History
Carolina Circle Mall opened in 1976, two years after the opening of Four Seasons Mall in southern Greensboro. Carolina Circle Mall was anchored by Belk, Ivey's and Montgomery Ward. Belk opened its doors in February of 1976, and Montgomery Ward's, Ivey's and twenty-two other stores opened in August of that year. It was Ivey's first department store in Greensboro. The mall encompassed 800,000 square feet, and its design of the mall was outlandishly 1970s.
Carolina Circle Mall also featured the only ice skating rink in Greensboro, located in the central corridor of the mall akin to Charlotte's Eastland Mall. The mall also had a movie theater, and out-parcel stores such as Toys R Us and a Kmart across Cone Boulevard. The mall was designed to spur growth and development on the northeast side of town, and serve as the catalyst for the extension of Cone Boulevard towards Burlington--which to this day has never occurred. Its location was additionally chosen to serve as a draw for residents from as far as Danville.
Carolina Circle Mall additionally had a Piccadilly Cafeteria and a restaurant and bar called Annabelle's, both of which proved to be popular establishments and a draw for the mall. The mall continued to enjoy success and friendly competition with Four Seasons and other retail establishments in town throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In the late 1980s, Carolina Circle Mall's vacancy rate is sliding faster than Four Seasons. Moreover, Four Seasons embarks on a major remodel adding a third level, making this one of the largest malls in the state at that time. To keep up, Carolina Circle Mall plans a major renovation in an attempt to mask many of its 1970s elements, going for a neutral palate with neon lights. Also at this time, in 1988, mall owners removed the ice skating rink and replaced it with a food court and carousel.
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