Shopping Center at Shields & I-240

[megax11]

Okay, I have a good memory, and I keep thinking about something that used to be in the plaza where the Super Saver Cinema 8 used to be, next to Venture and Furrs, which is now where Burlington.

I remember when I was a kid. I remember to get to Furrs, you had to go inside an area. I think I remember there being maybe one other business inside.

Now I also remember something else. I think inside this small building, which lead to Furrs, there was a movie theatre at the end of this small indoor area, which was next to a door that lead out of the building.

Does anyone else remember this, or am I the only one who remembers this?

Now I would like to know, also, if anyone remembers that theatre, how many screens was it, because it looked tiny. Are there any pictures of this place, before it was renovated into what it was in the late 80's/90's?

[kevinpate]

In the mid and latter 90's, the theater you are asking about was one of the dollar theaters. There were at least two, and maybe four, small theater rooms.

I remember there used to be a Furr's over there as well, but I can't say I recall ever eating there.

[megax11]

Yeah, but this could be early to mid 80's.

To get to Furrs, you had to go inside a building, which also had what looked like a small movie theatre at the end.

It was an indoor area, that the Super Saver Cinema you're mentioning, as well as some kind of store in the 90's eventually filled in.

Back when I am thinking, there was just Venture, then this building, which had 1 business, Furrs, and a 1, maybe 2 screen theatre.

[Martin]

before it was a super saver cinema, that theatre was called south shields mall twin. the mall, which consisted of fewer than ten small storefronts and a fountain, was situated in front of furr's and the movie theatre where there is currently surface parking. the property was renovated around 1986 with the removal of much of the mall portion of the structure giving furr's and the movie theatre exterior entrances. the strip was then renamed south shields plaza. the theatre was demolished in the mid 2000's, maybe 2004. the section currently occupied by burlington coat factory that once housed venture also had j. brannam, woolco and (i think) trade-mart as previous tenants. there was a restaurant called bonanza, which later became goldie's and then split pea, on the outparcel where the vacant circuit city structure now stands. -M

[USG'60]

My brother and a friend actually built those little theaters and several more in Texas and Louisiana. When built they were simply called The Movies. The name may have eventually changed. Brother had stories about how crappily they were designed. He was afraid they would not last a year but I guess they did, huh. It seems like that was in the VERY early 70s.

[kevinpate]

For anyone who does not know, which included me until a few weeks ago, at the southwest corner of the Burlington building there is a small Budget car rental office. They are a bit cheaper than the airport location, but the selection is also smaller and the hours are about 1/4 to 1/3 of the airport location hours.

[Soonerman]

Didn't Venture become a K-Mart?

[Larry OKC]

Yep, when Venture folded/vacated, K-Mart went in and then they went bankrupt and part of their restructuring was to close any stores that were in newer buildings (which meant all of the OKC stores were closed). They closed the newer ones in Tulsa as well that were also in former Ventures (but kept the crappy, older stores).

[Bimmerdude]

Yeah, I remember Venture's. They also had that little Levi's Jeans place too on the corner of that building. Lots of memories playing Double Dragon inside the Super Saver Cinema.

[SoonerDave]

There was never a Trade-Mart at that location. Trade Mart occupied the building that became Service Merchandise (along with one along N. May back in the day) and now houses Big Lots at I-240 and Penn. When Woolco left the Shields location, it was vacant for a long time until Venture moved in, then ceded to K-Mart, and now Burlington.

There was also an organ/piano store just inside the entrance to that Shields mall, as well as a fabric/sewing store. Aside from the Furr's, I don't recall going too much farther down that part of the mall to investigate. The large parcel at the east end (now Langston's, I think?) originally housed a Safeway grocery store.

The theater part was torn down after it had become a horrendous dive for drug deals and was frequently raided.

[megax11]

AWESOME INFO!

Okay, so I wasn't crazy afterall. I was so little when I walked in there.

Now that someone mentioned a fountain, I can faintly recall a fountain inside that building. I remember the flooring was like brown glossy brick or something. I only looked at the outside of the theatre that was at the end of the building, that had an exit to outdoors right next to it facing north.

Anyone know where some pics can be found, if any?

How many auditoriums did that small theatre have? It looked like it could have literally only had 1-2 auditoriums, but I wouldn't know, because I've only seen it from the outside.

