Oak View Mall (144 & West Center Rd)

[djc311]

I used to hit up Oak View Mall's Food Court for the occasional lunch when I was craving Amigos. It was the only Amigos in West Omaha for the longest time (the only other Omaha Amigos back then was 84th & Dodge). I also ate at Champs Americana a few times back in the day. I seem to recall the food was good (for my 1990s palate), but the service was consistently inattentive.

Champs was awesome, at least for food. For some reason I remember their restaurant being one of the first great sports-bar restaurants in the area... before BWW and all of these others started moving in.

It's disappointing to see these structurally sound facilities be torn down when at one time they were pretty damn cool (both Crossroads and Oakview). With the amount of time Crossroads has taken to develop I still don't have high hopes for what ends up happening there. As a lot of you have pointed out, Crossroads is not going to become what everyone thought or wanted.

[mrsticka]

The only places in the food court I remember were Burger King, Arby's and Runza. I may never have eaten in Oak View's food court, but I walked past it plenty of times.

[Cermak]

Champs was really fun and usually packed. Back then the mall was the place to be in West Omaha. It was better than Westroads for a while.

[ChadJK]

Champs was really fun and usually packed. Back then the mall was the place to be in West Omaha. It was better than Westroads for a while.

Definitely. The natural light alone made Oak View feel new and energetic compared to Westroads. It was quite the place to be in the mid 1990s. The downside to all of that natural light is that in the winter when it's dark by 5 then Oak View was a little too dark inside. They didn't have enough interior lighting in the mall to compensate when there wasn't sunlight pouring through all of those skylights.

Remember when the glass sections of floor had water moving under it?

[mrsticka]

Does anyone have any pictures of Oak View from when it first opened in 1991?

[djc311]

Champs was really fun and usually packed. Back then the mall was the place to be in West Omaha. It was better than Westroads for a while.

Definitely. The natural light alone made Oak View feel new and energetic compared to Westroads. It was quite the place to be in the mid 1990s. The downside to all of that natural light is that in the winter when it's dark by 5 then Oak View was a little too dark inside. They didn't have enough interior lighting in the mall to compensate when there wasn't sunlight pouring through all of those skylights.

Remember when the glass sections of floor had water moving under it?

For some reason I don't remember water - however, I definitely remember some of the super cool neon shapes under the glass floor. Felt like I was in an episode of Saved by the Bell!

[TransitOriented]

Does anyone have any pictures of Oak View from when it first opened in 1991?

It's pretty much the exact same now except for the fountain in front of the central elevators. They never remodeled.

[ChadJK]

Does anyone have any pictures of Oak View from when it first opened in 1991?

It's pretty much the exact same now except for the fountain in front of the central elevators. They never remodeled.

Also, back in 1991 there were actually people in the mall.

[omaha79]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant. They were built well. Crossroads being torn down is actually an outlier here and really only happened because you had a developer that was really pushing the city to do so along with the fact that it is actually on an extremely valuable plot of land on one of the busiest intersections in the city. The Center and Southroads didn't have real estate that was as heavily in demand, or in demand at all in the case of Southroads. So, they limp on in altered forms. I don't believe that the land Oak View sits on is as valuable as the land Crossroads or Westroads sits on. The mall has often struggled with visibility. And, the new money in Elkhorn isn't motivated to go to older Millard to shop or socialize. That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd. So, Oak View, as a facility, will limp on in some form or another as there is no motivation to raze it.

Luckily, we haven't seen a mall truly decay like some cities have. We've found ways to use them, even if they are somewhat of an eyesore at times.

[ChadJK]

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

[TransitOriented]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant.

No one is actually talking about tearing it down. It's still alive with shops and a food court (albeit not all name brand).

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

I often get confused when I see the Crossroads and Do Space threads in the Suburban subforum

[Greg S]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant.

No one is actually talking about tearing it down. It's still alive with shops and a food court (albeit not all name brand).

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

I often get confused when I see the Crossroads and Do Space threads in the Suburban subforum

The food court is on life support. Both El Alambre and Chicago Dog 42 have closed.

It would be nice if they could tear down part of the mall for some sort of renovation. Someone mentioned Grand Island and I would like to see some apartments added. Maybe more like MetroNorth in KC. They left Macy's standing from the mall but tore the rest out. You could do the same with Dillard's. If they are committed to staying because they own the store, then this might work. Them owning the store is the only reason I can see why they haven't moved to the old Younkers space at Westroads.

Greg

[omaha79]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant.

No one is actually talking about tearing it down. It's still alive with shops and a food court (albeit not all name brand).

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

I often get confused when I see the Crossroads and Do Space threads in the Suburban subforum

It is alive today, but on life support.

It makes sense to think longer term about uses for this facility now. It's going to be a very different reality for Oak View in 5, 10, 15 years. And, being proactive today for its future beyond retail will make all the difference in it having some purpose vs. sitting totally empty and rotting like some malls in other cities have.

[NEDodger]

I just don’t see the slumlord owner who currently manages Oak View turning it around. It’ll be something else in 5 to 10 years.

[Omaha Cowboy]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant.

No one is actually talking about tearing it down. It's still alive with shops and a food court (albeit not all name brand).

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

I often get confused when I see the Crossroads and Do Space threads in the Suburban subforum

It is alive today, but on life support.

It makes sense to think longer term about uses for this facility now. It's going to be a very different reality for Oak View in 5, 10, 15 years. And, being proactive today for its future beyond retail will make all the difference in it having some purpose vs. sitting totally empty and rotting like some malls in other cities have.

Omaha79 and I have had a long running discussion and sometimes debate over Oakview Mall in this thread. I’ve taken the cup half full stance, but the reality is, he is right. Once the real shoe falls (if/when Dillard’s leaves for Westroads) the retail mall component will be completely cooked..and ready for transformation. Into what I’m not sure. But some sort of hybrid for service and maybe a food/little retail element for workers..

The surrounding area of the Oakview Mousetrap has actually had some small victories as of late..

It’ll be interesting to see what this morphs into the next 10 or so years…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Garrett]

The city could do some really bold things with Oak View if there was the money and motivation for it. 144th could turn into a fairly urban corridor if the dominos all fell in the right place

[omaha79]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant.

No one is actually talking about tearing it down. It's still alive with shops and a food court (albeit not all name brand).

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

I often get confused when I see the Crossroads and Do Space threads in the Suburban subforum

It is alive today, but on life support.

It makes sense to think longer term about uses for this facility now. It's going to be a very different reality for Oak View in 5, 10, 15 years. And, being proactive today for its future beyond retail will make all the difference in it having some purpose vs. sitting totally empty and rotting like some malls in other cities have.

Omaha79 and I have had a long running discussion and sometimes debate over Oakview Mall in this thread. I’ve taken the cup half full stance, but the reality is, he is right. Once the real shoe falls (if/when Dillard’s leaves for Westroads) the retail mall component will be completely cooked..and ready for transformation. Into what I’m not sure. But some sort of hybrid for service and maybe a food/little retail element for workers..

The surrounding area of the Oakview Mousetrap has actually had some small victories as of late..

It’ll be interesting to see what this morphs into the next 10 or so years…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

I've never really wanted to be right about this. Malls were something I grew up with and have a fascination with. but, I've seen the neglect and decay that sets in when slum lord owners get their hands on a property. I've seen how retailers have little appetite for yesterdays property and are always looking for the new place to put their stores that is seen as fresh. And, combine the national trend away from indoor malls and retail in general and you have a black hole of inertia that few would win against. It's frustrating to me every time a new retail spot is announced further west because it always comes at a cost of something that already exists. And, that's the dirty secret that development proponents never want to look at.

[Louie]

If the Dead Mall Playbook I've often referenced tells us anything, the structure of Oak View will live on for years if not decades. It'll be repurposed into a data center or office spaces. The reality is the cost of tearing these facilities down is exorbitant.

No one is actually talking about tearing it down. It's still alive with shops and a food court (albeit not all name brand).

That far east is basically Iowa for the +200th St. crowd..

As someone who lives >200th street this is a little bit true. lol My definition of West Omaha is very different from what the downtown/midtown crowd use.

I often get confused when I see the Crossroads and Do Space threads in the Suburban subforum

It is alive today, but on life support.

It makes sense to think longer term about uses for this facility now. It's going to be a very different reality for Oak View in 5, 10, 15 years. And, being proactive today for its future beyond retail will make all the difference in it having some purpose vs. sitting totally empty and rotting like some malls in other cities have.

Omaha79 and I have had a long running discussion and sometimes debate over Oakview Mall in this thread. I’ve taken the cup half full stance, but the reality is, he is right. Once the real shoe falls (if/when Dillard’s leaves for Westroads) the retail mall component will be completely cooked..and ready for transformation. Into what I’m not sure. But some sort of hybrid for service and maybe a food/little retail element for workers..

The surrounding area of the Oakview Mousetrap has actually had some small victories as of late..

It’ll be interesting to see what this morphs into the next 10 or so years…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

I've never really wanted to be right about this. Malls were something I grew up with and have a fascination with. but, I've seen the neglect and decay that sets in when slum lord owners get their hands on a property. I've seen how retailers have little appetite for yesterdays property and are always looking for the new place to put their stores that is seen as fresh. And, combine the national trend away from indoor malls and retail in general and you have a black hole of inertia that few would win against. It's frustrating to me every time a new retail spot is announced further west because it always comes at a cost of something that already exists. And, that's the dirty secret that development proponents never want to look at.

Yep, there is always a cannibalization happening with these. I think the lack of distinct retailers between them all is the main component.

[bbinks]

I used to hit up Oak View Mall's Food Court for the occasional lunch when I was craving Amigos. It was the only Amigos in West Omaha for the longest time (the only other Omaha Amigos back then was 84th & Dodge). I also ate at Champs Americana a few times back in the day. I seem to recall the food was good (for my 1990s palate), but the service was consistently inattentive.

I recall one on 90th & Fort. Not sure about the timing. Moved into an old Rax.

[NEDodger]

I used to hit up Oak View Mall's Food Court for the occasional lunch when I was craving Amigos. It was the only Amigos in West Omaha for the longest time (the only other Omaha Amigos back then was 84th & Dodge). I also ate at Champs Americana a few times back in the day. I seem to recall the food was good (for my 1990s palate), but the service was consistently inattentive.

I recall one on 90th & Fort. Not sure about the timing. Moved into an old Rax.

The Amigos was next to Abrahams branch and was built from the ground up. There was a Dee-lites at the NE corner of 90th and Fort that may have been a Rax beforehand?

[bbinks]

I used to hit up Oak View Mall's Food Court for the occasional lunch when I was craving Amigos. It was the only Amigos in West Omaha for the longest time (the only other Omaha Amigos back then was 84th & Dodge). I also ate at Champs Americana a few times back in the day. I seem to recall the food was good (for my 1990s palate), but the service was consistently inattentive.

I recall one on 90th & Fort. Not sure about the timing. Moved into an old Rax.

The Amigos was next to Abrahams branch and was built from the ground up. There was a Dee-lites at the NE corner of 90th and Fort that may have been a Rax beforehand?

I recall the Rax before Amigos. Taco Bell went into the old Amigos. Tore it down for a rebuild afterwards. D'Lites became a Hardee's then Pizza Hut. Now another Mega Saver

[Greg S]

I used to hit up Oak View Mall's Food Court for the occasional lunch when I was craving Amigos. It was the only Amigos in West Omaha for the longest time (the only other Omaha Amigos back then was 84th & Dodge). I also ate at Champs Americana a few times back in the day. I seem to recall the food was good (for my 1990s palate), but the service was consistently inattentive.

I recall one on 90th & Fort. Not sure about the timing. Moved into an old Rax.

The Amigos was next to Abrahams branch and was built from the ground up. There was a Dee-lites at the NE corner of 90th and Fort that may have been a Rax beforehand?

I recall the Rax before Amigos. Taco Bell went into the old Amigos. Tore it down for a rebuild afterwards. D'Lites became a Hardee's then Pizza Hut. Now another Mega Saver

Crossroads food court had an Amigo's for a time too. I think it was dead center and replaced maybe Paltani's that was there when the food court first opened?

[TransitOriented]

I used to hit up Oak View Mall's Food Court for the occasional lunch when I was craving Amigos. It was the only Amigos in West Omaha for the longest time (the only other Omaha Amigos back then was 84th & Dodge). I also ate at Champs Americana a few times back in the day. I seem to recall the food was good (for my 1990s palate), but the service was consistently inattentive.

I recall one on 90th & Fort. Not sure about the timing. Moved into an old Rax.

The Amigos was next to Abrahams branch and was built from the ground up. There was a Dee-lites at the NE corner of 90th and Fort that may have been a Rax beforehand?

I recall the Rax before Amigos. Taco Bell went into the old Amigos. Tore it down for a rebuild afterwards. D'Lites became a Hardee's then Pizza Hut. Now another Mega Saver

Crossroads food court had an Amigo's for a time too. I think it was dead center and replaced maybe Paltani's that was there when the food court first opened?

Mall of the Bluffs also had an Amigo's

[mrsticka]

Dillard's and Younker's both had their own wings that led to them, but JCPenney's and Sears didn't. But what if they did? This is what I came up with. The original vs. my concept. If Oak View Mall was originally built this way in 1991, would it be doing better today?

[Garrett]

It would certainly have more stores currently sitting empty

[mrsticka]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

[Greg S]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

I always thought 2 things really hurt the mall, and one thing on the full area.

The mall: should have built wings like you said when they added anchor stores. Crossroads did it with Dillards. Westroads with Von Maur. If they had, they might have become the top mall for that time over Westroads. They did briefly when they opened, but once Westroads went through it's major remodel, including the food court, they took the title back. Two, they really needed to land a unique to market anchor. Again, Crossroads brought Dillard's in, Westroads Von Maur. Oakview really could have used Jones Store or Dayton Hudson. Even tried for Von Maur before Westroads.

The area. That whole bit of land was just so poorly developed. When it was busy, the traffic was awful. Throw in how hap hazard the layout is for the surrounding stores and pads. You literally have to get in your car multiple times if going from one to the other. There's no cohesion.

Greg

[mrsticka]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

Oakview really could have used Jones Store or Dayton Hudson.
Greg

Or Macy's for that matter. Too bad they never opened any stores here in Nebraska. If Crossroads had a Macy's instead of a Younker's, maybe it might have been able to keep up with Westroads competition-wise. Oak View, same thing. Gateway Mall in Lincoln could've also had a Macy's. Same with Conestoga Mall in Grand Island. They should've had Macy's stores.

[Greg S]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

Oakview really could have used Jones Store or Dayton Hudson.
Greg

Or Macy's for that matter. Too bad they never opened any stores here in Nebraska. If Crossroads had a Macy's instead of a Younker's, maybe it might have been able to keep up with Westroads competition-wise. Oak View, same thing. Gateway Mall in Lincoln could've also had a Macy's. Same with Conestoga Mall in Grand Island. They should've had Macy's stores.

At that time Macy's didn't really have any stores in the region. I picked ones where they wouldn't have to build a new distribution center. Westroads would have a Macy's now if the Jones Store had lasted longer. It was owned by the May Department Store company, which a few years after closing the Westroads store was bought by Federated. Federated converted all the former Jones Stores into Macy's at that time.

[mrsticka]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

I always thought 2 things really hurt the mall, and one thing on the full area.

The mall: should have built wings like you said when they added anchor stores. Crossroads did it with Dillards.

Greg

When Crossroads added that new wing that led to Dillard's, it was 2 floors. But they kept the original east-west wing between Sears and Brandeis (which became a Younker's in the late 80's) as only 1 floor. They should've built the second floor above it when they added the Dillard's wing. That would've made more sense. At least I think so.

[Greg S]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

I always thought 2 things really hurt the mall, and one thing on the full area.

The mall: should have built wings like you said when they added anchor stores. Crossroads did it with Dillards.

Greg

When Crossroads added that new wing that led to Dillard's, it was 2 floors. But they kept the original east-west wing between Sears and Brandeis (which became a Younker's in the late 80's) as only 1 floor. They should've built the second floor above it when they added the Dillard's wing. That would've made more sense. At least I think so.

Possibly. I was working there during summers along with winter and thanksgiving breaks during college. Remember, during the initial remodel and expansion, the Dillard's wing wasn't even part of the plans. They were redoing the external part of the mall, the interior space, and building an expansion to the south of the center part. If memory serves, a store called The Avenue was the primary tenant in the new area on the south side, which became Kids R Us and later Old Navy.
They built right over the old arcade/2 screen movie theater. Then right as that got under way, they landed Dillard's. I think the food court was also part of the initial part.

One thing on your plans I don't know of, was could they build on top of the initial part between, Brandeis/Younkers and Sears. Would it support a 2nd floor?

Greg

[Dusty]

I wonder outside of Mall of America, if any malls have tried to convert mall space for an indoor theme park. Realistically, I don't see Omaha ever getting a full size theme park. Way too much competition with surrounding cities.

Completely renovate Oakview and build a smaller scale park for kids like Peony Park used to be. No roller coasters or thrill rides. Bust out the storefronts and make space for all the kids rides. Use the anchors for dark rides like slow moving boat rides, arcade style, etc. For me, The Black Hole was my favorite ride at Peony Park. With the right theming, it could be a fun amusement center.

I don't know...I'm always full of ideas. HA!

[Garrett]

I wonder outside of Mall of America, if any malls have tried to convert mall space for an indoor theme park. Realistically, I don't see Omaha ever getting a full size theme park. Way too much competition with surrounding cities.

Completely renovate Oakview and build a smaller scale park for kids like Peony Park used to be. No roller coasters or thrill rides. Bust out the storefronts and make space for all the kids rides. Use the anchors for dark rides like slow moving boat rides, arcade style, etc. For me, The Black Hole was my favorite ride at Peony Park. With the right theming, it could be a fun amusement center.

I don't know...I'm always full of ideas. HA!

Yeah honestly I think you could even make Oakview into a big entertainment district type thing. Some sort of big stage/dance floor in the food court area, bunch of different bars and restaurants through the wings, and then use the department stores for… something? And then fill in the parking lots with apartments and mixed uses.

[Dusty]

Yeah honestly I think you could even make Oakview into a big entertainment district type thing. Some sort of big stage/dance floor in the food court area, bunch of different bars and restaurants through the wings, and then use the department stores for… something? And then fill in the parking lots with apartments and mixed uses.

I know a lot of malls are just converting the stores to condos and using the aisles as shared public space. But if you could bring a strong entertainment concept inside the mall, you create a district around it. Build a parking garage and fill in all the surface lots with mixed use development.

I was just at a mall in Sanford, FL. Reminded me a lot of Oak View. Many of the shops were closed. Escalators were shut down. Definitely a dying mall. One thing that was interesting was they converted one the anchors into this 2 floor entertainment spot. (Arcade, bowling, go karts, axe throwing, etc.)

Elev8
https://elev8fun.com/sanford/

[djc311]

Yeah honestly I think you could even make Oakview into a big entertainment district type thing. Some sort of big stage/dance floor in the food court area, bunch of different bars and restaurants through the wings, and then use the department stores for… something? And then fill in the parking lots with apartments and mixed uses.

I know a lot of malls are just converting the stores to condos and using the aisles as shared public space. But if you could bring a strong entertainment concept inside the mall, you create a district around it. Build a parking garage and fill in all the surface lots with mixed use development.

I was just at a mall in Sanford, FL. Reminded me a lot of Oak View. Many of the shops were closed. Escalators were shut down. Definitely a dying mall. One thing that was interesting was they converted one the anchors into this 2 floor entertainment spot. (Arcade, bowling, go karts, axe throwing, etc.)

Elev8
https://elev8fun.com/sanford/

An awesome use of space and a great concept.

Extremely expensive startup costs - would take probably $10 million to do a decent build out for that concept considering all of the equipment for bowling lanes, karts, etc. Definitely need deep pockets to make it happen. From the fly over video on the link it definitely looks like a good chunk of that mall is dead. Makes you wonder what type of lifespan guarantee they give to a business developer that dumps that kind of money into a space (ie, ok you're spending $10 million on this new business we won't sell the building or tear it down for a min of 20 years)?

Of course we have that Spare Time Entertainment that's doing a build out right now in the old Gordman's space on 170th & Center (won't have some of the attractions that this place has).

On a similar topic I feel Dave and Buster's is losing its appeal - although I noticed this year when we went for my daughter's annual birthday trip (at her request) that the inside of D&B had been updated a bit. However, traffic was minimal and IMO the place is expensive for what you get as far as food goes.

Oakview could be a good space for the above idea, but I don't see it happening - especially with the new place opening up about 2 miles west of there. Plus, Oakview kinda had a shot with a mixed use venue (well, bowling alley) when The Mark was over there. It didn't even last 5 years, did it?

[TransitOriented]

I wonder outside of Mall of America, if any malls have tried to convert mall space for an indoor theme park. Realistically, I don't see Omaha ever getting a full size theme park. Way too much competition with surrounding cities.

Similar idea in KC was just announced
https://www.kansascity.com/news/busines ... 99323.html

[mrsticka]

Yes, that's always a possibility. But at least JCPenney's and Sears would have their own wings.

I always thought 2 things really hurt the mall, and one thing on the full area.

The mall: should have built wings like you said when they added anchor stores. Crossroads did it with Dillards.

Greg

When Crossroads added that new wing that led to Dillard's, it was 2 floors. But they kept the original east-west wing between Sears and Brandeis (which became a Younker's in the late 80's) as only 1 floor. They should've built the second floor above it when they added the Dillard's wing. That would've made more sense. At least I think so.

Possibly. I was working there during summers along with winter and thanksgiving breaks during college. Remember, during the initial remodel and expansion, the Dillard's wing wasn't even part of the plans. They were redoing the external part of the mall, the interior space, and building an expansion to the south of the center part. If memory serves, a store called The Avenue was the primary tenant in the new area on the south side, which became Kids R Us and later Old Navy.
They built right over the old arcade/2 screen movie theater. Then right as that got under way, they landed Dillard's. I think the food court was also part of the initial part.

One thing on your plans I don't know of, was could they build on top of the initial part between, Brandeis/Younkers and Sears. Would it support a 2nd floor?

Greg

I don't see why not. They probably would've had to make some adjustments to the stores, but it probably could've been done.

[djc311]

I wonder outside of Mall of America, if any malls have tried to convert mall space for an indoor theme park. Realistically, I don't see Omaha ever getting a full size theme park. Way too much competition with surrounding cities.

Similar idea in KC was just announced
https://www.kansascity.com/news/busines ... 99323.html

Now that place looks like the |expletive|! Multi-level go karts... how cool is that!

[Dusty]

I wonder outside of Mall of America, if any malls have tried to convert mall space for an indoor theme park. Realistically, I don't see Omaha ever getting a full size theme park. Way too much competition with surrounding cities.

Similar idea in KC was just announced
https://www.kansascity.com/news/busines ... 99323.html

You are mixing my theme park comment with this other mega plex idea. To clarify, I will break down a few ideas. They all fall into the entertainment realm. All of them would cost a lot of money, but would be thrilling to get.

1. Indoor theme park. I was referring to doing a wimpy version of Nickelodeon Universe. When I say wimpy, that means no roller coasters. Imagine you took all the kids rides from Peony Park or World's of Fun Camp Snoopy in put them on the interior of the mall. Anchor stores could be bigger dark ride attractions. This could be arcade style: car goes around track while you use laser gun to shoot at targets. Could be slow moving boat ride like: It's a small World. Could be a Mirror maze. Could be a lot of things.

2. Entertainment megaplex. This is like the venue I mentioned like Elev8. Bowling, laser tag, mini golf, arcade, indoor carting all under one roof. The one in KC looks pretty cool too!

3. Kidzania. I mentioned this before in this thread. Mini city built for kids to explore and do odd jobs to get kids bucks. Good way for kids to try out different trades and professions. Parents hang out at the lounge as they are not allowed to intervene.

4. Attract a Great Wolf Lodge or something similar. One of anchors can be the indoor pool. Lots of room for resort style rooms and food court and activities.

5. Indoor Adventure center like in Grand Prairie, TX. May not be the room for this but looks fun!
https://bolderadventurepark.com/

[mrsticka]

Those seem like fun ideas. But is there any room of them at Oak View?