Post-War Retail and the Birth of Northgate (1950–1970s)
When Northgate Center opened its doors in April 1950, the idea of a shopping mall—an open-air complex where people could park, stroll, and shop—was still a new one.
Developed by Allied Stores and designed by Seattle architect John Graham Jr., Northgate Center took shape on land that had once been a cranberry bog in the Maple Leaf neighborhood.
It started with 18 stores. One of the anchors was The Bon Marché, a department store chain under Allied’s umbrella…