Mall of the Bluffs

advcomp2019 · Post by **advcomp2019** » Tue Jul 14, 2020 1:45 am

I found a layout for the old Sears area: http://www.teammenard.com/RealEstate/pr ... ty.id=1598

nebraska · Post by **nebraska** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:01 pm

Demolition: https://nonpareilonline.com/news/local/ ... 3cd.html#1

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 9:25 pm

Sad to see because I have so many memories growing up and going there. I just miss how even when I moved away for a few years, you could come back and always meet friends at the mall un-expectantly. Now with the outdoor shopping centers, everyone goes to get what they want and drives from store and store and then home.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 4:07 pm

During it hay day back in the 90’s it was fairly nice mall. And sometime after the 90’s it started to decline. I know in the winter it was a popular place for people in CB to take a walk around and get some exercise. Like Omaha’s Oak View mall it peaked and died out rather quickly.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:10 pm

When it opened I thought it was an odd location. Not terribly close to the bulk of the population of the bluffs & given the original tenants no real incentive to draw Omahans, even those who lived downtown or midtown. You kind of had to want to go there. I'm sure land was pretty cheap but the far east side of town just seemed to be a disadvantageous location.

nebraska · Post by **nebraska** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:36 pm

I three story mall where Bass Pro ended up would have done wonders.

They probably could still pull off something at South 24th and highway 275. The Westroads and it's sea of parking is 1.15 square miles and the lot where the drive used to be is 1.83.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:11 am

Really wasn’t much reason for someone from Omaha to go to Mall of the Bluffs. I would be in CB sometimes for work and would check out the mall from time to time. I noticed it getting more and more vacancies every time I went. That’s when I would see all the Mall walkers inside even when the mall was probably 90% empty. Council Bluffs has had 2 failed malls.

GrandpaaSmucker · Post by **GrandpaaSmucker** » Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:41 am

Cermak wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:11 am Really wasn’t much reason for someone from Omaha to go to Mall of the Bluffs. I would be in CB sometimes for work and would check out the mall from time to time. I noticed it getting more and more vacancies every time I went. That’s when I would see all the Mall walkers inside even when the mall was probably 90% empty. Council Bluffs has had 2 failed malls.

The number one reason I went to the Bluffs Mall 100s of times was that I could go there and be anonymous. Living in Omaha my whole life it was impossible to go to Westroads Mall and not run into people I know. Its not that I am anti social as much as I just want to relax and shop and not stop and talk or wave to every Tom Dick and Harry that I have met or known over the years! Ok I am anti social a little bit maybe.

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:17 pm

Bob from Omaha wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:10 pm When it opened I thought it was an odd location. Not terribly close to the bulk of the population of the bluffs & given the original tenants no real incentive to draw Omahans, even those who lived downtown or midtown. You kind of had to want to go there. I'm sure land was pretty cheap but the far east side of town just seemed to be a disadvantageous location.

I kind of thought the opposite. Might not have been great for all of CB, but right off I80 pretty easy to get to for all those people west of CB. They could get their shopping done without having go much into the Metro area.

My sister and her family used to live in Harlan Iowa. Once that Mall opened and expanded, that's where they did the bulk of their shopping. Saved so much time from having to go to Omaha to Westroads or the other malls. They also quit going to Des Moines for shopping (which they used to mix in with Omaha).

Greg

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:45 pm

Greg S wrote: Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:17 pm
Bob from Omaha wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:10 pm When it opened I thought it was an odd location. Not terribly close to the bulk of the population of the bluffs & given the original tenants no real incentive to draw Omahans, even those who lived downtown or midtown. You kind of had to want to go there. I'm sure land was pretty cheap but the far east side of town just seemed to be a disadvantageous location.
I kind of thought the opposite. Might not have been great for all of CB, but right off I80 pretty easy to get to for all those people west of CB. They could get their shopping done without having go much into the Metro area.

My sister and her family used to live in Harlan Iowa. Once that Mall opened and expanded, that's where they did the bulk of their shopping. Saved so much time from having to go to Omaha to Westroads or the other malls. They also quit going to Des Moines for shopping (which they used to mix in with Omaha).

Greg

Yeah agreed right off of I80 and then right on Madison Ave which takes you to downtown CB. Plus you have neighborhoods tucked right in the bluffs by there.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Fri Jan 01, 2021 2:20 pm

I actually thought it was a pretty good location. You can see it from I-80 which I like and eastern CB I believe has the most affluent demographics in the city. I think the mall was successful for a while but when Target left and the new Metro Crossing shopping area was built to the south that marked the beginning of the end for Mall of the Bluffs. Council Bluffs does not have enough shoppers to support both regional shopping centers.

