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I read a few months ago on here that Westroads was considering moving its food court to the vacant old Younkers building and luring Cheesecake factory. Today, someone I know who knows a "connected" person at Westroads confirmed that the mall is considering moving the food court to the old Younkers building and is actively recruiting the cheesecake factory to move into 1/2 of the current food court space. The source also said that the mall was considering moving TFI Fridays to a stand alone building on the NW corner of the mall as well as building an extension of the mall to the north where the current TGI Fridays location is, as well as building a connecting parking garage. The north mall extension and parking garage may be a "wish list" only. But from what I heard today as well as the post on here from several months ago, Westroads is definetely pursuing Cheesecake factory and considering moving the foodcourt.

Doesn't surprise me about the TGI Fridays news... anyone who has driven by will have noticed that they've added to the property on the northwest corner by altering the intersection.

TGI Fridays does have an awful location. They are normally a highly visible operation in other markets. Would make sense to move them.

Relocating the food court and adding another wing could allow for another anchor store at Westroads, further solidifying its super-regional mall status..

Locating Cheesecake Factory there makes a lot of sense given the location, demographics and General Growth's involvement with Cheesecake Factory in West Des Moines.

A cheesecake factory in Omaha would be great. I've eaten there once in Chicago and it was awesome!

I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants, but I did get a chance to eat at a Cheesecake Factory when I was out in Baltimore with Rob. It was actually really good. I would welcome one in Omaha.

It looks from the outside like SEVERAL different projects are going on at Westroads!!!

The big one.... The entrance is closed at at the former Younkers entrance and ASBESTOS REMOVAL crews were taking equipment in:


The westroads MAT transit center:



Is JC Penny being remodeled?

Is JC Penny being remodeled?

From the Shadow Lake story a week ago...

"We are really making a visible change in all our J.C. Penney stores in Omaha."

Renovations at the Omaha stores are to begin next week...

Although I'm intrigued by their preparations to 'dazzle' us at the old Younkers entrance.  :)

...and I guess I forgot about this transit center?  Nice.

That transit center is not very dazzling. Someone with a little more progressive vision needs to be put in charge ot MAT. Although I admire the choice of having Leo Daly do the design.

I'm hearing from my sources that the work on younkers is for the future movie theater.  Also, DSW (Direct Shoe Warehouse - I think that's what it stands for) will be opening a store in westroads.

Is that even a secret anymore?  It is definitely a movie theater...

Good to see you posting again omahapropertymanager.

In propertymanager's defense... he did say... 'the future movie theater'.

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:That transit center is not very dazzling. Someone with a little more progressive vision needs to be put in charge ot MAT. Although I admire the choice of having Leo Daly do the design.

I agree.  MUCH better choice than Hopelessy Demands Remodel.

Listen to KFAB tomorrow, Trenton and Jeff from Grow Omaha are going to be on and release Very Exciting News about major new Tenants and Renovations.

KETV announced tonight that a 14 screen movie theatre is moving in to the former Younkers location.  No completion date was announced.

Yep, Rave Motion Pictures will be the theatre.  It's good to have some other companies other than AMC and Douglas Theatres.

Website seems to be down, but here it is anyway:
http://www.ravemotionpictures.com/

It's good to have some other companies other than AMC and Douglas Theatres.

Omaha has the Great Escape Theater in Sorensen Plaza.

Uffda wrote:

It's good to have some other companies other than AMC and Douglas Theatres.

Omaha has the Great Escape Theater in Sorensen Plaza.

Star Cinema in CB

Coming soon: More screens, not more movies

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... id=2384907

The arrival next year of Rave Motion Pictures into the Omaha area movie-theater market will push the number of screens showing first-run films to 140.

On Wednesday the first-run theaters were showing about 30 titles, with dollar theaters showing another 14, and the IMAX at the Henry Doorly Zoo offering three nature films.

The new multiplexes would be unlikely to increase the number of titles showing, because screens are usually devoted to the same popular films. "Spider-Man 3," for example, was on 35 first-run screens in the metro area, more than a quarter of the total.

