the spot macy's now occupies was added later... i think the "???" might have been a grocery store in '69. -M

Yes, there was a Humpty Dumpty back in the day.

I remember a New Age themed store called Earth Home, but it was on the first floor near or at where the Apple Store is now. There was a Sharper Image near Center Court, I forget which hallway.

Sharper image was where Fossil is now and Earth Home was right next to Apple iirc

Sharper image was where Fossil is now and Earth Home was right next to Apple iirc

My Aunt and Uncle owned The Sheen Drug when Penn Square first opened. They had a drug store right next to Humpty Dumpty. They only stayed there a few years.

Was Val Genes there also?

Does anyone remember what the candy place was called where Starbucks is now? I knew there was some kind of candy place there I just can't remember its name.

Some of my favorite stores when I was younger were Electronique Boutiques, The WB Store and Suncoast, I miss some of the older stores in Penn Square.

Was Val Genes there also?

Yes. This ad is from 1969:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/valgenes.jpg

Should all the retro posts be moved to the Nostalgia thread? Back to my other announcement that went unnoticed. Art of Shaving is coming to Penn this fall.

Maybe not unnoticed...just un-commented on.

No comments are fine, but I thought this thread was about the new developments of Penn, there's already a dedicated forum to history.

No comments are fine, but I thought this thread was about the new developments of Penn, there's already a dedicated forum to history.

With a general title of "Penn Square Mall," it would seem that anything is fine. Don't know why this is an issue.

fair enough. maybe it's just me as I like to check this thread for new store announcements, not history.

fair enough. maybe it's just me as I like to check this thread for new store announcements, not history.

Me too. Nice to have separate threads.

My Aunt and Uncle owned The Sheen Drug when Penn Square first opened. They had a drug store right next to Humpty Dumpty. They only stayed there a few years.
Growing up we always went to the Sheen at NW 16th & Portland.

Lane Bryant closed yesterday after 25 years in the mall. Today, a representative(s) of the "NBA Store" was scouting the location. I was surprised they are looking at OKC. But I guess it makes sense. That would be a pretty good catch.

Should all the retro posts be moved to the Nostalgia thread? Back to my other announcement that went unnoticed. Art of Shaving is coming to Penn this fall.

No. (unless that was a rhetorical question).

Here's one fer ya': According to PETE (re: ad for Val Gene's operations) there was a Cocktail Lounge in Penn Square. How could this have been possible back in the days of "Private Clubs" unless they had some special dispensation from the D.A. 'r sumpin'? =)

(I think that it WAS The Earth Store that I vaguely remembered. Thought it was upstairs . . . guess not. p.s. I have some form of a Gillette razor with about five blades and a teflon strip--purchased at Target? by my dear wife--that I would trust far more than any disgruntled barber with a straight razor no matter what mall they are in. =))

(p.p.s.: I've been to "The Mall of America" about four times. Penn Square is less unappealling.)

I'd rather see NBA store downtown

I'd like the NBA store in PS, but there is only 2 or 3 locations and the New York one is looking for a new location and I doubt they'd choose a place like Oklahoma city sadly, they'd probably Choose Miami or LA.

I really think the food court needs more national tenants like Sbarro Orange Julius, Burger King and other places instead of Italia Express ( which used to be good until they started makign the food smaller and more rxpensive). and Sarak Sarah's. Maybe the rennovation will bring some new places im

I'd like the NBA store in PS, but there is only 2 or 3 locations and the New York one is looking for a new location and I doubt they'd choose a place like Oklahoma city sadly, they'd probably Choose Miami or LA.

If it happens it is probably going to be a second Thunder store location, having a another official one in a Tulsa mall might be an idea worth pursuing as well, with NBA store name just showing cause of whatever the legal set up is. Alternatively the league may be planing a new strategy to increase sales by expanding to most markets, it would not be surprising to start with the both teams in large markets and those with the best on court performance.

Learned tonight that it is an NBA Thunder shop. Right now, the plan is to have them open from first of April through the playoffs. If it does well, it may be permanent. If not, they may just be temporary.

That makes no sense, of course it will do well during playoffs and taper off afterwards.

