Center Mall (42nd and Center)

Bomaha · Post by **Bomaha** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:06 pm

I was looking at google earth the other day and noticed how large of an area the center mall takes up. Does anyone think that this plot of land could be redeveloped into a large hotel, shops, conference center, and possibly even a few movie screens under the east side under the parking lot (would just require alot of digging)? I believe that it would be in a perfect location at 42nd and center with direct access to the interstate, halfway point to UNMC and Clarkson, and VA across the street. It could be a huge project for midtown. There is a golf course in walking distance, a public library, Hanscom Park down the road, plus another interstate interchange at Martha Street. I'm telling you it could be enormous! I'm just asking for anyone's input or possible expertise. I also didn't know where to put it so since it's east of 72nd its in urban Omaha.

agibson95 · Post by **agibson95** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:57 pm

Bomaha wrote:I was looking at google earth the other day and noticed how large of an area the center mall takes up. Does anyone think that this plot of land could be redeveloped into a large hotel, shops, conference center, and possibly even a few movie screens under the east side under the parking lot (would just require alot of digging)? I believe that it would be in a perfect location at 42nd and center with direct access to the interstate, halfway point to UNMC and Clarkson, and VA across the street. It could be a huge project for midtown. There is a golf course in walking distance, a public library, Hanscom Park down the road, plus another interstate interchange at Martha Street. I'm telling you it could be enormous! I'm just asking for anyone's input or possible expertise. I also didn't know where to put it so since it's east of 72nd its in urban Omaha.

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Wasnt the center mall like the third mall in the US or something? Looking it up on the internet it says it opened in the early 50's.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:03 am

I think it was actaully the first mall in the US.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 9:47 pm

Wikipedia: Shopping Malls

Wikipedia wrote:The first shopping centre in the United States was Highland Park Village, which opened in 1931 in Dallas, Texas.[1] The concept of the fully-enclosed mall was pioneered by the Austrian-born architect Victor Gruen. The new generation called malls included Northgate Mall, built in north Seattle, Washington, USA in 1950, Centre Mall in Omaha, built in 1950, Gruen's Northland Shopping Center built near Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1954, and the Southdale Center, which opened in the Twin Cities suburb of Edina, Minnesota, USA in 1956. In the UK, Chrisp Street Market was the first pedestrian shopping area built with a road at the shop fronts.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:19 am

[left]

There might be better candidates. At least the place is mostly utilized at the moment![/left]

Harpoon · Post by **Harpoon** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:39 pm

I wouldn't trust anything I read in wikipedia

joeglow · Post by **joeglow** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:54 pm

The Golf Course within walking distance is a private course.

Bomaha · Post by **Bomaha** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:43 am

i forgot about that, but i'm sure something could be worked out. However there is a trail within walking distance that within ten years will be connected to the entire metro area. 42nd and center is an excellent location. And I'm not saying that we tear down the entire mall, just RENOVATE and add onto the top some 20 floors or so. If no one does it than i will in 20 years.

SaOmaha · Post by **SaOmaha** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:46 am

I have lived in Omaha for 0ver 3 decades.

Back than, the Center Mall was thriving with lots of stores, Kilpatrick Department Store and Skylanes - the bowling alley in the sky, top floor. Later, Younkers brought Kilpatrick and eventually closed due to lack of trade. In time, other stores and Skylanes follows, slowly the Center Mall become Office building with “support” stores and services.

Over time, young people and those who have money move out west, shop closer to home and leave The Center Mall, Southroads and some-extent Crossroad deserted.

It would be nice to see the Center Mall revised but could it compete against other new malls. Is their enough income in the area to support the New Center Mall?

joeglow · Post by **joeglow** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:52 am

I don't think it could compete with the existing malls. Rather, I think they should look at an eclectic mix of unique shops. However, then you run into potential competition with the Old Market.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 4:29 pm

Photo Update:

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:41 pm

When I was living in Omaha I remember driving by an indoor shopping mall that was called "The Center" or something like that. It was on a main road (possibly Maple St.) and the only thing you could really see was the concrete parking garage and the sign. It had an a bowling alley inside and the only time I can recall being inside there was when my dad took me up there to meet his friend at the bowling alley.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone could tell me a little about that mall. What kind of stores were inside? Is it still around?

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:53 pm

Its on 42nd and center... I think its all office now. Its on my list of things that need to go away.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:12 pm

Thanks Brad.

I'd like to see it when I come back there, just to satisfy my own curiousity. Unfortunately the only member of my family who spent much time there, my dad, is deceased so I can't ask him about it.

But I always got you guys and girls here to help me with that, right? :mrgreen:

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:23 pm

I merged you thread in to another Center Mall thread which has a photo from last summer.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:14 pm

Thanks for the merge Brad!

Is there a way to do a search for words in a thread's title? I know you can do it on VBulletin but I haven't seen a way to do it here.

Post by **Admin** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:45 pm

Presently you can sort the search results by title but not search itself. I will check to see if there is a mod for this.

Post by **Admin** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:31 pm

The "Search topic title only" option was just added to the Search page.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:26 pm

Admin wrote:The "Search topic title only" option was just added to the Search page.

Thanks Admin! That makes searching about ten times easier!

