The first mall expansion, built in 1978-1979, added a 150,000 square foot Penney's and 50,000 square feet of inline store space (indicated in gray). Sears' store had also grown by 20,000 square feet. WEST ACRES CENTER now encompassed approximately 754,300 leasable square feet.

Originally a centerpiece of the Dayton's Court, the Fountain of Abundance has since been relocated to the court fronting on J.C. Penney. The water feature was designed by Fargo's P. Richard Szeitz.
Photo from www.rcsmug.com

A new Main Entrance was added to WEST ACRES during a 2000-2001 mall makeover.
Photo from Wikipedia / "KGlen14"

Also built during the turn of the century renovation, the WEST ACRES Food Court was fashioned out of existing space, along with an addition. Its focal point is the Scandinavian fireplace seen in the background.
Photo from "Racy Palindrome Guy"

The Peace Garden State's preeminent retail hub, circa-2002. After three renovations, the complex spans approximately 950,000 leasable square feet and houses 130 inline stores. It encompasses around 100,000 more square feet than its nearest -size-wise- contender, Bismarck's KIRKWOOD MALL.

WEST ACRES CENTER TENANTS 2002:

BEST BUY (outparcel) / HERBERGER'S / J.C. PENNEY (with Styling Salon and Portrait Studio) / MARSHALL FIELD'S / SEARS (with attached Auto Center) / Abercrombie & Fitch apparel / American Eagle Outfitters apparel / B. Dalton Bookseller / B'Dazzled (kiosk) / Bath & Body Works / Big Nick’s Sports Cards / Candy Court / Casual Corner-Petite Sophisticate ladies' wear / CellularOne / CellularOne (kiosk) / Chili’s Grill & Bar (outparcel) / Christopher & Banks ladies' wear / Cinamen Roll Company / Claire’s / Classic Jewelers / Concordia College Information (kiosk) / Creative Kitchen / Dakota Clinic West Acres Branch / Deziner Sunglasses-HeadSokz (kiosk) / Eddie Bauer apparel / Express ladies' wear / Eyecare Associates / Fascino (kiosk) / Family Christian Stores / Foot Locker / Gadzooks apparel / Gallery West gifts / Gap Kids children's wear / GNC / GoldFathers (kiosk) / Grainery Restaurant & Bar / Granite City Food & Brewery (outparcel)  / Green’s Footwear / Gymboree children's wear / Hair Creations (kiosk) / Halberstadt’s men's wear / Helzberg Diamonds / Jewelry & Watch Repair / Jobview (kiosk) / Just Juice / Karmelkorn / Karmelkorn (kiosk) / Kay-Bee Toys / Knight’s Formal Wear / Lady Foot Locker / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Laurie’s ladies' wear / Lee’s Gold Crown Hallmark / LensCrafters / Limited Too children's wear / MasterCuts / Merle Norman Cosmetics-Cheri Paul Wigs / Moxie Java cafe / Mrs. Fields Cookies / Nails Pro / Orange Julius / Originals Casual Wear ladies' wear / Pacific Imports (kiosk) / Pacific Sunwear apparel / Park Company-GMAC Real Estate (kiosk) / Payless ShoeSource / Peggy’s Gold Crown Hallmark / Pet Center / Pretzelmaker / Pro Motorsports / R & G Shoes / Radio Shack / RCC Western Store / Regis Hairstylists / Riddle’s Jewelry / Ritz Camera & One Hour Photo / Roger Maris Museum / Sam Goody music / Sandcastle gifts / Scheels All Sports / Select Comfort / Shirt Shop on the Mall / Shotwell Floral / Software Etcetera / Spencer Gifts / Sports City / Stabo Scandinavian Imports / Stride-Rite Shoes / Structure men's wear / Stucchi’s Ice Cream / Sunglass Hut / TGI Friday restaurant (outparcel) / Talbots ladies' wear / Things Remembered / The Buckle shoes / The Children's Place / The Forum / The Gap apparel / The Limited ladies' wear / Tom’s Shoe Repair / Trade Secret beauty salon / Twyla’s Cosmetique / Tupperware (kiosk) / Union State Bank / Vanity ladies' wear / Verizon Wireless / Victoria’s Secret / Vision World / Walgreen Drug / West Acres Cinema 14 (outparcel) / West Acres Pharmacy / Wet Seal ladies' wear / Wilsons Leather / Wimmer’s Diamonds / Wireless Dimensions (kiosk) / Zales Jewelers

