Aberdeen's Super City Center

South Dakota's Hub City played host to the state's first mall-type shopping complex. Charter stores in Aberdeen's SUPER CITY CENTER opened for business between April 1964 and April 1965. 

Graphic from the Bjornson Development Company

A Tempo Discount Center was the first operational SUPER CITY tenant. This self-service family department store encompassed 40,000 square feet and included a 2-bay Drive-In Service auto center. 

Advert from Gamble Skogmo, Incorporated

Our first SUPER CITY site plan dates to 1965. In its original state, the community-class mall covered approximately 116,500 leasable square feet and housed over twenty stores under its roof. Free parking was provided for 1,000 autos.

Three SUPER CITY CENTER complexes were built in eastern South Dakota. In order of their completion, they were SUPER CITY CENTER-Aberdeen (April 1964), SUPER CITY CENTER-Huron (September 1964) and SUPER CITY CENTER-Mitchell (August 1965). The Mitchell mall is depicted in the drawing above.

Drawing from the Bjornson Development Company

A circa-'75 view of the South Mall shopping concourse at Aberdeen's SUPER CITY CENTER. The Petite Treat snack bar is seen on the right side of the Tempo mall entrance. On the left are entries of Ken's Fairway Foods and a Ben Franklin 5 & 10.

Photo from Beulah Williams Library Archives & Special Collections

Fairway Foods was a charter mall tenant. The store originally encompassed 15,000 square feet but would be expanded several times over the years. It was acquired by Aberdeen's Ken Fiedler in 1972, when the store's name was changed to Ken's Fairway Foods.

Photo from https://aberdeenmag.com / Aberdeen Magazine

By the late '70s, the shopping hub was officially promoted as SUPER CITY MALL. The complex was given an indoor-outdoor face lift in 1980. 

Photo from http://www.aberdeenareahistory.org / Aberdeen, SD Centennial Edition

SUPER CITY MALL faced a formidable competitor in August 1990. LAKEWOOD MALL covered over 300,000 square feet, dwarfing SUPER CITY. LAKEWOOD MALL was renamed ABERDEEN MALL in October 2014 and UPTOWN ABERDEEN in July 2020. 

Photo from http://aberdeenmall-sd.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

Graphic 1 from The Rubloff Company

Graphic 2 from RockStep Capital

A SUPER CITY MALL logo montage is composed of trademarks of stores operating in the complex between 1964 and the present day.

In the 21st century, the Aberdonian shopping center is officially promoted as SUPER CITY PLAZA. Its supermarket has grown into a 55,000 square foot store. Over the years, the Tempo space has housed Tempo Buckeye, Pamida, the Country General Store and Tractor Supply Company. The mall now encompasses around 133,200 leasble square feet, with twelve stores and services.

A parting view shows Ken's Super Fair Foods and the Shell Express filling station. This was added during a 2.5 million dollar mall refurbishment completed in July 1996.

Photo from https://dakotaplainscommercial.com/ / Dakota Plains Commercial  Real Estate

SUPER CITY CENTER

6th Avenue Southeast / US 12 and Vivian Street, South 

Aberdeen, South Dakota

The Rushmore State's first shopping mall was developed on a 12-acre parcel. This was located in Aberdeen, 1.3 miles east of the downtown area. Ground was broken on August 28, 1963. 

SUPER CITY CENTER was built by the Bjornson Development Company, of Valley City, North Dakota. When fully realized, it would encompass approximately 116,500 leasable square feet. The fully-enclosed facility would be anchored by a (40,000 square foot), Minneapolis-based Tempo Discount Center and (15,000 square foot) Fairway Foods supermarket. 

Tempo became the first operational store on April 22, 1964. Fairway Foods and White Drug followed, in May. By mid-1965, there were twenty-one stores and services. Charter tenants included Ray's Barber Shop, Adoraccion Coiffures Beauty Salon, Rhine Room Lounge & Grill, Super Bowl, Tom's Hobby & Art Shop and the freestanding Auto-Dine Drive-In Restaurant.

Tempo was also the first mall store to change nameplates. The Gamble-Skogmo parent company merged its Tempo and Buckeye Mart divisions in 1971. In July 1974, Midwestern stores were rebranded as Tempo Buckeye. A new Tempo Buckeye logo appeared in 1975.

