Oak Park Mall 8/16 Update- Overland Park, Kansas

          The last real mall in the Kansas City area, with Metcalf South and Metro North closed and preparing for demolition, and Bannister and Blue Springs long gone, Oak Park and Zona Rosa are the only malls to see unless you venture out to Topeka or Independence.

          I first visited Oak Park Mall back in July 2014, here is my original post featuring pictures from then. These pictures were taken in the morning, before any of the stores opened for the day, that is why there are very few people walking around.

          This is such a nice mall to shop at, in the center of some of the best shopping west of the border, between Leawood and Olathe, Kansas.

Here are the pictures I got on a Sunday morning about a month ago:

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and continue to follow us on Facebook.

Kmart Is Closing Another 64 Stores This Year

          About a week of independent news articles stating Kmart stores closing, and Sears planning on closing a large number of undisclosed locations has been finalized. Today Sears released a list of 64 Kmart stores that will closed in late December.

          According to Business Insider, employee's were informed this past Friday that there store is included on the list. The employee's brought the truth out to major journalists and a compiled list of 64 stores will begin liquidation September 22.

          Out of this list, several stores in Michigan and Illinois will effect my shopping habits. Those stores include Springfield, New Lenox, Chicago, Joliet, Tinley Park, and Macomb, Illinois. Several stores in Michigan and Merrillville, and Lafayette, Indiana.

          Kmart now has only 870 stores after this announcement, down from 1,300 stores in 2012, and nearly 3,000 in the 70's and 80's.

Here's a full list of stores that will close in December, according to employees (highlighted store are ones I have shopped at before):

Kmart #3044: Lawton, OK
Kmart #3180: Merrillville, IN
Kmart #3241: Springfield, IL
Kmart #3320: Houma, LA
Kmart #3328: New Lenox, IL
Kmart #3355: Panama City, FL
Kmart #3359: Gardendale, AL
Kmart #3521: Binghamton, NY
Kmart #3556: Elkhart, IN
Kmart #3594: Chicago, IL
Kmart #3644: Nashville, TN
Kmart #3695: Sierra Vista, AZ
Kmart #3706: Wytheville, VA
Kmart #3754: Martinsville, VA
Kmart #3814: Kearney, NE
Kmart #4066: Jackson, MI
Kmart #4095: Joliet, IL
Kmart #4135: Augusta, GA
Kmart #4162: Salt Lake City, UT
Kmart #4175: Canton, OH
Kmart #4176: Cheektowaga, NY
Kmart #4439: Yakima, WA
Kmart #4700: Fenton, MI
Kmart #4717: Oak Ridge, TN
Kmart #4739: Clarksville, TN
Kmart #4772: Burnham, PA
Kmart #4781: Macomb, IL
Kmart #4837: Riverton, WY
Kmart #4845: Manistee, MI
Kmart #4851: Byron Center, MI
Kmart #4910: Mentor, OH
Kmart #4917: Thornton, CO
Kmart #4961: Burlington, NC
Kmart #4970: Memphis, TN
Kmart #4972: Lubbock, TX
Kmart #4984: Tinley Park, IL
Kmart #7024: Scottsbluff, NE
Kmart #7061: New Iberia, LA
Kmart #7077: Harlingen, TX
Kmart #7174: Pikeville, KY
Kmart #7205: Grand Rapids, MI
Kmart #7216: Moorhead, MN
Kmart #7306: Sioux Falls, SD
Kmart #7356: Jonesboro, AR
Kmart #7412: West Valley City, UT
Kmart #7478: Waipahu, HI
Kmart #7551: Indio, CA
Kmart #7560: Craig, CO
Kmart #7587: Fontana, CA
Kmart #7625: Los Angeles, CA
Kmart #7642: Natchez, MS
Kmart #7718: Hixson, TN
Kmart #7733: Alpena, MI
Kmart #7755: Deming, NM
Kmart #7775: Lafayette, IN
Kmart #7795: Abilene, TX
Kmart #9129: Mount Airy, NC
Kmart #9146: Great Barrington, MA
Kmart #9397: West Saint Paul, MN
Kmart #9571: Cullman, AL
Kmart #9586: Sault Saint Marie, MI
Kmart #9623: Springdale, AR
Kmart #9728: Smyrna, TN
Kmart #9751: Cody, WY  

Here is my articles from April when Sears announced that 78 stores would close by late July/ early August:     Which Kmart or Sears Is Closing Where You Live?- 2016 Closures

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and continue to follow us on Facebook.                                                                                                      

Metcalf South 8/16 Update- Overland Park, Kansas

          Soon the Metcalf South shopping center at 95th and Metcalf in the bustling suburb of Overland Park might be a thing of the past. Although I have been here only one before, it was still open for business, although closed for the night. I never got to go inside because mall management later decided to close the mall entirely.

          Big plans are in the works for the plaza, new shopping trends, or residential space. A Lowe's is the latest plan, but no action has been seen just yet.

          The former French Market/ Kmart store across 95th is not included in any possible development plans, at least not yet.

Here is my original post from the first time I went to Kansas City in July 2014. 

Here is the former French Market, and other empty stores around the plaza.

The Kmart has not been open for several years, and there is a great article in Pleasant Family Shopping about the French Market back in the 60's and 70's.

Here is the rest of the Metcalf South mall. The former The Jones Store/ Macy's below closed around March 2014.

The week I was here, a consignment for children's toys and clothing was held at the former Macy's.

Sears is still open, and would not be included in any of the future development, unless it closed before then.

Pretty neat old cars parked in front of Sears.

Did not see this in the dark before, a retro Sears receiving sign.

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and continue to follow us on Facebook.

Metro North Mall Montgomery Ward 8/16 Update- [(Ballwin),Kansas City, Missouri]

          On a trip to Kansas City a few weeks back, what I can only look at now as a leap of faith for reason's unrelated to retail, I did make it second priority to check out Metro North one last time before demolition officially takes place.

          Here is the Montgomery Ward anchor, which closed in 2001, with the rest of the chain resulting from bankruptcy, as many of you know, unlike several other locations however, where signage was removed immediately, or at least a few years later, how the Wards marque is on the building 15 years later, and at least 30 years of business, this is unbelievable to me.

Here is my original post of Metro North mall featuring pictures from July 2014.

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and continue to follow us on Facebook.