IN THE FOOD COURT:

China Doll / Grandma Dee's Doughnuts / Great Steak & Potato / Koya of Japan / Lighthouse Coffee / McDonald's hamburgers / Pirates' Den /  Rising Bread Company / Subway / Taco John’s / Virgo’s Pizza 

WEST ACRES was hit with a double whammy in the late 2010s. Two of its anchor stores, Sears and Herberger's, were shuttered, creating around 287,000 square feet of vacant store space.
Graphic 1 from www.sears.com
Graphic 2 from www.bonton.com 

The vacant Sears was quickly repurposed. Best Buy moved from a freestanding location into a new store that was carved out of Sears' space. The remainder of the building was reconfigured as The District At West Acres, an exterior-entranced collection of trendy restaurants. The first of these opened for business in the spring of 2019.
Drawing from http://www.westacres.com 

The new Best Buy welcomed first shoppers in June 2018. The vacant Herberger's, on the west end of WEST ACRES CENTER, was retenanted by Iowa's Von Maur chain, who dedicated their store in 2025.

WEST ACRES CENTER
13th Avenue South and 42nd Street Southwest
Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo's first -and only- regional-class shopping complex was constructed on 72.6 acres, located 4 miles southwest of the downtown area. Developed by a joint venture headed by Fargo's Bill Schlossman, WEST ACRES CENTER was designed by the Foss, Engelstad & Foss firm. 

The original mall fronted on a gravel county road that accessed Interstate 29. The expressway, which had opened to traffic in 1960, ran along the eastern boundary of the site. At the time, the surrounding area was largely undeveloped.

Ground was broken on April 21, 1971. The first operational WEST ACRES store, 1-level (79,400 square foot) Sears, began business in April 1972. The single-level, fully-enclosed complex was officially dedicated, with fifty-two stores and services, on August 2nd of the same year. William L. Guy (D) (Governor of North Dakota) officiated at the grand opening celebration.

Also anchoring the center was a 2-level, Fargo-based O.J. deLendrecie's ["duh-LAWN-dree-sees"]. Although the store structure housed 188,000 square feet, it was utilizing only 110,000 at this time. The third anchor, a 1-level (115,000 square foot), Minneapolis-based Dayton's, was completed in August 1973. It was the first Dayton's built outside of Minnesota.

At this time, WEST ACRES CENTER encompassed approximately 534,400 leaseable square feet. A list of charter tenants would include Straus Clothing For Men, Flagg Brothers Shoes, Scheels Sporting Goods, R & G Shoes, B. Dalton Bookseller, Lane Bryant, Walgreen Drug and a Fargo-based Herbst junior department store.

Shopping options in the WEST ACRES trade area included NORTH PORT-NORTHPORT CENTER (1956) {4.5 miles northeast, in Fargo}, BROOKDALE CENTER-SUNMART (1962-1997) {3.6 miles southeast, in Moorhead, Minnesota} and MAYFAIR CENTER-HOLIDAY MALL (1963-1995) {3.7 miles southeast, also in Moorhead}. In March 1973, the first phase of MOORHEAD CENTER MALL {3.3 miles northeast} was completed. This was an urban renewal redevelopment in the center city of Moorhead. As a competitive measure, WEST ACRES CENTER was expanded.

