FIRST -- Vertical Shopping Mall in the United States
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member NW_history_buff
N 47° 37.262 W 122° 21.052
10T E 548775 N 5274385
The Seattle Center Armory building, built in 1939, was remodeled and renamed as the Food Circus, a food court building for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair and supposedly the first vertical mall in America.
Waymark Code: WMWH6Q
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 09/05/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member jhuoni
Views: 9

Numerous websites highlight the history of this former armory building. The armory building was renamed as the Seattle Center Armory and its website notes its past and tells us:

Seattle Center Armory History

The Seattle Field Artillery Armory, built in 1939, has stood the test of time, evolving over the many years as a community gathering place and affordable family destination. Originaly built in 1939 as the old Armory Building. It housed the 146th Field Artillery and its half-ton tanks. The basement of the Armory still has markings from the old firing range and an unfinished swimming pool intended for the recruits. In 1941, Duke Ellington played on stage for the University of Washington's Junior Prom.

For the 1962 Worlds Fair, the Armory was reconfigured into the first vertical shopping mall, called the Food Circus. It just pre-dated Northgate Mall, which was the first indoor mall in the United States. In the early 1970’s, the Food Circus was renamed Center House after some minor renovations. In 1985, the Children's Museum moved into the first floor of the building and expanded their space in 1995, building a giant toy mountain for the newly created Kenneth and Maureen Alhadeff Exhibit Center. At the same time, Center House was renovated and reconfigured to emphasize public programming, such as signature events, free family entertainment and cultural festivals. In December 2000, the Kennedy Center designated the Center House Stage as an Imagination Celebration National Site, only the fifth location in the nation to be designated. Today, over 3,000 free public performances occur in Seattle Center Armory each year.

The Space Needle website (link below) also notes this historic 'first' and reads:

When the 1962 World’s Fair came around, the space was completely reconfigured. Food vendors moved in, it was renamed Food Circus, and it became the country’s first vertical shopping mall. Shortly thereafter, in the early 1970s, the space was once again renovated and renamed The Center House. After serving as a gathering place for generations of visitors, the Children’s Museum moved into the first floor in 1985 and expanded further with the addition of a giant toy mountain (part of the Kenneth and Maureen Alhadeff Exhibit Center) ten years later.

Type of documentation of superlative status: Websites

Location of coordinates: South entrance to the building

Web Site: [Web Link]

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