Metcalf Avenue / US 69 and West 95th Street
Overland Park, Kansas
The city of Overland Park was incorporated out of area in Johnson County, Kansas on May 20, 1960. In 1966, construction commenced on Greater Kansas City, Kansas' first fully-enclosed shopping center. It was to occupy a 50-acre parcel, located 7.3 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, Kansas.
METCALF SOUTH CENTER was developed by local entrepreneurs Frank Morgan and Sherman Dreiseszun, under the auspices of MD Management. The shopping hub was designed by Boyle & Wilson Architects, Uri Seiden & Associates and John C. Fasnacht & Associates.
The official dedication of METCALF SOUTH CENTER was held August 3, 1967 and was attended by Duard Enoch (Mayor of Overland Park), Donald Pipes (City Manager of Overland Park) and Debbie Bryant, "Miss America 1966". A 2-level (183,000 square foot), Kansas City, Missouri-based Jones Store opened as part of the festivities.
Charter stores and services included Putsch's Cafeteria, Baker's Shoes, Singer Sewing Center, Katz Drug, Hartzfeld's, The Swiss Colony, an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10, Safeway supermarket and Commonwealth Theatres Metcalf Theatre (which was originally a single-screen venue). A 2-level (196,500 square foot) Sears opened for business in October 1967. With its completion, the shopping hub encompassed approximately 601,800 leasable square feet and housed sixty tenant spaces.
In the early days, the commercial competitors of METCALF SOUTH CENTER were WARD PARKWAY CENTER (1959) {3.1 miles northeast, in Kansas City, Missouri}, OAK PARK MALL (1975) {2.6 miles west, also in Overland Park} and, to a lesser extent, MISSION CENTER (1956 and 1986) {4.7 miles northeast, in Mission, Kansas}.
METCALF SOUTH CENTER was enlarged with an extended Upper Level concourse. This addition comprised approximately 103,500 leasable square feet and housed nineteen tenants. Dedicated October 17, 1975, it added stores such as Spencer Gifts, B. Dalton Bookseller, Casual Corner, The Limited and Smaks Hamburgers to the retail roster.
A subsequent addition expanded the existing Jones Store by 38,000 square feet, for a total area of 221,000. A parking deck comprised the first level of the addition. In the late 1970s, the Metcalf Theatre was reconfigured as the Metcalf I & II. With these modifications, METCALF SOUTH CENTER spanned approximately 744,000 leasable square feet.
Katz Drug, which had been rebranded as a Skaggs Drug in 1971, came under the Osco Drug banner in early 1985. After Harzfeld's was shuttered in 1984, its space became a Jones Store Furniture outlet. Between 1989 and 1990, the shopping complex was given an interior face lift. This included the installation of chrome and mirrored ceilings and marquee lighting fixtures. A vacant Woolworth was sectioned into 2 levels of inline stores, including a Food Court. Moreover, the Safeway space was refitted as Carousel Park, a mini amusement area with a video arcade, carousel and mini-roller coaster.
Unfortunately, METCALF SOUTH CENTER would soon encounter two formidable competitors. TOWN CENTER PLAZA {2.7 miles southeast, in Leawood}, was dedicated in 1996. THE GREAT MALL OF THE GREAT PLAINS {10.4 miles southwest, in Olathe} opened its doors in 1997.
METCALF SOUTH CENTER was caught in a downward spiral. It declined into a virtually vacant property. In late 2006, MD Management entered into a joint venture with Greenwood, Colorado-based Alberta Development Partners.
They devised a redevelopment plan for THE STREETS AT METCALF, a mixed-use facility encompassing over 1 million square feet. The lifestyle-format complex was to incorporate the existing Sears and Jones Store, which had been "Macy-ated" September 9, 2006. The remainder of the enclosed mall was to be demolished.
The Great Recession derailed the project, with Alberta Development Partners eventually pulling out of the deal. The moribund mall was sold to a joint venture of Kansas City, Missouri's Lane4 Properties Group and Columbia, Missouri's Kroenke Group in March 2008.
Macy's at METCALF SOUTH CENTER closed for good in March 2014. Soon after, what few tenants that remained in business were given eviction notices. The final day of operation at the shopping facility was September 19, 2014. Sears remained in business along with the Glenwood Arts Theatre (a circa-2002 reinvention of the Metcalf I & II). The cinema was permanently shuttered in January 2015, just as a second a redevelopment plan was being announced.
The 320 million dollar project would have replaced the mall with an open-air complex. Done in "noeclassic Mediterranean style," CENTRAL SQUARE was to include retail, restaurant and residential components. By August 2015, this plan had been scrapped, due to disagreements between the developers and Overland Park city planners.
A third redevelopment plan was approved by the local governing body in December 2016. The bulk of the METCALF SOUTH mall would be demolished, leaving Sears standing. A new power center, known as 95 METCALF SOUTH, would be built.
Anchoring the facility would be a 1-level (130,000 square foot) Lowe's home improvement center. 95 METCALF SOUTH would encompass 251,000 leasable square feet and house fourteen stores and services. The first tenants in the 80 million dollar power plaza were scheduled to open in the spring of 2018 Demolition of the METCALF SOUTH mall got underway in April 2017. Soon after, it was announced that Sears would be shuttering their 50-year-old METCALF SOUTH store in September 2017.
