DEAD MALL: Towne West Square (Wichita, Kansas) 2020 UPDATE
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2024
- Let's revisit Towne West Square in Wichita, Kansas to see how it's doing. Last year when we went there, it was for sale and mostly dead. Soon after we made our video, it sold! Now we want to see if the new owner has made any improvements. SPOILER ALERT... It's worse than before!
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Towns East - much better.
Agreed. Thanks for stopping by our channel Gerald!
I moved away more than 30 years ago. I spent SOOOO much time at Towne West. This is so very sad. My mother, well, that was her home away from home. ;) She was a prolific shopper. Thanks for this, it was bittersweet, to say the least.
Hi there Cindi, thanks for watching! We're glad to provide an update on Towne West, but sorry to report it's not performing well. My mom was also a prolific shopper, ha! Anyway, thanks for stopping by our channel!
Oh my goodness! I am from Wichita! I live in California now but this will sound silly, I cried cause all the memories and hanging out in that mall....sorry I wasn't trying to take away from the vid but I miss home! Great video and so sad about Town West 🥺
Aww, that's sweet. We are originally from Texas, but we love living here in Wichita! It's been a great place to raise our daughter, and we've been here about 16 years. Time flies! Thanks for watching, and we wish you all the best from ICT!
I remember when I moved to Wichita in the mid 90s. When I went into this mall, it was almost always full of people, even on weekdays. And they had a great arcade and two awesome book stores. It's sad that this mall is on its last legs.
That sounds awesome! We didn't move to Wichita until the early 2000's, so the mall was already kind of slowing down then. Unfortunately it's really gone downhill lately. It is definitely sad :(
I grew up in Wichita and have been there many times when I was younger even before I could remember.. The nostalgia is almost overwhelming!
Cool! We're glad you enjoyed our video. Also, love your avatar, lol!! We're big fans of The Office too! Thanks for stopping by our channel!
If you think the Towne West Mall is dead check out the Hutchinson mall, literally only about 3 stores are open, it’s like a ghost town in there, I even made a “mini vlog” about the Hutchinson mall, its up on my channel right now
My extended family lives in Wichita and we frequented this mall many times in the 80's and 90's! I remember at least 2 book stores and going to Spencer's. It's very sad to see it so dead! But many malls in America are going away with the advent of online shopping, and now Covid isn't helping either!
So true! Our poor malls are dying out rapidly. The 80's and 90's were definitely their heyday! I miss those days of shopping at the mall, even though we also do most of our shopping online these days. It was more fun shopping at the mall. And of course, we miss Orange Julius!!
I hope the mall can bounce back soon! Love those gumball machines 👍
Good to see a mall (maybe) surviving. Just came back today from my local centre and it was like the dawn of dead out there :(
Thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks Ryan! I went to our other mall today (Towne East) and it was CRAZY busy there!! I guess it's still back-to-school (homeschool?) shopping time. That one is definitely thriving. Sorry about your local centre though.
All the shops around Maize killed this mall off. Started with Target and Shopco across the street leaving and everything in that area has pretty much followed suit
I lived in Wichita from '87 to 2008, I remember when that mall was busy -- sad to see what has happened. Malls all over the country are closing, I guess that business model has been replaced with online shopping.
Hi Chris! We moved to Wichita in 2004, and the mall was still quite active then. It is sad to see it go downhill so quickly, and we were especially disappointed to discover the carousel had been removed. Bummer :(
@@Our80sLife Yes it is sad, hopefully they can convert them into something useful.Thanks for the videos.
Yeah I also hear in the next 5 to 10 years they'll be no more theaters at all, and That's super sad.
I was at Mcconnell in the 80's and remember both malls. Glad they're still around.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by our channel. Wichita is still thriving, and the malls are doing ok. Of course, Towne East still does a lot more business than west, but it is also quite a bit larger.