That lane Brayant store was kinda huge, they should divide half of it for the thunder shop and use the other half for another storefront. How long is See's Candies going to be in the mall? I'm surprised they haven't moved into a storefront.

That makes no sense, of course it will do well during playoffs and taper off afterwards.

I think it all depends on how far it tapers off.

Today when I went to the mall I saw that cold water creek was closed up idk why either renovations or the Microsoft store is moving in and next to Hot Topic there is a Thunder shop, which I assume is temporary.

"That lane Brayant store was kinda huge"

Ha!

Yeah well it kind of looks a bit empty in the thunder shop though, I still think they could of done with half of the lane Bryant space

Yeah well it kind of looks a bit empty in the thunder shop though, I still think they could of done with half of the lane Bryant space

Hopefully if they make it permanent they will build a proper storefront. The size and style of the old Lane Bryant store doesn't quite fit the Thunder shop.

Bachrach is now closing, everything in their store is 50-70% off. I'm kind of surprised Penn has not kicked out the not so upscale tenants like WINDSOR, Body Central and Payless

Bachrach is now closing, everything in their store is 50-70% off. I'm kind of surprised Penn has not kicked out the not so upscale tenants like WINDSOR, Body Central and Payless

Strange. I don't understand how that Windsor stays in the mall. It looks like junk.

Also, I stopped by the Thunder team store tonight and it was odd. What are they doing in such a large space? And it's just weird. What are the long term plans for that space?

The mall appears to be going through some growing pains with the ongoing remodel and the attempt to move upmarket.

Payless is getting kicked out I believe after their lease is up as is Body Central. WINDSOR will stay for one reason or another. I am beginning to wonder if its kind of like Eastern Treasures at Crossroads and really a cover for something dodgy. That's the only way I can really explain such a downscale store making it in Penn. As for the Thunder shop, I hope it relocates to a permanent storefront because the current location looks ridiculous.

Payless can leave as far as I'm concerned, their shoes are not great at all. I had some dress shoes from there that tore up after 6 months. When does gamestop's lease expire? I wonder if they would have a store closing sale before they closed so I can get some deals on games

When does gamestop's lease expire? I wonder if they would have a store closing sale before they closed so I can get some deals on games

I would assume GameStop would be eager to get out of there since they have a store right next door in Belle Isle Station.

I also noticed that they have a SmashBurger in that same strip. I wonder if that ever confuses anyone. Does anyone ever accidentally wander into SmashBurger and ask if they've got any used copies of Halo 4?

http://i.imgur.com/GsGNYox.jpg http://i.imgur.com/7Zjljo6.jpg

Also, can someone tell me what Windsor is? What kinda store is it and what makes it look bad or cheap?

I would assume GameStop would be eager to get out of there since they have a store right next door in Belle Isle Station.

I also noticed that they have a SmashBurger in that same strip. I wonder if that ever confuses anyone. Does anyone ever accidentally wander into SmashBurger and ask if they've got any used copies of Halo 4?I think it's the other way around lol

GameBurger

GameBurger

Buy a game, get a free burger! :D

GameBurgerhey, sounds good to me lol

Payless can leave as far as I'm concerned, their shoes are not great at all. I had some dress shoes from there that tore up after 6 months. When does gamestop's lease expire? I wonder if they would have a store closing sale before they closed so I can get some deals on games
They would probably move them to another store, many of those companies control their pricing and don't allow deep discounts if you want to keep doing business with them.

I was just in Penn and was amazed by how ridiculous the Thunder store looked. The location is way too big for the amount of merch they carried. Their stock looked like it could have fit in a space the size of Gymboree or maybe even Spencer's Gifts (speaking of low-end tenants, when will this shop finally get the boot? Can any mall with a Spencer's really be high end?). You could set up a half court in the unused space. Maybe it's just because they're new and more will be coming, but I can't imagine this shop not being a complete waste of mall space unless it moves to one of the much smaller storefronts.

