Westroads Mall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Westroads Mall
Westroads Mall as it appeared in the late 1960s |
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| Facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Opening date | August 1, 1968[1] |
| Developer | John Wiebe[1] |
| Management | General Growth Properties[2] |
| Owner | General Growth Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 135[3] |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4[3] |
| Total retail floor area | 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m²)[4] |
| Parking | 5,106 |
| No. of floors | 3 of retail[3] |
| Website | Westroads Mall |
Westroads Mall is an enclosed shopping mall with over 135 stores located in Omaha, Nebraska at the intersection of 100th and Dodge Streets. It is the largest mall in the state of Nebraska[5], with 14.5 million customer visits annually.[3]
Designed by real estate developer John Wiebe, Westroads cost $25 million to build, including $15 million for store inventories & fixtures. It opened to the public on August 1, 1968. It originally opened with 68 tenants, later expanding to approximately 120 at the end of its first full year.
During the mall's early years, it was home to a chapel as well as a heliport on the roof. In the 1970's, a dinner theatre occupied much of the mall's lower level.
Prudential Insurance Co. purchased the mall from Wiebe for $45 Million in 1977. In 1997, General Growth Properties bought the mall from Prudential and remains the owner.[1]
The mall has been renovated several times: in 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2003. Westroads is Nebraska's largest shopping mall[3] with a gross leasable area of 1.2 million square feet.[4]
Contents |
[edit] Anchors
Mall anchors include:[3]
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- JCPenney
- Von Maur
- Younkers (in former Jones Store)
- Rave Motion Pictures Under construction, open Summer 2008
Past anchors have included:
- Brandeis
- The Jones Store (in former Montgomery Ward)
- Montgomery Ward
[edit] Movie theaters
The Mall was home to a small multiplex called the AMC Westroads 8 until December 1997 when AMC opened the Oak View Plaza 24 Theaters near Oak View Mall. However, in summer 2008 a new 14 screen multiplex operated by Rave Motion Picture Theaters will open. At 70,000-square-feet, the theater will use 18-inch risers for stadium seating and offer four feet of leg room between rows. The complex will anchor a 130,000- square-foot development on the north end of the Mall in the former Younkers location.[6]
[edit] Shooting
On December 5, 2007, a man later identified as Robert A. Hawkins entered the Von Maur anchor store with a rifle and began firing. One report indicated that at least 25 rounds had been fired. Nine people were killed (including the gunman), and five people injured, all within Von Maur. Westroads Security responded quickly and safely. [7][8] The mall reopened on December 8, 2007, while anchor store Von Maur reopened December 20, 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Westroads Mall a landmark in Omaha. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
- ^ Westroads Mall - About Us. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ a b c d e f Westroads Mall facts. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ a b Westroads Mall, International Council of Shopping Centers. Accessed December 5, 2007.
- ^ Ardy Friedberg and Monica Davey, "Gunman at an Omaha Mall Kills 8 and Himself". New York Times, December 6, 2007. Retrieved on 12/6/2007.
- ^ Keenan, J. "Movie theater coming to Westroads", Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 12/14/07.
- ^ Westroads Mall Shooting 2007-12-05. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Man opens fire at Omaha Mall, Killing 8. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
