AUBURN MALL
Address: Center Street
City: Auburn, ME
Opening date: 1979
Website: auburnmall.com
Lewiston and Auburn are sister cities divided by a river. Retailers could always decide to open in one or the other or both. When shopping centers were developed the same pattern was followed and enclosed malls ended up being opened in each city. The result was that both malls ended up being not very large. Sears and Zayre anchored the Lewiston Mall and JCPenney and Porteous were anchors at Auburn Mall which opened in 1979.
Renovations were done in 1992 and although they updated the mall, a decade later, the mall was left looking outdated. Several stores closed over the years including Famous Footwear, CVS pharmacy (2001), Lechters Housewares, GAP and anchor store Porteous (July 2002). Back then, the mall really was struggling and had 22 vacant spaces out of 52 total stores including a vacant 60,000 sq.ft. Porteous pictured below.
The boarded-up anchor store was causing the mall to lose it’s appeal combined with an outdated decor made up of a mix of 1979 style with 1992 renovations. Many vacant spaces became temporary stores selling cellulars, books, real estate or local crafts.
The mall was in need of new stores, new anchor and new appeal. Good news finally came when local businessman George Schott acquired the mall and planned to bring it back to life. C.J.Banks opened in 2006 and PacSun also opened a store. Then, fake plants in the mall were replaced by live ones. The new owner also painted entranceways and skylights.
In a visit in 2007, I did notice the changes and the mall already looked much better. It had more stores, more customers and more life. The biggest boost for the mall was the opening of Steve & Barry’s store in the former Porteous. It really helped the mall on its way back to it's past glory. Unfortunately, Steve & Barry's had to close in 2008 as part of a reorganization of the company which later went out of business. In 2011 Waldenbooks closed as part of Borders' company closure.
Today, TD Bank occupies the former Steve & Barry’s. Many new retailers were added to the Auburn Mall but mostly in new free-standing buildings added in the mall's parking lot near the former Porteous: Town Fair Tire, Goodwill, Aspen Dental and Panera Bread. Papa Gino's abruptly closed in November 2018 when the company filed for Chapter 11.
Actual tenants
JCPenney
TD Bank
Bath & Body Works
Books-A-Million
Claire's
GNC
Game Zone
Goodwill
Maurices
Nail Trix
Olympia Sports
Panera Bread
Spencer Gifts
Super Shoes
Shoe Dept.
Thatcher's Restaurant
Town Fair Tire
& more
Closed
Porteous
Lechters
CVS
Candy Corner
Famous Footwear
GAP
Express
Fleet Bank
KB Toys
Steve & Barry's
Thom McAn
Kinney
Kay jewelers
Chess King
Foxmoor
Hickory Farm
Fanny Farmer
Waldenbooks
Cards R N
C.J.Banks
Deb Shops
Emily's Cards
Hot Topic
Ivy Cottage
MC Wireless
McDonald's Express
PacSun
Piercing Pagoda
Papa Gino's
Payless Shoes
Pierrette's c'est si bon Cafe
South American Side
Things Remembered
Temptations
Fye
Christopher & Banks
Regis Salon
Sweets & Treats
Wilsons Leather
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