Do we know if Simon's strategy to raise rates in order to push out lower end tenants extends to the food court? If it doesn't, I'm not sure the money being used to improve the look of their food court will mean much in the long run. The world's nicest tables couldn't improve the view there if the surrounding restaurants still look trashy. The very nice Paciugo Gelato looks so out of place among its neighbors.



Also, can someone tell me what Windsor is? What kinda store is it and what makes it look bad or cheap?

Windsor is a women's (or teen maybe?) clothing store. They always seem to feature prom-style dresses in the front windows no matter what time of year it is, so I've always assumed their target market is filled with high school girls and pageant contestants. The casual clothes you can see from the entry way look less trashy than those from Body Central, but I imagine they share a customer base.

Thunder store is temporary. The space was availabe so the Thunder store went there.

Spencer's is in every mall, they're in Woodland also which is basically the Tulsa Penn Square, and quail springs. They should put in an Orange Julius/DQ in the food court. I haven't had a Julius in ages ever since the one at Crossroads closed.

Bachrach is now closing, everything in their store is 50-70% off. I'm kind of surprised Penn has not kicked out the not so upscale tenants like WINDSOR, Body Central and Payless

Payless will be leaving as soon as their lease is up. I seem to remember being told that there was more than a year left on their lease. But regardless, they will be leaving when it is up. The mall is not going to allow them to renew.

yukong, do you know if:

1) the Thunder store is a permanent addition to the mall (albeit in a different store front)

2) what will go in the storefront when the Thunder store moves?

I haven't had a Julius in ages ever since the one at Crossroads closed.

There's an Orange Julius stand at QS. Hit it up sometime bruh!

Spencer's is in every mall, they're in Woodland also which is basically the Tulsa Penn Square, and quail springs. They should put in an Orange Julius/DQ in the food court. I haven't had a Julius in ages ever since the one at Crossroads closed.

Spencer's is definitely not high end, but there are many worse tenants. Spencer's can stay if Payless, Gamestop, and the Body Shop leave. Penn Square is upscale by OKC standards but its still not Utica Square Tulsa, Southpark Charlotte, or Northpark Dallas. Most malls at Penn Square's level have stores like Spencers and Hot Topic.

WINDSOR on the other hand I don't think is a chain and its the kind of store you typically see in dying malls shortly before their death. It definitely doesn't belong in Penn Square and I wonder why or how it's still there.

Spencer's is definitely not high end, but there are many worse tenants. Spencer's can stay if Payless, Gamestop, and the Body Shop leave. Penn Square is upscale by OKC standards but its still not Utica Square Tulsa, Southpark Charlotte, or Northpark Dallas. Most malls at Penn Square's level have stores like Spencers and Hot Topic.

WINDSOR on the other hand I don't think is a chain and its the kind of store you typically see in dying malls shortly before their death. It definitely doesn't belong in Penn Square and I wonder why or how it's still there.
Spencer's manages to get into a few upscale malls. There's one at the Houston Galleria which surprised me.

Spencer's is definitely not high end, but there are many worse tenants.
Eh, worse is in the eye of the beholder. Though I definitely welcome its departure, I can think of good reasons to shop at Payless. There are no good reasons to buy stuff from Spencer's. The only plus in the Spencer's column is that it occupies a tiny, windowless space so its trashy wares are largely hidden from view if you don't go in.


Spencer's manages to get into a few upscale malls. There's one at the Houston Galleria which surprised me.
All of the Spencer's I know of in nice malls are ones that have been there for at least 20 years, and were brought on when the property developers were more focused on having a large quantity of tenants rather than on having high quality tenants. I'm wondering if the chain has some sort of talent getting super special leasing agreements from malls early on, and are thus able to stay as a mall evolves and begins to chase other low end tenants off. Otherwise, I don't know how the math would work out that rent at Penn Square would be too high for a shop like Lane Bryant, but feasible for Spencer's. I know they rent a much smaller space, but I can't imagine that most people who go into Spencer's to gawk at the merchandise spend much money there. Boys in middle school aren't known for having an abundance of spending money.

Spencer's manages to get into a few upscale malls. There's one at the Houston Galleria which surprised me.

Houston Galleria seemed to me like an mall that covered the entire spectrum from very upscale down to your typical teen chains. It's also one of the largest malls in America and is a tourist attraction.