In March 1978, Sears finished a 20,000 square foot store enlargement. In March 1979, a new Southwest Wing was completed. It encompassed 200,000 square feet, contained twenty inline stores, and included a Lower Level of retail and office space. The addition was anchored by a 2-level (149,900 square foot) J.C. Penney; this store dedicated on August 1, 1979. WEST ACRES CENTER now spanned approximately 754,300 leasable square feet.

The owners of the complex, Schlossman-West Acres Development, entered into a joint venture with the Santa Monica-based Macerich Company in 1986, with the latter establishing a 19 percent interest in the property.

A mall-wide face lift was completed in March 1993. Anchor store rebrandings commenced in 1998, when Mercantile Stores, the parent company of deLendrecie's, was acquired by Dillard's. Instead of rebranding the store, Dillard's flipped the property, which ended up in the hands of Proffitt's, Incorporated.

The company morphed into Saks, Incorporated in September 1998. Saks rebranded deLendrecie's as one of their Northern Department Store Group divisions; St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Herberger's. By this time, the store was utilizing its total 188,000 square feet. In March 2006, the Herberger's chain became a holding of York, Pennsylvania-based The Bon Ton Stores. 

Back at the mall, another new nameplate appeared in August 2001. Dayton's was rebranded as a Marshall Field's, which was a division of the Minneapolis-based Dayton-Hudson Corporation. In essence, the parent company remained the same...only the name of the store changed. The store morphed into a Macy's on September 9, 2006.

Meanwhile, the second face lift of WEST ACRES CENTER had commenced in June 2001. The 19 million dollar project added an 11-bay Food Court and new Main Entrance. With completion of the refurbishment in the spring of 2002, the shopping center encompassed approximately 950,000 leasable square feet and housed 130 stores and services.

Sears shuttered their WEST ACRES store on March 26, 2017. Best Buy had opened a freestanding (46,000 square foot) location, on the southeastern periphery of the mall, in 1994. They renovated a (51,000 square foot) section of the vacant Sears and opened for business on June 8, 2018. 

At the same time, the first store opened at FARGO OUTLETS AT TIMBER CREEK {3.6 miles southeast, in Fargo}. This open-air cluster complex was to eventually encompass 300,000 leasable square feet and house sixty stores and services.

The Herberger's chain crashed and burned, along with The Bon Ton Stores conglomerate, in August 2018. The west anchor box at WEST ACRES would sit vacant for several years. It was eventually retenanted by Davenport, Iowa's Von Maur, whose (90,000 square foot) store opened for business on April 5, 2025.

Sources:

The Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, North Dakota) 

http://www.fargohistory.com

https://westacres.com
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com

https://www.inforum.com
https://proptax.casscountynd.gov / Cass County, North Dakota
http://www.fargomonthly.com

"Marshall Field's" article on Wikipedia

Bismarck's Kirkwood Plaza

The first major shopping complex in North Dakota's capital city was promoted with this trademark. It reflected the unique "Y-shaped" design of the mall.
Graphic from the Wachter Corporation

A vintage aerial view of the original KIRKWOOD complex. It housed thirty-nine stores and services, with Woolworth's, Montgomery Ward and Herberger's as it anchors.
Photo from State Historical Society of North Dakota Archives

In an interior view from the early '70s, the mallway entrance of Osco Drug is on the left, with a Woolworth's nameplate visible far in the distance.
Photo from State Historical Society of North Dakota Archives

Stores in KIRKWOOD PLAZA opened for business between March 1970 and November 1971. The original mall spanned approximately 428,000 leasable square feet. Its parking area could accommodate 3,500 autos at one time.

