Penn Square Mall work begins

From Staff Reports

Penn Square Mall at the corner of Northwest Expressway and Pennsylvania Avenue has begun a renovation project to upgrade its mall entrances by 2009.
The new entrances, which include a streamlined awning, sliding glass doors and upgraded landscaping, will incorporate architectural elements that were added during the mall's renovation in 2000.

The mall's current entrances were built in 1988.

Spokeswoman Jeannette Smith said the southeast entrance, near Dillard's East, is set for completion by the end of the year, and construction will begin on the west mall entrance in 2008.

The southeast entrance will remain partially open during the renovation.

By 2009, all entrances will be updated, Smith said.

From today's Journal Record


New entrances set for Penn Square

October 2, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY – New entrances will soon greet visitors at Oklahoma City’s Penn Square Mall. Built in 1960 as an open-air lifestyle center, the mall has undergone many changes over the years. The new entrances are intended to match extensive interior renovations that were completed in 2000.

Jeannette Smith, director of mall marketing at Penn Square, said the mall has six entrances, all of which will eventually receive complete renovations. The first two entrances to receive upgrades are on the southeast and west sides of the mall. Those two will feature a streamlined awning that will shield customers from inclement weather on their way into the mall. The two entrances are the largest, and the smaller entrances will also eventually receive similar upgrades. The southeast entrance is slated for completion by the end of October in anticipation of the Christmas shopping season. That entrance will also include sliding glass doors and landscaping. Work on the main west entrance will begin next year, followed by work on the secondary entrances, which are scheduled to be done by 2009.

The main area of the mall was covered in the early 1980s, but remained a single level. Between 1986 and 1988 the mall underwent a major renovation that added a second level and a third department store space. That was also the last time the entrances were updated.

That renovation gave a nod to the Belle Isle Lake and an amusement park that used to be in the area. Smith said the renovation included a Victorian look with teal and mauve as the predominant colors.In 2000, another renovation replaced the teal and mauve with marble floors, cushioned seated areas, a central fountain and metal fixtures for a more streamlined look. During that renovation, the entrances were painted but unaltered.

Smith said Simon Malls, which owns Penn Square, decided it was time to match the entrances to the interior.“These entrances are really more reflective of what’s going on inside,” she said.

Atlanta-based architects Cooper Carry and Atlanta-based contractor VCC will be completing work on the entrances. The two companies also completed the 2000 renovation.Smith said Simon chose the two companies to return to complete the entrance renovations to maintain architectural consistency with the interior of the mall.