Port Holiday Mall In Galveston History

[plumber2]

Everyone remembers the old Galvez Mall, an eyesore for years that occupied the prime corner at 61st Street and Broadway. Most people however, do not remember Galveston's first shopping mall, Port Holiday Mall. This mall was located at the corner of 4th St (renamed Holiday Drive after the mall opened) and Water Street (now Harborside Dr.)The mall had two levels, and was anchored by The Fair, a department store similar in size to Palais Royale. The other tenants were Walgreen's, Kroger (with no direct entrance into the mall itself) El Chico, Hills Liquor, Guaranty Federal Savings and Loan, and your other typical mall tenants, such as TSO, Hallmark, a jewelry store, record store and others that I do not remember. The upper level was mostly private physicians and professional offices, however there were a couple of retail shops near the top of the stairs. A sunken fountain with benches anchored the atrium middle.

There was also a hotel (Holiday Inn) and a restaurant on the west end of the parking lot. This mall had marginal success and then quickly faded, especially when Galvez Mall opened. The building is now owned by UTMB but is still intact. I'd like to see the inside today, just to see how much of the mall still remains.

[intencity77]

Everyone remembers the old Galvez Mall, an eyesore for years that occupied the prime corner at 61st Street and Broadway. Most people however, do not remember Galveston's first shopping mall, Port Holiday Mall. This mall was located at the corner of 4th St (renamed Holiday Drive after the mall opened) and Water Street (now Harborside Dr.)The mall had two levels, and was anchored by The Fair, a department store similar in size to Palais Royale. The other tenants were Walgreen's, Kroger (with no direct entrance into the mall itself) El Chico, Hills Liquor, Guaranty Federal Savings and Loan, and your other typical mall tenants, such as TSO, Hallmark, a jewelry store, record store and others that I do not remember. The upper level was mostly private physicians and professional offices, however there were a couple of retail shops near the top of the stairs. A sunken fountain with benches anchored the atrium middle.

There was also a hotel (Holiday Inn) and a restaurant on the west end of the parking lot. This mall had marginal success and then quickly faded, especially when Galvez Mall opened. The building is now owned by UTMB but is still intact. I'd like to see the inside today, just to see how much of the mall still remains.

Hey Plumber, thanks for the history. Do you know when the mall was built? Visually, from Bing Maps, you can still tell it resembles a small shopping mall. Looking at the exterior, it appears to still have some of the original architectural features of the mall incorporated into the updated design (i.e. the arches on the department store building).

[plumber2]

Hey Plumber, thanks for the history. Do you know when the mall was built? Visually, from Bing Maps, you can still tell it resembles a small shopping mall. Looking at the exterior, it appears to still have some of the original architectural features of the mall incorporated into the updated design (i.e. the arches on the department store building).

I remember going to The Fair to pay for my girlfriend's prom dress and that was in 1971, so I'd guess the mall was built around 1969 or '70.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

Never heard of this mall, before my time It's the PCP building here right? I've been in this building a lot, and quite recent. It resembles nothing of a mall on the inside. They've sectioned it off with walls and doors for a variety of clinics. Now that you mention it, it does look of an old mall, go figure

Edited December 2, 2009 by J.A.S.O.N.

[Nick ניק]

Never heard of this mall, before my time It's the PCP building here right? I've been in this building a lot, and quite recent. It resembles nothing of a mall on the inside. They've sectioned it off with walls and doors for a variety of clinics. Now that you mention it, it does look of an old mall, go figure

With the relocation of most of the clinical operations formerly housed in the PCP building (Port Holiday Mall) to various sites in League City, I heard that only the second floor of the building will be used now...The first floor will remain mostly vacant and used for storage. Another sad end to a Galveston building.

I remember shopping at The Fair as a kid...slow slow cashiers stand out in my mind the most. Wasn't there also a Craig's in the Port Holiday Mall?

[J.A.S.O.N.]

With the relocation of most of the clinical operations formerly housed in the PCP building (Port Holiday Mall) to various sites in League City, I heard that only the second floor of the building will be used now...The first floor will remain mostly vacant and used for storage. Another sad end to a Galveston building.

I remember shopping at The Fair as a kid...slow slow cashiers stand out in my mind the most. Wasn't there also a Craig's in the Port Holiday Mall?

Thanks for the info! Your username is in Hebrew right? I've seen your photos on flickr for years now, you take some great shots. Welcome to the forum

Edited December 2, 2009 by J.A.S.O.N.

[strickn]

Unprintable,

I've liked your thoughtful photo project concepts likewise.

[Jay67]

TG&Y (retail) , The Blue Lagoon Game-room , The Picnic Basket (eats) , Walgreens & The Port (bar ) we’re some of the last to hang on there At the Port Holliday Mall in the early-mid 80’s .  Later I worked at UTMB & they rented  the old El Chico’s next to Walgreens for extra storage in the early 90’s .

[k5jri radio]

Remember the Port Holiday Mall quite well. Shopped there several times during vacation trips to Galveston. It was about a mile inland (easy driving distance) from Stewart Beach Park. On one vacation trip, my then girlfriend had a wardrobe malfunction and needed a replacement swimsuit. One of the mall's stores (don't remember the name of the store) had a good selection of women's swimsuits. Overall, the men's and women's clothing prices at this and other stores were comparable to what we were accustomed to paying for similar clothing items back home in Shreveport LA.

According to online sources, [1] the Port Holiday Mall operated as a retail mall from 1969 to 1993; [2] in 1996, the former retail mall became the UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch) Primary Care Pavilion. [3] Due to population shifts within Galveston County from Galveston TX to League City TX, some of the medical offices moved out of the former mall to other locations in the League City area.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by k5jri radio
more complete information

[k5jri radio]

In addition to the Port Holiday Mall in Galveston TX, I know of two other examples of enclosed shopping malls that were repurposed successfully rather than becoming derelict and eventually torn down: [1] Grand Boulevard Mall, a small (289,000 square foot) upscale mall in Jacksonville FL was purchased by Florida State College at Jacksonville and developed into classroom and other campus facilities. I attended classes there as part of the Florida public school teacher certification requirements; [2] South Park Mall, a large general purpose mall in Shreveport LA, was purchased by Summer Grove Baptist Church in 2003 and developed into a comprehensive church facility. Originally built to serve a fast growing residential area near a large Western Electric factory (5,000 employees), the mall foundered when the factory closed down in 2000 and many former employees and their families moved away. To make matters worse for the remaining retail merchants, General Motors closed down an assembly plant (3,000 employees) in the same area circa 2012.

Edited December 15, 2022 by k5jri radio
added information

[k5jri radio]

As an aside, actress Valerie Bertinelli (Barbara on One Day At A Time sitcom, 1975-1984) met her future husband, rock musician Eddie Van Halen, while visiting her family in Shreveport, Louisiana. At the time, Bertinelli's father was an executive at the aforementioned General Motors assembly plant in Shreveport. Bertinelli and Van Halen were married from 1981 to 2007 and had one son, Wolfgang Van Halen.

[k5jri radio]

As previously stated, the South Park Mall in Shreveport, LA benefited from its proximity to the Western Electric and General Motors manufacturing facilities. When these facilities closed, most of their former employees had to move elsewhere to find employment.

[k5jri radio]

As other HAIF members have stated, The Port Holiday Mall was next to a Holiday Inn Motel. Both were about a mile inland from Stewart Beach. During my visits to this Holiday Inn Motel location, the motel was reasonably priced, clean, quiet, and well-maintained.