Apparently, SUPER CITY CENTER was expanded twice during the 1970s. Details are sketchy, but a first enlargement may have added 10,000 square feet to the Tempo store. A second construction project, completed in January 1976, increased the floor area of the supermarket, which had been known as Ken's Fairway Foods since 1972.

An interior-exterior refurbishment was done between January and September of 1980. On the interior, various stores were expanded into adjoining spaces. When all construction dust settled, SUPER CITY MALL covered approximately 133,200 leasable square feet and housed fifteen stores and services. By 1983, it was owned by Doctor Ernie Larson, of Edina, Minnesota.

Tempo Buckeye pulled up stakes in May 1981. An Omaha-based Pamida ["Pam-iy-duh"] discount store opened in the space in the summer of 1982. This store went dark in July 1991. A Muskegon, Michigan-based Country General Store set up shop. It closed for good on December 31, 2001. 

Meanwhile, a formidable retail rival had come on the Aberdeen scene. LAKEWOOD MALL {.6 mile east, in Aberdeen} opened in August 1990. Encompassing over 332,600 leasable square feet, it dwarfed the community-class SUPER CITY MALL, which began to decline.

 

The supermarket at SUPER CITY MALL had been expanded southward in 1976. It was enlarged again in the mid-1990s, with a 2.5 million dollar renovation. A grand re-opening was held in July 1996. The store, now known as Ken's Super Fair Foods, had grown into three adjoining store spaces; those of Ben Franklin, a restaurant and White Drug.  

 

A vacant Country General Store space was renovated by the Brentwood, Tennessee-based Tractor Supply Company. They welcomed first customers on May 5, 2003. Ken's Super Fair Foods expanded over the South Mall concourse in 2013. A fourth store expansion, in 2019, added an expanded beer & wine department. Ken's now covered 55,000 square feet.

The Hub City shopping hub changed hands twice in 2019. Kevin Fiedler (owner of Ken’s Super Fair Foods) became the mall's new proprietor. After only a few months, Fiedler sold the mall -but not his supermarket- to the Aberdeen-based Schwan Financial Group. They  renamed the complex SUPER CITY PLAZA. 

Sources:

The Rapid City Journal (Rapid City, South Dakota)

The Daily Plainsman (Huron, South Dakota)

The Daily Republic (Mitchell, South Dakota)

The American News (Aberdeen, South Dakota)

"It's About Time: Super City was South Dakota's first mall" / Jay Kirschenmann / The Aberdeen News / September 2019

"Looking Back: 50 Years At Ken's" / Aberdeen Magazine / Annie Scott / September-October 2022 

http://www.aberdeenareahistory.org / "Aberdeen SD Centennial Edition" / Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce / 1979

https://aberdeen.kenssuperfair.com / Ken's Super Fair

https://www.mallsinamerica.com / Malls In America

http://lakewoodmall-sd.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

http://aberdeenmall-sd.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://nikkimillerrose.com 

https://hubcityradio.com / Hub City Radio

Sioux Falls' Western Mall

The original trademark of WESTERN MALL, the first enclosed shopping center in "The Best Little City in America."
Graphic from http://www.greetingsfromsiouxfalls.com / Jeff Bay

Montgomery Ward anchored the east end of WESTERN MALL with a 127,000 square foot department store. Dedicated in October 1968, it was the shopping hub's first operational tenant.
Drawing from Montgomery Ward & Company

The apex of WESTERN MALL was its skylighted Interior Court. Four shopping concourses converged at this point. The area, furnished with potted plants and benches, was flanked by several stores and entertainment venues. These included Russell Stover Candies, Musicland, Mode O'Day Frock Shop, Yours 'n Ours and the West Mall Theatre.
Drawing from Western Mall Properties

The First National Bank was one of two original outparcels of the mall, with the other being a freestanding Wards Auto Center.
Drawing from Western Mall Properties

In its original state, WESTERN MALL spanned approximately 450,000 leasable square feet, with a total of thirty-two tenant spaces. There was free parking for 2,100 autos. At the time of its November 1968 grand opening, the complex was hailed as "The New Main Street of South Dakota."

