KCRag Forum

From Photos I saw on a Facebook group today, they’ve pulled out the giant obstacle course thing that was never open, the European furniture center in the old Macy’s is permanently closed, city gear, a division of Hibbett sports, has gone out of business, and Dillards is cleaning out a large portion of the lower level, which implies that they are either downsizing the store, or maybe converting it into a clearance center.

Independence really needs to start thinking about how to rebuild the mall into something more mixed use. I honestly think it would be pretty easy to do considering its layout to add residential or something.

GRID wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 2:16 pm Independence really needs to start thinking about how to rebuild the mall into something more mixed use. I honestly think it would be pretty easy to do considering its layout to add residential or something.

I’m pretty surprised they haven’t pushed harder for redevelopment considering the mall is in the desirable Blue Springs school district, something Independence and Blue Springs could probably use more leverage than they are.

For whatever reason, housing developers have favored developing the less favorable Fort Osage district area of Independence instead of filling in the area around a 50 year old mall. It has been interesting watching the mall heavily downgrade in tenant quality from stores like Sephora, Coach, Coldwater Creek, and Abercrombie to locally owned stores and urban-centered chains when its immediate area in Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit is substantially more economically stable than much of the area around Oak Park Mall. Now one of the major urban targeted chains in City Gear has left the mall too. Design wise, it’s a far better looking mall than the dark and cramped Oak Park, Metro North, or Bannister, who I believe all shared an architect.

Looking at Indy, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, we SHOULD be able to support 2-3 traditional malls and 1-2 smaller lifestyle center developments and maybe an outlet mall. Even St. Louis has four healthy malls plus an outlet mall that quickly killed the fifth.

I don't get how KC lost all of its malls. I mean, it would be really weird to lose Independence Center too and then be just down to Oak Park. There are still quite a few malls around here (DC area). The malls that are left are very busy and popular.

I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

Just add Bealls and so on.

when do they convert the DIllard's into a clearance center like they do before they close them?

GRID wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:56 pm I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

St. Louis Mills (the one off 370) closed down a while ago. Only Cabelas is still open there. Chesterfield had two outlet malls open within months of each other (Taubman and Premium Outlets). Taubman died and has since been undergoing “redevelopment” and Premium Outlets has remained popular. That one even killed Chesterfield Mall (which will be demolished for Downtown Chesterfield).

Elsewhere, St. Louis has some malls in varying stages of vibrancy. West County Center remains the regional shopping destination. Plaza Frontenac is the rich person mall. The Galleria is still going strong, but beginning to slip in places. Mid-Rivers and St. Clair Square are doing decently well, but not like it used to be. South County Center is the next mall to close. Some parts of it have been walled off and lack of maintenance is becoming more apparent.

So St. Louis has 5 traditional malls + one outlet doing fine and another that’s on its way out. Lifestyle center wise, St. Louis doesn’t really have anything on the scale of Zona Rosa or Park Place (at least yet). There’s “The Boulevard” in Richmond Heights and the Streets of St. Charles, but those are tiny and offer little retail.

In KC, the malls are likely closing up because lifestyle centers have emerged and some suburban downtowns have been seeing an increase in retailers opening up.

Oak Park Mall doing good.

Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑Sun Oct 01, 2023 12:22 pm

GRID wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:56 pm I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

St. Louis Mills (the one off 370) closed down a while ago. Only Cabelas is still open there. Chesterfield had two outlet malls open within months of each other (Taubman and Premium Outlets). Taubman died and has since been undergoing “redevelopment” and Premium Outlets has remained popular. That one even killed Chesterfield Mall (which will be demolished for Downtown Chesterfield).

I actually like the Premium Outlets center. I wish there was something more similar than what the Legends is out in KCK or the Legends turn into that. More stores that people shop at, more bargains, etc. The Taubman redevelopment actually looks pretty cool with all the sport themed renovations to it. Might be a fun evening with Top Golf, bowling, the bars, etc.

I have not really understood the KC shopping landscape. I have lived here nearly 20 years and seen several malls bite the dust. Our metro seems to love the outdoor shopping districts apparently, they are all over the place.

SiouxCity KCMO Man wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 5:06 pm

Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑Sun Oct 01, 2023 12:22 pm

GRID wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:56 pm I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

St. Louis Mills (the one off 370) closed down a while ago. Only Cabelas is still open there. Chesterfield had two outlet malls open within months of each other (Taubman and Premium Outlets). Taubman died and has since been undergoing “redevelopment” and Premium Outlets has remained popular. That one even killed Chesterfield Mall (which will be demolished for Downtown Chesterfield).

I actually like the Premium Outlets center. I wish there was something more similar than what the Legends is out in KCK or the Legends turn into that. More stores that people shop at, more bargains, etc. The Taubman redevelopment actually looks pretty cool with all the sport themed renovations to it. Might be a fun evening with Top Golf, bowling, the bars, etc.

I have not really understood the KC shopping landscape. I have lived here nearly 20 years and seen several malls bite the dust. Our metro seems to love the outdoor shopping districts apparently, they are all over the place.

You would think that, but the legends, Zona Rosa, and Plaza have had a lot of turnover, that outdoor mall in Lee’s Summit never really took off, they couldn’t get enough tenants to sign on to a proposed lifestyle center where Metro North was to get it and the new Macy’s built, and Corbin Park failed to take off as an indoor or outdoor mall and became one of the funkiest half-failed developments in the country with 3 destination anchors.

The common thread for Summit Crossings and Zona Rosa is that they didn't build walkable residential (residential over commercial). I never understood why you wouldn't want built-in customers.

Under investigation: Shooting at Independence Center mall

Four people were transported to Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence after being injured in a shooting at the Independence Center mall Friday afternoon, according to police. One person was critically injured. One of the four wounded is also a suspect.

Independence Police officers responded to reports of gunshots at the shopping center around 2:20 p.m. Independence Center director of leasing Holly Solomon said police arrived "within minutes" of the shooting.
...

https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-11-10/in ... d-critical

GRID wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:56 pm I don't get how KC lost all of its malls. I mean, it would be really weird to lose Independence Center too and then be just down to Oak Park. There are still quite a few malls around here (DC area). The malls that are left are very busy and popular.

I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

It seems like a common trend its a bunch of unsupervised kids who occasionally shoot at eachother it makes others feel unsafe so they quit going there.

Metro wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 10:37 am

GRID wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:56 pm I don't get how KC lost all of its malls. I mean, it would be really weird to lose Independence Center too and then be just down to Oak Park. There are still quite a few malls around here (DC area). The malls that are left are very busy and popular.

I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

It seems like a common trend its a bunch of unsupervised kids who occasionally shoot at eachother it makes others feel unsafe so they quit going there.

was school out that day? were the suspects even under 18?

ericwyner wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 2:08 pm

Metro wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 10:37 am

GRID wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:56 pm I don't get how KC lost all of its malls. I mean, it would be really weird to lose Independence Center too and then be just down to Oak Park. There are still quite a few malls around here (DC area). The malls that are left are very busy and popular.

I thought that big outlet mall in St Louis was basically closed too. Are you talking about the one off 370?

It seems like a common trend its a bunch of unsupervised kids who occasionally shoot at eachother it makes others feel unsafe so they quit going there.

was school out that day? were the suspects even under 18?

Not sure. I do know like Plaza/Westport the malls have had issues with people from the city and violence occuring. It might not be people under 18 but def under 25