Pictures of Cottonwood Mall in Holladay (rent, tenants, theater)

[Shmoopy79]

OMg- I can't begin to tell you how much your photos mean to me. OMG- It's a little lame how emotional I got looking at them... I drove by the "hole" today & my heart litterally ached. : ( Thank you SO MCUH for sharing them. I have NO pictures of my "home away from home" and that saddens me. I'm going to send the link to my mom- she was a Cottonwood mall lover too! THANKS AGAIN!!!

[Miss Renegade]

Yes, thank you so very much for sharing the photos. I showed my grandma who is in her 80's and she really got emotional. Does anyone remember a store that sold glass objects? Boccilinis?

[Durraine]

OMG...
You two wonderful people, have made my day!!!!!!!!!
I have searched for pictures of the COTTONWOOD MALL for a long time, with no luck.
I lived across the street from the Mall all of my childhood...We lived in our home from 1956 to 1997 when my Mom passed away...(LOVE & MISS YOU MOM!!!)
It is soooooooooooooooo sad to see them tear this MALL down, as it was a LANDMARK in Utah!!!
The Memories I have are great!
I saved all of the pictures that you both have posted.
I would love some of the Outside of the MALL.
THANK YOU BOTH SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for posting all of these Precious Pictures!!!
Durraine

[markg91359]

I'm a little surprised by both the pictures and how emotional the reaction here has been to them. Even living up in Davis County, the mall meant much to me as well. As I viewed these pictures memories came tumbling back.

As I remember, the Cottonwood Mall was THE first mall that any of us in Utah ever saw. I believe it was built in the 60's and I remember hearing about it as a child, long before I actually got to go down and see it. I remember listening on KSL radio to commercials about the mall.

Here are just a few memories I'll share that I've had over the years:

1. Does anyone remember "Bud's Duds"? The owner of the business went back to school when he was in his fifties and I met him at the University of Utah.

2. Going to movies at an adjacent theater with my friends at the University.

3. Eating at the American Grill inside the mall with friends and business acquaintances.

4. Picking out wool clothing at the Pendleton Wool store.

5. Meeting my sister who lived in Murray for Christmas shopping at the mall.

6. Signing up new clients over lunch at the mall.

There are certain places that used to exist and no longer do that I associate with the Utah of my childhood. The old Hotel Utah is one. Does anyone remember the Cross Roads Cafe? Another one would be the old Hansen Planetarium which has now moved and is now the Clark Planetarium out at Gateway. Was anyone here when Trolley Square opened for the first time?

Special places and a special times. We never imagined someday they would be gone. We can't go back. We can remember.

[b6bomber]

I don't have anything useful to contribute to this awesome thread but I would also like to thank you guys for the pictures. I am not from Utah, but Cottonwood Mall is a fond memory of mine too. From when I was about 4 - 13, my parents and I would come on skiing vacations to Salt Lake City and I know we've made quite a few trips to this lovely mall. I moved to Salt Lake about 7 years ago when the mall was already falling apart. I remember the little Greek place, my mother and I ate there often after Tennis practice. Its so sad to see how places with so much character disappear, along with them so many memories. Closing another chapter of the "good ol times".
Thanks again for the pictures

[ebreezy]

i went to cottonwood mall one time back in 1988 my last year of high school...to spend christmas with my grandma it was nice shopping area from what i remember...even tho im not from utah

[talkinturtles]

Actually the stores didn't want to pull out. I talked to some of the owners and asked why they were leaving. The new owners of the peppery property wouldn't renew their leases even up to 5 years before it got torn down. So sad.

[talkinturtles]

I loved the old hansen planetarium. Si many field trips fin school there. It was so exciting when Trolley Square first opened. My mom took me to the new clog store and I got a pair!

[talkinturtles]

It really is emotional seeing the pictures. I wish someone had some from the 60s. Thank you so much for posting them. Funny how just a building can hold so many memories.

[Grandpamike801]

Wow. I just found this website, and only wish I had some pictures of the Cottonwood Mall. When I was a kid, about 12 years old, my aunt came to visit one night. She was a "shopper" and had more money than my parents. She came to tell my mom about the new shopping center she had just been too, over in Cottonwood.

It wasn't long before we went and I can't tell you how much time I spent there as a young man. It was the ONLY place to shop. Later my mom worked at JC Penney in the men's clothing. She was a seamstress but sold stuff too. She was there until the late 70's.

THen later in my life, I worked at ZCMI, in the shoe department, where the space was leased from the store, so we had 2 bosses; the shoe manager who was usually a jerk and then the store managers who always hated us. Anyway, I worked there until about 1994.

I was sad to see what's happened to it. I've just returned to Salt Lake City after 17 years in Las Vegas. I worked there and am semi-retired and have grandkids here who barely know me.

It never crossed my mind to take pictures of the mall but I have memories of oh-so-many stores there. We went to Dr Brockbank, the dentist, who was on the 2nd floor. Hot Shoppes and the big stairway there where I saw Bette Davis walk down when she was publicizing a book she'd written, just about the time "Bette Davis Eyes' was big on the radio. She died not long after.

Deseret Book. Pehrsons Hardware. Hammond Toys, etc. Gotta quit or I'll spend all day here remembering things.