The West mall is definitely struggling, but thankfully the East mall seems to be doing well and doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
I have fond memories from that place. It's sad to see it dying out.😢
I worked at TowneEast mall in the 80's at Henry's. I had to go over to TowneWest one time for Henry's and felt it wasn't as full as TE. Granted it was smaller. My sister-in-law worked at Dillards. It was a nice mall to visit but I always felt Melvin Simon the owners at the time put more effort into
T E. It's sad to see malls in this shape now. This was out scocial media in the 80's. We worked there, met our friends there. Ate too much at Taco Tico and shopped till we were broke. The cheesy popcorn at Karmel Korn was ssssooooo cheesy. Now I'm missing the 80's. Thanks for bringing this video out.
Thanks for sharing your memories Paige! That's cool that you worked at Henry's. We never got to visit that store since it closed way before we moved to Wichita. I've heard it was great! Oh my gosh, that cheese popcorn is still my favorite!! The Karmel Korn actually moved to Towne East Mall, and believe me, I rarely have enough willpower to pass it up without getting some of that cheesy goodness, lol!
So many memories at this mall. Towne East is thriving though. Sad that one makes it while the other fails.
Aaron Stigall Thanks for watching! It’s true, Towne East seems to be doing well. It looks like they just opened that new family fun center with mini golf, etc. RIP Towne West though 🙁
I grew up in Wichita and live in FL now. I remember when this was a good mall an my friends an I would go here as teens
Cool! I bet Wichita has changed a lot since you lived here. Towne East is definitely the bigger, better mall now. My childhood mall (in Richardson, Tx) was pretty comparable to Towne West, but sadly it has been torn down. My friends and I loved hanging out at the mall! Thanks for stopping by our channel :)
Everyone goes to Towne East, New Market Square, or Bradley Fair now. I live so close to Towne West I stand on my porch and look 2 blocks away, but I still go to Towne East. Simon malls was such a conglomerate they wouldn't invest in ideas. Maybe the new owners have more of an open mind.
While anchor stores did a service for malls, they also committed the biggest theft. The smaller retailers paid the bills. It would be risky, but the intelligent play is that the contracts need to be renegotiated by square foot. Also if the new owners could get a 10 year utility abatement, it would then become an affordable project for exterior refurbishment, and internally new flooring as the prospectus to investments.
Asimple solution is who to market businesses to. A big box restaurant chain, a grocery store, an updated gamers arcade (right next to the food court), and a children's future tradesmen summer 1 week mini votech (doctoring/nursing, carpentry, small engines) would bring it up to par of what it once was. It would still never be up to par of what Towne East but it's reliant on what happens with old empty Kmart across the street. Even those are different investors, if the ball was rolling on getting those companies to move in, it would be in their best interest to help find a tennet for that property as well.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas Randall. We totally agree! Also, I've always thought it's weird that many malls in other countries have grocery stores, but American malls never do. We've been to malls in both Europe and Canada that have grocery stores in them (also accessible to the outside) but for some reason you just don't see that done in America. It's a good idea though! Would love to see an updated arcade too! So many cool things could be done with all that retail space, sigh. RIP Kmart :(
@@Our80sLife the mall in Emporia used to have two grocery stores. First A & P when I was a kid, then Food-4-Less opened in the 80's I think.
I think they should turn it into a casino and hotel. Would be a great money maker and plenty of parking. Near by restaurants if you want to eat on the cheap.
That’s a fantastic idea!! We’d totally be on-board. How about an 80’s mall themed casino?! 💕
Oh and they could have 80’s bands perform there like the old mall concerts. That would be awesome!!
This mall makes me so nostalgic. Too bad it looks like it’s gonna be demolished :(
I loved that Mall, Spent many days in there. Awesome food court and back when they had the Caracel was so cool.
Cool! Thanks for stopping by our channel and sharing your memories! 😊
oh yeah we love Orange Julius, We remember that video, we might have to make them also. Bummer no changes, one have one mall in our town still doing pretty good.
I first went in that mall in 85 and moved to wichita in 87. I worked in the mall from 87 to 89. So sad.
So sad! I lived in Wichita in the 90s. That mall was nice back then.
Toys by Roy and Musicland...man this place used to be so much fun.
That's before our time here, but it does sound fun! Thanks for stopping by our channel!
