Sheboygan's first modern shopping center was built on an old landfill in 1954 | Throwback Thursday
SHEBOYGAN - Northgate Shopping Center was hailed as Sheboygan's first modern shopping center when ground was broken in 1954 on the original 12-unit center.
Built by American Shopping Centers, Inc., Northgate at its peak had a National Food Store, W.T. Grant and Woolworth variety stores, a large Three Sisters women's apparel shop, Grube's Pharmacy, hardware, bakery, shoe store, laundry shop, along with a beauty and barbershop.
Quasius Bros. Construction would build the center, which was claimed to be a total of more than 28,000 square feet.
When the construction contract was awarded, they expanded the center to 18 stores from the original 12.
The center featured a blacktop 500-car parking lot.
In the 1950s through the 1960s, the shopping complex was popular with the public, but as the 1970s neared things weren't looking too good for the shops.
In 1971, several stores closed with pressure from other stores at Memorial Mall on the city's west side.
Locally owned R-B-A Inc., led by Robert Rindt, bought the center in 1972 from the corporate owners, making it the first time the center was under local ownership.
During the flood of 1998, the parking lot was flooded and Gosse's food stand was damaged.
In the early 2000s, plans were rolled out to redevelop the property. In 2002, the original buildings were torn down and construction started on building the current complex of buildings. A gas station was built with buildings orientated differently than with the old center.
There was some concern from the Department of Natural Resources about the land, which was formerly a household refuse landfill, but those issues were eventually resolved and the complex was built.
Today, Tietz's Piggly Wiggly anchors the current center.
To see the image larger, click here.
RELATED - Throwback Thursday: 1944 house explosion
RELATED - Throwback Thursday: Sheboygan harbor
RELATED - Throwback Thursday: David Taylor House
To see the latest subscription off to the Sheboygan Press, click here.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan's Northgate Shopping Center was built on a landfill in 1954
