Crossroads Mall Discussion

[nebugeater]

So is Chili's moving to westroads???

Nothing I have seen indicates this. I believe so far this is just rumor.

[Brad]

Mall at a crossroad

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10304358

Twenty years ago, Crossroads Mall unveiled a $40 million renovation and expansion project that included Nebraska's first Dillard's store, a 17-store north wing and a parking garage.

Some 83,000 shoppers visited the mall in the first 12 hours of the grand reopening. William Dillard, founder and president of the department store chain, attended the festivities, and store officials later said it was one of the company's most successful openings.

The scene today at Omaha's oldest enclosed shopping mall, though, is much different. Despite the opening of Target two years ago, Crossroads has struggled to keep spaces in the mall and the food court filled. The latest to depart will be Chili's restaurant, which is scheduled to close Wednesday afternoon.

A check of Crossroads Monday found 30 of 70 Crossroads storefronts unoccupied, along with eight of the mall's 10 food court spaces. A representative of Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, which owns the mall, said the company is committed to improving the mall and would consider nonretail use, such as office space.

Despite its location at the high-traffic intersection of 72nd and Dodge Streets, Crossroads' problem may be partly geographic, said Jason Fisher, vice president of sales and leasing at Lund Co., which tracks occupancy in Omaha-area shopping malls.

Westroads Mall, situated farther west on West Dodge Road and containing many popular national retailers and restaurants, essentially cuts off the western shopper from Crossroads, Fisher said. To someone who lives west of Interstate 680, Westroads is closer and has more stores, he said.

Trenton Magid of local commercial development company Coldwell Banker said the 72nd and Dodge Streets location is a good one, but "what they have right now is not working."

"Other than the stores that people can access from the outside — Target, Barnes & Noble and maybe Sears — there's no draw that brings people inside the mall," Magid said.

OWH IMAGE:

[bbinks]

For anyone interested,
tonight 4-8-08, on their 10 PM broadcast, KETV is having a story on Crossroads.

[Swift]

Where is that picture of Omaha By Design's idea for 72nd and Dodge?

[Brad]

Where is that picture of Omaha By Design's idea for 72nd and Dodge?

That's what I keep saying!!!

[ShawJ]

Where is that picture of Omaha By Design's idea for 72nd and Dodge?

That's what I keep saying!!!

Wow, quite the vision there. Sure is fun to fantasize about that for now.

That picture also makes me wish the city utilized the papio creek/keystone trail a bit more, if that would even be possible.

[Brad]

Mall's Decline Continues; City Leaders Want Answers

http://www.ketv.com/money/15828499/detail.html

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Chili's Grill and Bar at Crossroads Mall will shut down on Wednesday, capping a string of retail losses for the once-popular midtown mall.

The mall's 750,000-square feet opened a Target two years ago, but otherwise defy the growth of strip malls along the 72nd and Dodge streets corridor.

"It's just kind of slowly getting worse and worse," said Omaha City Councilman Jim Suttle.

Suttle sees a different source of the shrinkage.

"You have to pay attention to your property. You have to pay attention to your investment, and I really hope owners of the property -- the Simon Group in Indianapolis -- is doing that," Suttle said.

Executives from the Simon Group will be in Omaha on Thursday to meet with city officials about the future of Crossroads. Les Morris, with Simon Property Group, told KETV NewsWatch 7 that his company is committed to making Crossroads successful again, and that could mean changing it

"Let's dream, let's scheme, let's figure out what you don't have and what do you need to do," Suttle said.

Whatever happens at Crossroads Mall, city officials said they're ready to roll up their sleeves and help make it successful again. Mayor Mike Fahey said the busy intersection is just too critical.

"It's too important of a corner to give up on, and obviously, anybody who's done the math on the number of cars that pass that corner knows how viable that particular intersection is to the city of Omaha," Fahey said.

[joeglow]

Where is that picture of Omaha By Design's idea for 72nd and Dodge?

That's what I keep saying!!!

That was a waste of money. That idea is so friggin unrealistic, we could have better spent the money on some kid building his vision of Omaha on Sim City.

[Brad]

I bet that if Midtown Crossing was on this plan you would have thought that was impossible too!

Now is the perfect time to do it.... Crossroads is in the dumps. Family Fun Center, Kinko's, and Furniture Row all look like heck and 2 are for sale. They could at least build the north 1/2 and try to attract tenants from south of Dodge to move in and then buy out those buildings.

[Omaha Cowboy]

That was a waste of money. That idea is so friggin unrealistic, we could have better spent the money on some kid building his vision of Omaha on Sim City.