This makes me SO sad!!! I grew up on the east side of town so Towne West was always a fun treat when we wanted to go somewhere "different". I remember about 10 years ago there was a casket store across from the Joann Fabrics (which is no longer there). So crazy. I will have to visit again before they close down for good the next time I'm in town!
Oh and yes, the last time I was in town I went to Towne East's Karamel Corn to get the CINNAMONCORN! It's my faaaaaavorite :D
Funny it was reverse for me growing up. Was always great when they were out of your size of whatever and they'd say "let me call up the East store see if they have it"
Ahhh, the good old days. We used to live on the west side, but we made frequent visits to Towne East because Zoe loved the Build-a-Bear store. 🐻
@@Our80sLife I took my little grandson to Build-A-Bear when he was little, in 2010. He enjoyed it.
No problems with "social distancing" there.
JOE Vandeleur True! It was easy to keep a safe distance since hardly anyone was there! Seriously, we filmed this before the mask mandate went into effect.
I lived in Wichita from 1984 - 1988. I loved Wichita, to me it was a wonderful city. Not too big and not too small, clean. I am living in South Carolina now and miss it so much.. I was able to re-visit Wichita in 2017 and it doesn't seem to have changed too much, which to me was great! Living on the SE side of town I used to hang out at Towne East Square Mall a good bit. My sister worked at Spencer's Gifts and a friend used to work at Function Junction. Hate to say it but I was never a fan of Towne West.
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by our channel and sharing your memories! We moved to Wichita back in 2004, and it's been a great place to raise our daughter. You're right, it's the perfect size too. We agree, Towne East is far superior to Towne West, but we like to go there every now and then to check up on the place. You'll be glad to know that Towne East continues to thrive. I was shopping there just a couple weeks ago, and it was quite busy even on a week day.
I remember the mall back in its heyday, it had a good run
great update...wow 14 million...i wish i had that much money!! mall looks amazing..:-) thank for sharing guys!! might not have any new changes...but still looks amazing and cool..:-)
KeeperOfMemories Thanks for watching! The mall is hanging in there; although, they took a big loss from the asking price. Hope it survives!
We live on Maize and Maple and its sad that the mall is so empty. Y'all are awesome just happened upon your video, I will have to check out the rest of them.
Hello to a fellow Wichitan! We used to live on the west side (in Sterling Farms) and shopped at Towne West more back then. The mall is not faring so well these days, very sad. Welcome to our channel :)
YUMMMM Orange Julius! It's been years since I've had one.
P.S. Birdsnake knows how to solve a Rubik's Cube. 😉 Be careful out there & stay healthy!!! 💕
We’ll have to get him to show us his secret. I bought a book about it, but I’ve been to lazy to read it, lol! We are planning a trip to Dallas next month. Maybe we can get together! Hope y’all are doing well! ❤️
I feel like every mall takes a bad turn once the good courts go.
You guys make great videos! Keep making them, those view counts are going keep going up!
Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement!! 😊
It’s been there since the 1980s . I am 53 born in 1967. I am surprised it lasted this long. When I was growing up wonder why they built it.
My dad worked there . Used to.
I miss going to the arcades... I was a 90s kid. Multi-billion dollar businesses will survive the pandemic.
Love your videos! Thank you for the fun entertainment. Abby, you are SO adorable!!!
Toaster66 Toaster66 Aww, thank you!!! 💕
Hi guys! Hope your having a great week! Oh the mall really looks empty.. haha Keith like your shirt! I have never tried orangejulis ... oh nazy likes hot topic the graphic shirts! Oh so cool the cubes! Oh Nintendo I love it I wish I could find an original one! That's a cool train set up.. oh wow the bull haha! Oh love me some tacos!! Have a great week guys!!🥰🙌
Hey there Positively Geizel! Thanks for stopping by! Yes, the mall was really empty except for Dillard’s. Hot Topic has some fun t-shirts, and I actually bought a cute Disney backpack there as well. Girl, Orange Julius is SO yummy! We still love the classic Nintendo, it’s the best! Hope y’all are doing well! ❤️
This hurts!😕
I moved away from Wichita 16 years ago (moved to California) but man I remember spending my weekends at the Arcade there,playing DDR and taking breaks to eat in the food court.
