West Dodge Road / US 6 and North 96th Street
Douglas County (Omaha), Nebraska
Omaha's John A. Wiebe ["Wee-bee"] developed the first fully-enclosed shopping complex in the Corn Husker State. THE CENTER, located southwest of Omaha's Central Business District, was a small, community-class venue of 200,000 leasable square feet that opened for business in October 1955.
The real estate arm of the Omaha-based J.L. Brandeis & Sons department store chain opened the regional-class CROSSROADS CENTER, the first of the city's "roads" malls, in September 1960. They followed with SOUTHROADS CENTER, in October 1966. John Wiebe developed the third, and final, "Roads" complex.
Grading work commenced at a 58.5-acre site, located 6 miles west of downtown Omaha, in July 1965. At the time, the land parcel was in an unincorporated section of Douglas County. Construction was underway by the spring of 1966. The mall proper of WESTROADS CENTER was designed by Stanley J. How & Associates, Incorporated. The west anchor was plotted by James H. Johnson & Associates, with the east designed by the Leo A. Daly Company.
WESTROADS CENTER encompassed three floors; the Lower Level (or basement), First Level and Second Level. The two Second Level concourses included cut-out areas on their north and south sides, which allowed shoppers to look onto the concourse below. Bridges connected Second Level store entries with main floor sections.
The 25 million dollar WESTROADS complex covered approximately 983,400 leasable square feet. It was anchored by three department stores. A 2-level (148,300 square foot) Montgomery Ward became the first operational tenant on March 31, 1967. A 2-level (184,000 square foot) J.C. Penney held its grand opening on August 2, 1967. The final charter anchor was a 2-level (150,000 square foot), Omaha-based Kilpatrick's, which welcomed first shoppers on February 1, 1968.
In February 1990, the next WESTROADS renovation got underway. During this 16 million dollar project, interior spaces were remodeled. A vacant Younkers West was reconfigured as inline store spaces and a building, previously housing Hinky Dinky and then United Sporting Goods, was repurposed. The 12-bay Grand Cafe Food Court opened for business on May 30, 1991. Vendors included Original Cookie Company, Imperial Palace Express, Orange Julius-Dairy Queen and Great Steak & Fry Company.
Ownership of the shopping hub had changed in March 1977, when the Prudential Insurance Company became its new proprietor. WESTROADS CENTER was sold again in July 1997. Chicago's General Growth Properties and Montreal's Ivanhoe Cambridge acquired the complex in a joint venture. Soon after, the official name of the complex was changed to WESTROADS MALL.
Fully-enclosed, the mall concourse was opened to the public on January 28, 1968, with an official dedication commencing on August 14th. Participants at the 4-day celebration enjoyed an antique car display, "Wonderful Land of Oz" mock-up and continuous music and entertainment. Local radio stations did remote broadcasts. As part of the festivities, sixty-eight stores and services opened their doors.
Shopping concourses at WESTROADS were decorated with an international flair. Appropriate names were also given to each. Westminster Mall featured Olde English decor, while the Normandy Mall was decidedly Parisienne. Italia Mall reflected an Apennine ambience, while the Alpine Mall reminded one of Switzerland. Central Park -the center court area- featured a large Clock Tower. In all, there were sixteen designated areas, with names such as Boston Mall, New York Mall, San Francisco Mall, Maiden Lane, Cortina Lane and Petticoat Lane. The original WESTROADS also had a rooftop heliport.
Junior anchors of the original mall were as follows; Hinky Dinky's (15,200 square foot) supermarket was dedicated on November 29, 1967. A 1-level (42,500 square foot) J.G. McCrory 5 & 10 opened its doors on July 18, 1968, while a (14,400 square foot) Bishop Buffet cafeteria welcomed its first diners on August 10, 1968. By October 1968, WESTROADS CENTER housed seventy-two stores and services.
