You can tell a longtime Corpus Christi local by what they call places in town. Top of the list: they tell you they shop at Padre Staples Mall. Although the shopping center has been called La Palmera for over a decade, even I find myself slipping up and reverting to its original name.

The grand opening

When the building permit was issued in October 1968 to owners Ennis S. Joslin and Roy Smith, it was the largest permit ever issued by the city. Designed by Joseph Hans, the $7-million, 622,760 square-foot building was built on 44 acres of former farmland and covered nearly 3-1/2 city blocks under the roof. The W.M. Bevly family became part owners two years later.

Before the owners selected Padre Staples Mall, it was originally to be named Lexington Plaza Mall when they announced plans in early 1965. The name changed once Lexington Boulevard received its new name -- Padre Island Drive -- in 1966.

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Ads for the grand opening touted the mall's cool, comfortable, 72-degree constant temperature. However, this was not the first indoor, air-conditioned shopping mall in Corpus Christi. Cullen Mall beat them by six years when it opened in 1964.

The grand opening and ribbon cutting took place July 30, 1970. The Caller-Times had a 48-page special advertising section. Country singer Barbara Clawson performed. Trained seals with Wilson Seal Island Show performed in the mall center court. Hickory Farms had 600-pound wheel of cheese on display, and shoppers could buy portions of the big cheese by the pound.

Tenants through the years

The main anchors when the mall opened are familiar names: Dillard's and JCPenney's (called Penney's at the time). Other tenants those first years included Beall's, Bill's Shoe Box Chess King, Docktor Pet Center, Luby's Cafeteria, Mireur's Luggage and Leather Goods, N'Orleans Po-Boy, Orange Julius, Saybrook Fabrics, Texas State Optical, The Sportsman Centers of Texas and Woolworth.

Another business there for the grand opening? Chick-fil-A. According to the July 29, 1970 Caller-Times, the Chick-fil-A location in Padre Staples Mall was the eighth location for the chain, and also the very first Chick-fil-A location to open in Texas.

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Other fondly remembered tenants include House of Jeans, Gadzooks, Journeys, Tilt arcade, Sanrio Surprises, Smith's Guns, Salem's Jewelry, Trader Rick's, Thom McAn, and Waldenbooks.

The carousel

You can't talk about Padre Staples Mall without talking about the carousel. Installed in 1988, the double decker Carousel Carnavale was a hit with kids and adults. A 2007 planned renovation of the mall included the carousel but once the mall was sold to a new company by the end of the year, its days were numbered. The carousel was deemed too large and too heavy to incorporate into the new owner's renovation plan.

The last riders mounted their steeds, whirled in the spinners or rocked in the gondolas on Jan. 31, 2009 before it was dismantled the following week. Read more about the carousel in this Throwback.

Sell, remodel and rename

In 1985 the mall expanded. A two-story section of the mall was added which included a new anchor location for Dillard's and a new food court. A six-screen United Artists movie theater and Palais Royal moved into Dillard's old space. Foley's became an anchor with its new 3-story addition and a multi-level parking garage was added to the McArdle Road side of the mall.

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In March 2007 renovations to the mall began, which had not been updated since the 1980s. Trademark Properties out of Dallas announced their purchase contract for the mall from the local owners in December 2007. The sale was finalized in July 2008 and the name changed to La Palmera.

The local owners said while they loved the mall and it held wonderful memories, they had taken it as far as they could, noting that Trademark's resources would be able to take it further. And they did. In June 2010 the mall celebrated the completion of about $50 million in renovations and upgrades that included a new outdoor plaza entrance with new restaurant pads, a 600-seat food court and palm court dining patio, 4,500-gallon aquarium, an ocean-themed children's play area and a revamped center court (minus the carousel).

The mall continues to upgrade and add new tenants under Trademark, but locals still hold fond memories of the original mall.

Allison Ehrlich is the archive coordinator for the Caller-Times. Contact her at allison.ehrlich@caller.com and follow her on Twitter @CallerArchives.