WESTERN MALL TENANTS 1969:

MONTGOMERY WARD (with cafeteria and freestanding Auto Center) / TEMPO / BRITTS (with Holland House Cafeteria) / DEL FARM supermarket / Bakers Shoes / Barberio Cheese House / Bostwicks apparel / Brodies Home Appliances / Carousel Snack Bar / Evenson's Hallmark Cards / First National Bank (outparcel) / Gallenkamp Shoes / Geyerman's ladies' wear / Hubbard's Old-Fashioned Candy & Ice Cream Kupboard / Ideal Hardware / Industrial Finance / Maurices ladies' wear / Mode O'Day Frock Shop / Musicland records / Osborn's men's wear / Plymouth Morgan Optical / Russell Stover Candies / Singer Sewing Center / Stewart Hairstylists / Sunkist Cleaners / Three Sisters ladies' wear / Walgreen Drug (with Walgreen Grill) / West Mall Theatre (single screen) / Western Mall Barbers / Western Mall Liquors / Wonderfour Shoes / Zales Jewelers 

A fully-enclosed expansion of the mall was formally announced in April 1972, with construction getting underway in June. A South Wing (depicted above) would add 50,000 square feet and contain around twenty-six stores. The first of these opened in March 1973.
Drawing from Western Mall Properties

Our WESTERN MALL logo montage features tenants from the 1960s and '70s. Tempo Buckeye was a 1974 rebranding of Tempo. Rway Food Stores replaced the Del Farm supermarket.

A circa-'74 site plan shows the new -1.6 million dollar- South Wing in light gray. WESTERN MALL now covered approximately 500,000 leasable square feet, with a tenant roster of fifty-nine stores. It reigned supreme as the only covered shopping mall in its trade area. However, this coveted status was about to change...

As the WESTERN MALL expansion project was wrapping up, final plans were being drawn for a major commercial competitor. SIOUX EMPIRE PLAZA was being developed on a site less than a mile west of WESTERN. This newer -and larger- complex would soon be established as the preeminent shopping venue in the region.
Graphic from the General Growth Development Corporation

The SIOUX EMPIRE complex gave WESTERN MALL quite a beating between the late 1970s and early 2000s. As a result, WESTERN MALL went through periods of decline and renewal. Documenting all of the major stores that came and went during those years would be a daunting task. To simplify things, we created this drawing.
Click On Image For A Larger View

By 2010, the shopping hub is promoted as THE WESTERN MALL. It features tenants such as Best Buy and Hancock Fabrics. The cinema relocated into a new 7-plex in 1987. Ward's old building was replaced by Scheels All Sports, and a 4-store strip center, in 2002. Inside the mall, a furniture store opened in 1997 and expanded in 2005, taking in most of the East Wing.

In this contemporary view, we see THE WESTERN MALL Interior Court.
Photo from www.lloydcompanies.com / Lloyd Companies

As previously mentioned, much of the East Wing has been taken over by an ever-expanding furniture store. In this image, we see a section of the West Wing.
Photo from www.lloydcompanies.com / Lloyd Companies

The Scheels store was doubled in size, with an expansion built between the fall of 2012 and spring of 2014. A mega-superstore was created that included an indoor ferris wheel, several sports simulators, a mini-bowling alley, deli-cafe, coffee shop and greatly-expanded inventory of sporting goods and apparel.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

An extended strip center was added to the east side of the mall, adjacent to the Scheels expansion. It housed Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Eileen's Colossal Cookies and Try It Again! consignment clothing.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

Lastly, we have a circa-2017 physical layout. The Scheels expansion and adjacent store strip are indicated in light gray.

WESTERN MALL
West 41st Street and South Western Avenue
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The Mount Rushmore State's first regional-class, fully-enclosed mall was built on a 40-acre site, located 2.4 miles southwest of downtown Sioux Falls. The land parcel had previously contained the Sioux Skyways Airport. Development was initiated by the Minneapolis-based Western Land Corporation, who announced plans for the shopping center in December 1966. Its designers were the Thorsen & Thorshov Associates firm, also of Minneapolis. 

