NewPark Mall, August 1980, first rush
NewPark Mall opened on August 6, 1980, at Mowry Avenue beside the Nimitz Freeway. The first crowds moved in from the parking lots in steady lines. As they entered, visitors felt cool air and bright light, and saw a full regional mall all in one place.
Inside, the design used natural colors and lots of plants. Brown and tan tiles ran past planters with trees and ferns. Skylights let sunlight into the hallways. A glass elevator stood in the middle. The mall used the slogan “The Park of Plenty.”
…