In November 2015, a new owner took charge and changed the name of PIERRE MALL to NORTHRIDGE PLAZA. Above we see the logo which accompanied this conversion.
Graphic from http://www.shopnorthridgeplaza.com
A pesky vacant anchor space on the south end of NORTHRIDGE PLAZA was partially filled when a Hobby Lobby opened its doors in October 2016. Less than a year later, the mall's north anchor space was vacant. J.C. Penney pulled the proverbial plug on a store that has been in business for over 36 years.
The Penney's building was vacant for 3 years. Karl's TV & Appliance set up shop in a section of the abandoned store and opened for business in October 2021.
Photo from Google Maps
PIERRE MALL
East 4th Street / US 14 and 83 and North Garfield Avenue / US Truck 14
Pierre, South Dakota
Construction commenced on the Mount Rushmore State's capital city shopping mall in 1979. The fully-enclosed complex was built on a 20-acre plot, located 1.5 miles northeast of the South Dakota State House. The site was originally in unincorporated Hughes County, but had been annexed into the City of Pierre by the time that PIERRE MALL was completed.
PIERRE MALL was one of several mini malls developed by Houston, Texas' Ainbinder & Associates. These included HURON MALL (1978) {Huron, South Dakota}, UNIVERSITY MALL (1979) {Brookings, South Dakota}, MOUNTAIN VIEW MALL (1980) {Ardmore, Oklahoma}, BUFFALO MALL (1980) {Jamestown, North Dakota} and GLENWOOD SPRINGS MALL (1981) {Glenwood Springs, Colorado}.
The complex in Pierre originally encompassed approximately 168,300 leasable square feet and was anchored by a 1-level (34,300 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store welcomed its first customers on January 7, 1981. A 1-level (40,000 square foot) Kmart opened its doors on March 5, 1981. Other charter tenants included Radio Shack, Dakotan Sporting Goods, Regis Hairstylists, GNC and a 1-level (13,700 square foot), Chicago-based Spurgeon's.
There were -and are- no other enclosed shopping centers within a 120 mile radius of PIERRE MALL. The only competition in the immediate vicinity is provided by a WalMart SuperCenter {.2 of a mile east, in Pierre}. This store opened on December 31, 1991.
As a competitive measure, the Kmart at PIERRE MALL was enlarged and the mall given a face lift. Work got underway in March 1992. Kmart expanded into 11,500 square feet of adjacent mall space and also incorporated a 35,000 square foot addition. When construction dust settled, the new Big Kmart encompassed 86,800 square feet.
Inside the mall, a new management office was built, along with new public restrooms. Gator's Pizza, Pasta & Subs moved to a larger store and Tire, Muffler & Alignment (TMA) build a freestanding location in the mall parking lot. The renovation was completed in the fall of 1992. At around the same time, Spurgeon's was shuttered. Its space was divided into two units. With these alterations, PIERRE MALL encompassed approximately 215,000 leasable square feet and contained twenty-eight retail spaces.
California's Sequoia Investments acquired PIERRE MALL in 1997. The property was sold to Pierre-based Midwest Construction & Development in November 2015. The name of the property was officially changed to NORTHRIDGE PLAZA on November 18 of the same year.
Sears Holdings shuttered the mall's Big Kmart in March 2016. The store space was divided into two sections. The first was leased as a (55,000 square foot), Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby, which opened for business on October 10, 2016. The store did not have a connection with the interior mallway.
Tenants in operation at this time included Maurices, Rue 21, Hibbett Sports, Shoe Sensation, GNC, Bath & Body Works, Christopher & Banks, Gator's Pizza Pasta & Subs and Classy's Diner. J.C. Penney, a charter mall tenant, announced the shuttering of their NORTHRIDGE PLAZA store in March 2017. A liquidation sale got underway on April 17, with said store going dark in June of the same year.
Sources:
The Rapid City Journal
The Capital Journal (Pierre, South Dakota)
The Daily Republic (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
http://www.pierremall.com
http://www.deadmalls.com / "University Mall, Brookings South Dakota" article by David Kruger
http://todayskccr.com
https://www.shopnorthridgeplaza.com