Ground was broken on October 31, 1967. In December, the interests of the Western Land Corporation were acquired by a joint venture of Thorsen & Thorshov and Minneapolis' Crawford-Mertz Construction Company. An entity known as Western Mall Properties was formed that would complete the shopping center.

The first operational WESTERN MALL store, a 1-level (127,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, opened for business on October 3, 1968. Seven inline stores were dedicated on October 31st, with an additional eight commencing operation on November 14th. On March 5, 1969, a (60,000 square foot) Tempo Discount Center was inaugurated, followed by a (17,000 square foot) Walgreen Drug, which welcomed first shoppers on April 10th. A (40,000 square foot) Britts opened its doors on April 14th.

Charter inline stores included Three Sisters ladies' wear, Geyerman's ladies' wear, Osborn's men's wear, Brodies Home Appliances, Musicland records, Hubbard's Old-Fashioned Candy & Ice Cream Kupboard and Western Mall Liquors.

The ABC North Central Theatres West Mall Theatre showed its first feature on November 22, 1968. A second auditorium opened on December 25, 1974, with the venue renamed as the West Mall Theatres 1 & 2. The West Mall Theatres 1-2-3 debuted in 1984.

A South Wing was added to WESTERN MALL in the early 1970s. Encompassing  50,000 square feet and twenty-six stores, the South Wing was inaugurated on March 31, 1973. New stores and services included Western Mall Sporting Goods, Mall Pet Center, Satter Carpets, The Photo Sketch, Briar & Leaf Pipe & Tobacco Shop, Team Electronics and the Fireside Lounge cocktail bar. The Tempo store received a Tempo Buckeye nameplate in July 1974.

WESTERN MALL encountered its first competition in September 1975, when SIOUX EMPIRE PLAZA {.6 mile west, in Sioux Falls} was completed. SIOUX EMPIRE quickly established itself as the region's preeminent shopping center. Expansions completed in 1978 and 1988 increased its size to over 1 million leasable square feet.
 

Meanwhile, Britts at WESTERN MALL had closed. Sioux Falls-based Shriver's set up shop on March 25, 1979. Shriver's was in business until April 1986. The store was followed by a Richfield, Minnesota-based Best Buy, which began business on October 1, 1986. 

Tempo Buckeye had been shuttered in December 1978. Three supermarkets leased the store space during the 1980s. Phar-Mor Drug debuted on December 6, 1989. This store closed in August 1995. Best Buy renovated the structure, creating a downsized (40,000 square foot) store. They relocated into it in the fall of 1996.

WESTERN MALL had been in various stages of decline since the late 1970s. The situation had become critical by the late 1980s. Walgreen Drug, Hubbard's Kupboard and Geyerman's pulled up stakes during 1988. These store shutterings were followed by those for Wise Buy Foods and Toy-riffic, in February 1989, which left the mall 50-percent vacant.

Montgomery Ward had closed their WESTERN MALL store on July 29, 1981. It was followed by an Omaha-based (Gordmans) 1/2 Price Store, which was dedicated in March 1982. Later in the decade, store space in the southeast corner of the mall was reconfigured as a new movie house. The Midcontinent Theatres West Mall 7 showed first features on June 24, 1988. The 3-plex on the other side of the mall was shuttered.

A new mall owner came on the scene in the next decade. Bill Hinks, of Sioux Falls, bought the struggling shopping complex in 1996 and began to revitalize and retenant it. By August 2001, the 1/2 Price Store had pulled up stakes . The abandoned building was demolished and replaced by a 3-level (109,000 square foot), Fargo-based Scheels All Sports Megastore. This opened on August 1, 2002. In August 2005, the East Wing mallway was closed off. South Dakota Furniture Mart expanded into the space.

In the 2010s, Scheels All Sports was planning and executing a major expansion. Construction began in September 2012. The existing building was doubled in size, to 200,000 square feet, with a south side addition. The new store included a shooting gallery, mini-bowling alley various sports simulators (golf, baseball, football and hockey), and 45 foot-high ferris wheel. Moreover, lines of sporting goods, outdoor footwear and apparel were greatly expanded. Topping off the store's many features were Gramma Gina's Cafe and Starbucks Coffee. The 25 million dollar mercantile was dedicated in May 2014.

