Village on Park Street
Village on Park Street (formerly Villager Mall) is a multi-building community plaza located in Madison, Wisconsin. Originally built in the 1960s, the plaza has evolved from a shopping center to a community plaza.[1][2][3]
History[edit]
The shopping center opened in the 1960s as Park Plaza. The building later connected to an existing bowling alley. It was later renamed Villager Shopping Center or Villager Mall. Businesses included Rennebohm Drugs, Ben Franklin, and Gorman's clothing.
In 1987 the shopping center was renovated. These renovations included converting the center of the mall to an enclosed mall space.
The shopping center was dying in the 1990s.
In 1995, the former bowling alley was renovated into South Madison Health and Family Center - Harambee. This was a community center that housed a daycare, Planned Parenthood, a health clinic for low-income families, and a branch of the Madison Public Library.[4]
Beginning in 2008, the mall underwent extensive renovation. The focus shifted from primarily retail to human services with a smaller retail component. The interior mall atrium area was renovated into offices. A chunk on the south end was demolished to make way for a new parking lot, forcing a move by Yue Wah Oriental Foods, a store at the far end of the mall.
In 2010, the center was renamed The Village on Park Street.
In 2013, a longtime bakery closer to downtown moved into the Village on Park, but closed in 2023 after 69 years in business.[5]
Tenants[edit]
- Urban League of Greater Madison
- Madison Public Library - Goodman South Branch
- Planned Parenthood
- Urban Triage
- Uncle Joe's Shoes and Sportswear
- UW - South Madison Partnership
Former tenants[edit]
- Lane's Bakery and Coffee
- Yue Wah Oriental Foods
- Cricket
- Mister Money
- South Madison Health and Family Center - Harambee
- Reach Dane
- Walgreen's
- Rennebohm Drugs
- Ben Franklin
References[edit]
- ^ "Welcome to The Village on Park's Tenant Portal". thevillageonpark.info.
- ^ Dean Mosiman. "Madison to invest $5 more at Village on Park mall". madison.com.
- ^ "The Capital Times 23 Aug 1966, page 13". The Capital Times. 23 August 1966. p. 13.
- ^ "Grass Roots: Does new Villager mean an end to 'harambee' in South Madison?". captimes.com. 2010-10-30. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ "Beloved Lane's Bakery in Madison will close for good on Christmas Eve". madison.com. 2023-12-24. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