KIRKWOOD PLAZA STORES 1971:

MONTGOMERY WARD (with Buffeteria Snack Bar and attached Auto Center) / F.W. WOOLWORTH DEPARTMENT STORE (with Harvest House Coffee Shop) / HERBERGER'S (with Budget Shops and Fabric Center) / SUPER VALU supermarket (outparcel) / 4-B's Cafeteria / ABC Kiddie Shop / Avco Finance / Bakers Shoes / Black's ladies' wear / Bresler's 33 Flavors Ice Cream / Candles & More / Carousel Snack Bar / Claire's Boutique / Cole's National Keys & Things / Corwin Churchill Appliance Center / First Federal Savings & Loan / Hatch's Cards & Gifts / Herbst ladies' wear / Jack's Boutique & Salon / Jean Nicole ladies' wear / K-G Bootery / K-G Men's Shop / Kinney Shoes / Kirkwood Barber Shop / Kirkwood Office Equipment / Kirkwood Standard Oil Service Station (outparcel) / Maurices ladies' wear / Morrey Allan's Fashion Center / Music City Records & Tapes / Osco Drug / Plaza Twin Theatres 1 & 2 / Singer Sewing Center / So-Fro Fabrics / State Bank of Burleigh County / Vanity Shop men's wear / Vanity 4 apparel / ZipCo Postal Service / Zales Jewelers

A montage of KIRKWOOD PLAZA logos features trademarks of charter stores and services.

Herberger's expanded their KIRKWOOD store on two occasions. The original (1971) unit encompassed 50,000 square feet. In the late '70s, the store was moved westward, to allow for an extended north-south shopping concourse. The reconfigured store (seen above) was dedicated in November 1979. It now encompassed 65,000 square feet.
Drawing from G. R. Herberger's, Incorporated

A circa-1985 plan shows the reconfigured Herberger's. As this store was rebuilt, a southward mall expansion -known as Kirkwood II- was underway. The 15 million dollar project (in light gray) doubled the size of the mall, to 913,000 square feet. Thirty-two new stores opened in March 1980. Woolworth morphed into a Woolco in 1980, which closed in 1983. The space was assumed by a Dayton's department store in 1985.

Further mall modifications were done during 1993. Target was enlarged into a 95,000 square foot unit, with Herberger's being expanded to 92,600. The shopping complex, which had been renamed KIRKWOOD MALL in July 1987, now spanned approximately 958,000 leasable square feet. There was now free parking for 5,000 autos.

That venerable Minneapolis merchandiser opened a newly-built store at KIRKWOOD in October 2006. The 137,600 square foot unit took the place of a Marshall Field's department store (which was a 2001 rebranding of Dayton's).
Photo from www.bismarckpride.com / Randy Hoffman

The new Target store is shown on this circa-2012 plan in light gray. Other changes of note include an I. Keating Furniture World, which moved into a vacant Montgomery Ward in 2002, and a relocated Scheels All Sports. It re-opened, in the old Target spot, in 2007. With these improvements, KIRKWOOD MALL spans approximately 1,012,700 leasable square feet and contains eighty-four tenant spaces.

One of these was filled by CVS Drug, who took over the Osco Drug space in 2007. CVS moved into a freestanding building, in the mall's periphery, in January 2010.
Photo from www.bismarckpride.com / Randy Hoffman

J.C. Penney has anchored the Southeast Wing at KIRKWOOD since January 1980.
Photo from www.bismarckpride.com / Randy Hoffman

The Herberger's chain anchored KIRKOOD PLAZA and MALL for over 47 years. The store went dark in August 2018, due to the Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy.
Photo from www.bismarckpride.com / Randy Hoffman

KIRKWOOD MALL achieved its 40th year in business in March 2020. At this time, the mall had one vacant anchor (the former Herberger's). Scheels All Sports has enlarged its area, taking in most of the Southwest Wing. The expanded store was completed in May 2013. A large section of the Southeast Wing was taken by H & M, who held their grand opening in September 2016.

KIRKWOOD PLAZA

East Bowen Avenue and South 7th Street
Bismarck, North Dakota

One of the nation's more unique mid-century shopping malls was built in the Peace Garden State. Originally known as KIRKWOOD PLAZA, the fully-enclosed complex was designed as a curving concourse, "Y-shaped" structure. The 4.2 million dollar mall was developed by the Bismarck-based Wachter Real Estate Trust and was built on a 48-acre site. This was located 1.7 miles south of the North Dakota Capitol. 

