Belk (Elizabeth City, North Carolina)

 store / shop, belk

Belk remains the sole original anchor, having undisputed domain over Southgate's eastern end since 1969. The Southgate location is notable as one of the first three mall-based prototypes Belk developed in the mid to late 1960s as the company prepared to transition from downtown and strip mall locations to enclosed malls.

Boasting preformed concrete arches, these prototypes were among the first mall-based Belk stores to have a distinctive architectural design, one that paved the way for countless facade variations among all future Belk stores. Alas, the other two prototypes located in Vernon Park Mall, Kinston, NC and Oglethorpe Mall, Savannah, GA, have since had their exteriors heavily modified beyond original resemblance.

The Elizabeth City store is the last prototype to retain its original arched architecture, albeit as of October 2012 having beige paint obscure the once-bare concrete arches. Another innovation was the circular arrangement of drywall-partitioned departments surrounding a central jewelry department, now standard among modern department stores, but unique for the 1960s where many stores retained open floor plans.

However, extensive renovations in 1988 and October 2013 have since radically altered the decor and layout, gradually removing outmoded features such as the garden center (mid 1990s), catalog/bill paying area (early 2000s), tailoring room (2013) and various specialized display alcoves (kitchenwares – early 2000s, juniors – early 2000s, fine china – 2013, etc.), all of which were converted into additional storage. Interestingly enough, all of these spaces returned to the sales floor during the store's $1.8 million 2013 renovation, eliminating most remaining alcoves and angular walls in favor of 90 degree corners and straight walls, especially along the store's perimeter.