never had koolaid points but over the years I've done well chow card wise on the mypoints.com game and by putting my diet coke addiction to good use in the mycokerewards game

HA! Clay and Bingo... if you only knew. OneforOne, say what you want, nothing off my back cause I don't care. honestly.

Lets replace the mall with a NASCAR track!

I just want it to die already.

Do you know that for the past two years, Crossroad's Mall has been hosting a local troops support group called The Hugs Project?

They collect no rent and they are even so kind as to pay our utilities. They host us free of charge because they too love and respect our troops for the difficult job they are called upon to do.

The Hugs Project sends out 30-40 care packages each and every week to troops deployed in harm's way. They go bravely into harm's way to look evil in the eye...for US and The Hugs Project would not be able to do so much if not for patriotic Americans like the people who work for Price Edwards and manage Crossroad's Mall.

The main thing we do there each Wed, Th and Sat is make cooling ties which can reduce body temperatures by 5 degrees or more effectively reducing a troop's core temp enough that he doesn't have to die of heat stroke. These things really work and if you have any doubt, please visit us any of the aforementioned days between the hours of 10-4 so we can show you how they work and what we do. We're located in Suite 1048.

Please feel free to bring some beef jerky, eye drops or socks, etc. We need LOTS of care package items to fill those boxes. If you would like a list of what's needed or if you would like to learn more about The Hugs Project and how you too can help, please feel free to email me at: TheHugsProject_OKC@cox.net or visit us on the web at The Hugs Project (http://www.TheHugsProject.com) or TheHugsProject : ...Supporting our troops in harm's way. (http://www.TheHugsProject.net) .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090705/ap_on_re_as/as_afghan_hot_helmand Here's a link to a story where I saw a picture of a 145 pound American Marine struggling to march in 100+ temperatures in Southern Afghanistan under the weight of a 120 pound pack and gear. If that image troubles you as much as it does me....please get involved and if any of you reading this post have someone serving "over there", please send me the military address and we'll get them a care package mailed out ASAP. That's what we do to say, "Thank you, we appreciate your service and your sacrifice.

Thanks for your time,

Karen
The Hugs Project (http://www.TheHugsProject.com) - Because every American serving in harm's way deserves the thanks of a grateful nation.

Price Edwards Market Summary (http://www.priceedwards.com/?task=Download%20Current%20Market%20Summaries&id=7)

Crossroads Mall - 1,266,462 sf total - 881,953 sf vacant - 69.60% vacancy

Price Edwards Market Summary (http://www.priceedwards.com/?task=Download%20Current%20Market%20Summaries&id=7)

Crossroads Mall - 1,266,462 sf total - 881,953 sf vacant - 69.60% vacancy

that speaks volumes!

LIFE....you need water to have life thrive...when they took the fountain out of heritage park mall it was like a bad omen....service merchandise was the first to go and then the domino effect began,,,then they take the fountains out of crossroads,,,,,but we okies must remember j.c. penny didn't close.....it just moved back to it's original location on 29th street in midwest city..i know because in the late 70's and early 80's thats where my mother bought my shoes....all they did was move back to it's original location.

I think Sam's Optical finally left Crossroads. They are now open in what is left of the old Taco Cabana on 240 & Walker.

I think Sam's Optical finally left Crossroads. They are now open in what is left of the old Taco Cabana on 240 & Walker.

No, they did not leave crossroads. They opened that store in additon to the crossroads store, they opened it in case crossroads closes but they still have the crossroads location open.

they opened it in case crossroads closes

Not exactly a page from the Harvard Business School textbook: open a store within a few miles of your existing location just to ensure continuity when the mall finally implodes.

Reading this thread calls to mind the recent news story about the "suicidal" planet that is in a daily orbit of its sun. The article reads all gloom and doom: the disruptive forces of gravitational pull will hasten the planet's demise. Get to the end of the story and they conclude with two details: one, it will take a million years for the planet to actually go bye-bye. Two, observers will know better in 5 years if this is the actual course for the planet. What is 5 years compared to 1 million? How can that be so telling?

Applying this illogic to Crossroads and shrinking the timeline, I predict the ultimate demise in 5-7 years but will check back in a month and see how it is going. At this point, no one defection will be the tipping point. This is going to be a slow, slow process. White knights are not on the horizon.