 

Ground was broken for the KIRKWOOD project in November 1968. The mall was named after Robert Campbell Kirkwood, the former Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of the F.W. Woolworth Company. Originally, the mall was to be anchored by Woolworth's, Montgomery Ward and a Fargo-based Herbst junior department store. Plans for the latter were eventually scaled-down, with only a boutique-type store built. St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Herberger's was announced as the new third anchor in January 1970.

The first operational KIRKWOOD tenant, a 1-level (72,900 square foot) F.W. Woolworth Department Store, opened its doors on March 18, 1970. It was, reputedly, the largest Woolworth store in the United States. A 1-level (20,000 square foot) Super Valu grocery, a northeast outparcel of the mall proper, was dedicated on September 8, 1970. 

Montgomery Ward launched a 2-level (101,000 square foot) department store on September 23, 1970. The Midcontinent Theatres Plaza Twin Theatres 1 & 2 showed first features on October 29th. Herberger's 1-level (50,000 square foot) unit debuted on March 22, 1971.

KIRKWOOD PLAZA was officially dedicated on May 14, 1971, with its namesake in attendance. Mr. Kirkwood was accompanied by John S. Roberts (President of the F.W. Woolworth Company) and C. Walton Backhaus (Woolworth Vice President).

Encompassing 428,000 leasable square feet, KIRKWOOD PLAZA housed thirty-nine stores and services under its roof. Charter tenants included 4-B's Cafeteria, Fanny Farmer Candies, K-G Men's Store, Kinney Shoes and a (17,000 square foot) Osco Drug. A Herbst boutique store welcomed first shoppers on November 18, 1971.

By 1974, plans for a southward mall expansion were being drawn up. The site was to be enlarged, taking out a section of East Arbor Avenue and bringing in an additional 20 acres. Herberger's would be moved toward the west and expanded. Half of its original area would became part of an extended north-south shopping concourse.

The movie theater would also be moved into newly-built space on the east side of the complex. At the south end would be a 1-level (80,000 square foot) Target and 1-level (107,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. Ground was broken for the 15 million dollar Kirkwood II expansion on June 28, 1978.

On June 21, 1979, the new Plaza 3 Theatres opened for business. Target welcomed first shoppers on November 1st, with the official grand opening of J.C. Penney held on January 16, 1980. On March 19th, thirty-two new inline stores were launched. These included Lerner Shops, Musicland, County Seat, GNC, Orange Julius and Kay-Bee Toys. By late 1980, KIRKWOOD PLAZA housed ninety tenant spaces. Its gross leasable area had grown to 913,000 square feet. The KIRKWOOD PLAZA Woolworth was converted to a Woolco discount mart on September 9, 1980. This store was shuttered in January 1983. 

 

The mall was sold to the Prudential Insurance Company of America in 1984. During the same year, Fargo-based Scheels Sporting Goods opened a (29,000 square foot) store in the mall's Southwest Wing. The vacant Woolworth-Woolco re-opened, as a Minneapolis-based Dayton's department store, on August 1, 1985.

KIRKWOOD PLAZA was renamed KIRKWOOD MALL in July 1987. In 1993, two anchor stores were enlarged; Herberger's (to 92,600 square feet) and Target (to 95,000). Montgomery Ward shuttered its store on May 2, 1999. The space sat vacant until April 5, 2003, when it re-opened as a Minot-based I. Keating Furniture World.

Dayton's had been rebranded by Chicago-based Marshall Field's in August 2001. This store closed in June 2005 and was demolished. It was replaced by a 2-level (137,800 square foot) Target, which opened in October 4, 2006. The old Target, in the Southwest Wing, was refitted as a much larger Scheels All Sports. This new location was dedicated in July 2007. With these modifications, KIRKWOOD MALL encompassed 1,012,000 leasable square feet and housed ninety stores and services.

