Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Recorded Sept. 2012 (Dead Mall, Demolished 2014)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Last updated July 2022. All updates and corrections to factual errors will be posted in the video description below. SHAKY VIDEO ALERT - full-screen viewing is not recommended!
UPDATES
-Younkers closed in May 2018 due to bankruptcy.
-JCP is still open as of July 2022.
CORRECTIONS
-Please disregard the history of Lindale Mall given in the narration, it is wrong. The yellow subtitles & description below have the correct history.
-RadioShack was actually located in the angled storefront seen at 8:50.
-KB Toys was actually on the upper level next to JCP, not the lower level.
-I'm told there were public restrooms next to the Chick-Fil-A.
This is a video tour of the now-demolished Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, IA, recorded Sept 2012, with additional photos from 2014. At the time I recorded this, Westdale had been dying for over a decade.
Opened in 1979, the two-level 850,000 sq ft Westdale Mall was the first enclosed mall in Cedar Rapids. The only other comparable shopping center in the city was Lindale Plaza, which at the time was an open-air shopping center built in the 60s, then later converted to an enclosed mall in the 80s. During the 80s & early 90s, Westdale was easily the better of the two malls, despite the fact it never had a proper central food court. Westdale had four anchors during its peak: JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Younkers and Von Maur. It also had a sizeable Osco Drug as a sort of unofficial fifth anchor, plus two outbuildings that included an Econofoods grocery supermarket and a four-screen movie theater.
In the mid 90s, Lindale Mall underwent major renovation. These improvements began drawing people away from Westdale, which was stagnating from lack of updates. A new Walmart Supercenter right across the street leeched away even more shoppers. The biggest contributor to the downfall of Westdale, however, was the opening of the huge Coral Ridge Mall only 20mi away in 1998. Right after Coral Ridge opened, Westdale's decline accelerated. The Econofoods and movie theater both closed, although a Big Lots eventually replaced the Econofoods. Then in 2001, Montgomery Ward closed, the first anchor to leave the mall.
Around 2005, talks began about what should be done with the ailing mall. Several failed attempts were made to find a buyer who would renovate the mall without outright demolishing it. Meanwhile, stores kept leaving Westdale. In 2006, Big Lots and Osco Drug both closed, followed in 2007 by Von Maur, leaving JCP and Younkers as the only remaining anchors. A Steve & Barry's moved into the old Montgomery Ward building, but only lasted a couple years before closing in 2008. It was obvious the mall was beyond hope...Westdale was going to die.
However, Westdale's demise was unexpectedly put on hold in 2008. A major flood destroyed the city hall, main public library and many other county offices. After the flood, the displaced agencies relocated their operations to Westdale. The convenience of having the various government offices and the main public library all centrally-located at the mall, combined with the potential of increased foot traffic for the few businesses that remained, prompted renewed talks about trying to save the mall. The possibility of the city themselves purchasing Westdale and making it a permanent home for some of their offices was even brought up. However, the city and county opted instead to build new offices and move back downtown, which was mostly complete by early 2012. When this video was recorded, only the library remained, as their new building was not done yet.
Ultimately, it was announced that Westdale Mall would close in 2014, then be demolished to make way for a mixed-use open-air "town center". The Montgomery Ward anchor building was the first part of the main complex to be demolished, which actually occurred while the mall was still open. Finally, in March of 2014, the central area of the mall closed permanently, and was knocked down a few months later. Today, all that remains of the original mall complex are the JCP, Younkers and Von Maur anchor buildings, plus the former movie theater outbuilding (the Econofoods/Big Lots outbuilding was demolished in 2010).
JCP is still open as a standalone store. Younkers had also stayed open as a standalone store, but bankruptcy eventually closed their doors in 2018, leaving JCP as the last original anchor. The Von Maur building was subdivided and now houses a Ross Dress & Encore Shoes. Those two stores, plus a newly-built Burlington Coat Factory and the remnant JCP, all serve as the "anchors" for the central area of the remodeled shopping center. A lot of the redevelopment process is complete, with several new retail buildings and a new Hilton hotel finished, and about 20% of the retail spaces occupied as of the last update.
The new development is now called Westdale Town Center. Westdale Mall is dead. Dead...but not forgotten.