I think Sam's Optical finally left Crossroads. They are now open in what is left of the old Taco Cabana on 240 & Walker.

..and so, now, as a result they now feature drive-thru service and are called "Sam's Optical Cabana".

(person pulls through the drive thru).."Yes, please..Id like an order of disposable green-eyed contacts, a pair of Oakley frames, and two orders of eyedrops"

Not exactly a page from the Harvard Business School textbook: open a store within a few miles of your existing location just to ensure continuity when the mall finally implodes.

Reading this thread calls to mind the recent news story about the "suicidal" planet that is in a daily orbit of its sun. The article reads all gloom and doom: the disruptive forces of gravitational pull will hasten the planet's demise. Get to the end of the story and they conclude with two details: one, it will take a million years for the planet to actually go bye-bye. Two, observers will know better in 5 years if this is the actual course for the planet. What is 5 years compared to 1 million? How can that be so telling?

Applying this illogic to Crossroads and shrinking the timeline, I predict the ultimate demise in 5-7 years but will check back in a month and see how it is going. At this point, no one defection will be the tipping point. This is going to be a slow, slow process. White knights are not on the horizon.


It won’t be that long, and there will be a sudden tipping point that will bring a quick end.

It’s incredibly expensive to heat and cool a several million cubic foot building. When the monthly rental income is less than the cost to even open the building and heat and cool it, the owners will eventually stop heating and cooling it. Then it will die a very fast death. It’s not far off with an owner already in bankruptcy and no possible prospects for improvement as a retail center. I would guess it has six months at best, I would be shocked if it was open in a year.

A lot of stores have closed just in the last 6 months. It's happening even faster than I expected. PacSun is gone, and several other spaces were newly empty since I was last in there.

This holiday season may very well be the last hurrah.

I will be suprised if the Mall even makes it to Christmas. I would not be suprised if Crossroads skips or scales back their holiday activies this year.

It's really sad to see the mall die, and I feel bad for earlier wishing that it would just go away. I feel bad for the business owners still there and the clientele & workers. However, the writing is on the wall. I don't wish bad for the mall, but I'm affraid that's a moot point now. Everything has an ending, and Crossroads is no exception.

MAPS for Crossroads!

MAPS for Crossroads!

Yes, Yes, YES! :yourock:

MAPS for Crossroads!

I have got a better one MAPS for Taxpayers.

Only in America would someone float the idea of collecting a special sales tax to be returned to the taxpayers (less the cost of collection and distribution of course)

Only in America would someone float the idea of collecting a special sales tax to be returned to the taxpayers (less the cost of collection and distribution of course)

That was a joke. Stop by Wal-Mart and pick up a sense of humor. It's on Aisle 12 near the chronic complainers quick fix for everything gel.

Sorry, I don't go by Wal-mart any more. Long ago discovered too many people with odd senses of humor wrestling by the Prep H aisle.

Sorry, I don't go by Wal-mart any more. Long ago discovered too many people with odd senses of humor wrestling by the Prep H aisle.

And Crisco is so much cheaper - especially for the wrestling part, although it could be considered multi-purpose.

Only in America would someone float the idea of collecting a special sales tax to be returned to the taxpayers (less the cost of collection and distribution of course)

I thought thats what Welfare is?

Sorry, I'm a white single male. Nothing gets returned to me. I don't qualify for any special assistants. Now, if I were a women or minority, I could get almost any assistants I wanted....

Only in America would someone float the idea of collecting a special sales tax to be returned to the taxpayers (less the cost of collection and distribution of course)


I thought thats what Welfare is?

But, wait, thats different!

;)

I was there today. The OU store is still open and I got me a nice leather sandals with silver OU symbol on it for 30 bux. The lady was so cheerful to do business.

The lady was so cheerful to do business.

That's because you were probably her only customer all day.

I was there today. The OU store is still open and I got me a nice leather sandals with silver OU symbol on it for 30 bux. The lady was so cheerful to do business.


I agree, it's a pleasure to shop where they actually appreciate your business.

Next time you go there, come by The Hugs Project (near the community room) and say "hey". We're there working for our troops every W, Th and Sat from 10-4.

Karen
The Hugs Project (http://www.TheHugsProject.com) - Because every American serving in harm's way deserves the thanks of a grateful nation.

