Towne East Square

Last updated
Towne East Square
Towne East Square
Address7700 East Kellogg Drive
Wichita, Kansas 67207
Opening dateAugust 14, 1975
DeveloperMelvin Simon & Associates
ManagementSimon Property Group
Owner Simon Property Group
No. of stores and services122
No. of anchor tenants 5
Total retail floor area 1,145,360 sq ft (106,407 m2)
No. of floors2
Parking Parking lot
Public transit access Bus-logo.svg Wichita Transit
Website Official Website

Towne East Square is an enclosed, two-story shopping mall located in the eastern section [1] of Wichita, Kansas, United States.

Contents

Overview

Towne East Square has 122 stores and restaurants in 1,145,360 square feet (106,407.4 m2) of gross leasable area. [2] The anchor stores are Dillard's, Round One Entertainment, JCPenney, Von Maur, and Scheels. In summer 2019, a Round One Entertainment complex started construction in the former J.M. McDonald/Service Merchandise/Stein Mart/Steve & Barry's/Mattress Hub Superstore/Wright Career College/Glow Golf space. [3] It was later confirmed that the Round One Entertainment Complex was slated to open in 2020. [4] It was intended to open on July 1, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the store officially opened on July 18, 2020. [5]

The area around the mall was changed heavily in recent years as several businesses and hotels were demolished for the expansion and addition of a flyover on Highways 54/400 (locally signed Kellogg). Simon has purchased much of the vacated land for redevelopment. [6]

History

The mall was first planned in 1972 as Kellogg Mall, but was later changed to Towne East Square. Construction began in 1973, [7] and officially opened on August 14, 1975, [8] and was the first large, modern, multi-level enclosed mall in Wichita. The original anchors were JCPenney, Dillard's, Henry's, Sears (which opened soon after the mall opened), and J.M. McDonald.

J.M. McDonald liquidated in 1983 as part of parent company Wickles filing for bankruptcy, and was replaced by Service Merchandise around 1985. [9]

In 1992, Henry's closed and sat abandoned for a while. It stayed abandoned for eight years until it was demolished in 2000 to make room for Von Maur. That store would open two years later on August 3, 2002. [10] Meanwhile, Service Merchandise closed in 1998 due to low sales, [11] and was taken up by Stein Mart in 1999. [12]

Stein Mart had financial troubles and closed in 2002. The store was later bought by Steve & Barry's around the mid 2000s, and liquidated in late 2008, following Steve and Barry's bankruptcy. [13] In late 2008, Towne East Square received a renovation to give it more of an upscale look, including escalator movements. [14] During the summer of 2009, Mattress Hub expanded their store at the mall into the former Steve and Barry's space, [15] and moved in mid-2010 for Wright Career College that opened in 2011. [16]

A BJ's Restaurants opened outside the mall on July 16, 2012. [17] On September 17 of the same year, Longhorn Steakhouse would open in the surrounding area. [18]

Wright Career College later went bankrupt on April 16, 2016; [19] Glow Golf later replaced Wright Career College on April 29, 2017, after moving from Reflection Ridge Plaza at the west side of Wichita. In 2018, Sears announced they would be closing 80 stores, including this one, which would close in March 2019. Glow Golf Wichita then announced on Facebook that they would be closing. Round One Entertainment later took up the space on July 18, 2020, causing four other businesses at the mall to move elsewhere in order to accommodate the tenant expansion.

Meanwhile, on December 28, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 80 stores nationwide. The store closed in March 2019. [20]

Scheels was confirmed on July 14, 2021, to replace Sears. [21] The store opened on July 1, 2023. [22]

On December 14, 2021, it was announced that Towne East Square would get a major overhaul both inside and outside of the mall. This overhaul would include the entrances getting wood and glass details and new signage, outdoor seating areas would be added, and the parking lots and entryways would get new landscaping. The parking lot also would be repaved. In 2021 it was reported that the mall's second level would get updated flooring. [23]

On March 18, 2022, at around 5:30 PM, a shooting happened inside the Towne East Square close to the ROUND1 establishment. There was one death of a 14-year old kid. Police captured two suspects, one aged 16 and the other 17. This all stemmed from an argument between the teenagers when eventually one of them pulled out a firearm and fired it five to six times. [24]

On August 31, 2024, a little before 6:00 PM, a fight between some teenagers caused mass hysteria of a supposed shooting. There was no evidence of a shooting except for a witness saying they heard gunshots. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral Ridge Mall</span> Shopping mall in Iowa, United States

Coral Ridge Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located just south of Interstate 80 in Coralville, Iowa. The mall's primary trade area includes Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and other parts of eastern Iowa. It is owned and managed by Brookfield Properties, which acquired the original developer of the mall, General Growth Properties, in 2018.