EastCB · Post by **EastCB** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:07 pm

The mall is about history. All that is left is the Dillards store and a little bit on the west side of it. Looks like they will have that down soon if the weather cooperates.

GrandpaaSmucker · Post by **GrandpaaSmucker** » Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:15 pm

Most of the mall is gone and today they were filling it in with big piles of dirt and rock. This picture was from the HyVee parking lot.

ita · Post by **ita** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:40 am

GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:15 pm

Most of the mall is gone and today they were filling it in with big piles of dirt and rock. This picture was from the HyVee parking lot.

Is the middle school portion still there?

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:59 am

ita wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:40 am

Is the middle school portion still there?

Yes, that is in the old Target building. It along with the old Sears building, which is now the post office are going to remain. The Council Bluffs Schools is looking at making their space a permanent office space for the district.

ita · Post by **ita** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:14 am

skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:59 am
ita wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:40 am

Is the middle school portion still there?
Yes, that is in the old Target building. It along with the old Sears building, which is now the post office are going to remain. The Council Bluffs Schools is looking at making their space a permanent office space for the district.

Thanks for the update.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 12:06 am

Cermak wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 4:07 pm During it hay day back in the 90’s it was fairly nice mall. And sometime after the 90’s it started to decline. I know in the winter it was a popular place for people in CB to take a walk around and get some exercise. Like Omaha’s Oak View mall it peaked and died out rather quickly.

I left Omaha in 2002 and MoTB had a pretty significant renovation in the food court right about that time. I went there with a girl from school just a couple weeks before I left and it was still very active.

tonylaw74 · Post by **tonylaw74** » Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:33 am

Bosco55David wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 12:06 am
Cermak wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 4:07 pm During it hay day back in the 90’s it was fairly nice mall. And sometime after the 90’s it started to decline. I know in the winter it was a popular place for people in CB to take a walk around and get some exercise. Like Omaha’s Oak View mall it peaked and died out rather quickly.
I left Omaha in 2002 and MoTB had a pretty significant renovation in the food court right about that time. I went there with a girl from school just a couple weeks before I left and it was still very active.

Similar experiences here. We moved to CB a few months before my son was born. We went to the mall quite a bit and I still remember him getting super excited to buy his own books at Barnes & Noble. We would go so he could play in the play area with his friends. We would dress up at Halloween and get treats at the stores and we would always go at Christmas to look at all of the decorations (never visited Santa though). Stores like Gamestop were visited frequently.

For us, it was around 2008 when it really started to decline. Once Penneys left, a bunch of other stores started to follow suit especially when Metro Crossing was nearing completion (we just moved from CB late last year). Lots of great memories of that place and it was sad to walk around there near the end and see how empty it truly had become.

ChadJK · Post by **ChadJK** » Tue Jul 06, 2021 2:50 pm

There was that one oddball lonely hallway (mallway?) between Dillard's and Sears that could never seem to keep any tenants. It just had no foot traffic. I think the Sears was part of an expansion in the 1990s and was just poorly laid out.

advcomp2019 · Post by **advcomp2019** » Thu Aug 12, 2021 12:23 am

I kept on wondering how they was going to lay this new store site out, and I think I have found a layout by accident.

Here is a link: https://www.crexi.com/properties/595496 ... d-pad-site

Here is an image from that site:

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Aug 12, 2021 9:54 am

Is the blue section just a retention basin?

ByrnesViceVersa · Post by **ByrnesViceVersa** » Wed Aug 18, 2021 12:57 pm

skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 9:54 am Is the blue section just a retention basin?

I looked into it more but seems to be just a basin for the site. No indication of it being landscaping, even if it was it's not tied in well with the project.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Aug 18, 2021 3:21 pm

ByrnesViceVersa wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 12:57 pm
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 9:54 am Is the blue section just a retention basin?
I looked into it more but seems to be just a basin for the site. No indication of it being landscaping, even if it was it's not tied in well with the project.

I have not worked on this project, but I have worked on a few different projects in CB lately and the storm water basins have all been huge. Between existing infrastructure, topography, ground water levels, city regulations, etc, they have been some of the biggest basins I have ever drawn.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:49 pm

The little strip mall got torn down between Scooters and Burger King, does anyone know what’s going in there?