The National General Corporation Fox Westroads Theatre had opened November 12, 1967. It was reconfigured with 2 screens in 1977 and renamed the Fox Twin. The second mall movie house, the American Multi-Cinema Six West Theatres, was the nation's first in-mall 6-plex. It showed its first features on January 22, 1969.
The two movie houses were situated adjacent to one another, in the northeast corner of the mall. The Fox venue had an exterior entry, with the 6-plex connecting into the interior mallway. The Fox theater was acquired by AMC in December 1983 and merged with the 6-plex. The combined cinemas were promoted as the AMC Westroads 6 & 2 and then as the Westroads 8.
An Omaha-based Brandeis was added to WESTROADS CENTER. The 4-level (80,000 square foot) store, filling unfinished mall space in the northwest corner, opened for business on October 2, 1972. Another area of the mall was also gradually completed and leased. The Lower Level came to fruition with the dedication of the Round Dinner Playhouse Westroads Dinner Theatre.
This live performance venue opened for business on September 1, 1970. Soon after, adjacent Lower Level space was utilized for Liberty Square, a mall-within-a-mall. This mini-complex was dedicated on November 21, 1975. Some of the fifteen original Liberty Square stores were The Engravery, Quiet Eagle Jewelry, Plant Place, A Pot Shoppe and House of Time. WESTROADS CENTER now contained 157 stores and services.
Major shopping hubs in the WESTROADS trade area included the aforementioned CROSSROADS CENTER (1961) {2 miles east, in Omaha} and SOUTHROADS CENTER (1966) {9.4 miles southeast, in Bellevue}. Eventually, there was OAK VIEW MALL (1991) {4 miles southwest, also in Omaha}.
The first anchor nameplate change at WESTROADS CENTER involved Kilpatrick's. The chain had been acquired by Des Moines-based Younkers in 1961. Although operated as a (quote-unquote) Younker-Kilpatrick's, the WESTROADS store sported a Kilpatrick's nameplate. By the late 1970s, it was promoted with a Younker-Kilpatricks brand.
The first anchor nameplate change at WESTROADS CENTER involved Kilpatrick's. The chain had been acquired by Des Moines-based Younkers in 1961. Although operated as a (quote-unquote) Younker-Kilpatrick's, the WESTROADS store sported a Kilpatrick's nameplate. By the late 1970s, it was promoted with a Younker-Kilpatricks brand.
A 2 million dollar renovation commenced in the summer of 1981. Younker-Kilpatricks expanded into adjacent space, which had been occupied by McCrory's. Several amenities were added, such as the Peacock Restaurant, David's Cookies and a delicatessen. The refurbished store, now known as simply Younkers, was re-dedicated on August 22, 1982. It encompassed 171,600 square feet.
The Brandeis chain was acquired by Younkers in the late 1980s. The WESTROADS Brandeis was refashioned into the Younkers West specialty store, which opened on August 5, 1987. The main store became Younkers East.
In February 1990, the next WESTROADS renovation got underway. During this 16 million dollar project, interior spaces were remodeled. A vacant Younkers West was reconfigured as inline store spaces and a building, previously housing Hinky Dinky and then United Sporting Goods, was repurposed. The 12-bay Grand Cafe Food Court opened for business on May 30, 1991. Vendors included Original Cookie Company, Imperial Palace Express, Orange Julius-Dairy Queen and Great Steak & Fry Company.
Work on a fifth mall anchor commenced in 1994. A 3-level (179,100 square foot), Davenport-based Von Maur was included as part of a twenty-two store South Wing. The new department store opened its doors on August 5, 1995.
Ownership of the shopping hub had changed in March 1977, when the Prudential Insurance Company became its new proprietor. WESTROADS CENTER was sold again in July 1997. Chicago's General Growth Properties and Montreal's Ivanhoe Cambridge acquired the complex in a joint venture. Soon after, the official name of the complex was changed to WESTROADS MALL.