I like that design, it's very modern and hip.

Now, I think Westroads needs another parking structure on the west side of the mall.  I mean, 3 popular restaurants (PF Changs, Cheese Cake Factory, Granite City) sit along the perimeter of the future site.  Another 2-3 story parking garage will cure the parking situation I think.

i think they should just take the parking garage from crossroads lol....

drew89 wrote:i think they should just take the parking garage from crossroads lol....

Heh.  That made me chuckle.

Westroads adjusts with changing marketplace

Omaha World Herald wrote:The mall is adding three popular national junior and women's clothing retailers - Deb, Delia's and Forever 21 - and embarking on a redesign of its northwest entry. Several existing stores plan to remodel or expand. Westroads, which opened at 102nd Street and West Dodge Road on Aug. 15, 1968, has continued to thrive because it has evolved along with retailing trends and consumer tastes, Creighton University marketing professor Natalie Adkins said in a 2003 World-Herald story.

Unique tenants help Westroads compete with newer, outdoor malls, such as Village Pointe at 168th Street and West Dodge Road, and Shadow Lake Towne Center, scheduled to officially open later this month near Highway 370 and 72nd Street in Papillion. Among several national retailers and restaurants whose only Nebraska locations are or will be at Westroads Mall are the Sharper Image, P.F. Chang's, Delia's and Forever 21.

J.C. Penney is installing new flooring and lighting and renovating its salon, optical and catalog departments. The work is scheduled to be completed in August. Clothing store Charlotte Russe is completing a remodel of its space, and Champs Sports will renovate this summer. T.G.I. Friday's, Nails & Spa and Kay Jewelers are expanding.

Wow.  Forever 21 and Delia's (mostly Forever 21) are great gets for Omaha.  I know a lot of my female friends LOVE that store.

and still my favorite Westroads store - The Afternoon





on Westroads adaptability, it doesn't hurt to have very affluent neighborhoods nearby, which is why it would still be the best mall if Omaha were to get a more upscale dept. store (Nordstrom's Macy's, etc.) and is also why the Younkers hop-scotch eliminate an anchor move creases me.  I'm glad Westroads is getting a theater back though.

I walked the mall today at Westroads and took a peek though a hole in the black paper covering the door of former Younkers department store lower lever.  A young man, an mall employer, surprised me.

I learned from him, the internal of the former department will be demolished.  The lower lever will have new stores. The upper lever will have the 14 screen movie (Rave) theatres built up and out into the parking lot. New small stores will be built between the mall and Theatres. The Theatres entrance will face the parking lot. There will be no mall entrance for the Theatres. The theatres constructions will begin in six months.

He knows about 14 new stores are coming.

SaOmaha wrote: There will be no mall entrance for the Theatres.

Aarrgh!!   What's the point of destroying an anchor plot to not have a mall entrance?   Why not just build the damn theater out parcel like Macaroni & PF Chang's?

nebport5 wrote:

SaOmaha wrote: There will be no mall entrance for the Theatres.

Aarrgh!!   What's the point of destroying an anchor plot to not have a mall entrance?   Why not just build the darn theater out parcel like Macaroni & PF Chang's?

nebport5 your have a good point.  A hall could be built between the center of westroads and the north parking lot. Why no mall entrance for the movie theater? Simple. Who wants late night movie goers to  run around the mall after all the stores closed?  It could be a liability and a security risk. [Some people like to make trouble and don’t know any better]


Why not built Movie Theater out in parking lot?
1. It will take out a lot of parking
2. Movie Theater would require more parking. That means more competition between late afternoon & evening shoppers and the movie goers for fewer parking spots.
3. Still have the problem to fill that anchor plot, the former Younkers Department Store.

Do you buy my arguments?

SaOmaha wrote:

nebport5 wrote:

SaOmaha wrote: There will be no mall entrance for the Theatres.