Sounds like fun! Thanks for stopping by our channel and sharing your memories! Also, you should be glad to be in Cali this week... highs in the single digits, brr!!
All my family is still in Wichita but I do miss the calm life of Kansas sometimes.
Love Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Bath & Body Works, Spencer's!
Agreed. We're sad to see the mall go downhill :(
The Movie Machine was my first job. Worked there for 5 years. It’s so sad to see it closed for good now. So many good memories there, and back then, the mall was always full!
Bummer 😔 Thanks for stopping by our channel and sharing your memories of working there.
There is a new movie theater in the west mall now called the boulevard
It’s cool that I live in Kansas Wichita and go to this mall!
ICT rocks!! Thanks for watching :)
@@Our80sLife u welcome!
Ah yes :(
I miss going there, I haven't gone there.... For a long time
Man, that is so depressing. My little brother suggested that they should have demolished it about 2 yrs ago when he was saying this and turn the area into a Top Golf
Str8sixfan We’re getting a Top Golf!! At least that’s the rumor, hope it’s true! I think it will be East side. Not to brag, but we get all the good stuff. 😉
That carousal was really cool, never seen a double Decker one. Never knew they even existed LOL
Yes, we were so bummed about the carousel being removed. ☹️
It's sad a city this size can't support a second mall.... or an amusement park or a water park................. maybe they should open a virtual reality park... 😜
Ha ha, yep. It's unfortunate, but at least we have KC just a short drive away. There's great shopping and attractions there (plus our daughter just moved to KC, so I have a feeling we'll be going there more often.) Thanks for watching our video!
Naw, wichita COULD support 2 malls. There's really no culture out here so no need for variety or a second or third alternative when everyone is doing the same thing . Ie Watching the kids, watching the game, whatever that game might be, watch the evening news, bed before midnight, church on sundays, rinse, lather, repeat. 🤣😂🤦😉
I think this is due to the New Market Square open air mall up near Maize. Better stores and parking. So no surprise to me.
I’m sure you’re right. New Market Square is pretty awesome. I especially love the Eddie Bauer Outlet! We’ve scored some really good deals there! Thanks for watching our video 😊
Wow, someone buy it! 50 million down to 14 million, dang that's a big steal.
I remember being a little kid in the 90s and riding the train by the old Dillards riding the carousel near montgomery ward and going to the old arcade where the mini golf is also I remember the water fountain that was near the food court plus I also remember the day Journeys opened I still have the sticker from when it opened. Those were good times, its a real shame that most malls in general are a now forgotten piece of history.
Wow!! Thanks for sharing your memories! My childhood mall (in Richardson, Texas) is long gone, and I still miss that place. Growing up in the 80's and 90's, malls were important places to us. It's where my friends and I hung out, and later as an adult I have fond memories of taking our daughter there. I didn't know there used to be a fountain near the food court. You're right, it's a shame to see them go. That's one of the reasons we make videos like this, so we can document retail history.
Thanks for the update...
Sure thing, thanks for watching!
Here i am, sitting inside town west... Kinda scary lol
Oh my goodness, that's wild!! Thanks for watching!
vintage stock makes it worth going to still!!
Yes!!!
Oh my gosh! I was really hoping it would be better, not worse!! 😢😢
The carousel was smaller when I was a kid only one level. That big one was new. Julius is completely gone. Movie theater never opened. Lots of things. Try to go there more often. It's for sure dying because people chose to go east and this place gets ignored.
A motorcycle is a good way for you and Abby to bond and create memories. Lol.
I totally agree!!
🙄
Town west never really took off like Town east after it was built. It always seemed to struggle. They never had the foot traffic that Town east had. The down fall of Town west started long before new market square.
I can see that... it's quite a bit smaller being only one-story, not as many big-name stores.
In Wichita, Have you done a video on Barnacle Bills or JoyLand?
OH MAN!!! I am so glad you mentioned joyland - its live a fever dream of a Steven King novel . I cant even convince my friends that it was real.
Keith’s shirt is still my favorite 😂
The Cake Lady It’s a good one! 😂
This was my highschool mall from 94 to 2000 - loved coming here - sad to see it in this kind of shape.
