Crossroads Mall (Boulder)
The Crossroads Mall was an indoor shopping mall from 1963 until 2004, in Boulder, Colorado.
History
Development
- Crossroads Mall opened on March 14, 1963 with 394,000 leasable square feet for retail stores, surrounded by open-air parking. Anchor stores included The Denver Dry Goods Company, J. C. Penney and Montgomery Ward[1]
- In August 1979, Macerich acquired Crossroads Mall for $12 million.
- A 1983 remodeling and expansion doubled the size of the mall and included the addition of a food court and another anchor store, May D&F (later renamed Foley's and, still later, Macy's).
- In March 1986, Mervyn's was added as an additional anchor.
- In 1990, May D&F expanded, bringing the size of the mall to 820,000 square feet (76,000 m2). A small parking ramp was also added adjacent to May D&F on the east side of the mall.
Decline
- The years just before and after 2000 saw increasing competition for Crossroads Mall from new retail developments in Superior, Broomfield, and Westminster.
- In September 1997, Montgomery Ward closed its store at Crossroads Mall; this space would remain vacant until demolition.
- In October 1997, the ever-increasing vacancy rate at Crossroads was 19%.
- In January 1998, Mervyn's closed; the space was remodeled and occupied by Sears in October 1998.
- From 1997 to 2002, various Crossroads reconstruction ideas were floated and then rejected. Fast-track construction of a Dillard's store was proposed, but vetoed by Foley's.
- In October 1999, Macerich began a 13-month renovation project by closing half of the mall and tearing down some interior walls.
- In July 2000, Macerich put its renovation plans on hold, stopped the project, and announced that it was looking for a buyer for Crossroads.
- Flatiron Crossing Mall, in Broomfield, opened in August 2000.
- In February 2001, J.C. Penney closed its store at Crossroads Mall.
- In June 2002, the owners of Flatiron Crossing Mall (Westcor) merged with the owners of Crossroads Mall (Macerich).
Demolition
- On January 23, 2003, the Sears store at Crossroads Mall closed. Plans were submitted to the city to tear down Crossroads Mall and create a new retail district, dubbed "Twenty Ninth Street". The plans were for about 50-60 shops and a movie theatre. The city agreed, and Macerich/Westcor sprung into action.
- On January 8, 2004, the closing of Crossroads Mall was announced. The Mall closed in February 2004, except that Foley's, the only store to survive from Crossroads to the new Twenty Ninth Street, remained open continuously.
- Except for the Sears building, Foley's/Macy's and its adjacent parking structure, Crossroads Mall was demolished, and on October 13, 2006, the Twenty Ninth Street retail district opened on the site of the defunct Crossroads.
The New Twenty Ninth Street retail district
The new Twenty Ninth Street retail district opened on October 13, 2006. Unlike the indoor design of the Crossroads Mall, the new Twenty Ninth Street retail district is an outdoor shopping neighborhood.
References