Metro North Mall

Metro North Mall was a 1.3 million square foot (123,076 m²) mall located at 400 NW Barry Road, in Kansas City North, Missouri.

Metro North opened its doors in 1976 and was the only enclosed mall located north of the Missouri River in the Kansas City metro area, as well as being the second largest mall in the area, behind Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kansas. It was developed by Frank Morgan and his uncle Sherman Dreiseszun.^[1]

After a decade of decline and left with only two stores, the mall closed its doors on April 15, 2014.^[2]

History

Metro North Mall opened in September 1976, with 1.3 million s.f. of retail space that included 125 storefronts and 4 anchor stores on two levels. Despite the challenges of the market, the mall interior is well maintained and features a beautiful 1980s-style center court area with a stage surrounded by a pool of water, which includes four mini hot-air balloons suspended from the ceiling that float up and down. Metro North previously had a small 6-screen theatre near the Montgomery Ward section, but it closed along with the 6-screen theatre on a pad site behind the mall nearest to Montgomery Ward. The former Montgomery Ward store which closed in 2001, and its retail 'wing' are completely vacant. JCPenney closed in mid-2008, in favor of opening two new stores. Dillard's converted to a clearance center in 2007, closing off the lower level of the store. Dillard's later left the mall in late 2008, in favor of a new location in nearby Zona Rosa. MC Sporting Goods operated as a junior anchor in part of the former Montgomery Ward store until it closed in March 2009. Macy's (which originally opened as The Jones Store) is the sole remaining anchor.

The independent film titled Shoe Store was filmed in Metro North Mall. The vacant Steve's Family Shoes store was used build the set for the film.^[3]

Plans for redeveloping the ailing shopping center via a partnership with Alberta Development Partners were released in 2007. It cited turning Metro North into an outdoor lifestyle center, although the plans fell through shortly after being released, due to the recession and death of mall owner Sherman Dreiseszun. In 2010, new redevelopment plans with MD Management Inc. surfaced, with intent to revitalize the shopping center that by this time had fallen to 17 percent occupancy with only one remaining anchor. These plans called for the majority of the present mall to be torn down and replaced by a smaller enclosed mall (rather than open-air shopping, as expected from the original developers), which will incorporate mixed uses in addition to the standard shopping mall.^[4] MD Management Inc., which was also set to redevelop Metcalf South Shopping Center in Overland Park, Kansas, had planned to begin the redevelopment process by 2012 with hopes to complete the $100 million to $200 million Metro North Mall project by 2014.

The redevelopment of the mall faced setbacks, but new announcements arouse in May 2013 that MD Management Inc. was looking to raze the mall and replace it with a smaller, one-level enclosed mall featuring two anchor stores, due to demand for a viable enclosed mall to serve the Northland area.^[5] The new plans call for roughly 900,000 s.q. feet of retail space and a new 140,000 s.q. foot Macy's to replace the existing one in a project that is estimated to cost $200 million and be completed by Fall 2015.

In April 2014, MD Management announced that the mall would be shuttered on April 15, 2014. At the time of closure, only two inline stores remained: GNC and The Wig Shoppe. Macy's, the sole surviving anchor store, will remain open.^[2]

ON March 10, 2015, MD Management announced that IAS Partners Ltd. Will be aquiering the shopping center in a deal set to close in April 2015. IAS envisions replacing the enclosed mall with a new open-air center that will include local and national retailers, multifamily housing and maybe office spaces.^[6]

Anchor stores

• Macy's (244,000 sq. ft.)
  • MC Sporting Goods; (in part of former Wards, jr. anchor) opened 2002, closed 2009
  • Dillard's; (155,000 sq. ft.) opened 1976, closed 2008
  • JCPenney; (168,151 sq. ft.) opened 1976, closed 2008
  • The Jones Store; opened 1976, became Macy's in 2006
  • Montgomery Ward; opened 1976, closed 2001
  • AMC Theatres; (outparcel) opened 1976, closed 2002

Slogans used

The Pleasure of Shopping... Metro North! /&/ Come For The Shopping... Stay For The FUN!

Competition

• Zona Rosa - opened in 2004

References