Military Circle Mall opened in 1970, developed by Harvey Lindsay Jr. Original tenants included J.B. Hunter, JCPenney, Smith & Welton, and Leggett, a Sheraton hotel, and a 6-screen AMC Theatres multiplex. Thalhimer's became Hecht's in 1992, and Macy's in 2006. Smith & Welton closed in 1990. Renovations in 1996 included the addition of skylights in the concourses, new entrances and a 600-seat food court. AMC Theaters, located in the middle of the mall, closed in the mid-90s; a Cinemark multiplex opened a few years later in a different section of the mall. In 1998, Belk vacated the former Leggett building. A year later, then-owner Urban Retail began a renovation of the center, which included the addition of a Sears in the former Smith & Welton space, returning Sears to Norfolk after its previous store in the city closed in 1993. In 2000, an 18-screen Cinemark movie theater also opened on the site of the former Leggett/Belk. Thor Equities bought the mall in 2002 and renamed it The Gallery at Military Circle while continuing mall-wide renovation. Ross Dress for Less opened in 2004, taking space previously occupied by a McCrorydime store. A DoubleTree hotel, which had taken the former space of the Sheraton, closed about 2009 and has not reopened. KB Toys filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2009, followed soon by the closing of Suncoast, and Waldenbooks stores. Sears closed its Military Circle store in March 2012 as part of a nationwide series of closings. The JCPenney store at Military Circle was named as one of 33 stores JCPenney announced on January 15, 2014 would close later in the year. The Norfolk Economic Development Authority then bought the vacated anchor that December so the city would have a strategic say in the future of the mall property. The Macy's store closed in early 2016. On April 16, 2015; it was announced that the entire Gallery at Military Circle property was placed under foreclosure. On July 15, 2015, the entire mall property was put up for public auction in the Norfolk court. However, the mall did not change hands. On January 7, 2016; Macy's announced they were closing the Gallery at Military Circle location and many other locations as part of a massive restructuring; one of three in the Hampton Roads region and one of 40 overall closed in early 2016. Torchlight has hired The Woodmont Company to manage the mall with the intention of rehabilitating it and keeping it active. The mall at this time remains operational albeit with only the Cinemark theater as an active anchor.
Current tenants
In 2014, the City of Norfolk purchased the J.C. Penney building for $2.5 million. As of 2018, Optima Health and Movement Mortgage lease space in that building.
