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30-481: The mall was built in 1961 by Del E. Webb Construction Company , with Welton Becket and associates as architect. It occupied 110 acres (45 ha) of land and cost over $ 20 million to build. At the time, it was the largest development in La Mesa's history. Montgomery Ward and Marston's were the original two anchor stores . Marston's had a location in downtown San Diego , and had begun consultations in 1956 to choose

60-440: A food court were added. The former Buffum's became Oshman's SuperSports USA (later bought out by Sports Authority ) in 1991, while Target opened in the vacated Bullock's store in 1995. See's Candies is an original store at Grossmont Center which stands in the same place and is still doing business. In 1992, the mall's movie theater complex closed, but it was reopened and expanded on May 26, 1995. Barnes & Noble Booksellers

90-535: A number of construction projects commissioned by the United States government , including the construction of a rocket engine test stand at Edwards Air Force Base . The company also built military housing on Offutt Air Force Base , Whiteman Air Force Base and Vandenberg Air Force Base . The company's founder, Webb was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as recognition for these projects. In 1987,

120-434: A publicly traded real estate investment trust, purchased a majority interest in the center, which had been owned and operated for decades by one family. Reportedly 99 percent of the retail space was occupied at the time of the sale. Federal Realty is considering options for major redevelopment in 2025, when they will have full control of the space. Del E. Webb Construction Company The Del E. Webb Construction Company

150-531: A small contractor who was building a grocery store. The contractor eventually left town without paying Webb or completing the grocery store, so Webb took over the business to complete the job. This became the foundation of his namesake construction company. Among his earliest commissions were grocery store buildings for the Basha family . Webb soon became known as a grocery store builder. However, Webb sought to expand his firm and eagerly sought out public sector jobs during

180-721: Is an American residential home-construction company based in Atlanta, Georgia , United States. As of 2023, the company is the third-largest home-construction company in the United States based on the number of homes closed. In total, the company has built over 775,000 homes. The company operates in 44 markets in 23 states. In 2021, it ranked 284th on the Fortune 500 . The company was founded by Bill Pulte in Michigan, and moved its headquarters to Atlanta in 2014. Since 2016, Ryan Marshall has been

210-950: The Rosenzweig Center all in Phoenix, Campbell Plaza and Wilmont Medical Center in Tucson, Executive and Commerce Plazas in Oak Brook and the Stardust Country Club (renamed Sahara-Nevada Country Club) in Las Vegas. The Webb Corp. also served as leasing agent to many large companies including Prudential Insurance , Travelers Insurance, Arizona-Colorado Land & Cattle Company, Valley National Bank , Feau Realty & Development and Hartford Insurance Company . The company's interest in commercial properties continued until 1987 at which time these properties were sold. PulteGroup PulteGroup, Inc.

240-461: The 1950s Webb began building shopping centers which were also owned or jointly owned by Webb through several wholly owned subsidiaries. The Del E. Webb Building Management Co. was created in 1968 as a subsidiary. It then became the Del E. Webb Realty & Management Co. in 1970. Major properties that fall under this umbrella Include Uptown Plaza Shopping Center, Camelback Village Square, Christown Mall and

270-412: The 1960s Webb would develop a chain of high-end, multi-story hotels called Towne House. During this time, the corporation was also deeply involved in the development of Oak Brook, Illinois , Clear Lake City, Texas and Alamaden, California . In the late 1960s, the corporation entered a joint venture building infrastructure for several South American countries, which was the firm's first engagement outside

300-399: The 1970s and early 1980s, the corporation continued to construct many large and small scale projects including housing, schools, hospitals, hotels, high rises, convention centers, athletic venues, and airports. The company would also continue to keep close ties to Las Vegas and its gaming industry, working on a major expansion of Caesars Palace in the mid-1970s. The company was involved in

330-718: The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, as well as Gold Star families in 18 U.S. states. In 2016, the company acquired some homebuilding assets of John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, a premier builder of luxury homes. In April 2019, the company acquired the homebuilding operations of American West Homes for $ 150 million. in US$ In 2019, after an investigation by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody , Pulte agreed to pay $ 4.7 million in restitution and make repairs to houses it sold in Florida that had cracks in stucco applied to

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360-723: The Del E. Webb Construction Company went public on the New York Stock Exchange trading as WBB. The company also became known as the Del E. Webb Corporation at this time. In 1961, the Webb Corporation acquired the Sahara Nevada Corporation and its holdings of the Sahara and Mint hotels in Las Vegas. This made Webb the first publicly held corporation to be involved in Las Vegas gaming. Webb would go on to purchase, build, and expand several properties throughout Nevada. In

390-534: The Del E. Webb Development Company, responsible for the design and construction of housing tracts and shopping centers. In 1953 the development company would begin construction on San Manuel, Arizona a mining town built out of nothing. In 1955 the Webb corporation began constructing hotels for the Flamingo Corporation , which Webb was part owner. The following year Webb constructed the first Hiway House Hotel , which

420-588: The Great Depression of the 1930s. In 1937 the firm opened a small branch office in Los Angeles to oversee construction of a high school there. With the onset of World War II the firm constructed several airfields throughout Arizona, as well as an internment camp for Americans with Japanese lineage at Poston ( Poston War Relocation Center ). In 1943, Webb made trusted employee L. C. Jacobson a 25 percent partner. Jacobson eventually became vice president. In 1946 Webb

450-484: The United States. Also at this time, the corporation formed an additional subsidiary, the Del E. Webb Building Management Company, which was responsible for building management and would eventually become the Del E. Webb Realty and Management Company when the subsidiary expanded to include holding leases on public buildings. In 1971, the corporation acquired Merlin Hotels, which had many properties throughout East Asia. Throughout

