61 YEARS AGO TODAY…

The Grand Opening of Lake Air Mall!

In 1959, it was announced that a shopping mall would be built on Bosque Boulevard. The Lake Air Mall was developed by Arthur Temple, Charles Sligh, and George Nokes. Goldstein-Migel, was the first store to open in the new mall on Monday, October 31, 1960. The Grand Opening of the Lake Air Mall was Thursday, March 16, 1961. The Lake Air Mall was an innovative and amazing place, and will always hold a special place in the hearts of those who knew it. It closed in January, 2002.

These postcards are from our collection.

STORES OF LAKE AIR MALL

According to the 1961 Waco City Directory, all spaces except for Goldstein Migel were vacant. This reflects January-February, 1961. By March 1961, much of the spaces at the mall were filled.

The First Phase of the Opening of The Lake Air Mall was the opening of Goldstein-Migel’s on October 31, 1960.

The Grand Opening of the Second Phase was March 16, 1961. The stores that were on the mall by then were:

5201 Pioneer Savings Association

5201 Lake Air Mall

-232 Lake Air Barber Shop

-234 Sherwin-Williams Paint Co.

-236 Bettis Art Center

-237 Holt’s Sporting Goods

-240 Walgreen’s Grill & Restaurant

-241 Walgreen’s Drug Store

-247 Butler’s Shoe Store

-249 Cardinal Co. Apartment Managers

Lake Air Inc.

Lake Air Development Co.

Lake Air Merchants Assn.

George Nokes, Lawyer

Town Hall Meeting Place

Waco Property

-250 Texas State Optical

-251 Lewis Shoe Store

-252 South’s Gift Shop

-253 TG&Y Variety Store

-254 Book Nook

-258 Morris Jewelers

-259 National Shirt Shops

-261 Grayson’s RTW Women’s Clothes

-264 Andes Candies

-275 Goldstein-Migel

By the end of 1961, The Third Phase had occurred, and included the addition of Safeway, Montgomery Ward, Piccadilly Cafeteria, Casual Corner, and Bauer McCann.

By the time the 1963 Waco City Directory was published, Lake Air Records, Farmers Insurance Group, Junior House Children’s Clothes, and Singer Sewing Machine Co. had been added. At some point, the office area of the Lake Air Mall was added, but we are not sure of when that happened.

The layout of the stores in the 1963 Waco City Directory is:

5201 Pioneer Savings Association

5201 Lake Air Mall

-211 Safeway Store No. 259

-215 Montgomery Ward

-230 Lake Air Records

-231 Piccadilly Cafeteria

-232 Lake Air Barber Shop

-234 Sherwin-Williams Paint Co.

-236 Bettis Art Center

-237 Holt’s Sporting Goods

-238 Farmers Insurance Group

-240 Walgreen’s Grill & Restaurant

-241 Walgreen’s Drug Store

-247 Butler’s Shoe Store

-249 Cardinal Co. Apartment Managers

Lake Air Inc.

Lake Air Development Co.

Lake Air Merchants Assn.

George Nokes, Lawyer

Town Hall Meeting Place

Waco Property

-249A WACO Radio Station

-250 Texas State Optical

-251 Lewis Shoe Store

-252 South’s Gift Shop

-253 TG&Y Variety Store

-254 Book Nook

-258 Morris Jewelers

-259 National Shirt Shops

-260 Junior House Children’s Clothes

-261 Grayson’s RTW Women’s Clothes

-263 Singer Sewing Machine Co.

-264 Andes Candies

-267 Casual Corner

-271 Bauer McCann Co.

-275 Goldstein-Migel

2021 George Randall Scott