So I know why Keith is about that Orange Julius - in the 90's the manager only hire highschool 10's !! no joke the girls that worked there were off the hook hot, we used to joke about what kind of pervert ran that place
What in the world?! We really had no idea about that, but how funny! There was a similar rumor about the corn dog shop in my hometown mall (Richardson, Texas.) The uniform involved a short skirt, and apparently hotness was also a prerequisite, lol! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories Justin!
Watching this in January 2021 and the movie machine is still closed :(
Bummer :(
I’ve never seen the food court open in all the times we’ve been there
Interesting! We saw a couple food places open, but most of that area was deserted. Better eat before you shop ;)
The Food Court isn't closed -- there just aren't any restaurants in the middle. Eons ago there was a pizza place, a hot dog place, maybe another one. We actually sat down and ate there. Honest.
Thanks for the video, guys! I'm all nostalgic now ... for Towne West, of all places!
Are you going to do a 2021 update?
Good idea! Not sure how much has changed, but we should probably go check and see how the old mall is faring.
The carousel closed down to prevent germs from spreading
I remember riding the carousel as a kid as well except it was a red single story one if I remember right then getting a huge greasy pizza slice at sbarros lol
Happy memories! We moved to Wichita in 2004, and that 2-story one was there as long as we've been here. I wonder when it got changed, interesting! Thanks for sharing :)
How did you end up in Kansas from Stephen F. Austin University? Are you originally from Texas or Kansas? I left Texas in the late 90's to San Diego, California for about four years and I missed Texas!!
Hi Jesse, thanks for watching our videos! We are both originally from Texas, and we were relocated to Kansas in the early 2000's for Keith's job. We really liked it here, so we decided to stay, but we often miss Texas and enjoy going back for vacations.
I been to the mall there many times. I have family members that live there
Cool! We love Wichita, it's a great city to live in! Thanks for watching our video Jerome!
Unfortunately that’s the state of most malls here in the UK, hope you have fun with your Rubik’s cube sorry I mean fun cube 😂
I really like Dillard’s, so I really wish there was a Dillard’s Clearance Center in Kansas City. Now, since you’ve done a tour of this mall and the Hutchinson Mall, I think you should do a tour of the following malls:
-Central Mall in Salina.
-West Ridge Mall in Topeka.
-Manhattan Town Center in Manhattan.
I walked through the Central Mall in the Summer of 2021, it was pretty quiet in there. I also hear the West Ridge Mall is NOT doing very well either.
Thanks for the suggestions Bailey! We've been to Manhattan Town Center when our daughter was attending K-State, but we didn't make a video about it. Haven't been to the others, will check those out.
@@Our80sLife
I really like your shirt Keith! Where did you get it?
Vintage Stock is actually a really cool store! You can find all sorts of DVD’s and games there!
I actually did take off my comment about the Wichita West Mall because I did not realize somebody actually did do a video on it that was just a half year ago so I do want to apologize for what I said about the Hutchinson about how no one did not do a video on the Wichita West Mall so I do want to say sorry but it was a good video on both
No worries!! I just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss our other video. Thanks for watching! 😄
What a shame.
haven't been there in years
It’s still worth a visit. The Dillard’s clearance store has some great deals!
And nowadays most the stuff in the mall is opened
It is sad seeing this town west was the place to be....
I remember when it was being built!
Wow!
That's a lot of money to let sit in a property not to do anything with it. 14 million and they put a small train set in? Haha
The train was there before the mall changed owners.
East mall is still good tho there is two malls here in Wichita
Yes, we typically shop at Towne East.
3:24 how long has the fountain been gone?
Hmm... we didn't even realize there had been a fountain there. Must have been before our time, and we moved to Wichita in 2004. I don't remember ever seeing a fountain, but I can see where there would have been one in that open area. Interesting! Thanks for watching :)
@@Our80sLife i remember when the inside was orange.
I remember tossing coins into that fountain with my grandparents... wanna say they took it out in about 2012...?
