29 March 2016

Hilldale, Madison, WI

An extant asset

I have only been lucky enough to pass through Madison on a few occasions; thrice by land and once by air. I always loved the central part of the city, how it was located on an isthmus. In fact, since then I’ve lived in two major cities located on the same geographical feature (Manila and Seattle.) On either side of this narrow strand of land, the city rambles out into common sprawl, with each end having its own massive shopping mall. But closer toward more urban density is a long time player, Hilldale.


Hilldale from the sky. (Source)

Hilldale first opened in 1962 and quickly became a prominent destination. Gimbel’s anchored the open air facility, which later became Marshall-Field’s, while the Macy’s nameplate adorns the façade today. Its first renovation happened in 1969 with the latest coming in 2004. It has remained more than relevant to this medium sized market, although various competitors have come and gone through the years.


Hilldale Mallmanac, ca. 2016. View the full PDF version here.

The latest renovation added two new anchors (Target and Metcalf’s Market), a multi-plex, 2 large car parks and living space. Although some say it is “overbuilt” and a traffic nightmare, its success seems like it’s far from waning.

Hilldale Official Website

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