Talking to a great many people who either run stores at CR or worked there, it is no one's fault but the owners of the mall over the years.

The merchants asked for a facelift when the mall was still doing well, and the owners ignored them.

They asked for the rent to be dropped since they were losing business in a mall that failed to see a facelift, and the owners ignored them.

Now whoever owns the mall has a heavy burden to carry, all because of the greedy owners before them. However, they don't seem to be breaking trends either.

I hate seeing another part of southside go down the crapper, seeing as how Sooner, Quail, and Penn are doing great, but even I am ready to see this mall die, and I am a huge fan of it.

Maybe this will be what finally shows the city we are tired of losing businesses to the surrounding towns (cough*moore*cough).

There are still stores opening each month. There have been two new stores open since the last posting on this thread even! What people don't realize is that Crossroads Mall still has over 80 stores that are OPEN!!!

Last time I checked Quail and Sooner were not doing "great" they are both in bankruptcy right now! Retail as a whole is not doing well and that surely doesn't help any of the traditional malls but guess what? Crossroads is for sale...there are people interested...there are deals to be made...there will be a new beginning for Crossroads!

Everyone keeps talking about the doom and gloom and losing Crossroads, yet another "southside" location but where are these so called Southsiders shopping?? Maybe before we start bashing all that is Crossroads Mall we should look at ourselves in the mirror. How about coming out and finding a way to support the mall instead of bashing it? How about keeping your shopping dollars in South OKC? How about being a LOYAL customer to a mall that has been around for over 30 years?

Like I said before, Crossroads has over 80 stores to shop at. Why not come by and pump a little bit of your hard earned dollars into a mall that needs your help?? Instead of bashing it why don't we help it? Even if you just stop by Kool Stuff to pick up your OU/OSU merchandise...or Xtreme Nutrition for your supplement needs...or Ted's Hallmark for your cards...or Waldenbooks for your reading pleasure. I know this would help the tenants greatly and I do know from my shopping experience that the employees at the stores at Crossroads Mall are excited to help each and every customer. That is what it is all about after all. Don't knock it until you try it!

SuperK is right. The mall is slowly reviving each time I go there. The traffic is steadily increasing. There is no point to keep bashing the mall and ultimately hurting the businesses inside the mall. Those businesses do not deserve such treatment. If anyone want to bash the mall, then force a demand for actual facelift and complete remodeling all around. Still, please do continue to stop there for the businesses that is actually there for you.

If everyone will just jump off the bashing boat and get on the reviving ship, that mall will surely resurrect in no time with 4 full anchors. Seriously. The bashings need to stop here and now. The more money we keep pumping into these businesses, the more they are willing to stay, and with them staying, they will be paying the rents to the mall. With those rents, the mall will build up the money and something good/great will happen for the mall.

We all on here got the money. If we can afford to pay for the Internet access to get on OKCTalk, then we can afford to buy a thing or two at the mall. For those with plenty of money, go indulge yourself at many of the businesses.

If I remember correctly, and if someone can provide additional details, the mall is for sale, unless all of that had already taken place. Whoever the new ownership, we need to show them that we will support the mall. Firstly, we must support the businesses, and the businesses will support the mall, then the mall will support itself and reward the customers with whatever plans they have in store in the near future.

There was a point when the mall went down the slide, but I can see it is now slowly climbing back up. To some people, it may be some lousy businesses, but at least they are businesses surviving in the mall. If we just support them, then better businesses will see that and come in. Work together, then everyone will be thriving.

What are you doing on here reading this post? Get yourself out to the mall and start shopping. If it is too late, then go tomorrow. Make plans to shop during a weekend or on your off-work days. We have a member on here that operate gifts-giving for our men and women oversea. Go help them out, and shop at the businesses. Seriously, there is no reason to abandon them.

Stop with the security concern. The mall is not even close to being at high risk to having customers being robbed at gunpoint. These things happen anywhere at anytime. Who cares about the overhype the media give out on the mall. Do not let any of that scare you. Look at Penn Square, we have been hearing reports of ladies being harmed and people still shop there like the world was going to end the next day.

Does the mall's appearance bothers you that much? It doesn't bother me at all. The outside and inside appearance of the mall does not affect the quality of things I buy from the businesses there. Using the mall's appearance as an excuse to avoid going there is downright lame. It is nice to moderize the mall's appearance, but we must first show our support. Hopefully the ownership (if the same) or new ownership will see what had happened before and change in the near future.

