Malls · South Carolina
Ashley Plaza Mall
Ashley Plaza Mall opened 1964, became West Ashley’s first indoor mall by 1972, remains operating under Sumar Corporation ownership in Charleston today. · summary, model-written
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.

Site profile8 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road
This site: 47,900 on SAM RITTENBERG BLVD fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisCounty typical rent $2,000+
This site: $2,150/mo zillow · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 1 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh earthquake risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh hurricane risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisTract house prices doubled in 10 years
This site: +142% fhfa · all sites with thisWalkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)
This site: …index 15.5 epa-walkability · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …a shopping center extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Operatingextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| What is there now | a shopping centerextracted, unreviewed |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | no NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 7: AMOCO OIL SS#6213; CLASSIC LINCOLN MERCURY INCORPORATED DEACTIVATED; OLMSTEAD MOTOR CARS; PARKER LINCOLN MERCURY; PRESSING CLUB CLEANERS INCORPORATEDEPA FRS |
| Census tract 45019002605 | 3,377 people, 2,343 per sq mi; median household income $62,656; median gross rent $1,146; 36% renters; 11.9% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 15.5 of 20; 110 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 1,086 m; land-use mix 0.8; 65,702 jobs within 45 min by car, 540 by transit; 4% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 4 of 6 daily needs: 1 grocers, 0 schools, 8 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 1 civic, 9 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 30 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, Charleston County (SC), 2024 | 857 units in 5+ unit buildings, 244 in 2–4, 3,052 single-family; 2023: 1,300 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.68; socioeconomic 0.62; housing and transport 0.87; 24% below 150% of poverty; 5% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 1 within 10 km, 1 within 25 km: Charles Towne Square (7.2 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 16,685 m², 5.662150859832764 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 11,291 since 2015; 1,223 in the last 12 months (-10% vs the prior 12); peak 2025-05 with 260Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -12% (3,815 → 3,377); median income +50% ($41,830 → $62,656); renters 38% → 36%; median home value +114% ($188,400 → $403,900)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively moderate overall (score 83.3); expected annual loss $3.4M; high: hurricane, earthquake; community resilience very highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | noneHUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 2,084 establishments (+7%); 29,490 jobs (+12%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $609,591 (+2% 1 yr, +39% 5 yr); typical rent $2,150/mo (+4% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 633 (2000 = 100); +6.1% 1 yr, +74% 5 yr, +142% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 47,900 vehicles a day on SAM RITTENBERG BLVD (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 2,146 trucks; 37 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Ashley Plaza Mall opened in 1964 with J.M. Fields and a Pantry Pride supermarket. It was fully completed by 1972, becoming the first indoor mall in West Ashley, after Condon's Department Store joined as a third tenant in 1970. The center survived Hurricane Hugo's destruction of its neon pylon sign in 1989 and continues to operate as a shopping center.
Why. The record does not specify causes such as anchor loss, competition, debt, or demolition that affected the mall.
Where it stands. Ashley Plaza Mall remains operating and is owned by Sumar Corporation of South Carolina.
For a planner
- First indoor mall in West Ashley (opened 1964, completed 1972) serves as an early retail precedent.
- No policy tools or redevelopment plans are mentioned in the record; open questions include potential zoning changes, future ownership shifts, and site adaptation.
- The record lacks detail on current tenant mix, lease terms, or any planned infrastructure improvements.
For a developer
- Site size and exact parcel boundaries are not provided in the record.
- Control lies with Sumar Corporation of South Carolina; entitlement stage and any pending approvals are unspecified.
- Context-layer constraints such as flood risk, transit access, or environmental conditions are not described.
- Market signals indicate the surrounding county grew 5.1% from 2018‑2023 and median rent is $1,506 per month.
What we do not know yet
- Exact site dimensions, parcel count, and current tenant roster are missing.
- Financial performance, debt load, and lease expiration details are not stated.
- Environmental or flood‑zone risks, transit proximity, and zoning entitlements are unknown.
- The record is marked as "draft" verified status, indicating possible unreviewed or model‑extracted information.
- Condition of structures after the 1989 hurricane sign loss and any subsequent repairs are not detailed.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Charles Towne Square, North Charleston, SC · Malls · also in SC; 7 km away
- McAlister Square, Greenville, SC · Malls · opened 1968; also in SC
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Ashley Plaza Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Sky City: Retail History: Ashley Plaza Mall: Charleston, SC skycity2.blogspot.com
- Overlay of original Ashley Plaza Mall on Ashley Landing Shopping Center ... reddit.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- county grew 5.1% 2018–23
- median rent $1,506
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1964extracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Original developer | Gate City Realty Company of Fort Lauderdale, Floridaextracted, unreviewed |
| Anchors | Pantry Pride, J.M. Fields Department Stores, Pantry Pride supermarket, Condon's Department Store |
| County | Charleston County |
| Census division | 5 · South Atlantic |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Ashley Landing is a shopping center in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It was the first indoor shopping mall in the West Ashley area of Charleston when the complex was fully completed in 1972. The center, located at 1401 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard at the fork of Old Towne Road was developed by Gate City Realty Company of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ground was broken for the complex in 1962 with Ashley Plaza opening on April 16, 1964. At its opening the shopping center consisted of J.M. Fields Department Stores joined to a Pantry Pride supermarket, built at a cost of $1.75 million and owned by Sumar Corporation of South Carolina. The locally owned Condon's Department Store, constructed adjacent to Pantry Pride as a freestanding building, became the third tenant when it opened in 1970. The center, originally known as "Ashley Plaza" was noted for its large red and white neon pylon "Ashley Plaza" sign in the center of the parking lot that remained until 1989 when it was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1962 Ground broken for the complex
- 1964 Ashley Plaza opens
- 1970 Condon's Department Store opens as third tenant
- 1972 Complex fully completed as first indoor mall in West Ashley
- 1989 Neon pylon sign destroyed by Hurricane Hugo
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ashley Plaza Mall · supports: after notes, original developer, status, year opened
9 quoted sentences
Ashley Plaza opening on April 16, 1964.
The center, located at 1401 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard at the fork of Old Towne Road was developed by Gate City Realty Company of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Ashley Landing is a shopping center in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
Ashley Landing is a shopping center in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
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