Post by **Admin** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:30 pm

You are welcome. I have actually wanted this option for a while but put it on our wish list until your request.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:44 pm

Coyote wrote:Wikipedia: Shopping Malls

Wikipedia wrote:The first shopping centre in the United States was Highland Park Village, which opened in 1931 in Dallas, Texas.[1] The concept of the fully-enclosed mall was pioneered by the Austrian-born architect Victor Gruen. The new generation called malls included Northgate Mall, built in north Seattle, Washington, USA in 1950, Centre Mall in Omaha, built in 1950, Gruen's Northland Shopping Center built near Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1954, and the Southdale Center, which opened in the Twin Cities suburb of Edina, Minnesota, USA in 1956. In the UK, Chrisp Street Market was the first pedestrian shopping area built with a road at the shop fronts.

Interestingly, the Omaha Center Mall has been edited out of that Wikipedia article. I wonder why, there is no mention of it on the discussion page either.

hockeyfan · Post by **hockeyfan** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:31 am

The Center Shopping Mall was the FIRST fully in-closed mall in the world. It was under construction at the same time as Northgate in Seattle but was the first one finished and occupied. The same guy who designed The Center Mall also designed Westroads. The unique thing about Westroads is that it actually creates its own electricity a couple floors below ground. I have been in their mini power plant and it is amazing. It produces power with three HUGE gas powered generators.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:56 pm

hockeyfan wrote:The Center Shopping Mall was the FIRST fully in-closed mall in the world. It was under construction at the same time as Northgate in Seattle but was the first one finished and occupied. The same guy who designed The Center Mall also designed Westroads. The unique thing about Westroads is that it actually creates its own electricity a couple floors below ground. I have been in their mini power plant and it is amazing. It produces power with three HUGE gas powered generators.

That's funny, I thought the Westroads was powered by a team of Umpaloompas churning chocolate in the hydr-electric chocolate dams.

I hate being uninformed...

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:42 am

The mall just lost a pretty big tenant too (VNA). No idea if they have another user online for that space.

Allan_Love_Jr · Post by **Allan_Love_Jr** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:06 am

I haven't been in that Mall in along time. I do know that the Third floor use to have a bowling Alley until they turned it into office space. The third floor use to have also to be a game room too. I remember those days very well when going to school just down the street. I would pass right by that place everyday. The second floor is some retail stores. The first floor was hardly anything. I do know that there was a Thrifty nickle in the first floor part of the building. I always thought that the basement was the creepy part of that building.

Asten · Post by **Asten** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 1:47 pm

hockeyfan wrote:The Center Shopping Mall was the FIRST fully in-closed mall in the world. It was under construction at the same time as Northgate in Seattle but was the first one finished and occupied. The same guy who designed The Center Mall also designed Westroads. The unique thing about Westroads is that it actually creates its own electricity a couple floors below ground. I have been in their mini power plant and it is amazing. It produces power with three HUGE gas powered generators.

I thought I read a while back that they finally went to the grid fairly recently... but I can't find the reference.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:15 pm

Trenton talked about John Wiebe on the 3/28/2009 Episode of "Grow Omaha"

The Center Mall is NOT considered the first enclosed mall because some committee has determined that a Mall has TWO Anchor Stores, the Center Mall only has one, otherwise it was the first.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:47 pm

Brad wrote:Trenton talked about John Wiebe on the 3/28/2009 Episode of "Grow Omaha"

The Center Mall is NOT considered the first enclosed mall because some committee has determined that a Mall has TWO Anchor Stores, the Center Mall only has one, otherwise it was the first.

What a crock.

Either way, I'd like to see Center Mall but on the National Register of Historic Places and turn back into retail.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:35 am

How much of the place is currenly in use? I know VNA moved a lot of people out of there last year. Not sure if anyone took over that space.

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:09 pm

I was told today that an architecture firm wants to bring back the Center mall. It sounds very vague and likely just a fantasy at this point, but I thought I would share.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 11:04 pm

ShawJ wrote:I was told today that an architecture firm wants to bring back the Center mall. It sounds very vague and likely just a fantasy at this point, but I thought I would share.

It would be interesting to see what someone could come up with. As it is now, it doesn't look like much more than a dilapidated parking garage.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:39 am

There is little chance of that place coming back as a retail mall IMO. The location, competition and just the ugly outward appearance seem to all dictate that it remain office space.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Sat Apr 25, 2026 9:59 am

Ohhh juicy thread revival with this one: Lockwood is coming up with a redevelopment proposal for Center Mall

https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-cent ... s/71111780

WiinterU · Post by **WiinterU** » Sat Apr 25, 2026 9:17 pm

I didn't really read too far into it. Is it full demo or renovation?

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:29 pm

WiinterU wrote: Sat Apr 25, 2026 9:17 pm I didn't really read too far into it. Is it full demo or renovation?

Unclear. Basically zero specifics at this point beyond residential and "some office"

GenX · Post by **GenX** » Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:46 pm

I had always wondered how long those parking garage decks were going to last…

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 12:22 pm

500 apartments and some office (Also I suppose this warrants a move to the urban sub forum?)

https://www.3newsnow.com/central-omaha/ ... ment-units

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 1:09 pm

There are a lot of nonprofits that office out of there so I can definitely see some pushback here.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 6:44 pm

Garrett wrote: Sat Apr 25, 2026 9:59 am Ohhh juicy thread revival with this one: Lockwood is coming up with a redevelopment proposal for Center Mall

https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-cent ... s/71111780

cue tuna?

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Wed Apr 29, 2026 8:52 am