# Charles Towne Square

North Charleston, SC · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-2753b918ed` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/sc/north-charleston-charles-towne-square/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-2753b918ed.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-2753b918ed.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-2753b918ed

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | operating | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | office, hotel, entertainment | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | The former mall site has been redeveloped as an office complex, with a Verizon Wireless call center operating in the former Ward's building and a new multi-story office tower near Piccadilly which houses the new City Hall for the City of North Charleston. | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1976 | reported · Wikipedia |
| Original developer | Melvin Simon & Associates | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Planning notes | In April 2019, the 18-screen Regal Cinemas was proposed to be demolished for a 300 residential unit complex. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **original_developer**: “Charles Towne Square was an indoor shopping mall located in North Charleston, South Carolina opened in 1976 by developer Melvin Simon & Associates.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Towne_Square
- **after_notes**: “The former mall site has been redeveloped as an office complex, with a Verizon Wireless call center operating in the former Ward's building and a new multi-story office tower near Piccadilly which houses the new City Hall for the City of North Charleston.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Towne_Square
- **status**: “The former mall site has been redeveloped as an office complex, with a Verizon Wireless call center operating in the former Ward's building and a new multi-story office tower near Piccadilly which houses the new City Hall for the City of North Charleston.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Towne_Square
- **strategy**: “The former mall site has been redeveloped as an office complex” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Towne_Square

## Anchors

Service Merchandise, JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Edward's

## Timeline

- 1976: Opened (Wikidata)
- 1976: Opened
- 1997: Plans announced to raze mall
- 2000: Montgomery Ward bankruptcy
- 2001: Montgomery Ward store closed
- 2012: Piccadilly Cafeterias closed
- 2019: Regal Cinemas proposed for demolition
- 2020: Regal Cinemas demolition completed

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

Charles Towne Square was an indoor shopping mall located in North Charleston, South Carolina opened in 1976 by developer Melvin Simon & Associates. It was most noted for its large "town square" style clock and children's train ride during Christmas time. The mall's tenants included original anchors Montgomery Ward, JCPenney and Edward's, a local department store which would later be sold to Kuhn's-Big K and renamed "Big K-Edwards." Big K-Edwards closed and Wilson's Catalog Showrooms moved into the space. The Wilson's chain was later sold to Service Merchandise. In addition to the mall's anchors, the shopping complex also featured approximately 75 specialty stores and a General Cinemas. The mall opened with great fanfare in 1976 with a Charlestonian bi-centennial theme. Television celebrity Ed McMahon led the festivities, complete with American Revolutionary War-era costumes. Other special guests included World War II soldier Mark Clark, football player Rosey Grier, and Claude Akins.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Towne_Square

## Sources

- Quoted support for original_developer — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Towne_Square

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Charles Towne Square, North Charleston, SC." Record m-2753b918ed, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/sc/north-charleston-charles-towne-square/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_northcharlestoncharlestownesquare,
  title = {Charles Towne Square, North Charleston, SC},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/sc/north-charleston-charles-towne-square/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-2753b918ed, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.