Belmont Theatre

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Uploaded on: August 20, 2020

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Feb. 18, 1982 taken by an unidentified Journal photographer of the shopping center’s sign and movie theater marquee. Photo courtesy of MDJ Archives Description credit Marietta Daily Journal.

“A Nov. 24, 1987, Marietta Daily Journal article reported that ‘Belmont Hills, built in 1954, was one of the first outdoor shopping plazas or 'strip centers’ ever constructed' and at the time ‘still ranks among the largest in the Southeast, with over 467,000-square-feet of space.’ A June 24, 1953, Journal article said that the $5 million shopping center was ‘built by the Belmont Hills Corporation’ and would ‘attract customers from all over the county.’ It also had planned for 3,008 parking spaces. The center was to ‘provide a chain grocery store, a five and ten, hardware, utility company, bowling alley, laundry, laundrette, dry cleaners, auto parts, shoe store, dress shop and possibly a department store.’ The article said that ‘to keep the shopping center on a unified basis, the architect has drawn plans that call for similar fronts on all buildings’ and they would be ‘built of Georgia and pink marble.’ Most of the center would be ‘one-story structures, but the larger stores will have mezzanines and basements.”