Clearview Mall 2012

A little history on the Clearview Mall located at Veterans and Clearview in Metairie. The mall opened up on November 3rd, 1969 with Maison Blanche (3 floors) and Sears (2 floors) as the anchors. Maison Blanche was later taken over by Dillard's, and then became a two story Target after Dillard's closed. The third floor is rumored to be a future condo development. The A and G cafeteria closed and the space was demolished and replaced by a second story Palace movie theater and a first floor food court with more store space. Click here for the current store list. The mall has survived despite being 2 miles away from the powerhouse Lakeside Mall and around 5 miles away from the Esplanade Mall in Kenner. The Clearview Mall has survived by having unique anchors that are not at the other two nearby malls in the area and several sit down restaurant options with the theater all connected by the mall corridors. If the mall had not been repurposed following the departure of Dillard's; the mall may not be here today. Most malls of this size are found only in small towns, and are ususally unable to keep up with any larger nearby malls. Clearview Mall is in between Lakeside Mall and the Esplanade Mall, but the population is dense enough to keep all three malls going.

Here are some vintage photos of the mall from the Times Picayune Website.

Currently the New Orleans area has eight operational enclosed malls.
New Orleans
Canal Place
Riverwalk Marketplace
Jackson Brewery

Terrytown
Oakwood Mall

Metairie
Clearview Mall
Lakeside Mall

Kenner
The Esplanade Mall
(There is also an office mall at 3501 Chateau Blvd. that is connected to a strip shopping center not included with the 8 on my list though).

Slidell
Northshore Square Mall

The malls of the past are
Marrero
Belle Promenade Mall (Demolished and halfway redeveloped with Wal-Mart, Lowes, and a small strip center)

Algiers
Tall Timbers Mall (Mostly vacant)

Harvey
Manhattan Schwegmann Mall (Demolished Best Buy and other big box stores)

New Orleans
Gentilly Woods (Had an enclosed portion, and will be demolished for a new Wal-Mart)
The Lake Forest Plaza Mall (Mostly empty land with a Lowes)
Kenilworth Mall (Conrete Slab)
Uptown Square Mall (Apartments and Offices)
New Orleans Center (Champions Square)

Metairie
Rosedale Mall (Best Buy)
Independance Mall (Now offices and a few restaurants)
Sena Mall (Mall hallway subdivided into store space)
Galleria Mall (Offices took over the AMC theater 8 was the last to leave http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/32766/photos)

I think that covers all of the malls in the metro New Orleans area unless Hammond Square (demolished) in Hammond would be considered metro N.O.
Clearview Mall Opening store list
A and G Cafeteria
Bakers Shoe Store
Casual Village
Clearview Pet Shop
Clothes Horse
Cradle Set
Evelyn's Tall and Stouts
Gryder Shoes
Hausmann's Jewelers
Katz and Besthoff Drugs
Leo's House of Ties
Merle Norman Cosmetics
National Shirt Shop
Ponsetti's Buster Brown Shoes
Russell Stover Candies
Schmachers
Schwobilt
Singer
Swiss Colony
Walden Book Store
Zale's Jewelry
Size 5,7,9

Opened a short time later
Browze A Bit
First National Bank of Jefferson
Gus Mayer
Joyce Bertram
Lady Oris Hosiery
Olan Mills
Stuarts

The Sears corridor facing the center court

The center court corridor of the mall. Sears and the food court are to the left and Target is to the right.

The next two photos are from the Target corridor facing the center court.

The center court skylight

Center court facing Sears

Some photos of the newer section of the mall with the food court.

The food court

Back to the Sears corridor

Dollar tree has pulled out of most malls, but this one still thrives.