Mall History

King of Prussia Mall, the largest retail mall in America, can trace its humble beginnings back to a small community shopping center on a site of only 30 acres. In 1959, Kravco Simon, then M.A. Kravitz Company Inc., began planning a discount strip center, which was to include E.J. Korvette, a discount department store, and a regional supermarket chain.

In 1961, the developer redesigned the architectural plans to create a combination convenience shopping center and open mall, which allowed for three department stores, E.J. Korvette, JC Penney, and a third to follow at a later date. By 1963 construction was complete and the mall was open to the public. Impressive outdoor amenities situated throughout the open area included fountains, gazebos, and an eight-sided amphitheater, all surrounded by substantial landscaping. The King of Prussia Plaza was an instant success.

In 1965, John Wanamaker Company (now Strawbridge's) opened an attractive octagonal, freestanding store with a full line of department store merchandise and became King of Prussia Plaza's first anchor tenant. Wanamaker's entry allowed for a two-level, enclosed mall to be built around the existing JC Penney department store, and by 1965 Gimbals had been added to the center. By 1967, King of Prussia Plaza had grown into a true regional shopping center, comprised of both open and enclosed mall areas.

In the late 1970's, Kravco Simon, then Kravco Company, began negotiations with Bamberger's and Bloomingdale's to sign on for a second center, and ultimately the stores agreed to anchor a "fashion-oriented" three-department store mall located directly across Mall Blvd. from King of Prussia Plaza. The architectural design of the new Court at King of Prussia was a two-level configuration fanning out from a central Bloomingdale's location. Aesthetics were maximized with attractive fountain courts, full-size live plants, and clear-story skylights that allowed for the introduction of natural light.

Logistics for construction of The Court required the relocation of Mall Blvd., the construction of a three-level 3,000 car parking structure, and the erecting of a bridge over the relocated road to provide a connection between the two centers. Construction of The Court at King of Prussia commenced in early 1980 and the mall opened August 1981. The mall was an instant success and the 125 high-end stores attracted an affluent shopper class that had not previously frequented the King of Prussia Plaza.

In an effort to ensure King of Prussia Plaza's continuation of success with the addition of The Court, a substantial renovation of the Plaza was initiated in 1980. The project consisted of full enclosure of the center, new roofs and skylights, the installation of a quarry tile finished floor, new interior landscaping and a stately fountain near Wanamaker's entrance. The end result was a totally renovated "like new" shopping mall that was complete by December 1980, just months prior to the opening of The Court.

In 1981, E.J. Korvette was experiencing financial difficulties, and was subsequently replaced by a new SEARS "Store of the Future." Sears' entry into The Plaza allowed for Kravco to expand its square footage, develop second level retail space, and add The Garden Food Court. A total of 50 new stores were included in the expansion and brought The Plaza to approximately 1.3 million square feet of retail space with over 200 mall shops and 45,000 square feet of office space.

In the early 1990's, Kravco Company did ample research presenting that The King of Prussia Mall could attract a much more affluent shopper to The Plaza and The Court. In its continued forward thinking approach, Kravco attracted new upscale retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom to The Plaza. The entrance of these high-end retailers brought the number of anchor stores at the King of Prussia Mall to eight and resulted in a flood of new designer shops, boutiques and big-name retailers to The Plaza. With such large names in fashion drawing attention to The Plaza, Kravco Company decided to give The Court an aesthetic makeover. The renovations included installation of Italian marble floor tile, stained glass windows, decorative brass planters, cherry wood handrails and full-size trees. The renovation also involved the construction of a glass-covered crosswalk connecting the two buildings. Over the following years renovations expanded to include The Plaza, and by 1997, King of Prussia Mall had completed a thorough $185 million renovation and expansion.

With the continued consolidation of department stores, Strawbridge & Clothier in The Court had relocated to the John Wanamaker space in The Plaza. The Kravco Company in October 2001 brought the most recent phase of center renovation to fruition when King of Prussia Mall unveiled the all-new Pavilion at The Court. The Pavilion at The Court, constructed within a renovated department store in The Court, represented King of Prussia Mall's seamless transition into the 21st century and confirmed the center's status as one of the most important retail projects in the 20th century.

During the fourth quarter of 2003, Simon Property Group and Kravco Company created a partnership to become the Kravco Simon Company, based in the King of Prussia Atrium, directly across from the King of Prussia Mall.

Currently housing seven world-class department stores, more than 400 retailers and over 40 dining options, King of Prussia Mall encompasses nearly 3 million square feet of prime retail space, and will continue to stay at the forefront of the retailing world.

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