Sears Gazetteer – Arizona

Sears Park & Park Mall

Sears Park is located in Toucson, Arizona, and was next to a standalone Sears store which opened in 1965. Developer Joseph K. Kivel spent years in litigation trying to get zoning approval for his mall, and ended up exchanging 9 acres to use as a city park “buffer zone” as part of the deal. This is also the location of the Sears Substation, an electric substation built before the mall. In 1975 this became Park Mall, in 1998 Park Place. Sears closed its doors in 2018. Perhaps Bill Sears of the Tucson Citizen took this photo?

Tucson Citizen, Park Place
Here’s a southwest-facing view of the Sears at Park Mall when it first opened on September 1, 1965.Here’s a southwest-facing view of the Sears at Park Mall when it first opened on September 1, 1965. 01 Sep 1965, Wed Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Arizona) Newspapers.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Place_(Tucson,_Arizona)
https://tucson.com/news/local/history/photos-tucson-shopping-in-years-past/collection_327aa4f2-9945-11e5-8b84-3fe53785b125.html#21

Bill Sears – Photos: Bachelors’ and Career Girls’ 1960s Homes
https://tucson.com/news/retrotucson/photos-bachelors-and-career-girls-1960s-homes/collection_82e3a142-1393-11e5-b487-3bedc0215a9d.html

Bill Sears – 1957 Tucson home photos: Country living
https://tucson.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/1957-tucson-home-photos-country-living/collection_125bf5e0-9c08-11e8-9881-bf03e8ac51db.html#1

The 1965 Sears Spring Summer Catalog
https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalog/1965-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog

1983 series: The mall maker of Tucson
https://thisistucson.com/morguetales/1983-series-the-mall-maker-of-tucson/collection_09e3dabc-e10f-11e3-9ff8-001a4bcf887a.html

Kivel gave ground to open Park Mall, Arizona Daily Star, May 21, 2014
https://saddlebagnotes.com/kivel-gave-ground-to-open-park-mall/article_0ddad2c4-e114-11e3-a0cf-001a4bcf887a.html

Kivel owes his success to lots of lots, Arizona Daily Star, May 21, 2014
https://thisistucson.com/kivel-owes-his-success-to-lots-of-lots/article_c55f7a30-e114-11e3-a0b5-001a4bcf887a.html

Leave a Reply