Von Maur, Inc. is an American department store chain based in Davenport, Iowa. Founded in 1872, the chain operates over 36 locations across the United States, primarily in the Midwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Prairie Center</span> Shopping mall in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

The Eden Prairie Center is a mall located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It has been managed by Jones Lang LaSalle as of 2020. It is anchored by Kohl's, Target, Von Maur and Scheels Sporting Goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oglethorpe Mall</span> Shopping mall in Georgia, United States

Oglethorpe Mall is a super-regional shopping mall on the south side of Savannah, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise Towne Square</span> Shopping mall in Boise, Idaho

Boise Towne Square is a mall in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. The largest retail complex in the state, it opened in 1988 after more than 20 years of planning, and features 150 stores, with Macy's, JCPenney, Kohl's and Dillard's as anchor stores. The mall also includes the first Apple Store in Idaho. Boise Towne Square is owned by the Chicago-based Brookfield Properties and is located near the junction of Interstate 84 and Interstate 184.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scheels</span> Sporting Goods Chain Store

Scheels is an American privately held, employee-owned and operated sporting goods and entertainment chain store headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. Scheels operates thirty-four store locations in sixteen U.S. states. Its slogan is "Gear. Passion. Sports."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Towne Mall</span> Shopping mall in Wisconsin, United States

East Towne Mall is a shopping mall located on the northeast side of Madison, Wisconsin. The anchor stores are JCPenney, Shoe Carnival, Barnes & Noble, Planet Fitness, Flix Brewhouse, and Dick's Sporting Goods. There are 3 vacant anchor stores that were once Gordmans, Sears and Boston Store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Towne Mall</span> Shopping mall in Wisconsin, U.S.

West Towne Mall is a shopping mall located in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S., owned by CBL Properties. It was the first enclosed shopping center within 70 miles (110 km) of Madison with its grand opening on October 15, 1970. The mall was designed by the architect Lou Resnick and developed by Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, the developer of Brookfield Square in Milwaukee. The 56,000-square-foot (5,200 m2) Manchester's store was later replaced by a food court. West Towne is the sister mall to the East Towne Mall which opened a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandler Fashion Center</span> Shopping mall in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA

Chandler Fashion Center is a regional shopping center located in the city of Chandler, Arizona, and is the second largest mall in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The mall is owned by Macerich and was developed by Westcor a former subsidiary of Macerich. The mall features Dillard's, Scheels, Macy's as well as a Harkins Theatres. The mall is located on the northwest corner of the AZ Loop 101 (Price) and AZ Loop 202 (SanTan) but can also be accessed from Chandler Boulevard. Chandler Fashion Center serves as a transit center for Valley Metro Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orland Square Mall</span> Shopping mall in Orland Park, Illinois

Orland Square is a shopping mall located in Orland Park, Illinois. It is the largest mall in the Chicago Southland, the south and southwest suburbs of Chicago, covering an area of 1,229,884 sq ft (114,260.0 m2). It opened on March 15, 1976 and received major renovations in 1995. The mall features JCPenney, Macy's and Von Maur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherryvale Mall</span> Shopping mall in Illinois, United States

CherryVale Mall is a shopping mall in Rockford, Illinois, along its border with Cherry Valley. Located at the intersection of US 20, Interstate 39, and Interstate 90, the two-story mall is the largest shopping mall in northern Illinois outside of suburban Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pembroke Mall</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Pembroke Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. It was opened in March 1966 as the first shopping mall in the Hampton Roads metro area. It comprised more than 48 stores, including anchor stores Target and Kohl's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiday Village Mall</span> Shopping mall in Montana, United States

Holiday Village Mall is a two leveled shopping mall located in Great Falls, Montana, United States. The shopping center opened in November 1959 with Albertsons as an anchor store. The mall was expanded into an enclosed shopping mall between 1962 and 1967. Today, the mall is anchored by Big Lots, Harbor Freight Tools, Hobby Lobby, JCPenney, PetSmart, Ross Dress for Less, and Scheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenwood Park Mall</span> Shopping mall in Indiana, United States

Greenwood Park Mall is a shopping mall located in Greenwood, Indiana. The mall is the hub of the retail and commercial corridor along U.S. Highway 31 on the south side of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. As with several other central Indiana shopping centers, Greenwood Park Mall is owned and operated by Simon Property Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunt Valley Towne Centre</span> Outdoor shopping mall in Hunt Valley, Maryland

Hunt Valley Towne Centre, formerly Hunt Valley Mall, is an outdoor shopping mall in northern Baltimore County, Maryland, with 58 stores. The development was constructed following the closure of Hunt Valley Mall in 2000. The new centre started operating in 2003. The anchor stores in existence today include Dick's Sporting Goods, Burlington Coat Factory and Wegmans. Wal-Mart was located at Hunt Valley mall until late October 2007, when it moved two miles south to Cockeysville, Maryland. It was replaced by Best Buy, which closed in May 2012 as part of a nationwide downsizing. Near a gazebo located in the main street area of the center, there is a memorial to Chuck Thompson. Hunt Valley's official mascot was Hunter the Valley Bear prior to redevelopment.