 

Bill Hinks sold WESTERN MALL to a joint venture of seven Sioux Falls-based investors. The SF Western Center, Limited Liability Company took possession in December 2021. At this time, the complex encompassed approximately 528,100 leasable square feet and housed fifty-one stores and services.

 

 Sources:

The Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
https://www.greetingsfromsiouxfalls.com
Minnehaha County, South Dakota property tax assessor website
https://www.bestbuy.com
https://www.lloydcompanies.com
http://www.scheels.com
https://www.cinematreasures.org                                    

Rapid City's Rushmore Mall 

The world-famous national monument stands 18 miles southwest of South Dakota's fourth major shopping mall. As the name would imply, the monument is the namesake of the shopping center.
Photo from Wikipedia / Jim Bowen  

 

RUSHMORE MALL, circa-1978. The complex encompassed approximately 493,000 leasable square feet and housed ninety-one store spaces. In addition, there were six bays in the Cafe Fare Food Court.  Free parking was provided for 2,800 autos. The "Future Development" area (in light gray) indicates the Sears anchor store that would open in September 1979.

RUSHMORE MALL TENANTS 1978:

J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon, Coffee Shop and attached Auto Center) / HERBERGER'S / SEARS (coming soon!) / Anthony's Restaurant / B. Dalton Bookseller / Bakers Shoes / Bette's ladies' wear / Big D Oil / Blackhills Waterbed / Brauns ladies' wear / Brooks Fashions / Buttrey's ladies' wear / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Claire's Boutique / Coach House Cards & Gifts / Crazy Top Shop / Crown Clothing / Crown Gallery Hallmark Cards & Gifts / Duling Optical / F & M Bootery / Fish Here Pet Shop / Foxy Lady / GNC / Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor / Hardee's hamburgers / House of Vision / Jeans West / Just Pants / Kinney Shoes / Leather Unlimited / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Maurices ladies' wear / Mr. Mark men's wear / Morrow's Nut House / Musicland records / National Bank of South Dakota / Nobil Shoes / Orange Julius / Osborn's men's wear / Osco Drug / Perpetual Savings & Loan / Petite Street / Plummer Piano & Organ / RCC Western Wear / Rapid City Clothing / Riddle's Keepsake Diamond Center / Rushmore 3 Cinemas / Security Realty / Seeley Men's Clothing / Shoppe for Pappagallo ladies' wear & fashion accessories / Size 5-7-9 Shops ladies' wear / Sizzlers Steak House / So-Fro Fabrics / Stevensons ladies' wear / Stuarts ladies' ready-to-wear / Terry Peak Ski & Sport / The Athlete's Foot / The Closet / The Jeanery / The Land of Oz Family Amusement Center / The Swiss Colony / Thom McAn Shoes / Tobacco Lodge / Toy Fair / Two Plus Two / Vanity Shop / Walk-In Beauty Shop / World Wide Imports Gifts & Jewelry / Young America / Young Generation   

CAFE FARE FOOD COURT:
Breslers 33 Flavors ice cream / Corn Dog Factory / Dairy Queen / Karmelkorn / Mr. Roastee Sandwich Shop / Taco, Etcetera / Tiffany's Bakery 

By 1993, the mall has been expanded on two occasions. A Northeast Wing -anchored by Target- was completed in October 1980. A Northwest Wing -and new Herberger's- were dedicated in July 1992. Scheels Sports moved into the original Herberger's space in April 1993. With these modifications, the mall's gross leasable area now stood at around 844,500 square feet, with 130 inline stores.

The mall's Main Entrance accesses the 14-bay Cafe Court. This culinary complex, dedicated in September 1992, was built in space previously taken by the in-mall Rushmore 3 multiplex.
Photo from the Washington Prime Group

Stores opening onto the East Court include Jewelry Etc. by Riddles, Francesca's and Claire's.

Photo from Wikipedia / "Mr. Satterly" 

J.C. Penney has anchored the shopping hub since August 1978. It was the first operational store.

Photo from Wikipedia / "Mr. Satterly" 

RUSHMORE MALL, circa-2014. The closing of  Scheels and Target, in 2008, created large vacancies. Dillard's was mentioned as a possible replacement for Target, but this never came to pass. Another farm implement retailer backed out of a leasing arrangement for the store space in July 2009.