Westdale Mall
Cedar Rapids, IA
1979-2014
Thanks for uploading this, very nostalgic.
-I worked in westdale radio shack in 1987-89. I was on the upper floor, and across was a shoe store. That was not the store you pointed out, that I worked in.
Interestingly, I recall that Westdale had 2 Hallmark stores in its heyday. The larger one on the lower level was Kirlin's Hallmark, the same branding that the Hallmark store at Lindale used at the time (so I assume that both were owned by the same franchisee). Almost directly above Kirlin's was the smaller Westdale Hallmark; I have no idea who owned that one.
As per your description, you are right there were public restrooms near the Chick-Fil-A, but also mall offices could be accessed in that same hallway. In 1997 a few of my friends and I walked back there doing a little urban exploration. We went inside the offices, but nobody was there, but a random computer was online with AOL, but I don't remember the screen name. We were lucky we didn't get caught, we were 15-16 years old being dumb.
This is nice. But heartbreaking. I had a lot of great times there through the 80-90s. It's sad to let these landmarks go.
Thanks for uploading.
KB Toys was about where you said but it was actually on the upper level. After JC Penney it was Eby's sporting goods then KB Toys. There were also public restrooms next to Chic-Fil-A. They were through some doors and down a long hallway
Remember the hardees that was upstairs
Freak out on kb toys wasted a lot of money then 🙃🔦
If I recall correctly, the toy store was originally "Toys By Rizzi" or something like that, and it later became Kay-Bee (or just KB).
This like a time capsule for me. I spent of good chunk of my childhood in that mall and its really sad that its all gone now. They originally planned to turn it into an outdoor mall after taking it down but that never came together. So this video is my only connection to that mall anymore. Even though I know there is no way that mall would still be here today after seeing Lindale also start to struggle but this always felt like the more fancier mall. Really wish they could have saved some parts of it in some way. Or Lindale could maybe adopt its style somewhat as Lindale doesn't feel like it has it own style anymore. It just feels cluttered most of the time.
I miss this mall
This mall was empty even in 2003 when I was in school at U Iowa. The only reason we went was because of tube Chick Fil A. At that time it was the only one in Iowa!
I think Coral Ridge Mall in Iowa City also helped kill this mall.
The spiral staircase in the middle is where a few of Michelle Martinko’s friends remember seeing her last the night she was murdered in the parking lot.
Is that featured in this video? I didn't see a spiral staircase in the video, but maybe I missed it.
@@sabrinashelton1997 21:46 you can see it
Thank you for sharing your video. Many people (including me) are nostalgic about Westdale. If you look up the Hahn Company you'll see the list of the many malls (including Westdale) that Ernest W Hahn built in the 1970s and 1980s. Love them or hate them, Hahn was truly a pioneer. The Mall of Memphis (opened in 1981) was another Hahn property that was demolished in 2004 and has an interesting history. People are very nostalgic about that mall as well.
I lived in Portland for a few years and went to Clackamas Town Center several times. I thought it felt slightly familiar for some reason. Now I know why.
Spent alot of time there in the 90s as a teen, then worked in the old Montgomery Ward as a custodian when Linn County moved offices post flood in 2008.
It’s 2024 and JCPennys is still up to this day :)
Oh the memories. That was the place to go on Saturdays!
Coral Ridge opening hurt Westdale as well.
Yep. It went downhill in a hurry after Coral Ridge opened. I really like Westdale in it's heyday, a lot more than Lindale.
9:21 - Looks like where The Tilt used to be. The Tilt at Westdale and Lindale were the last true Arcades in that area.
Yep, that's where I remember it being also. I thought Radio Shack used to be across from Tilt where the salon is shown a minute earlier. There used to be a Hardee's next door to the Radio Shack and an Orange Julius on the corner of the main aisle.
Indeed, and I did make sure to mention this in the video description and a caption added to the video since I neglected to mention it in the voiceover.
Anybody got any video when Westdale was popping in the 90s
Somehow we gotta see if there is footage from those fashion shows
ua-cam.com/video/R69F76qrD_4/v-deo.html
We moved here when my husband worked for York Steak House. York was in a storefront across from Chick-fil-a.
