| Additional Information: | 2020: Brookfield Square first opened in 1967 and was the greater Milwaukee area’s first enclosed shopping center. It was also the largest shopping mall in Wisconsin at that time.2 Three different architectural firms were hired for its design: Peter S. Thomas & Associates of Cleveland, Neil & Wennland of Chicago, and Baxter, Hadnell, Donnely & Preston of Cincinnati.3 As originally designed, Brookfield Square was anchored by three stores: a central JC Penney, a Sears on the south end (no longer extant), and a Boston Store on the north end. In addition to the three anchor stores, the mall also had a Kohl’s Food Store, a Woolworths, a T.A. Chapmans, and a cinema.
Physical changes began in the early 1990s when the Boston Store was enlarged and several large stores within the mall closed. A 15-bay food court opened in 1996 where Woolworths was. Major interior spaces were also redesigned during the late 1990s, including the central court located outside the JC Penney. These updates involved the removal of a decorative waterless waterfall, or “rain fountain,” and the addition of an atrium ceiling. Fountain features were common in malls of this era across the country, though few remain intact. Under new ownership in the early 2000s, Brookfield Square underwent more extensive renovations beginning in 2004 with the reconstruction of the mall’s main entrance and the construction of a new two-story Barnes and Noble. Starting in 2007, standalone buildings began to populate the area around the mall. Some historic-age buildings (e.g. AHI #230820), as well as the former anchor store auto centers, were demolished to make way for new construction. After the closure and demolition of Sears in 2018, the south end of the mall was completely redesigned. A new dine-in movie theater, entertainment and bowling center, and 26,000 square feet of new retail spaced were added. With the closure of the Boston Store in 2018, the only anchor store remaining is JC Penney. |
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