Sources:
The Kansas City Star
Overland Park, Kansas
The city of Overland Park was incorporated out of area in Johnson County, Kansas on May 20, 1960. In 1966, construction commenced on Greater Kansas City, Kansas' first fully-enclosed shopping center. It was to occupy a 50-acre parcel, located 7.3 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, Kansas.
METCALF SOUTH CENTER was developed by local entrepreneurs Frank Morgan and Sherman Dreiseszun, under the auspices of MD Management. The shopping hub was designed by Boyle & Wilson Architects, Uri Seiden & Associates and John C. Fasnacht & Associates.
The official dedication of METCALF SOUTH CENTER was held August 3, 1967 and was attended by Duard Enoch (Mayor of Overland Park), Donald Pipes (City Manager of Overland Park) and Debbie Bryant, "Miss America 1966". A 2-level (183,000 square foot), Kansas City, Missouri-based Jones Store opened as part of the festivities.
Charter stores and services included Putsch's Cafeteria, Baker's Shoes, Singer Sewing Center, Katz Drug, Hartzfeld's, The Swiss Colony, an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10, Safeway supermarket and Commonwealth Theatres Metcalf Theatre (which was originally a single-screen venue). A 2-level (196,500 square foot) Sears opened for business in October 1967. With its completion, the shopping hub encompassed approximately 601,800 leasable square feet and housed sixty tenant spaces.
METCALF SOUTH CENTER was enlarged with an extended Upper Level concourse. This addition comprised approximately 103,500 leasable square feet and housed nineteen tenants. Dedicated October 17, 1975, it added stores such as Spencer Gifts, B. Dalton Bookseller, Casual Corner, The Limited and Smaks Hamburgers to the retail roster.
A subsequent addition expanded the existing Jones Store by 38,000 square feet, for a total area of 221,000. A parking deck comprised the first level of the addition. In the late 1970s, the Metcalf Theatre was reconfigured as the Metcalf I & II. With these modifications, METCALF SOUTH CENTER spanned approximately 744,000 leasable square feet.
Katz Drug, which had been rebranded as a Skaggs Drug in 1971, came under the Osco Drug banner in early 1985. After Harzfeld's was shuttered in 1984, its space became a Jones Store Furniture outlet. Between 1989 and 1990, the shopping complex was given an interior face lift. This included the installation of chrome and mirrored ceilings and marquee lighting fixtures. A vacant Woolworth was sectioned into 2 levels of inline stores, including a Food Court. Moreover, the Safeway space was refitted as Carousel Park, a mini amusement area with a video arcade, carousel and mini-roller coaster.
Unfortunately, METCALF SOUTH CENTER would soon encounter two formidable competitors. TOWN CENTER PLAZA {2.7 miles southeast, in Leawood}, was dedicated in 1996. THE GREAT MALL OF THE GREAT PLAINS {10.4 miles southwest, in Olathe} opened its doors in 1997.
METCALF SOUTH CENTER was caught in a downward spiral. It declined into a virtually vacant property. In late 2006, MD Management entered into a joint venture with Greenwood, Colorado-based Alberta Development Partners.
They devised a redevelopment plan for THE STREETS AT METCALF, a mixed-use facility encompassing over 1 million square feet. The lifestyle-format complex was to incorporate the existing Sears and Jones Store, which had been "Macy-ated" September 9, 2006. The remainder of the enclosed mall was to be demolished.
The Great Recession derailed the project, with Alberta Development Partners eventually pulling out of the deal. The moribund mall was sold to a joint venture of Kansas City, Missouri's Lane4 Properties Group and Columbia, Missouri's Kroenke Group in March 2008.
Macy's at METCALF SOUTH CENTER closed for good in March 2014. Soon after, what few tenants that remained in business were given eviction notices. The final day of operation at the shopping facility was September 19, 2014. Sears remained in business along with the Glenwood Arts Theatre (a circa-2002 reinvention of the Metcalf I & II). The cinema was permanently shuttered in January 2015, just as a second a redevelopment plan was being announced.
The 320 million dollar project would have replaced the mall with an open-air complex. Done in "noeclassic Mediterranean style," CENTRAL SQUARE was to include retail, restaurant and residential components. By August 2015, this plan had been scrapped, due to disagreements between the developers and Overland Park city planners.
A third redevelopment plan was approved by the local governing body in December 2016. The bulk of the METCALF SOUTH mall would be demolished, leaving Sears standing. A new power center, known as 95 METCALF SOUTH, would be built.
Anchoring the facility would be a 1-level (130,000 square foot) Lowe's home improvement center. 95 METCALF SOUTH would encompass 251,000 leasable square feet and house fourteen stores and services. The first tenants in the 80 million dollar power plaza were scheduled to open in the spring of 2018 Demolition of the METCALF SOUTH mall got underway in April 2017. Soon after, it was announced that Sears would be shuttering their 50-year-old METCALF SOUTH store in September 2017.
Sources:
The Kansas City Star
http:johnsoncountyhistory.org
www.labelcar.com
www.mdmgt.com
https://shawneemissionpost.com
Johnson County, Kansas property tax assessor website
movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
www.cinematour.com
www.kansascity.com
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.lane4group.com
www.labelcar.com
www.mdmgt.com
https://shawneemissionpost.com
Johnson County, Kansas property tax assessor website
movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
www.cinematour.com
www.kansascity.com
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.lane4group.com
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"Overland Park, Kansas" article on Wikipedia