I remember smoking in the dining area 😂
Scandalous, lol!! That wouldn't happen today, that's for sure! Thanks for watching and sharing :)
Bud or Cigs?
TheReal RobbDee cigarettes
@@rockinrobin7105 left handed ones right
Sad I want to cry!!! Going to the mall was so great anywhere!!!! Soon all malls will close the doors one day soon! A part of our history will be gone and then lost!!! I don’t think I would of thrown away 14 million!!! On no mall!!!!😂🤣😂
Yes, it's the end of an era for sure. Sad :(
Please do a Fox valley Mall in Aurora it's getting demolished then it's going to have a new design
We just looked at the pictures online, and it looks like a beautiful mall! Sad to hear it's changing, our condolences. We don't have any travel plans in your area in the near future, but thank you for telling us about it!
I haven't walked into any mall in fifteen years. It is, and always has been a terrible way to shop.
minus the BItcoin ATM, it used to be in the food court, but i didn't see it
BItcoin is real i used my graphics card to mine and I withdrew $80 cash from that ATM.
Wow, how interesting!
You can't find Bitcoin atms anywhere now.
Few of them around here!
Kohan is similar to Moonbeam and Namdar in terms of being a mall slumlord company. They do not have a good reputation for reviving malls from what I heard in the dead malls community.
Bummer :(
They are missing out on income opportunities!
There is a Utube video on solving the puzzle Cube. 🤣 It seemed very easy.
Hi Jana! I saw some of those videos floating around UA-cam and decided it must be a hoax, lol! One of these days I'll take the time to figure it out, ha! Thanks for watching our video!
@@Our80sLife 🤣 Lmk if it works.
I could solve the Rubik's Cube back in 1985, but have forgotten how I did it! Lol!
Lol yeah that mall has been dead for years now. Not what i remember. Town East is where its at
It's true, Towne East is bigger and has better stores. It seems to be doing fairly well at the moment. Thanks for stopping by our channel Steven!
It sorta makes no sense to me how the smaller mall is doing better, west mall seems like it would be a great mall if they had put more store there and hell maybe even if round 1 was there instead. I worked at East my first year living out here from CA and the malls are so small out here lol. West is the only one with a decent size
Towne East Square has substantially more square footage than Towne West. I believe it's almost twice as big.
@@gamewizardks Huh probably, it feel like that Town West is bigger maybe because it's all one level but Town East probably is, there is a whole other half by the food court not used at all unless it's like Halloween
dang that mall is so dead. So sad.
I never liked the layout of the mall. Parking sucked and entrance and exits.
2022 update please and thank u ☺️❤️
The last time we were there the tables are gone
Oh no! That's a bummer. RIP Towne West Mall.
Why drop millions just to do nothing with it? Love Keith's shirt!
All About The Smokies Right?!
Joplin, MO has one mall and it’s about 25 to 30% empty. One anchor store closed in January....Sears. Other anchor stores (2) Macy’s locations, JC Penny & a large sporting goods store are still going. Checkout Joplin, MO mall on my wife’s UA-cam “The Average Collector”
We have some family in the Joplin area but haven’t visited the mall. Thanks for stopping by our channel!
The reason why townewest is dying because of Towne East
New Market Square and all the development on North Maize Rd is the biggest reason Towne West is dying.
Town east is much better
For sure!
Sheels coming summer 2022 in witchata ks towne east mall
defo!
I agree! I walked through there when I was in Wichita for a business trip. It was actually pretty full.
It’s good place to walk, it’s about a mile Completely around
Oh yes, malls are perfect for walking! They're always comfortable year-round, no matter the weather. Thanks for stopping by our channel!
2022 update?
We haven't been back lately, will try to do an update soon.
@@Our80sLife sounds good
it's even deader in 2023. lol.
@@Maplelust Yeah, I know a few more stores moved out since the last time I have been to Wichita to this mall. This is why I shop at towne east.
QT.
Y'all are really cute. ❤️💑
Aww, thanks Caeley! I love your avatar, by the way. Huge Hello Kitty fan here!
I’ve seen y’all before 😂
Fun! Next time say Hello :)
The east mall is always fool of ppl
Yes, it's still thriving thankfully.