CVS (formerly Osco) Drug closed in January 2010. The store relocated to a freestanding building northwest of the mall proper. New York City's Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, who had acquired the mall in September 1987, sold it to New York City's Radiant Partners in April 2011. Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties also had a stake in the shopping center. They bought out all joint venture partners in December 2012, establishing 100-percent ownership of the property. Management had been handled by Chicago's Urban Retail Properties since 1994. This job was assumed by Jones, Lang, LaSalle, also of Chicago, in 2011.

A modest refurbishment of the property was underway by September 2015. The project improved roadway access, installed new landscaping and brought in new tenants, such as Zumiez and Blue Hawk Audio & Video. A freestanding Panera Bread, built on a pad southeast of the mall proper, debuted on November 15, 2015. Swedish fashion retailer H & M (Hennes & Mauritz) set up shop in a 1-level (22,000 square foot) space in the Southeast Wing. The store was dedicated on September 22, 2016.

Herberger's became a division of Pennsylvania's Bon Ton Stores conglomerate in 2006. As a result of the Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy, all Herberger's locations were shuttered in August 2018. The vacant building at KIRKWOOD MALL was retenanted by a Tilt Studio video arcade, which opened on October 19, 2023.

Sources:

The Bismarck Tribune
The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah)
http://www.urbanretail.com

http://www.bismancafe.com
https://www.cinematreasures.org

https://www.bismarckcafe.com / Randy Hoffman

https://www.kfyrtv.com / KFYR-TV

https://www.shopkirkwoodmall.com
"Dayton's," "Scheel's All Sports and "Kirkwood Mall" articles on Wikipedia 

Bismarck's Gateway Mall

Bismarck's second major shopping center was originally promoted with this logo. The first GATEWAY MALL stores commenced operation in May 1979. A mall-wide grand opening was held in September, with charter stores still being launched in March 1980.

Graphic from North Bismarck Associates

The fully-enclosed shopping complex was entirely a single-level structure. In its original state, it spanned approximately 320,000 leasable square feet and housed forty-nine stores and services. Free parking was provided for 1,700 autos. A prospective Northwest Wing expansion is shown in light gray. It would never be built.

GATEWAY MALL TENANTS 1980:

SEARS (with attached  Auto Center) / A.W. LUCAS / WHITE MART (with convenience grocery) / American Man men's wear / Barker's ladies' wear / Bismarck State Bank / Bob's Pako Filmshop / Cheddar Box / Clown Town toys / Cole's Book Store / Desmonds men's wear / Evenson's Hallmark / Hansen's men's wear / Frames Plus / Kinney Shoes / Jo-Ann Fabrics / Juniques Gifts / Loken's China & Gifts / Lowe's Garden Corner / Lund Jewelry / Meredith's Hobby & Craft / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Midwest Vision / Morrey Allan's Fashion Center / Mr. Mark ladies' wear / Musicland records & tapes / Nutrition World / Osco Drug / Perry's for the Young children's wear / Pied Piper ladies' wear / Prospector video arcade / Radio Shack / Rebel Jeans / Red Cross Shoes / Regis Hairstylists / Richmond Bootery / Shirt Works / State Street Cafe / Stevensons ladies' wear / The Athlete's Foot / The Better Half ladies' wear / The Jeanery / Tradehome Shoes / Walker's n' Daughters Jewelers / Wood & Candle Shoppe

FOOD COURT:
Orange Julius / Pop's Ice Cream Shoppe / Snacks / Taco Tina / Turn of the Century 

The mall's first motion picture venue, the Midco Gateway 3, opened in June 1985. It was eventually expanded with five screens; re-opening as the Midco 8 in June 1994.
Drawing and graphic from Midcontinent Theatres 

In a circa-1995 layout, the cinema is shown in variations of gray. The original Gateway 3 appears in dark gray, with the Midco 8 addition depicted in a lighter shade. By this time, two anchor stores have changed. Menards assumed a vacant White Mart in December 1987. Jacobs Trading Company has just moved into the Lucas spot. With these modifications, the mall encompasses around 346,500 leasable square feet.