Towne West Square is an enclosed shopping mall located in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Opened on Friday, March 6, 1981, it comprises more than 50 stores in 951,447 square feet (88,392.3 m2) of gross leasable area. The mall's three anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's Clearance Center and JCPenney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Mall (Illinois)</span> Shopping mall in Illinois, United States

University Mall is a shopping mall in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1974, it originally featured JCPenney and Sears as its major anchor stores, the latter taking the place of a Britt's discount store which never opened for business. The mall received multiple expansions in the 1980s and 1990s, adding Meis, Venture Stores, and Famous-Barr. Sears moved to the then Illinois Centre Mall and was replaced by Montgomery Ward. Venture, Elder-Beerman, and Montgomery Ward all closed throughout the 1990s, with the former becoming K's Merchandise Mart until 2007, while Famous-Barr became Macy's in 2006. The mall has seen several closures in stores throughout the 21st century, including both Macy's and JCPenney. The remaining mall tenants include Ross Dress for Less, Ulta Beauty, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond (closing), Illinicare Health, and SIH Medical Group. University Mall is managed by Namdar Realty Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Mall</span> Shopping mall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The South Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located on Lehigh Street south of Interstate 78 exit 57 near Allentown's southern border with Salisbury Township and Emmaus in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

Florin Towne Centre is an outdoor shopping center in the unincorporated area of Parkway-South Sacramento in Sacramento County, California, United States, in the Sacramento area. It opened in 2008 on the site of the old Florin Mall, which closed and was demolished in 2006. The 484,500 square feet (45,010 m2) center is anchored by AutoZone, Chuze Fitness, PetSmart, US Foods CHEF'STORE, and Walmart Supercenter.

Hickory Point Mall is a shopping mall in Forsyth, Illinois, United States. The mall opened in 1978. The anchor stores are Kohl's, Von Maur, TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby, Ulta Beauty, Ross Dress for Less, and Shoe Dept. Encore. The mall is managed by Namdar Realty Group. There are 3 vacant anchor stores that were once JCPenney, Sears, and Bergner's.

References

  1. ↑ Address of the mall's offices is 7700 East Kellogg Drive.
  2. ↑ "Towne East Square". International Council of Shopping Centers. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Round 1 entertainment complex coming to Towne East Square | the Wichita Eagle". Archived from the original on 2019-08-09. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  4. ↑ "Towne East Square confirms new Round 1 entertainment complex to open in 2020". 2019.
  5. ↑ "Round 1's new Wichita location opens at Towne East July 18". The Wichita Eagle.
  6. ↑ The Wichita Eagle [ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Wichita Photos".
  8. ↑ "Malls of America - Vintage photos of lost Shopping Malls of the '50s, '60s & '70s".
  9. ↑ "(In The Comments)". 17 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Wichita's first Von Maur opens Aug. 3".
  11. ↑ "Service Merchandise set to close east store". Wichita Business Journal.
  12. ↑ "Stein Mart entry set for Towne East". Wichita Business Journall.
  13. ↑ "Report: Steve & Barry's to liquidate". Wichita Business Journal.
  14. ↑ "Towne East to Undergo Multi-Million Dollar Renovation". Law Co.
  15. ↑ Rengers, Carrie (June 3, 2009). "Mattress Hub expands at Towne East and Towne West". www.kansas.com. The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "Wright Career College opens Wichita branch in Towne East Square". Wichita Business Journal.
  17. ↑ "BJ's Restaurants Opens in Wichita, Kansas".
  18. ↑ "LongHorn Steakhouse on east side to open Sept. 17".
  19. ↑ "Subscription" . Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  20. ↑ Thomas, Lauren (2018-12-28). "Sears is closing 80 more stores in March, faces possible liquidation". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  21. ↑ "SCHEELS announces it will open in Towne East Square Sears location". 14 July 2021.
  22. ↑ "SCHEELS at Towne East Square - A Shopping Center in Wichita, KS - A Simon Property".
  23. ↑ Neil, Denise (14 December 2021). "Towne East Square getting a major overhaul both inside and out, its first since 2008". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. ↑ KWCH Staff (18 March 2022). "Teen dead, 2 others arrested in Towne East mall shooting yes". kwch.com. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  25. ↑ "Fight at Towne East Mall sparks panic, false rumors of active shooter". KAKE. 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2024-10-22.

37°41′00″N97°15′01″W / 37.6832°N 97.2502°W / 37.6832; -97.2502

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.