480-451: The company acquired Sivage-Thomas Homes. In 2009, the company acquired Centex for $ 1.3 billion in stock. In August 2014, the company acquired the real-estate assets of Dominion Homes for $ 82 million. The company changed its name from Pulte Homes, Inc. to PulteGroup, Inc. in March 2010. In 2013, PulteGroup launched Built to Honor program, which provides homes to veterans with disabilities from

510-587: The company tried to reward him by nicknaming a star after him in 1993. In 2001 the corporation was purchased by Pulte Homes . The Del Webb name is used by Pulte as a brand name for its age-restricted communities. Works built by the Del E. Webb Construction Company, (1928-1960) later the Del E. Webb Corporation (1960-2001) are listed in the table. Several works by the firm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Properties owned, managed and/or operated by Del E. Webb Corporation. In

540-400: The construction of Youngtown, Arizona , Del E. Webb began planning the construction of a retirement community for senior citizens in 1959. The development was planned as an age-restricted community of modern ranch-style houses , with facilities such as a shopping center , golf course , motel , and swimming pool . On January 1, 1960, the development company unveiled Sun City, Arizona as

570-548: The decision was made to divest the gaming, hotel, and realty management sections of the corporation, all of the Webb-owned properties were sold off, and the corporation was reorganized to focus solely on the concept of master-planned communities for senior citizens . New communities opened in Arizona, Nevada, California, and Texas. During the 1990s, Marco Rubio began holding speaking engagements at these retirement communities, for which

600-579: The first community designed for senior citizens. More than 100,000 senior citizens were present at the community's unveiling, which marked the first planned retirement community in the United States. Sun City was a success, with the company selling 237 homes within its first three days of opening. It was followed by Sun City, California , the Kern City , Sun City Center, Florida , and similar developments in Nevada , Illinois , and Massachusetts . In December 1960,

630-425: The following decades. Along with construction, the corporation was also involved in real estate and owned several hotels and casinos which were built and/or expanded by the company. The company was purchased in 2001 by Pulte Homes. Pulte Homes since merged with Centex Corp. and became PulteGroup . Del Webb continues as a brand of PulteGroup. After moving from Fresno to Phoenix in 1928, Del Webb began working for

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660-524: The mall's opening ceremonies on October 5, 1961 – 20,000 more than the population of La Mesa at the time. Present at opening ceremonies were the regional manager of the Montgomery Ward chain; June Wilkinson , a Playboy model; and several representatives of the Marston's chain. Marston's had been sold to Broadway-Hale Stores earlier in 1961, prior to the anchor store's opening, but the Marston's name

690-620: The president and CEO of the company. In 1950, at the age of 18 years, Bill Pulte , began building and selling houses. In 1956, he formed the company, Pulte Homes, Inc which was based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan . In 1972, the company became a public company via an initial public offering . In 1998, the company acquired Divosta for an estimated $ 150 million, and it also acquired Radnor Homes for an undisclosed amount. In 2001, Pulte Homes, Inc acquired Del E. Webb Construction Company , founded by Del Webb , for $ 1.8 billion. In 2003,

720-514: The site of the Grossmont Center store, their first branch location. The store design featured 3,200 feet (980 m) of moldings, gold leaf lettering, murals painted by five artists, and a Gothic -style canopy over its entry. Other major tenants included Longs Drugs , a barbershop, several shoe stores, a florist, a fabric shop, a jeweler, and two dime stores: S. H. Kress & Co. and F. W. Woolworth Company . Fifty thousand people attended

750-455: Was a company owned jointly by Webb and Flamingo. On March 1, 1958, Webb sold his share of the Flamingo hotels and Flamingo sold its share of Hiway House. Thus Webb became full owner of Hiway House, the hotel chain would be sold off in the early 1960s. As well as housing, during the 1950s, the construction company would build hospitals, hotels, and other large and small scale projects. Inspired by

780-510: Was a construction company that was founded in 1928 and developed by Del Webb . Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona , United States, it became the Del E. Webb Corporation a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 1960. The same year, the corporation unveiled Sun City , outside Phoenix, as the first community designed for senior citizens. Many more Sun Cities were built by the corporation in

810-403: Was also added on November 24, 1997, replacing Woolworth which closed in 1993. In between the reopening of the movie theater and the opening of Barnes & Noble, The Broadway chain was bought out by, and changed into a Macy's in 1996. Montgomery Ward closed in 2000 and was replaced by Walmart four years later in 2004. In 2016 Sports Authority closed after the chain filed for bankruptcy. The store

840-526: Was contracted by mobster Bugsy Siegel to build the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. From 1947 to 1948 Webb built distribution centers and warehouses throughout the United States for the Kraft Foods Company . In the early 1950s Webb would be contracted to build facilities for Howard Hughes . The Webb firm would go on to build several plants for Hughes. In 1952 the company founded its first subsidiary,

870-624: Was re-tenanted in September 2016 by a Restoration Hardware outlet. On August 2nd, 1993, a Chuck E. Cheese pizza restaurant opened at Grossmont Center, as a relocation of a Pizza Time Theatre that was located in El Cajon. The Chuck E. Cheese plans to close between 2024 and 2025, when their lease expires. A new updated location 15 minutes from the Grossmont Center CEC in the nearby city of Santee opened on September 18, 2023. In 2021 Federal Realty,

900-437: Was retained until 1964, when the store was renamed The Broadway . By 1965, a 1,000 seat movie theater had been added to the mall. Buffum's was added in 1979 as a third anchor store in a newly constructed wing, and Bullock's joined in 1983 as a fourth anchor. Also at this point, a parking deck was added to the mall. Buffum's closed in 1990, with Bullock's and Woolworth following in 1993, although Cost Plus World Market and

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