North Maple Avenue and Disk Drive
Rapid City, South Dakota
Named after the iconic national monument, RUSHMORE MALL was built on 68.5 acres, located 2.7 miles north of downtown Rapid City. The site was adjacent to the Interstate 90 expressway, which had opened to traffic in 1962. The single-level complex was built by the Des Moines-based General Growth Development Corporation. In its original incarnation, RUSHMORE MALL encompassed approximately 620,000 leasable square feet and contained ninety-two store spaces.
A 1-level (101,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, dedicated on August 9, 1978, was the first operational store. A 1-level (42,300 square foot), St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Herberger's opened, along with the mall, on September 20, 1978.
Present at the official dedication was Hoadley Dean (president of the Western South Dakota Development Company), who cut a ceremonial lariat. Also in attendance were Art La Croix (Mayor of Rapid City) and Martin Bucksbaum, (of General Growth Properties). Music was provided by the Stevens High School Singers & Jazz Band.
Charter inline stores included Rushmore Mall Walk-In Beauty Salon, Lerner Shops, Foxy Lady ladies' wear, Fish Here Pets, Toy Fair, Maurices, Hardee's hamburgers, Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor, The Gap and Lewis Osco Drug.
The Commonwealth Amusements Rushmore 3 Cinemas showed its first features on March 15, 1979. A 1-level (127,000 square foot) Sears held its grand opening on September 19 of the same year, signifying completion of the initial shopping center.
RUSHMORE MALL was first expanded in the early 1980s. A 1-level (101,600 square foot) Target discount mart and 20,000 square feet of new inline store space were added. Target held a "quiet opening" on October 27, 1980. The mall's gross leasable area now measured approximately 741,600 square feet.
Work commenced on a second enlargement in September 1991. A 1-level (88,900 square foot) Herberger's, and 14,000 square feet of inline store space, were added. The new Herberger's held its grand opening on July 30, 1992. Fargo-based Scheels Sports occupied the original Herberger's spot; opening for business in April 1993.
Meanwhile, the 3-plex cinema had been shuttered in January 1991. Its space was gutted and rebuilt as part of a relocated Cafe Court. The 10-bay food facility included Arby's, Breslers 33 Flavors ice cream, Dairy Queen, Happy Wok, Hara's Restaurant & Lounge, Hardee's hamburgers, KarmelKorn, Orange Julius, Pizza & Pasta and Taco John's. The first eateries opened in September 1992.
A new theatrical venue was also built in the northeastern periphery of the mall. The Carmike Rushmore Cinema 7 showed first features on September 30, 1993. With these improvements, RUSHMORE MALL encompassed around 844,500 leasable square feet and housed 130 stores and services.
In December 1997, a 50 / 50 joint venture of the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group and Santa Monica-based Macerich Company was announced. The two real estate titans acquired the twelve-property portfolio of the IBM Corporation's Pension Fund. Included in the transaction was RUSHMORE MALL. Macerich would oversee its management.
For many years, RUSHMORE MALL enjoyed its status as the only regional-class shopping venue within a 300 mile radius. This came to an end in the fall of 2008, with the dedication of RUSHMORE CROSSING {.7 mile southeast, in Rapid City}. This open-air, "lifestyle district" snatched Target from RUSHMORE MALL. The store shut down October 7, 2008, with Scheels All Sports also moving to RUSHMORE CROSSING.
The Target space would be vacant for several years. Talk of Dillard's as a replacement was just that. A more concrete proposal, involving Minnesota-based Runnings Farm & Fleet didn't pan out either. The vacant Scheels was eventually carved up five ways. The largest space opened, as a (15,000 square foot) Planet Fitness, in December 2015.
Meanwhile, the joint venture between the Macerich Company and Simon Property Group had been dissolved as of January 1, 2012, with Simon assuming management of RUSHMORE MALL. In May 2014, they created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust.
Known as the Washington Prime Group, it assumed ownership of forty-four of Simon's "Grade B" retail centers, including RUSHMORE MALL. In early 2015, the newly-formed Washington Prime Group merged with Columbus, Ohio's Glimcher Realty Trust.
J.C. Penney moved into the vacant Target space on February 27, 2015. They operated there until March 11, 2016, when a renovation of their original RUSHMORE MALL store was completed. Soon after, a permanent tenant was secured for the Target spot. Plano, Texas' At Home, a home decor superstore, renovated the building and held a grand opening on June 30, 2016. This store's dedication was followed by a rebranding of the mall-adjacent multiplex. It morphed into the AMC Classic Rushmore Mall 7 in December 2016.