Eh, worse is in the eye of the beholder. Though I definitely welcome its departure, I can think of good reasons to shop at Payless. There are no good reasons to buy stuff from Spencer's. The only plus in the Spencer's column is that it occupies a tiny, windowless space so its trashy wares are largely hidden from view if you don't go in.


There is definitely a market for Payless, but when there is a location in virtually every corner strip mall in the metro, it doesn't need to occupy a huge storefront in the city's premier shopping center.

Payless does not belong in any mall, it would be like putting a Walgreens inside Penn Square it wouldn't make any sense at all

Galleria is huge, it has 4 sections to it, the Galleria III is probably the most dead section of the mall, it's outdated, vacancies and low end stores, Did I mention it's a pain to get to that section of the mall?

Payless does not belong in any mall, it would be like putting a Walgreens inside Penn Square it wouldn't make any sense at all

Galleria is huge, it has 4 sections to it, the Galleria III is probably the most dead section of the mall, it's outdated, vacancies and low end stores, Did I mention it's a pain to get to that section of the mall?

Payless used to be a major mall tenant. Virtually all of the malls back in the 80s and early 90s, at least that I remember, had Payless.

They weren't in OKC, they were in strip malls or stand alone buildings. I worked at the one at Britton & May (the strip in front of the old Albertson's) for about 5 months. I don't think they went into any OKC malls until the mid to late 90's.

yukong, do you know if:

1) the Thunder store is a permanent addition to the mall (albeit in a different store front)

2) what will go in the storefront when the Thunder store moves?


1. the word I got was that the Thunder store was temporary...to run through the playoffs. But...if it does well, I hear that it may be permanent. It is a wait/see deal.

2. The last I heard, there was no permanent tenant lined up for the space. The Lane Bryant space was actually 3 stores at one time. Then it was made into the one Lane Bryant. Speculation is that it will be made into at least 2 stores. Could even go back to three, but I doubt that. The dividing walls are still there for the most part. It is a huge space. It would take a big tenant to fill that space.

Coldwater Creek is back open. There is now a walled off dead space about 6 feet wide that will become part of the Microsoft store once Bachrach closes.

Spencer's is in every mall, they're in Woodland also which is basically the Tulsa Penn Square, and quail springs. They should put in an Orange Julius/DQ in the food court. I haven't had a Julius in ages ever since the one at Crossroads closed.

No, Promenade Mall is Tulsa's Penn Square, while Woodland Hills is Tulsa's Quail Creek Mall.

Did they finish upgrading the food court?

Not at all. Ate there for lunch yesterday. Still totally torn up.

Not at all. Ate there for lunch yesterday. Still totally torn up.

They must be taking their sweet time then

No, Promenade Mall is Tulsa's Penn Square, while Woodland Hills is Tulsa's Quail Creek Mall.

I was just looking at the tenants in Tulsa Promenade and that is a very sad mall and I don't get the comparison to Penn Square. Woodland Hills is a tad below Penn Square but its by far Tulsa's best enclosed mall. Where Tulsa's retail scene really shines is Utica Square. OKC has no development that even comes close.

Tulsa Promenade was originally Southland which was an open air shopping center somewhat similar in structure to the original Penn Square.

Promenade is laughable, it reminds me of crossroads in 2006. I think If OKC had a Utica square type center it'd be amazing, but it'd kill Quails business

They must be taking their sweet time then

I think they only work on it at night when the mall is closed unless someone else have seen them working on it during the day?

Looks like their going to expend the walkway near JCPennys and over by the food court where its a tight squeeze.

Promenade is laughable, it reminds me of crossroads in 2006. I think If OKC had a Utica square type center it'd be amazing, but it'd kill Quails business

Agreed. It's hard to believe OKC doesn't have that type of development. Unfortunately since 2008 they haven't been building them so chances of OKC getting one is slim to none. I think there was one proposed but it was changed to an apartment complex after the recession hit. The recession really came at a terrible time for OKC retail development. Some great things were on the horizon but pretty much anything not started was cancelled or downgraded significantly.