Aarrgh!!   What's the point of destroying an anchor plot to not have a mall entrance?   Why not just build the darn theater out parcel like Macaroni & PF Chang's?

nebport5 your have a good point.  A hall could be built between the center of westroads and the north parking lot. Why no mall entrance for the movie theater? Simple. Who wants late night movie goers to  run around the mall after all the stores closed?  It could be a liability and a security risk. [Some people like to make trouble and don?t know any better]


Why not built Movie Theater out in parking lot?
1. It will take out a lot of parking
2. Movie Theater would require more parking. That means more competition between late afternoon & evening shoppers and the movie goers for fewer parking spots.
3. Still have the problem to fill that anchor plot, the former Younkers Department Store.

Do you buy my arguments?

No(but nice try )


If I'm general growth I'd want to maximize foot traffic from theater goers spilling over into the mall.  Now that there's no need to step foot inside Westroads to go to the theater, many people probably won't.  I'm not advocating an out parcel theater, I'm just annoyed with the destruction of an anchor plot.  In all honesty the mall could probably use more parking, esp. with the new theater which will require more parking anyway.  If I own a mall where businesses must compete for parking, that's a sign that maybe I ought to build more.

If the theater is worried about late night hooligans, it would be very easy to close the mall entrance after hours.  I've seen this set up in many other malls with theaters.

As far a filling the anchor plot, retail has been in a down slump and once the market "recovers" as they say I'm sure it would be no problem filling that vacancy.  To get an upper scale department store(like many on here want) Westroads I believe provided the best chance.   Could you imagine a Nordstrom's going in at Crossroads or Chokeview?  Village Point would've been the next most logical place but I can't see that happening anytime soon with the current layout.  I know Shadow Lake has been rumored too, but not the way this project was scaled down.

It would be nice if they'd make a nice little pedestrian walkway between the mall and restaurants as well... perhaps with some small water features.

Stargazer wrote:It would be nice if they'd make a nice little pedestrian walkway between the mall and restaurants as well... perhaps with some small water features.

that reminds me a bit of Jordan Creek's nice layout.

Stargazer wrote:It would be nice if they'd make a nice little pedestrian walkway between the mall and restaurants as well... perhaps with some small water features.

For a part of the year they have this, It is called ICE

This reminds me...  I'm hoping that we get something like West Glen Town Center in West Des Moines.  We went there a few days ago.  The look is very cool.  The streets are narrow, the architecture and colors interesting, many of the stores are local, and they have incorporated above street level condos and offices.
http://www.westglentowncenter.com/

Unfortunately I can't find any photos on their website.  Maybe someone can find some online.

Jeff Beals Said on Saturday Morning that DSW is coming to Westroads and will be located on the lower lever by JC Penny.

DSW shoe store is coming to Westroads

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10054593

Westroads Mall will add a DSW shoe store in September.

DSW will open a 14,700- square-foot store on the first level next to J.C. Penney, according to Alie Hrabe, Westroads marketing manager.

Hrabe called the store "an ideal addition to the center."

First opened in Ohio, DSW now has 233 stores nationwide, including one at Village Pointe in Omaha.

Stores typically display 30,000 pairs of shoes, with new styles arriving weekly.

Hrabe said the Westroads location will include a lounge area with televisions broadcasting sports and news, soft lighting and jazz music.

The old Younkers is comming down

I was up eating lunch at Granite City and there was some heavy equipment tearing in to the old building.

It's too bad they trashed the helipad years back... you could have flown your chopper in for lunch

Stargazer wrote:It's too bad they trashed the helipad years back... you could have flown your chopper in for lunch

To my knowledge only two people ever used the helipad.

Santa and Willy Theisen.

Does the Westroads Mall still generate its own electricity?

D

Today I went out to Westroads for an Indoor walk. First I drove around the North side.
The Northwest corner of Old Younkers store is now gone.







While walking around the upper lever, I took these photos.




The bottom of Theater pictures reads
- Open Summer 2008
- The Ultimate Stadium Theater
- Digital Projection
- Four Feet Between every Row
- Giant Wall to Wall Screen