Origins and first retail years
Christiana Mall opened its doors on October 12, 1978, developed by the Rubin Company and New Castle Associates on former farmland outside Newark.
The first anchor, Strawbridge & Clothier, debuted a month earlier in September 1978, drawing shoppers with a tall clock tower and indoor fountains.
Bamberger’s followed in 1979, along with JCPenney in 1980, and by the end of the decade, the complex included Christiana Cinemas I-V, the Cupboard food court, and the Galaxy Arcade…