Our GATEWAY logo montage features trademarks of stores that anchored the mall during the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

Zooming through time to the early 21st century, we come to a circa-2006 physical layout. The capital city complex has just been given a 10 million dollar face lift and been renamed GATEWAY FASHION MALL. The 8-plex cinema is now a Carmike venue.

A newly-rebuilt Main Entrance is seen here. The Rock'n 50s Cafe, on the right, has been in business at the mall since the mid-1980s.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Randy 394"

An interior view of the Mid Dakota Clinic PrimeCare Medical Mall, which was installed in a portion of the White Mart-Menards space. The facility opened in September 2001.
Photo from www.gatewayfashionmall.com

In a West Wing view, Hansen's men's wear is seen on the right. The store, a charter GATEWAY MALL tenant, was in operation for 30 years.
Photo from www.bismarckpride.com / Randy Hoffman

Harbor Freight Tools moved into a portion of the mid-mall anchor space in August 2015. A freestanding LongHorn Steakhouse (in medium gray) welcomed first diners in November. The name of the shopping hub was changed back to GATEWAY MALL in February 2017. The cinema was rebranded as an AMC venue in March of the same year.

Sears anchored the west end of the mall for over 39 years. The store pulled up stakes in April 2018.
Photo from www.gatewayfashionmall.com

Hancock Fabrics eventually shuttered their GATEWAY store. The space was taken by Planet Fitness, who opened for business in June 2018.
Photo from https://www.planetfitness.com

 

Our most recent GATEWAY plan dates to 2025. A lot has changed since 2017. Sears, a charter mall anchor, went dark in 2018. A vacant Hancock Fabrics has morphed into a Planet Fitness gym. Moreover, an abandoned cinema has been reconfigured as a church. The most up-to-date data indicates that the mall proper houses twenty-two stores and services with seven outparcels.  

GATEWAY MALL
State Street / US 83 and Gateway Avenue
Bismarck, North Dakota

A proposal for a North Bismarck shopping mall was first announced in August 1968. Denver's Century 21 Corporation planned for eight regional complexes; these to be built in North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado. Each shopping hub would be named CENTURY 21 MALL.

By March 1970, a 45-acre site, located 1 mile north of the North Dakota State House, had been acquired. The Bismarck CENTURY 21 MALL story ends here. Plans for seven CENTURY 21 MALL complexes were quietly abandoned. Fort Collins, Colorado's UNIVERSITY PLAZA had been renamed CENTURY 21 MALL in June 1970. It was the only CENTURY 21 MALL to ever see fruition.

Bismarck's Kavaney family acquired the North Bismarck mall site. Initial planning for a GATEWAY MALL got underway in 1973. A joint venture was formed between North Bismarck Associates (the Kavaney Family) and the Decom Corporation, of Minneapolis. Designing the mall-to-be were Ralph Shimer {of Minneapolis} and Mastney Associates {of Minnetonka, Minnesota}.

GATEWAY MALL would be fully-enclosed and span approximately 320,000 leasable square feet. There would eventually be fifty-two tenants. Construction commenced on June 29, 1978. The first operational store, a (16,300 square foot) Osco Drug, opened its doors on May 7, 1979.

The 8 million dollar mall was officially dedicated on September 12th, with thirty operational stores. Arthur Albert Link (D) (Governor of North Dakota) was on hand to cut a ceremonial ribbon. Eugene Leary (Mayor of Bismarck) was also in attendance. 

A 1-level (44,200 square foot), Bismarck-based A.W. Lucas department store began business on August 15, 1979.  Sears' 1-level (83,700 square foot) unit was dedicated on October 3rd. The last of three original anchors, a 1-level (70,800 square foot), Jamestown, North Dakota-based White Mart, opened on February 28, 1980. Charter inline stores included Desmonds men's wear, Orange Julius, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Musicland and Stevensons ladies wear.

