JANAF Shopping Center
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JANAF Shopping Center in Norfolk, Virginia was one of the first large shopping centers in the United States.
The Hampton Roads area experienced tremendous growth during and after World War II. In the 1950s, a trend in retail was the shopping center, a group of stores along a common sidewalk adjacent to off-street parking, usually in a suburban location.
JANAF was built at the northeast corner of Military Highway and Virginia Beach Boulevard on property which had formally been used as an airfield. The new shopping center which opened in 1959 featured acres of free parking and dozens of stores. Backed by retired military personnel, the name JANAF was an acronym for Joint Army Navy Air Force.
Although somewhat eclipsed by malls beginning in the late 1960s, as of 2006, JANAF is still a very active retail center which will soon celebrate its 50th birthday.
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