Coming from someone who is noted on this site to want to 'blow up Crossroads'..

This is rich..And typical expected rhetoric..

That said, I'm not the biggest fan of that overly optimistic and perhaps 'over the top' plan when it was introduced about 4 years ago..

What I'd take instead, is a non-lip service committed plan of improvement for the property from Simon Management..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

[OmahaJaysCU]

Where is that picture of Omaha By Design's idea for 72nd and Dodge?

That's what I keep saying!!!

That was a waste of money. That idea is so friggin unrealistic, we could have better spent the money on some kid building his vision of Omaha on Sim City.

What do you call 80 dodge? That is also an attempt to carry out this vision.

[Brad]

What do you call 80 dodge? That is also an attempt to carry out this vision.

And more directly, Piccolo Point!

[Brad]

Crossroads' Owner Says Mall Is Priority

http://www.ketv.com/money/15849719/detail.html

OMAHA, Neb. -- Crossroads Mall is a priority to its developer, the Omaha mayor's office said on Thursday.

Crossroads Mall has been in decline for years. On Wednesday, its last full-service restaurant closed.

On Thursday, Simon Property Group representatives met with Omaha city leaders to repeat their commitment to Crossroads and their intentions to make the property successful. They said they trying to find new businesses to occupy the vacancies in the mall.

[Erik]

deleted post: to illogical

[Brad]

That's the problem... They don't have answers because its not a priority with Simon!

[Erik]

There are about 4 things there that indicate the 'omaha by design' idea may be going forward..

[thenewguy]

what's that?

[Erik]

deleted post: to illogical

[Big E]

Wow... grasp for straws much?

Hopefully you're right, but it sounds to me like not much more than lip service.

-Big E

[Erik]

Wow... grasp for straws much?

Hopefully you're right, but it sounds to me like not much more than lip service.

-Big E

LOL, no actually it stuck out really loudly to me..

I really wasn't looking for the connection, it just clicked as I read on..

There, I fixed it :mrgreen:

[bbinks]

Simon should have made this effort about 5 years ago.

A day late and a dollar short as the saying goes....

Crossroads' Owner Says Mall Is Priority

http://www.ketv.com/money/15849719/detail.html

OMAHA, Neb. -- Crossroads Mall is a priority to its developer, the Omaha mayor's office said on Thursday.

Crossroads Mall has been in decline for years. On Wednesday, its last full-service restaurant closed.

On Thursday, Simon Property Group representatives met with Omaha city leaders to repeat their commitment to Crossroads and their intentions to make the property successful. They said they trying to find new businesses to occupy the vacancies in the mall.

[annad]

Dillard's at Crossroads is closing in August.

[Coyote]

Wow. That will hurt. Big time.

[joeglow]

Dillard's at Crossroads is closing in August.

HOLY |expletive|. They need to just demo the place and start again new. That is prime real estate and there is NO excuse for it to be failing like it is.

[Stargazer]

While this wouldn't surprise me... perhaps this is more suitable in the rumor section... until a solid source can corroborate the news.

Otherwise, I might just as well add that they're re-locating to the former Saddlecreek location of Target.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Rumor section? Have you been to that Dillard's lately? The second and third floors are closed off, all their clothing items are on close-out sale, there are huge signs plastered on the doors stating that the fixtures are for sale and that all sales are final, it smells musty, and there are no decorations on the walls.

[Stargazer]

No, I haven't been to Crossroads in general lately.

Well there you have it then... I'm a little surprised the paper hasn't had something by now... or did I miss that too?

[Omababe]

Dillard's at Crossroads is closing in August.

Oh really? That was a nice shop.

I know one problem, and that's absolutely no foot traffic thru the mall to Dillards! That northern concourse is a ghost town! Last time I was there (I was going to B&N) I parked in the structure for some reason and it was almost kinda creepy walking thru the vacant north wing!

[the1wags]

Crossroads is doomed. I tried to hold out hope, but a full mall revitalization isn't going to happen. Say hello to dentists offices, call centers, etc. Southroads central.

[Stargazer]

almost kinda creepy walking thru the vacant north wing!

That's probably nothing compared to the last time I walked in the parking garage... Simon seemed intent in letting every light fixture burn out in it... I'd almost think it could be a liability should there be an assault in there.

[Brad]

Say hello to dentists offices, call centers, etc. Southroads central.

