Malls · Wisconsin
Valley Fair Shopping Center
Opened 1955. Partial Redeveloped in 2006.
Status nowPartly retrofittedextracted, unreviewed
documented
They have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and structurally sound, they weren't torn down.
What it becameretail, entertainmentextracted, unreviewed reported
Site size26 acresextracted, unreviewed
Last sale$2.3M · 2006public reporting
Retrofit year2006extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability8.3 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/wi/appleton-valley-fair-shopping-center/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile8 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 3 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh tornado risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 66% census-acs · all sites with thisTract house prices doubled in 10 years
This site: +104% fhfa · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: They have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and… extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Entertainment and sports
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Partly retrofittedextracted, unreviewed documentedThey have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and structurally sound, they weren't torn down. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Partial Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documentedVF Partners has been redeveloping the 26-acre, Valley Fair site since 2006. |
| New uses | retail, entertainmentextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | They have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and structurally sound, they weren't torn down.extracted, unreviewed documentedThey have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and structurally sound, they weren't torn down. |
| Retrofit year | 2006extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Redeveloper | VF Partnersextracted, unreviewed reported |
Planning
| Entitlement year | 2007extracted, unreviewed reported |
|---|
Deals and debt
| Date | Event | Price | Parties | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sold | $2.3M closed | VF Partners ← Youth Futures | Wikipedia |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 4: KWIK TRIP COWORKER CENTER FOR HEALTH AT APPLETON; ROUNDY'S 187; SOS DRY CLEANING; THE HERITAGE/PEABODY MANOREPA FRS |
| Census tract 55139002500 | 4,491 people, 3,177 per sq mi; median household income $55,349; median gross rent $875; 66% renters; 4.7% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 8.3 of 20; 59 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.78; 62,412 jobs within 45 min by car; 39% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 5 of 6 daily needs: 3 grocers, 1 schools, 5 parks or playgrounds, 1 health, 0 civic, 4 food and drink; 4 cycleway segments, 25 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, Winnebago County (WI), 2024 | 333 units in 5+ unit buildings, 30 in 2–4, 293 single-family; 2023: 186 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.47; socioeconomic 0.31; housing and transport 0.62; 20% below 150% of poverty; 4% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 15,668 m², 6.577176094055176 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 52,457 since 2015; 4,673 in the last 12 months (-22% vs the prior 12); peak 2025-04 with 1,125Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -2% (4,582 → 4,491); median income +43% ($38,647 → $55,349); renters 69% → 66%; median home value +71% ($135,500 → $231,500)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 45.1); expected annual loss $1.4M; high: tornado, strong wind, cold wave; community resilience very highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 1 LIHTC properties, 63 units: Craftsman Village Of Appleton (63 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 8,235 jobs in 448 establishments; average annual pay $34,879; employment location quotient 0.89; employment -1.2% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 2,581 jobs; 367 in retail trade, 216 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 55139002500)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 43th income percentile as adults; 0.8% incarcerated at the 2010 count (392 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 6% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 13.5%; median family income $51,308; 403 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Menasha School District (PK-12); 2 public schools within 1 mile: Stephen Foster Elementary Charter; Maplewood MiddleNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 797 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 68 county-logged events: 46 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 4 tornado, 2 flood; $16,000 property damage reported; 1 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 54915, 2026-09 | median list price $389,975 (-1.2% on the year); 99 active listings; median 37 days on market; 14% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 453 establishments (-4%); 8,735 jobs (+13%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $304,461 (+5% 1 yr, +34% 5 yr); typical rent $1,278/mo (+5% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2024 | 390 (2000 = 100); +8.0% 1 yr, +54% 5 yr, +104% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 21,535 vehicles a day on STH 047N (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 1,320 trucks; 28 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Valley Fair Shopping Center opened in 1955 as the first fully enclosed mall in the United States. After decades of operation, it was sold to YouthFutures in 2002 and then to VF Partners in 2006, who began redevelopment and demolished most of the property while retaining a few newer structures. The site now operates as a partial retail/entertainment center under VF Partners.
Why. The record notes demolition of parts beginning in 2007 and that newer buildings were kept because they were still sound, but it does not state specific causes such as anchor store losses, competition, or debt.
Where it stands. The site is currently in a partial status and is controlled by VF Partners, the owner listed in the parties and deals sections.
For a planner
- Redevelopment strategy was set in 2006 with entitlement granted in 2007.
- The property was placed into a tax district in 2007, indicating a policy tool used to support the retrofit.
- Open questions include the long‑term viability of the remaining retail/entertainment mix and any needed infrastructure updates.
For a developer
- Site size: 26 acres.
- Control: VF Partners holds ownership from 2006 to present.
- Entitlement stage: entitlement year 2007 suggests approvals are in place for the redeveloped use.
- No explicit flood, transit, or environmental constraints are noted in the record.
- Market signals from tract data are not provided in the record.
What we do not know yet
- Anchor tenant status and retail performance are not described.
- Competitive landscape and regional demand are unknown.
- Financial details such as debt, financing terms, or operating costs are missing.
- Environmental constraints (floodplain, wetlands, contamination) are not mentioned.
- Transit access and pedestrian connectivity are not detailed in the record.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Cambridge Discovery Park, Cambridge, MA · Office parks · similar size (30 acres); opened 1953; same strategy: redevelop
- Northgate Mall, Seattle, WA · Malls · opened 1950; same strategy: redevelop
- Seven Corners Shopping Center, Seven Corners, VA · Malls · similar size (29 acres); opened 1956; same strategy: redevelop
- Hilldale Shopping Center, Madison, WI · Malls · opened 1962; same strategy: redevelop; also in WI
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Valley Fair Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Valley Fair Shopping Center - Alchetron, the fr… alchetron.com
- Valley Fair Shopping Center Appleton, WI cardcow.com
- Valley Fair Shopping Center - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- 26 acres
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1955Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Acres | 26.0extracted, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Hamilton Construction Companyextracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall was built by Hamilton Construction Company under the name Hoffman Shopping Centers, Inc. |
| Architect | George Narovec |
| Anchors | W. T. Grant, Kohl's Department Store, Marcus Cinemas, Copps Food Center |
| County | Winnebago County |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
The Valley Fair Shopping Center, Valley Fair Mall, or Valley Fair Center was a shopping mall in Appleton, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin that opened on March 10, 1955. This enclosed mall was the first weather-protected mall to ever be built within the United States, and was the first enclosed mall to open. Demolition of parts of the shopping center began on August 8, 2007.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1953 Construction began
- 1955 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1955 Grand opening
- 1955 Opened fully
- 1956 Fully completed
- 1978 Expansion and renovation project
- 2002 YouthFutures created and bought mall
- 2006 Sold to VF Partners for $2.3 million
- 2006 VF Partners began redevelopment
- 2007 Demolition of parts began
- 2007 Placed into tax district
Sources
- Wikipedia: Valley Fair Shopping Center · supports: acres, after notes, original developer, status, strategy
15 quoted sentences
redeveloping the 26-acre, Valley Fair site since 2006.
The mall was built by Hamilton Construction Company under the name Hoffman Shopping Centers, Inc.
They have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and structurally sound, they weren't torn down.
They have demolished most of the property. Because the former Kohl's Food Stores building, the Chase Bank, and the Marcus Cinemas, were still new enough and structurally sound, they weren't torn down.
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