▁opened ▁on ▁October ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁until ▁ ▁New market ▁North ▁Mall ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁with ▁S ears , ▁Leg get t , ▁and ▁Miller ▁& ▁R ho ads ▁which ▁had ▁moved ▁from ▁its ▁original ▁location ▁across ▁the ▁street ▁at ▁the ▁original ▁New market ▁Sho pping ▁Center . ▁ ▁The ▁Col ise um ▁Mall ▁was ▁expanded ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁adding ▁Nor folk - based ▁Smith ▁& ▁Wel ton ▁and ▁Richmond - based ▁Th al him ers . ▁The ▁Smith ▁& ▁Wel ton ▁location ▁was ▁later ▁a ▁Children ' s ▁Palace ▁to y ▁store . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁E . ▁J . ▁Kor v ette ▁declared ▁bank rupt cy ▁and ▁closed ▁all ▁its ▁locations . ▁The ▁Col ise um ▁location ▁was ▁left ▁vac ant ▁until ▁major ▁ten ant ▁Mont gom ery ▁Ward ▁acquired ▁the ▁space . ▁Ward ▁had ▁moved ▁from ▁the ▁adjacent ▁Mercur y ▁Pla za ▁Mall ▁which ▁was ▁converted ▁into ▁an ▁open - air ▁sho pping ▁center . ▁The ▁company ' s ▁Auto ▁Center ▁remained ▁at ▁Mercur y . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Crown ▁American ▁and ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁New port ▁News ▁built ▁and ▁developed ▁the ▁compet itive ▁Patrick ▁Henry ▁Mall , ▁and ▁later ▁surrounding ▁" big - box " ▁sho pping ▁cent ers ▁spr out ed ▁around ▁the ▁m all ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁Since ▁then ▁the ▁city ' s ▁O yst er ▁Point