My first job was at Suncoast, at this mall. Bought many albums at Musicland/Sam Goody and spent a lot of time at the arcade (Tilt), playing Mortal Kombat II.
I thought tilt was the lindale arcade and golden nugget or something was the westdale arcade.
Do you remember Camelot Records at Westdale?
Interesting video. Thanks for uploading.
This mall was my favorite place for me to go to when I was little. My favorite parts while I was there was the Chick-Fil-A and the spiral staircase. I also loved to go up and down the escalators. I felt really sad when I heard it's gone. There is one Thomas song that makes me think about the times I went to this mall, and that is ua-cam.com/video/dVmLTApnwag/v-deo.html. Why? A lot of people, including myself, also have memories of the song.
Now lindale and coral ridge are the few awesome malls left. Wow, I was curious about this, because last time I was in westdale was years ago and it was dead then. Thanks for the video!
If Lindale can still be considered awesome 😢
This was one awesome mall in its day. So sad 😢
The decline of so many regional enclosed malls (including Westdale), and the redevelopment of some of them (including Westdale) into open-air "town centers", has made me feel nostalgic for Lindale in the 1970's, when it was an open-air mall!
Stage 4 theater. TCBY. You mention paws n claws. There was also a bar n restaurant.... I cannot remember it's name but they had karaoke Tuesday nights.
Me: 👀 *zooms in on the people at chik-Fil-a*
Me to myself: “I wonder if I’m down there🤔🤔”
Rip westdale mall great memories
Better get your facts straight. Lindale opened in the 60s, not after Westdale. It became ENCLOSED in the 80s.
This correct information was already posted in the video description a long time ago, along with a text subtitle burned into the video.
As eerri as that mall was there was actually a funeral product store there. It was always closed and the lights were always off. You could see tombstones and urns. Gave me the creeps.
Small world man
I managed Ritz Camera in this mall in 2001. The mall was dead back then.
Hello! I am a dead mall creator and I was wondering if I could borrow some of your footage? for a special dead mall video on Westdale Mall. I will give proper credit! Thank you :)
Sure, go ahead!
bigloudnoise Thank you!
I thought Radio Shack used to be by Montgomery Ward where the salon is at @8:45. There used to be a Hardee's next door and the arcade was across from it and close to the MW entrance.
You certainly could be correct. The amount of time that had passed since I was last in Westdale, combined with the sheer number of closed stores, meant that I had actually forgotten a lot of the internal layout regarding where some of the stores used to be. The only reason I thought that other store I stopped in front of might have been RadioShack was because it appeared to have gray wall panels similar to some other RadioShack stores. Beyond that, I legitimately could not remember with any certainty where it used to be when I recorded that video.
that Chinese restaurant was never open whenever I'd visit Westdale, but I could tell they weren't out of business. I was disappointed I never got to try it. And I wish I could have been able to see inside that hexagon-shaped store in the Wards wing. Probably was very interesting.
I ate there.. It was a young American man and a young Chinese woman who owned it. They had a daughter together. I remember him telling me that he was a vegetarian. From what I remember the food was quite good and authentic.
A friend of mine got hired to tear out stores. He said when they tore out walls in that Chinese Food store, it was full of roaches.
Wish still wish Westdale was booming like the old days you could feel the top shake and actually had to go around people
Ebys was cool
way off on Lindale. Lindale has existed since the 1960s and was enclosed in 1980, shortly after Westdale opened. It was the first mall in Cedar Rapids. Check Wikipedia for Lindale history.
Amy yes, I posted this info in the video description, as when I originally did the voiceover I did not have that information available to me. Anything that is wrong in the video itself is correct in the description.
15:43 used to be Kay Jeweler's.
What mall are you at
I use to got to this place when i was a little kid it was demolished when i was 8 now its just a strip mall
Is the JCP still open?
As of December 2018, JCP is still open.
Everything else torn down
I believe that is one of the last vestiges of the "old" Westdale that is still there.
Shame you recorded it with a potato
My last memory of going to that mall was the time a bunch of us rode our skateboards through the place. I do have other memories of going there with my family and friends in the late 90's and 2000's but I don't miss that place at all. Good riddance.