This release just out from Price Edwards, which is handling the sale of Crossroads Mall:

Price Edwards & Company is pleased to offer Oklahoma’s largest shopping mall for sale. It is available for purchase for $24 million. The 941,745 square foot regional mall, located at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Interstate 240, covers 84 acres. The offering includes the main mall; two anchor buildings; the AMC theater building; and the ground leases for the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, the Residence Inn by Marriott, and the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant. The mall may be purchased as one property or by parcel.

In addition to the theater, hotels, and restaurant surrounding the mall, over 90 stores operate within the primary mall, including Finish Line, Victoria’s Secret, Hot Topic, Champs, Game Stop, EyeMasters, Foot Locker, American
Eagle, GNC, and Hallmark to name a few. Given the heavily trafficked, highly visible location, size of the property, and ongoing income from existing tenants, the opportunity exists to revitalize or redevelop the mall given the
pricing. Paul Ravencraft is handling the sale for Price Edwards & Company.

For more info, contact:
Paul Ravencraft - Retail Investment Broker
Phone 405 843-7474
Email: pravencraft@priceedwards.com

Jim Parrack - VP of Retail Division
Phone 405 843-7474
Email: jparrack@priceedwards.com

Couldn't have seen that coming.

Would be interesting to see the income vs. expense numbers for all those properties.

It's going to be hard to justify $24 million given it's current state of condition and the parking lots are atrocious and will definitely need resurfaced and more and newer lighting.

This reminds me of the late model for sale by owner cars you see parked on street corners around the city.

The price on the car is so high it screams "I am in up to my eyeballs in debt and need to pay off this debt."

People with $24 Million to throw away are going to build their own mall vs. buy this dying dinosaur.

Whoever buys Crossroads will have to throw away a mountain of money to bring it back into anyhing useful or throw away a mountain of money to tear it down and reuse the land.

There's no way someone is going to pay that amount of money for a sinking ship.

You guys are dreaming if you think Crossroads Mall is going to recover. It's tough enough trying to replace one anchor store, but almost impossible to replace all 4, especially when your major mall anchors have already left. Once all of your anchors leave, the writing is essentially on the wall. The area already has poor demographics to start, so there's no way Crossroads will ever be a retail mall again. For the next few years, small local stores will come and go, but eventually it will be converted to another use. I still wouldn't be surprised if the state bought it and moved a lot of state offices there.

Quail is doing fine, it's the parent company of Quail that's having problems. But, they're not alone. A lot of retailers are having problems right now. Quail is still full, has all 5 of its anchors, and doesn't appear to be going south anytime soon. Plus, it's in one of the fastest growing areas of the city. It's a pretty valuable and successful piece of real estate.

The southside shoppers are going to strip malls on I-240 and to Moore to shop.

The only way for Crossroads to recover would be if a major national retail realestate firm bought it, poured a ton of money into it, and marketed it differently. In this economy, I just don't see that happening, especially with the demographics. Retailers want to locate in areas with decent demographics. I think Crossroads is done as a retail center, at least one that will make any lasting impact on south OKC.

I don't call any of this bashing. I call it facing reality.

And thunder, what 4 anchors do you plan on getting in Crossroads? You had 3 major traditional mall anchors and they are not coming back. That doesn't leave you with much to choose from. They definitely won't be getting anchors like Saks, Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus, etc....not in that part of town. Sears already has a southside location. I don't see what options Crossroads has at this point.

When I think of Crossroads now, I think of Heritage Park Mall.....it's taking the same path.

I think Sears was wanting to move into Crossroads mall in the old Montgomery Ward location. But I think the building was owned by Wards and got tied up in bankruptcy limbo if I'm not mistaken. By the time the smoke cleared Sears lost intrest.

I agree with Patrick. As much as I'd like to see it be renovated into a nice mall, you have to live in reality.

Didn't it sell within the last year or two for the tune of $9 million or less? Seems like it was up for auction a year or two ago and the minimum bid was $12mil and they had no bids. Later negotiations got it $9 million or something I thought. Basically no renovations, loss of major department stores, decaying infrastructure. No way someone would be stupid enough to pay $24 for a dinosaur needing MUCH more money spent on it than that.