In November 1997, Montgomery Ward was shuttered. Kansas City, Missouri-based The Jones Store bought the vacant structure, gutted and remodeled it, and opened for business on October 8, 1999. The mall now encompassed approximately 1,078,700 leasable square feet. The multiplex cinema, shuttered in 1997, was demolished. It was replaced by a 2-level (84,000 square foot) Galyan's Trading Company, which opened on August 31, 2003. A parking garage had also been added to the existing Penney's. The Galyan's store was rebranded by Dick's Sporting Goods in October 2004.
The Jones Store closed on August 25, 2003. Younkers moved in and opened on October 12th. The next alterations at WESTROADS were done in the southwest and northwest parking areas. Three freestanding restaurants were built. P.F. Chang's China Bistro was inaugurated on September 2, 2002. Granite City Food & Brewery followed, on October 10, 2006, with Cheesecake Factory making its debut on November 1 of the same year.
Now we come to the tragic part of the WESTROADS story. On December 5, 2007, a deranged individual, bent on becoming famous, instead became INfamous when he entered the Von Maur store with an assault rifle, killed eight and wounded five.
Von Maur and WESTROADS MALL persevered.
The vacant Kilpatrick's-Younkers was gutted and reconfigured as the Rave Cinemas Westroads 14 megaplex. The new cinema made its debut on November 14, 2008. The Grand Cafe Food Court was replaced by the 8-bay Flagship Commons Food Hall in late 2015. This was installed in existing mall space, in the northwest corner of the complex.
As the new Food Hall opened, eateries in the old Grand Cafe were shuttered. Some relocated into the new Food Hall, others found space within the mall. The vacant Grand Cafe space was gutted and rebuilt as a (25,000 square foot) The Container Store, which welcomed its first shoppers on October 22, 2016.
WESTROADS MALL now encompassed 1,045,800 leasable square feet and housed 122 stores and services. The complex faced a major vacancy when Younkers, a mall anchor since 1982, was shuttered. The store -and chain- were liquidated as part of the 2018 Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy.
Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. As a result, WESTROADS MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.
Sources:
The Omaha World Herald
Douglas County, Nebraska property tax assessor website
https://myomahaobsession.com
The Jones Store closed on August 25, 2003. Younkers moved in and opened on October 12th. The next alterations at WESTROADS were done in the southwest and northwest parking areas. Three freestanding restaurants were built. P.F. Chang's China Bistro was inaugurated on September 2, 2002. Granite City Food & Brewery followed, on October 10, 2006, with Cheesecake Factory making its debut on November 1 of the same year.
Now we come to the tragic part of the WESTROADS story. On December 5, 2007, a deranged individual, bent on becoming famous, instead became INfamous when he entered the Von Maur store with an assault rifle, killed eight and wounded five.
Von Maur and WESTROADS MALL persevered.
The vacant Kilpatrick's-Younkers was gutted and reconfigured as the Rave Cinemas Westroads 14 megaplex. The new cinema made its debut on November 14, 2008. The Grand Cafe Food Court was replaced by the 8-bay Flagship Commons Food Hall in late 2015. This was installed in existing mall space, in the northwest corner of the complex.
As the new Food Hall opened, eateries in the old Grand Cafe were shuttered. Some relocated into the new Food Hall, others found space within the mall. The vacant Grand Cafe space was gutted and rebuilt as a (25,000 square foot) The Container Store, which welcomed its first shoppers on October 22, 2016.
WESTROADS MALL now encompassed 1,045,800 leasable square feet and housed 122 stores and services. The complex faced a major vacancy when Younkers, a mall anchor since 1982, was shuttered. The store -and chain- were liquidated as part of the 2018 Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy.
Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. As a result, WESTROADS MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.
The Omaha World Herald
Douglas County, Nebraska property tax assessor website
https://myomahaobsession.com
http://www.generalgrowth.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
www.cinematreasures.org
"Westroads Mall" article on Wikipedia
www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
www.cinematreasures.org
"Westroads Mall" article on Wikipedia