EastCB · Post by **EastCB** » Sat May 14, 2022 7:20 am

I have heard Chase Bank.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Sat May 14, 2022 10:38 am

Thanks

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:51 am

I have heard from a CB councilman that there should finally be some movement on the Menard's building in the next 2-3 weeks and they expect to be open by this time next year.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Dec 09, 2022 10:47 am

Council Bluffs businesses optimistic about development activity at former mall site
Tenants heading into the Menards center excited about their economic progress

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - Three years ago, some tenants at the Mall of the Bluffs were angry and concerned about the future of their business when the mall shut its doors.

Menards purchased the old mall and they didn’t waste any time redeveloping the space. Business owners are hoping this project brings new life to the area. Construction is underway, and progress is being made. Council Bluffs Public Schools sold its building on the property back in February to make way for an automotive service business. There is space available to rent here, and some businesses have already moved in.

Post by **Brad** » Wed May 17, 2023 1:38 pm

Just saw this Iowa DOT photo which shows the new Menards in the background

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed May 17, 2023 2:16 pm

Just drove by it last weekend. Crazy that it takes up most of the space that the mall once occupied.

garyomaha · Post by **garyomaha** » Wed May 17, 2023 2:37 pm

I remember that area before the Mall, then during the Mall, and now to see it with the Mall gone and something entirely different there is just...weird.

Renovator2559 · Post by **Renovator2559** » Thu May 25, 2023 1:26 am

skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:51 am I have heard from a CB councilman that there should finally be some movement on the Menard's building in the next 2-3 weeks and they expect to be open by this time next year.

But isn't there already a Menards in northern Council Bluffs? How is this second Menards going to help this area? Wouldn't it have been better to have a Costco here, with the close proximity to the interstate and knowing that CB doesn't have a Costco?

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu May 25, 2023 5:35 am

Renovator2559 wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 1:26 am
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:51 am I have heard from a CB councilman that there should finally be some movement on the Menard's building in the next 2-3 weeks and they expect to be open by this time next year.
But isn't there already a Menards in northern Council Bluffs? How is this second Menards going to help this area? Wouldn't it have been better to have a Costco here, with the close proximity to the interstate and knowing that CB doesn't have a Costco?

Menards is moving. The exiting store will be closing and the property is for sale.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu May 25, 2023 8:04 am

there were talks once upon a time about costco looking at the existing menards location by lake manawa, but I don't believe that had any traction, and is likely not happening.

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu May 25, 2023 8:47 am

thenewguy wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 8:04 am there were talks once upon a time about costco looking at the existing menards location by lake manawa, but I don't believe that had any traction, and is likely not happening.

I believe that was wishful thinking and not Costco doing anything. I also remember those rumors showing that the land available at the old Menards site was too small for a typical Costco as the rumor was being challenged

Renovator2559 · Post by **Renovator2559** » Thu May 25, 2023 12:35 pm

thenewguy wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 8:04 am there were talks once upon a time about costco looking at the existing menards location by lake manawa, but I don't believe that had any traction, and is likely not happening.

I just don't get how west omaha is getting their 3rd Costco, clogging traffic on that area, while downtown/midtown and CB don't have a Costco nearby like in CB where Menards is moving to.

I mean Menards is more of a niche store that not many go to, plus there's a home depot already in the north

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu May 25, 2023 1:09 pm

the home depot is located very near the menards location in manawa. That menard's, for the most part, is an absolute madhouse every weekend and is 'just busy' throughout the week (of course there are exceptions to the rule- but I've had to go there about a zillion times, and more often than not, foot traffic has been quite healthy). I think they have definitely outgrown their current footprint

Renovator2559 · Post by **Renovator2559** » Thu May 25, 2023 4:49 pm

thenewguy wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 1:09 pm the home depot is located very near the menards location in manawa. That menard's, for the most part, is an absolute madhouse every weekend and is 'just busy' throughout the week (of course there are exceptions to the rule- but I've had to go there about a zillion times, and more often than not, foot traffic has been quite healthy). I think they have definitely outgrown their current footprint

Ok, makes sense. I usually go on week days, but what about when it comes to weighing the foot traffic of a Costco vs a menards? Then again Costco missed the opportunity or they had other barriers, possibly more incentives in the Omaha side

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Thu May 25, 2023 8:52 pm

Or possibly Council Bluffs just doesn’t have the economic demographics Costco looks for when deciding to build a store.

Renovator2559 · Post by **Renovator2559** » Thu May 25, 2023 10:35 pm

nativeomahan wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 8:52 pm Or possibly Council Bluffs just doesn’t have the economic demographics Costco looks for when deciding to build a store.

As for demographics in Council bluffs, yeah I see what you mean, though all the downtown Omaha and Midtown is a different matter, plus Costco being right on 80, would siphon customers from the west.

Still Costco as you say may be particular about the surrounding demographics