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30 years and counting: Hamilton Place mall’s opening in 1987 marked East Brainerd area’s rapid growth

Both upper and lower levels are crowded with shoppers on a recent Black Friday inside Hamilton Place mall.
Both upper and lower levels are crowded with shoppers on a recent Black Friday inside Hamilton Place mall. Both upper and lower levels are crowded with shoppers on a recent Black Friday inside Hamilton Place mall.

By Mike Pare 3 min read

Some 30 years ago, Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc. had developed about 15 malls since its creation in the late 1970s.

But, recalls former CBL executive James L. “Bucky” Wolford, none of those had been located in the shopping center developer’s hometown.

“That makes a big difference. You don’t want to make mistakes,” says Wolford, talking about the construction of Hamilton Place mall, which became the company’s flagship center when it opened in August 1987.

“It turned out very well,” he says. “It’s been a fantastic project.”

photo Former CBL & Associates Properties Inc. executive James L. “Bucky” Wolford
photo CBL & Associates Properties Inc. Chairman Charles Lebovitz
photo The Hamilton Place mall sign facing Interstate 75 announces the H&M store’s arrival later this year.

Wolford, 70, a former partner in CBL, had worked with then-CBL Chief Executive Charles Lebovitz and other company officials to help raise the 1.2 million-square-foot mall that today draws about 2 million people annually, when including nearby stores.