldale’s opening had passed. Though they didn’t seem to mind the elimination of the interior and climate controlled concourses, I was certainly missing them until I was picked up to be taken to my next destination.
Hilldale first opened in 1962 and quickly became a prominent retail player in the growing state capital. Gimbel’s anchored the open air facility in its center, later becoming Marshall-Field’s, while the Macy’s nameplate adorns the basic, mid-century modern façade today.
Hilldale Mallmanac ca. 2024. View the full PDF version here.
Hilldale shopping center’s first renovation and expansion took place in 1969. A 1985 expansion added another layer of small shops facing the originally built stores, with the corridors between them fully enclosed. This transformed Hilldale into Madison’s fourth enclosed retail destination after West Towne Mall, East Towne Mall and Westgate Mall.
1 to 3- The far southern end of Hilldale Shopping Center. 4 to 6- The rear of the common area still displays the original 1950s brickwork. 7 to 10- Macy’s and Hollanders at the rear of the facility.
2006 brought more changes when an additional line of shops was added to the east side of Price Place in what was the first step in Hilldale’s conversion from an enclosed facility to more of a “lifestyle” center. In addition to the retail spaces, multi-level parking decks and townhomes were also included in the expansion.
Hilldale Mallmanac ca. 2026. View the full PDF version here.
The northern enclosed concourse was eliminated in Phase 1 of a reimagining that commenced in 2013 when the exterior corridor just north of Macy’s was constructed. The southern interior concourse was eliminated in Phase 2 with the implementation of the open greenspace area in 2016. Hilldale shopping center then ceased to be an enclosed facility.
The newly built open air corridor connecting the front to the back of Hilldale includes a small curling pad.
Despite more than sixty years of change, Hilldale shopping center has remained more than relevant in this growing market. Through it all, Hilldale has managed to hold its own in the Wisconsin state capital, although various competitors have come and gone through the decades.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment