HskrFanMike wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 12:21 am
I think the beginning of the downturn of Oak View was when Champps Americana went belly-up due to a corporate reorganization. It was always packed on Friday and Saturday nights, and people frequently went shopping if they had a 45 minute wait. Village Point didn't help matters either.
That place had the biggest mountain of nachos plate I’ve ever seen. 25 years later, I still remember that monstrosity.
Champps was a good place. It usually had big crowds and was a good sized restaurant from what I remember. I can’t remember what year it closed but OakView never had a restaurant as successful as Champps again.
Yeah Champps was one of the few draws when that mall opened. Loved the food. We'd go there some for drinks too after dinner hour. It really was popular and kind of brutal that it got taken down with the corporate issues. Would probably still go there today if it was open and maintained the quality.
There's a part of me that felt as if Oak View and it's surround area were flawed from the start. First the mall had no real draw from the others malls in town. It started great and had a good first year or so. Then Westroads did their big upgrade and seemed to become the best mall again. I was working PT at Younkers then (I worked there during breaks in college and then part time as I moved into corporates world). The first year it was open the Oak View Younkers was the best in sales in town, with Westroads and Crossroads trailing. Younkers put a ton of money into that store (although it was smaller than the ones at Westroads and Crossroads). They expected it based on location to match their Valley West store in sales (a former Brandeis store) that was their dominant store in the late 80's into the 90's. After that first year Westroads retook it's spot. I lived in central Omaha then. Outside of Champps there really wasn't anything at Oak View that I couldn't find closer (other than Champps).
All the anchor stores were found at other malls and 3 of the 4 of them had bigger locations elsewhere in the metro. The traffic and how the surrounding stores and development was laid off was bad too. I remember the Hy Vee out there was touted like the one in Gretna is today. It had things in it like a Taco Bell express. That store too ended up a disappointment.
Obviously the whole retail world changed with online shopping. Enclosed malls became dinosaurs. I just saw were Macy's is closing another 150 stores over the next couple years. Been saying this for a while, Omaha doesn't need and long term won't support 2 malls.
I was in Oak View over the weekend. They had a comic book and sci-fi convention going on. Tons of people there, but only for that. The mall is in rough shape. I'd say under 50% leased at this point. It's giving strong Crossroads circa 2001 vibes right about now. Any notion that the mall component is worth saving is just a pipe dream now. It's one more lost anchor from being Crossroads circa 2010.
Brad wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 3:06 pm
Here you go. Put the NHL team at Oakview... LOL
Hockey rink inside a mall in Edmonton, Canada:
brick-invitational.jpeg
that's awesome!
The Coralville Mall (in Coralville, next to Iowa City for those unfamiliar) has an ice rink it it, too. They had a pee wee game going on while we were there
omaha79 wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 9:11 am
I was in Oak View over the weekend. They had a comic book and sci-fi convention going on. Tons of people there, but only for that. The mall is in rough shape. I'd say under 50% leased at this point. It's giving strong Crossroads circa 2001 vibes right about now. Any notion that the mall component is worth saving is just a pipe dream now. It's one more lost anchor from being Crossroads circa 2010.
mrsticka wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 pm
Oak View seemed to be doing fine up until 2018 when Sears and Younkers closed. The lockdown in 2020 didn't help.
mrsticka wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 pm
Oak View seemed to be doing fine up until 2018 when Sears and Younkers closed. The lockdown in 2020 didn't help.
Was it though?
I'm not saying there weren't any empty spaces, but there weren't as many as there are now. Malls don't become ghost towns overnight. Crossroads certainly didn't.
mrsticka wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 pm
Oak View seemed to be doing fine up until 2018 when Sears and Younkers closed. The lockdown in 2020 didn't help.
Was it though?
I'm not saying there weren't any empty spaces, but there weren't as many as there are now. Malls don't become ghost towns overnight. Crossroads certainly didn't.
The Younkers and Sears closure’s were devastating to OakView. I just don’t see this place recovering and it will probably just continue to deteriorate. It’s currently Omaha’s best example of a dead mall.
mrsticka wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 pm
Oak View seemed to be doing fine up until 2018 when Sears and Younkers closed. The lockdown in 2020 didn't help.
Was it though?
I'm not saying there weren't any empty spaces, but there weren't as many as there are now. Malls don't become ghost towns overnight. Crossroads certainly didn't.
The Younkers and Sears closure’s were devastating to OakView. I just don’t see this place recovering and it will probably just continue to deteriorate. It’s currently Omaha’s best example of a dead mall.
Yeah that's the problem. When you lose anchor stores, there really aren't hardly any that are growing and can replace them.
Greg S wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2024 10:04 am
Yeah that's the problem. When you lose anchor stores, there really aren't hardly any that are growing and can replace them.
Unless you can get a Target or the like to go in there as they're still expanding, but that always felt a little "low rent" for a classic shopping mall.
I am now reimagining Oak View Mall with the anchors being Target, Kohls, Tractor Supply, and TJ Maxx/Home Goods instead of JC Penny, Sears, Younkers, and Dillards. lol
Last edited by ChadJK on Mon May 20, 2024 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
mrsticka wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 pm
Oak View seemed to be doing fine up until 2018 when Sears and Younkers closed. The lockdown in 2020 didn't help.
Was it though?
I'm not saying there weren't any empty spaces, but there weren't as many as there are now. Malls don't become ghost towns overnight. Crossroads certainly didn't.
The Younkers and Sears closure’s were devastating to OakView.
That's basically what I said. When they closed, things started going downhill. The lockdown in 2020 certainly didn't help.
Greg S wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2024 10:04 am
Yeah that's the problem. When you lose anchor stores, there really aren't hardly any that are growing and can replace them.
Unless you can get a Target or the like to go in there as they're still expanding, but that always felt a little "low rent" for a classic shopping mall.
I am now reimagining Oak View Mall with the anchors being Target, Kohls, Tractor Supply, and TJ Maxx/Home Goods instead of JC Penny, Sears, Younkers, and Dillards. lol
Lol. Well, there is already a successful Kohl’s in the Oakview Mousetrap.. Doubtful they’d even consider moving into the mall component..
All recent banter aside, the reality is, there are still 2 anchors left at Oakview- JC Penny and Dillard’s. Dillard’s owns their mall parcel at Oakview. If they ever actually decide to leave and move to Westroads (which has been the rumor for at least 7 years now), then that will signal the death of the mall component of Oakview. Who knows how long JCPenny would decide to hang on after that..
Brad’s NHL hockey idea is becoming more appealing as the days move by, Lol…
They ever fix the freakin' entry doors to the main mall entrance that I guess would be on the West side? I recall seeing actually on the news as a story because people were almost being smashed by them due to the way they would pull shut and slam.
I hadn't been to the mall in ages but think I ran in there in January for something and they were definitely NOT fixed.
Sad that a mall can't even maintain the entryway in a manner that it doesn't scare the heck out of people! Once an elderly shopper gets mauled by one of them then I guess it will be time to repair (or more likely simply close that entrance due to budget reasons).
Somebody just uploaded new pictures of Oak View Mall on Google Maps and I took a look at them. The former Younker's wing is pretty much deserted. But the Dillard's wing is still hanging in there.
Other than that, things aren't looking so good for Oak View.
BD PC Omaha wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:35 am
I am afraid it is getting worse. The Buckle in the Dillards wing is closing Monday.
I was in Oak View Mall a couple weeks ago and walked past The Buckle and thought, "Why are they still here?" I guess that answers that. I presume their lease was finally up.
I guess that leaves Dillards, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Torrid, Hot Topic, and Rue21 as the only real notable (subjectively) stores left.
Last edited by ChadJK on Mon May 20, 2024 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
BD PC Omaha wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:35 am
I am afraid it is getting worse. The Buckle in the Dillards wing is closing Monday.
I was in Oak View Mall a couple weeks ago and walked past The Buckle and thought, "Why are they still here?" I guess that answers that. I presume their lease was finally up.
I guess that leaves Dillards, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Torrid, Hot Topic, and Rue21 as the only real notable (subjectively) stores left.
Yep this place is close to being dead. Hopefully a new plan can be put together to remake the area at some point. Don’t want a dead mall hanging around for decades.
mrsticka wrote: Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:32 pm
Westroads, Crossroads, Southroads, Oak View. There was a time when Omaha had 4 shopping malls.