Sears closed for good in April 2018, leaving a large vacancy on the east end of the complex. Another empty anchor space was created on the mall's northwest corner. Herberger's shut down in August 2018, after maintaining a presence at RUSHMORE MALL for nearly 40 years.
The Commonwealth Amusements Rushmore 3 Cinemas showed its first features on March 15, 1979. A 1-level (127,000 square foot) Sears held its grand opening on September 19 of the same year, signifying completion of the initial shopping center.
RUSHMORE MALL was first expanded in the early 1980s. A 1-level (101,600 square foot) Target discount mart and 20,000 square feet of new inline store space were added. Target held a "quiet opening" on October 27, 1980. The mall's gross leasable area now measured approximately 741,600 square feet.
Work commenced on a second enlargement in September 1991. A 1-level (88,900 square foot) Herberger's, and 14,000 square feet of inline store space, were added. The new Herberger's held its grand opening on July 30, 1992. Fargo-based Scheels Sports occupied the original Herberger's spot; opening for business in April 1993.
Meanwhile, the 3-plex cinema had been shuttered in January 1991. Its space was gutted and rebuilt as part of a relocated Cafe Court. The 10-bay food facility included Arby's, Breslers 33 Flavors ice cream, Dairy Queen, Happy Wok, Hara's Restaurant & Lounge, Hardee's hamburgers, KarmelKorn, Orange Julius, Pizza & Pasta and Taco John's. The first eateries opened in September 1992.
A new theatrical venue was also built in the northeastern periphery of the mall. The Carmike Rushmore Cinema 7 showed first features on September 30, 1993. With these improvements, RUSHMORE MALL encompassed around 844,500 leasable square feet and housed 130 stores and services.
In December 1997, a 50 / 50 joint venture of the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group and Santa Monica-based Macerich Company was announced. The two real estate titans acquired the twelve-property portfolio of the IBM Corporation's Pension Fund. Included in the transaction was RUSHMORE MALL. Macerich would oversee its management.
For many years, RUSHMORE MALL enjoyed its status as the only regional-class shopping venue within a 300 mile radius. This came to an end in the fall of 2008, with the dedication of RUSHMORE CROSSING {.7 mile southeast, in Rapid City}. This open-air, "lifestyle district" snatched Target from RUSHMORE MALL. The store shut down October 7, 2008, with Scheels All Sports also moving to RUSHMORE CROSSING.
The Target space would be vacant for several years. Talk of Dillard's as a replacement was just that. A more concrete proposal, involving Minnesota-based Runnings Farm & Fleet didn't pan out either. The vacant Scheels was eventually carved up five ways. The largest space opened, as a (15,000 square foot) Planet Fitness, in December 2015.
Meanwhile, the joint venture between the Macerich Company and Simon Property Group had been dissolved as of January 1, 2012, with Simon assuming management of RUSHMORE MALL. In May 2014, they created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust.
Known as the Washington Prime Group, it assumed ownership of forty-four of Simon's "Grade B" retail centers, including RUSHMORE MALL. In early 2015, the newly-formed Washington Prime Group merged with Columbus, Ohio's Glimcher Realty Trust.
J.C. Penney moved into the vacant Target space on February 27, 2015. They operated there until March 11, 2016, when a renovation of their original RUSHMORE MALL store was completed. Soon after, a permanent tenant was secured for the Target spot. Plano, Texas' At Home, a home decor superstore, renovated the building and held a grand opening on June 30, 2016. This store's dedication was followed by a rebranding of the mall-adjacent multiplex. It morphed into the AMC Classic Rushmore Mall 7 in December 2016.
Sears closed for good in April 2018, leaving a large vacancy on the east end of the complex. Another empty anchor space was created on the mall's northwest corner. Herberger's shut down in August 2018, after maintaining a presence at RUSHMORE MALL for nearly 40 years.
As these store defections were playing out, Washington Prime was relinquishing control of the mall. They defaulted on loans in June 2018. Wells Fargo Bank assumed ownership and installed Syracuse's Carmen Spinoso as receiver and mall manager.
Sears' vacant building was retenanted by Trader's Market, who opened their RUSHMORE store on April 27, 2019. Soon after, the freestanding movie house was sold to Golden Ticket Cinemas. The Rushmore 7 opened, under new management, on November 1, 2019. In January 2022, the mall was acquired by Houston's Rock Step Capital. They changed its name to UPTOWN RAPID in April 2022 and started an interior face lift in August.
Sources:
The Rapid City Journal
https://www.macerich.com
http://www.eyecorp.com
http://http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
https://uptownrapid.com
https://www.kotatv.com
"Uptown Rapid" article on Wikipedia
