RETAIL OF YESTERYEAR : Younkers

Thursday, 2 August 2018

Mall profile- Westdale Mall Cedar Rapids Iowa

Westdale Mall Opened October 4th 1979. It was developed by the Hahn company a major shopping center developer at the time. It's orginal anchors were Younker Brothers of Des Moines Ia, Petersen Harned Von maur of Davenport Ia(originally planned to be Brandeis of Omaha Ne.) ,J.C. Penney and Montgomery Ward. It also included an Osco drug. Petersen Harned Von Maur was shorted to Von Maur in 1989. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001, but was replaced by Steve and Barrys in 2005. In January 2007 Von Maur closed in 2008 Steve and Barry's closed after they went bankrupt. Linn county moved temporary offices into the former Steve and Barry's in 2008 after a major flood. The demolition of the mall was completed in November of 2014 after the mall closed March of that year. The only remaining structures from the mall are Younkers, Von Maur and Penney's. Younkers closed in the first round of Bon Ton closures in 2018.

Wards in 2000

Holiday 1980s

Grand opening 1979

Holiday 1980s

Younkers escalators 1980

Younkers 1980

Monday, 3 August 2015

Mall profile - Oak Park Mall Austin Minnesota

Hals ,Brauns and Seiferts in the 80s

Austin Minnesotas Oak Park Mall Opened summer of 1975. it's orginal anchors were Younkers of Des Moines Ia And JCPenney. Other notable tenants were a White Drug Mart , Hy-Vee and a Highland Cooper Twin Cinema. The mall was developed by General Growth Properties (GGP) of Des Moines Ia. In 1983 Shopko was added to the east end of the mall. The mall progressed onwards sucessfully into the 1990s but by the late 90s it began to slip. JCPenney pulled out in the early 2000s , as did most of the chain stores. By 2014 when the mall closed it was a mixture of mom n pop stores and overpriced antique places. Hy-Vee who had left the mall in 1985 announced they had purchased the vacant mall. They planned to build a new store where the mall stood. It was demolished spring of 2015 the new Hy-Vee opened on the site in 2017. Younkers Shopko and the Cinemagic 7 are the only sections of Oak Park remaining. I visited the mall twice these are pictures from my second visit. The black and white pictures are from 1975 when the mall opened. I have the first visit photos buried on my computer I'll add them eventually.