I will be completely upset off if that happens! If it is going to be office, it needs to be completely torn down and done right. However, that is such a prime piece of real estate, I can't imagine why someone would be content to fill it with |expletive|.

[Omababe]

almost kinda creepy walking thru the vacant north wing!

That's probably nothing compared to the last time I walked in the parking garage... Simon seemed intent in letting every light fixture burn out in it... I'd almost think it could be a liability should there be an assault in there.

Yeah, somebody will hide under your car and cut your ankles!

[SarahEatsOmaha]

Yeah, somebody will hide under your car and cut your ankles!

I was pretty afraid of that for a while... and the flashing headlights of course. :shock:

[Omababe]

Yeah, somebody will hide under your car and cut your ankles!

I was pretty afraid of that for a while... and the flashing headlights of course. :shock:

LOL! I remember the Lights Out Omaha rumor back around 1990 or so!

[annad]

While this wouldn't surprise me... perhaps this is more suitable in the rumor section... until a solid source can corroborate the news.

Otherwise, I might just as well add that they're re-locating to the former Saddlecreek location of Target.

I wondered if it was better placed in the rumors section. My source is a lead department manager who has been at the store for several years.

[Stargazer]

As Burito suggested... it sounds like the 'writing is on the wall'.

[nebugeater]

As Burito suggested... it sounds like the 'writing is on the wall'.

Better call the graffiti task force!

[OmahaJaysCU]

almost kinda creepy walking thru the vacant north wing!

That's probably nothing compared to the last time I walked in the parking garage... Simon seemed intent in letting every light fixture burn out in it... I'd almost think it could be a liability should there be an assault in there.

Yeah, somebody will hide under your car and cut your ankles!

And it would have to be your car too, because if you were there it would be the only one in the garage.

[michaelsjewel]

to me...i honestly think crossroads can be saved on one condition...and one condition only...

because it's so close to westroads, it makes no sense for crossroads to have the same exact stores as westroads....
i even think that the dillard court is quite pretty in crossroads.... so style really isn't it either....

crossroads needs NEW, DIFFERENT STORES! - stores that aren't found at westroads.... the management needs to work on attracting stores that omaha doesn't have...promising for remodel and getting tenants that would attract even more people....

what ever happened to MACY'S coming to omaha? dillards closing there would allow for macy's to go in.....that alone would bring in traffic!

or....what ever happened to the SAKS coming either? those 2 stores...would be HUGE!

then stores that would be attracted to that could follow suit...

turning crossroads into office space would be just plain dumb! if you're going to do that, tear the place down and build some office buildings. but i don't think crossroads is so bad that it needs to be torn down....

so.....TOTALLY remodel the thing! - make it modern....heck...westroads has that tacky torquose and mauve theme, sorta 80ish.... perhaps remodeling and making crossroads more upscale....with the addition of either MACY's, or SAKS, or both.....would improve it....bring in some other little stores that are unique...and viola....totally remodel the parking lots and make it more....green as well! (more grass)

it can be done, takes money and planning, but if they're serious about saving a mall....why not?

or.....my previous thought was to demolish crossroads.....
and also demolish some crappy property west of 480.....and turn that into an exit for a DOWNTOWN MALL! - at least then downtown area could thrive on high-class shopping therapy and bring more people to live down there.

[Brad]

http://www.ketv.com/money/16956292/detail.html

OMAHA, Neb. -- Dillard's at Crossroads Mall is closing next month, a spokeswoman said on Monday.

Crossroads Mall has struggled over the years to keep retailers. Chili's Restaurant closed in April and Crossroads owner, the Simon Group, then told KETV NewsWatch 7 that they were committed to revitalizing the property.

A Dillard's spokeswoman said the Crossroads store is one of 13 Dillard's that will close this year.

"Dillard’s has been a good tenant at our mall for many years," Crossroads Mall said in a statement. "While we are sorry to learn that Dillard’s Department Stores has made the corporate decision to close a number of their stores across the country, including the Dillard’s at Crossroads Mall, we view this moving forward as an opportunity to enhance our retail offerings by bringing a new tenant to our mall that will continue to serve the needs of our shoppers.

There is a lot of interest in what happens to the mall property.

"In the next five to 10, years the population in this immediate area should explode," Redfield said.

Omaha By Design has drawn up a vision of what the corridor will eventually look like. It includes high-density development that includes residential, apartments, condos and retail in a pedestrian-friendly area. The vision still includes Crossroads Mall, but there are concerns from city officials and other developers who said that Crossroads -- or at least the site -- needs to do well. Leaders said its success will have an impact on surrounding development.