I think Sears was wanting to move into Crossroads mall in the old Montgomery Ward location. But I think the building was owned by Wards and got tied up in bankruptcy limbo if I'm not mistaken. By the time the smoke cleared Sears lost intrest.

That was also back when the mall still had the other 3 anchors. Macerich ended up getting possession of the old Wards space and leasing it to Steve and Barrys. I don't know any anchor that would want to take that huge of a risk to move in there now. If anyone chooses to lease out those large anchor spaces it will likely be a church, flea market, or possibly someone needing a large amount of office space, which is what happened with Shepherd Mall.

My guess is that some local investor will buy it for a fraction of the asking price, and come in with grand plans. Then nothing will happen, or the place will be leased out as office space.

I think it unlikely someone would meet the 24m asking price, but I can't rule it out.
Some folks do weird stuff.

does the place still leak like crazy when it rains? when i worked there 9 years ago there was problems when it rained in a lot of sections of the mall

Even if they sold it for 24mill$- ( they won't!!)-what will it be used for? or be turned into? or do you think the land is prime for something else to go in?

If it should end its retail days, it could always have a new life as an office complex for govt. groups.

If it should end its retail days, it could always have a new life as an office complex for govt. groups.

^^^ like sheppherd mall? great!!!:fighting2

Yes, exactly. If CR mall is not retail, a transformation to a govt office center seems the most logical. The rent cap govt. agencies have in place might be an issue, but that seems to not harm the other former mall in town.

Once moved in, govt. agencies tend to stay, so long term income is largely assured.

Is it an ideal solution? Nope, but it's a way to do something with a large structure that may not be ideal for another form of rebirth.

My guess is that the asking price is as high as it is because there's some deal worked out for some sort of governmental entity to purchase the building -- or at least that's what they're shooting for.

If I had 100 million dollars, I would buy the mall. I would remodel completely inside and outside. I would repave the parking lots. I would add blue neon lights all around the top of the mall. I would add new, taller, and bigger signs. I would add new parking lights and increase security. I would fight to have one or two anchor spaces to be a casino/entertainment place. I would definitely buy that mall.

hmmm, Thunder may be on to something ... maybe one of the tribes could buy it, and revamp it into the "Tween a Rock & a Hard Place" Casino/Resort

what they did to shepherd mall was gay: a call center in every anchor, a private school, govt offices and cheesy eateries scattered about catering exclusively to the folks employed there and really no one else.

to us locals, were well aware of the transformation that took place in the building. for out-of-towners crusing by and saying "hey, cool, lets check out that mall". then they walk inside and exclaim "what the %$@& is this? ..this aint NO mall!!"

id walk down to my basement and slit my wrists with a circular saw if crossroads is destined to meet the same fate.

to us locals, were well aware of the transformation that took place in the building. for out-of-towners crusing by and saying "hey, cool, lets check out that mall". then they walk inside and exclaim "what the %$@& is this? ..this aint NO mall!!"

:LolLolLol That was frickin funny! And it does happen on a daily basis. :tiphat:

The really bad news to me is that it will most likely be sold off in parcels, which means it will remain a jumbled, disjointed mess rather than ever be completely redeveloped.

what they did to shepherd mall was gay: a call center in every anchor, a private school, govt offices and cheesy eateries scattered about catering exclusively to the folks employed there and really no one else.

Was this ideal, probably not. But the owner did what made the most financial sense and created offices out of it. And at the same time, created value. We all would love to play sim city but people who have the money to buy this dont do it to fulfill some dream, but only to fulfill their, well, their pockets.

If I had 100 million dollars, I would buy the mall. I would remodel completely inside and outside. I would repave the parking lots. I would add blue neon lights all around the top of the mall. I would add new, taller, and bigger signs. I would add new parking lights and increase security. I would fight to have one or two anchor spaces to be a casino/entertainment place. I would definitely buy that mall.

Sounds like a bad investment to me.

I don't have a problem with shepherd being converted to an office park, they just need to rename it and take mall out of the name. Maybe shepherd office park or something similar.

I don't have a problem with shepherd being converted to an office park, they just need to rename it and take mall out of the name. Maybe shepherd office park or something similar.

Yep..


And cobra I know you need a place to cruise for the girls, needing it to be in walking distance..lol just kidding..
But I wished Sheppard would drop the mall in the name.