[Martin]

there was never a trade-mart at that location. trade mart occupied the building that became service merchandise

ahh... ok. in the back of my head, i could have sworn there was *something* occupying that location between being woolco and venture. when did service merchandise replace trade-mart? -M

[SoonerDave]

ahh... ok. in the back of my head, i could have sworn there was *something* occupying that location between being woolco and venture. when did service merchandise replace trade-mart? -M

Hoo, wow, don't recall the exact year, but it was sometime in the middle 70's. Service Merchandise was around a loooong time; that's a store I miss.

[MrZ]

I remember having to go inside to the theater when I saw Goonies there in '85. The next time I went to that theater they were tearing down the enclosed area and building the new Super Saver theater. I remember going to it when it opened and it looked like a spaceship inside. Good times there in high school.

[megax11]

I assume you're talking about the inside of Super Saver, which does that have that cool futuristic tunnel feel, when you walked to the auditoriums.

I wish there were some pics of the inside of Super Saver's circular hallway.

[grantgeneral78]

Wow I almost forgot about Service Merchandise.

[SoonerDave]

Wow I almost forgot about Service Merchandise.

Yeah, Service Merchandise was one of my favorite places as an older kid (esp. when I started having a little mad money of my own). It was a great place for last-minute presents, and they had a knack for having somewhat off-beat items available. They used to have a TON of stereo equipment, receivers, speakers, things like that, long before you had places like the now-defunct Silo and Ultimate Electronics places.

Have thought once or twice that given the advent of the Internet-based shopping if a catalog showroom format, tweaked some, couldn't make a comeback...

[grantgeneral78]

Yeah, Service Merchandise was one of my favorite places as an older kid (esp. when I started having a little mad money of my own). It was a great place for last-minute presents, and they had a knack for having somewhat off-beat items available. They used to have a TON of stereo equipment, receivers, speakers, things like that, long before you had places like the now-defunct Silo and Ultimate Electronics places.

Have thought once or twice that given the advent of the Internet-based shopping if a catalog showroom format, tweaked some, couldn't make a comeback...

I agree it was a great place to stop into, especially for thos last minute anniversary gifts you forgot to get earlier!

[terryinokc]

The original shopping center had a Safeway on the east end of it...where Langstons is now. There also was a Super X Drug Store (owned by Kroger) that later became Treasury Drug (owned by JCPenney)

[SoonerDave]

The original shopping center had a Safeway on the east end of it...where Langstons is now. There also was a Super X Drug Store (owned by Kroger) that later became Treasury Drug (owned by JCPenney)

That Safeway store was a routine haunt for our family when I was a kid, because my mom really liked Safeway beef. I think they used to sell sides of beef from their butcher shop back in the day.

[megax11]

So, does anyone know where I can see pics of the inside of the plaza where Super Saver 8, Furrs, and that 2 screen movie theatre used to be?

I also wish someone had taken pics of Super Saver 8 inside, back when it was around.

I also wish I could find pics of Crystals or its inside, back in the 80's and when it was on 74th and Penn.

[Larry OKC]

Would like to see the Crystals pics as well. i remember the one on NW Expressway very well (since bulldozed and now a Chilis). I think I was inside the southside one once but dont remember anything about it.

[SoonerDave]

I remember going into the Crystals on SW 74th a year or two before it closed. You could tell it was a shadow of its former self, broken games, broken projection tv, just general disrepair, and the food wasn't very good. Kinda sad, really.

Years later, my wife and I were on the north side of town, and decided to visit the Crystals on NW Expy. We walked up to the door, thinking the Saturday lunch crowd was awfully small, only to find a "Sorry, Closed Permanently" sign on the front door. As we were leaving, a lady in a minivan pulled up with a load of kids, balloons, and presents, obviously going in for a party, and we told her the place was shuttered. She was in disbelief, and said "But I've got a party already paid for here...." I felt awful for her. We suggested she try the Chuck E Cheese down the street, but I don't know if she did....

[MonkeesFan]

I remember going into the Crystals on SW 74th a year or two before it closed. You could tell it was a shadow of its former self, broken games, broken projection tv, just general disrepair, and the food wasn't very good. Kinda sad, really.

Years later, my wife and I were on the north side of town, and decided to visit the Crystals on NW Expy. We walked up to the door, thinking the Saturday lunch crowd was awfully small, only to find a "Sorry, Closed Permanently" sign on the front door. As we were leaving, a lady in a minivan pulled up with a load of kids, balloons, and presents, obviously going in for a party, and we told her the place was shuttered. She was in disbelief, and said "But I've got a party already paid for here...." I felt awful for her. We suggested she try the Chuck E Cheese down the street, but I don't know if she did....

Wow, that sucks, poor lady!

[Larry OKC]

it does, and hopefully Crystals sent her a refund check