GATEWAY MALL struggled to compete with its larger rival, KIRKWOOD PLAZA (1970) {2.5 miles south, in Bismarck}. The city's original mall, NORTHBROOK CENTER (1963) {.8 mile southwest, also in Bismarck}, was a small, community-class complex. Hence, it provided no competition for either of the city's regional-class shopping venues.

The Midcontinent Theatres Gateway 3 was added to the back of GATEWAY MALL. Its first features were shown on June 28, 1985. The multiplex was expanded, into the Midco 8, which opened on June 29, 1994. With these enlargements, the shopping hub encompassed approximately 346,500 leasable square feet.

A.W. Lucas, the center anchor, had closed in June 1982 and been replaced by a Moorhead, Minnesota-based Eckstein's Department Store on October 4th. St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Herberger's rebranded the store on October 26, 1983. It was shuttered in January 1994.

The building was leased to a Minneapolis-based Jacob's Trading Company, who welcomed first shoppers in July 1995. The store morphed into World's Greatest Deals in September 1996, which pulled up stakes in August 1999. Conlin's Furniture Outlet occupied the space between 2004 and 2009. Famous Labels was in operation between 2010 and 2012. In August 2015, a (14,200 square foot) Harbor Freight Tools opened in a section of the vacant Conlin's space.

Meanwhile, White Mart, which occupied the northeast corner of the original mall, had been shuttered in the fall of 1986. The store was expanded into adjoining space and opened, as an Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based Menards, on December 8, 1987. This home improvement center relocated out of GATEWAY MALL in February 2000.

The vacant mall space was reconfigured. The Mid Dakota Clinic PrimeCare Medical Mall was dedicated in September 2001. The remaining space was filled by Hancock Fabrics in late 2003. Meanwhile, the MidCo 8 multiplex had been acquired and rebranded, as the Carmike 8 Theatre, in September 1995.

GATEWAY MALL changed hands three times between 2003 and 2006. In January 2003, the shopping hub was acquired by Santa Ana, California-based Triple Net Properties. After only 1 year, they sold the complex to Utah's VP Investments. The final purchase was made in May 2006 by Encino, California-based Raymond Arjmand.

The mall's new owner embarked on a 10 million dollar renovation in mid-2006. A Food Court, on the northeast side of the complex, was moved to the southwest corner, adjacent to Sears. It was also speculated that a new Macy's would be built adjacent to the old Food Court area, This never panned out.

As a facet of the remodeling, the name of the shopping hub was changed to GATEWAY FASHION MALL in November 2006. By this time, the retail hub was enjoying full occupancy for the first time in several years. Unfortunately, this surge of commerce was short-lived. Within 3 years, vacancies were -once again- piling up.

A freestanding LongHorn Steakhouse was built in the south parking area and served first meals in November 2015. The official name of the shopping complex was changed back to GATEWAY MALL in February 2017. The multiplex cinema was rebranded, as the AMC Classic Bismarck 8, in March of the same year.

Hancock Fabrics shut down on July 27, 2016 and was followed by a Planet Fitness gym, which debuted in June 2018. The 39-year-old Sears went dark in April 2018. The AMC Classic Bismarck 8 became a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. The venue shut down in March 2020. In August, it was announced that the theater would not be re-opening. The Riverstone Church leased the vacant cinema and held first services on December 4, 2022. 

Sources:

The Bismarck Tribune
https://www.bismarckcafe.com / Randy Hoffman
Comment by Justin S., former Bismarck resident and employee of the mall
http://www.gatewayfashionmall.com
http://www.gatewaymallbismarck.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://shoppingcenterbusiness.com

https://www.cinematreasures.org
https://www.burleigh.gov / Burleigh County, North Dakota 

https://www.kfyrtv.com / KFYR-TV

"Gateway Mall" article on Wikipedia