It took 8 years, but a permanent tenant for the abandoned Target was finally found. Texas' At Home set up shop at RUSHMORE MALL in mid-2016.
Photo from http://rushmoremall.com

One vacant anchor is leased...then another is created. Herberger's crashed and burned as part of the Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy. The RUSHMORE MALL store went dark in August 2018.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Mr. Satterly"

 

Much has changed by the early 2020s. Planet Fitness moved into a portion of the old Scheels space in December 2015. Sears closed for good in April 2018, with Trader's Market taking its space. The mall's owner defaulted on loans in June 2018, with the complex being sold to a Texan firm in January 2022. 

The new owner renamed RUSHMORE MALL in April 2022. It would be known, henceforth, as UPTOWN RAPID.

Graphic from Rock Step Capital

RUSHMORE MALL
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). 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 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 original 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 on 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 building. 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 closings 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
https://http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
https://uptownrapid.com

https://www.kotatv.com

"Uptown Rapid" article on Wikipedia

Sioux Falls' Sioux Empire Plaza

The second major shopping complex in the Queen City of the West debuted in September 1975. The complex was originally promoted as SIOUX EMPIRE PLAZA (as seen in the top logo). By 1978, the logo -and mall name- had changed. The center would be known, henceforth, as THE EMPIRE.
Graphics from the General Growth Development Corporation

In its original state, SIOUX EMPIRE PLAZA encompassed approximately 516,000 leasable square feet and contained thirty-four stores under its roof. The 10 million dollar complex was anchored by Younkers and a boutique-type Herberger's. 

Drawing from the General Growth Development Corporation

A third anchor department store was dedicated in April 1976. J.C. Penney (in light gray) presided over the east side of the mall. SIOUX EMPIRE PLAZA now encompassed approximately 650,000 leasable square feet and housed fifty-seven tenants. There was free parking for 3,500 autos.

The mall was no more than 2 years old before an expansion was underway. It would add a Minnesota-based Dayton's and South Wing of inline stores (in medium gray). The addition was completed in August 1978. The mall now encompassed around 750,800 leasable square feet. Its tenant list had been expanded to seventy-nine stores.

THE EMPIRE TENANTS 1978:

YOUNKERS (with Beauty Salon and Younkers Restaurant)  / J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon, restaurant and freestanding Auto Center) / DAYTON'S / HERBERGER'S / OSCO DRUG / A & W Root Beer / The Art Store / All American Sub / Baker's Shoes / Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream / Bostwick's / Brook's Fashions / Burke's / Buttrey's ladies' wear / Candles 'N Things / Coach House Gifts / The County Seat / Cover To Cover / Crazy Top Shop / dg pac's / Dick Haler's Clocks / Eastwold Smoke Shop / Extra Touch / Fanny Farmer Candies / First Sioux Falls National Bank / Foxmoor Casuals / Flowerama / Gallenkamp Shoes / Gatsby's / GNC / Golden Hanger / Harold's Camera / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Home Federal Savings & Loan / Horwitz Jewelers / Hy Vee supermarket (outparcel) / JB's Big Boy Restaurant / Jay Vee ladies' wear / Jeans West / Jeanne's Fashion Fabrics / Karmelkorn / Kinney Shoes / Labelle's Catalog Showroom (outparcel) / LaVergne's Red Cross Shoes / Linda Lee's Cards & Gifts / The Living Room / Maurices ladies' wear / Michael's / Michael's Footnote / Nina Boutique / Orange Julius / Osborn's men's wear / Plaza Twin Theaters / Radio Shack / Record Shop / Regis Hairstylists / Riddle's Keepsake Jewelry Center / Scheel's Sporting Goods / Schmitt Music Centers / So-Fro Fabrics / Stuarts ladies' ready-to-wear / Susie's Casuals / Spencer Gifts / Taco Bandito / Team Electronics /  The Athlete's Foot / The Bottom Half  / The Land of Oz Family Amusement Center / Toy Fair / Two Plus Two / Vanity Shop / Waldenbooks / The Westerner / Wiener King / Wilson's Leather / Westmoor Music / Women's Corner / Young America / Zales Jewelers