Was The Center still an active mall during that time period? Heck, isn't it still crawling along now?
It's mostly office space now. I'd consider it an active mall until the time Younker's left - maybe the early to mid-90's?
I remember Younkers closing in roughly late 1995. I was in high school at the time and a couple of my friends worked there on a temp basis while they closed out all the merchandise. I have many memories of going to that mall in the late 80's to even early 90's. There was a bookstore in there. There was also a Husker store in there at one point. I remember my father going there to buy a 1994 Orange Bowl shirt for me to wear when NU played FSU. I can't remember if that's where he went to get me the 1994 championship shirt the next year or if that spot was already gone by then?
The bowling alley even stuck around until I was in high school, I believe.
So, yes. I would consider The Center to be an active mall up to about 1995.
Padre wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2024 1:42 pm
The Applebees at Oak view has closed.
I just went back and looked at the other thread and this was announced back in November. Seem odd to announce a closing so far in advance of the actual closing. Its not like a retail location that has lots of inventory to liquidate.
riceweb wrote: Thu May 09, 2024 12:56 pm
This seems like such an obvious option for Oak View, but Omaha would probably partially tear down one of the old anchor tenants and put in a car wash.
Fantastic find! It reportedly has a $1 billion price tag. How do we know there isn't a car wash in this Sterling Heights development? I kid. Oak View is a good option for this type of development; good location, infrastructure, already on existing transit route, but investment dollars and interest are spread pretty thin in West Omaha/suburbs. Heck, development of our malls is already strung out. We have a yet to go vertical Crossroads and the Ricketts property at Westroads that sits empty while we is planning to develop a ski resort in Bondurant. The recent sale to an owner that seems to run malls as is says we are still a ways off from something like this unfortunately.
> Heck, development of our malls is already strung out.
Because commercial development is so spread out in Omaha, I would suggest Oak View abandon any substantial retail aspirations. The retail within the Oak View mousetrap should cater to locals that live within the development. A couples cafes, couple restaurants, an obligatory chiropractor and dentist, because this is Omaha, after all.
Returns on commercial real estate are probably going to be awful for most developments for the next decade+. Going with a residential focus is their best bet.
And if they don't want to tear down the existing structures, I'm sure they could easily add apartments on top of the surface parking lots.
Even if it were just boring apartment buildings that look like boxes, that would be preferable to shuttered store fronts. I actually don't think the proposal looks very nice: they kept the mousetrap, it's not a very high level of density, and do I still see a giant parking lot?
I think Oak View could build 3,000 apartment units with space for some retail at the base level of the buildings in place of the mall for probably $400m? Doesn't need to be a mega project and promise the world.
riceweb wrote: Thu May 09, 2024 2:54 pm
Even if it were just boring apartment buildings that look like boxes, that would be preferable to shuttered store fronts. I actually don't think the proposal looks very nice: they kept the mousetrap, it's not a very high level of density, and do I still see a giant parking lot?
I think Oak View could build 3,000 apartment units with space for some retail at the base level of the buildings in place of the mall for probably $400m? Doesn't need to be a mega project and promise the world.
Unfortunately, 3000 apartment units for $400M would be about $130k each. Based on what I've seen, you have to double that figure to get to what construction per unit is costing, and that's on the low end. Most I have seen in Omaha is $300k+ per unit. I am with you and others though that Oak View could be something much better. Maybe in 10 years when Heartwood Preserve and Avenue One are done building out and Oak View Mall stands largely vacant, we'll see Oak View get some love.
Wow, I wouldn't have guessed the per-unit costs were that high. Eye-opening.
Makes it pretty clear that unless the city is providing help with demolition or tax incentives, most projects will be built on the edge of the city on empty lots.
ChadJK wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2024 3:24 pm
I guess that leaves Dillards, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Torrid, Hot Topic, and Rue21 as the only real notable (subjectively) stores left.
I saw in the Grow Omaha email where Rue21 has filed for bankruptcy and will be closing ALL stores. So, one less brand at Oak View Mall.
Last edited by ChadJK on Mon May 20, 2024 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
