Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Virginia

Tower Mall (Portsmouth)

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedDemolishedPortsmouth, VA

Opened 1973. Redeveloped.

Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
What it becameretailextracted, unreviewed
Site size53 acresextracted, unreviewed
Retrofit yearNot yet retrofittedstatus
Walkability14.3 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
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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.

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Site profile10 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
BradleesThis site: Bradlees wikipedia · all sites with this
Montgomery WardThis site: Montgomery Ward wikipedia · all sites with this
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 58,736 on 264 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 9 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
Interstate or freeway within 600 mThis site: 264 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Tract population up 25%+ since 2013This site: +76% census-acs · all sites with this
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)This site: …index 14.3 epa-walkability · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: Victory Crossing shopping center extraction · all sites with this
New use
Retail (continued)This site: Victory Crossing shopping center extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
StrategyRedevelopedextracted, unreviewed
New usesretailextracted, unreviewed
What is there nowVictory Crossing shopping centerextracted, unreviewed

Site context

Transit within 800 mno rail stationOpenStreetMap
Motorway junctions within 2 km3, 4, 6;5, junctionOpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zoneX · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m9: AMOCO #768-TANKS; COMER, DON FORD INC; EXXON MOBIL - 20466; FARM FRESH #6275; LOWE'S OF PORTSMOUTH, VA #1593EPA FRS
Census tract 517402126001,753 people, 1,968 per sq mi; median household income $71,333; median gross rent $1,650; 19% renters; 5.6% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 14.3 of 20; 82 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 594 m; land-use mix 0.72; 83,119 jobs within 45 min by car, 26,242 by transit; 0% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)5 of 6 daily needs: 9 grocers, 2 schools, 0 parks or playgrounds, 1 health, 5 civic, 20 food and drink; 9 cycleway segments, 53 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity ZonenoHUD
Housing permits, Portsmouth (Independent City) (VA), 2024112 units in 5+ unit buildings, 0 in 2–4, 188 single-family; 2023: 0 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.66; socioeconomic 0.71; housing and transport 0.29; 15% below 150% of poverty; 5% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby1 within 10 km, 6 within 25 km: MacArthur Center (7.3 km)computed
Overture Mapsno place match; building footprint 14,912 m², 6.755287170410156 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Attention: Wikipedia page views4,649 since 2015; 682 in the last 12 months (-1% vs the prior 12); peak 2023-01 with 121Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +76% (993 → 1,753); median income +36% ($52,310 → $71,333); renters 24% → 20%; median home value +80% ($152,200 → $273,800)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)very low overall (score 2.4); expected annual loss $423,202; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023258 establishments (-6%); 3,154 jobs (+1%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $266,486 (+2% 1 yr, +26% 5 yr); typical rent $1,642/mo (+6% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)58,736 vehicles a day on 264 (Interstate, 4 lanes); 4,172 trucks; 21 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Tower Mall opened in 1973 with anchor stores Bradlees and Montgomery Ward and other 1970s‑80s chains. By the mid‑1990s the primary anchors had vacated the mall, leaving it largely empty. The building was demolished in 2001 to make way for the Victory Crossing shopping center, which now occupies the 53‑acre site.

Why. The record shows that the departure of the main anchors (Bradlees and Montgomery Ward) led to prolonged vacancy, which prompted the demolition and redevelopment. No other causes such as competition, debt, or demolition orders are mentioned in the record.

Where it stands. The site is currently occupied by Victory Crossing shopping center; the record does not specify who controls or owns the property.

For a planner

  • The record indicates a redevelopment strategy aimed at retail use.
  • No specific policy tools, incentives, or zoning actions are cited in the record.
  • Open questions include what entitlements or approvals were required for the demolition and new construction.
  • It is unclear whether any community input or environmental review processes were documented.

For a developer

  • The site comprises 53 acres, as extracted from the record.
  • Current control or ownership of the property is not stated in the record.
  • The entitlement stage (e.g., zoning, permits) for the Victory Crossing development is not described.
  • Context‑layer constraints such as flood risk, transit access, or environmental conditions are not mentioned.
  • Market signals from surrounding tract data (e.g., demographics, spending) are absent from the record.

What we do not know yet

  • Owner or controlling entity of the site after demolition is unknown.
  • Current tenant mix and lease terms at Victory Crossing are not provided.
  • Zoning designation and any land‑use restrictions are not stated.
  • Floodplain, wetland, or other environmental constraints are not documented.
  • Transit proximity and accessibility details are missing.
  • Financial aspects such as demolition cost, public subsidies, or project financing are not recorded.
  • The record is marked as 'verified: draft', indicating possible unreviewed or model‑extracted information.

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

  • Carousel Mall, San Bernardino, CA · Malls · similar size (43 acres); opened 1972; same strategy: redevelop
  • Methuen Mall, Methuen, MA · Malls · similar size (60 acres); opened 1973; same strategy: redevelop
  • Mohawk Mall, Niskayuna, NY · Malls · similar size (50 acres); opened 1970; same strategy: redevelop
  • North Kent Mall, Northview, MI · Malls · similar size (70 acres); opened 1970; same strategy: redevelop

Elsewhere on the web

Retail history: Tower Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and state only, check the city; nothing copied here

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • closed or demolished site (sourced)
  • 53 acres

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

Opened1973extracted, unreviewed
Acres53.0extracted, unreviewed
AnchorsMontgomery Ward, Bradlees
CountyPortsmouth city
Census division5 · South Atlantic
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: GLA, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Victory Crossing, formerly Tower Mall, was a shopping mall located in Portsmouth, Virginia. The shopping mall opened in 1973. The mall's original primary anchors were Bradlees and Montgomery Ward. It also had some of the most popular mall chains of the 1970s and 1980s including Orange Bowl and Merry Go Round. Primary anchors left the mall vacant by the mid-1990s. The mall was 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2) on a 53 acres (21 ha) site. The building was demolished in 2001, to make way for a big-box shopping center. Victory Crossing shopping center currently occupies the site of the former Tower Mall.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1973 Opened
  2. 2001 Demolished

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Tower Mall · supports: acres, after notes, status, strategy, year opened
    7 quoted sentences
    The shopping mall opened in 1973.
    The mall was 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2) on a 53 acres (21 ha) site.
    Victory Crossing shopping center currently occupies the site of the former Tower Mall.
    The building was demolished in 2001, to make way for a big-box shopping center.

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