Crossroads Mall

[Bullbear]

I love all these stories. Crossroads mall was amazing to me when I was younger and lived in Rural SE oklahoma. when we would visit my grandparents in Mustang just driving by it made me beg to go. then in Jr High and High school living closer that was the place to be!.

[Pete]

I had posted these before, but these were the tenants when the mall first opened in 1974:

[Jeepnokc]

I never realized there was a Tinder Box in Crossroads. I wonder if they had a on site cigar room like Plantations in Sooner Fashion Mall had.

[Bullbear]

So i almost didn't read all the tenants because I was like the chances of the original tenants ringing a bell of what I remember are slim. but Most of them definitely ring a bell and make me smile. Then I'm thinking wow some of those tenants were there a long time but then I recall I was born in 1971 so while many of them were there a long while I am also old and have a poor sense of time. LOL thank you Pete!

[Pete]

I never realized there was a Tinder Box in Crossroads. I wonder if they had a on site cigar room like Plantations in Sooner Fashion Mall had.

I don't think so; it was a tiny place.

[Pete]

Part of Crossroads Mall to become Asian Plaza

In May, an out-of-state investment group purchased the mall section of what had been Crossroads Mall, as well as the department stores that had formerly been home to Dillard's (south) and JC Penney (west).

Although no plans were revealed at the time of purchase, investigation has revealed key components.

The acquiring LLC tracks back to the owner and operator of Chinatown in Salt Lake City, Utah, a sprawling 100,000 square foot complex that includes a large Asian grocery store.

Recently, a building permit was filed to construct an Asian “Friendship Gate” in the northwest parking area of Crossroads by the same architect that built a nearly identical structure at the Salt Lake City complex.

The plans also reveal the name “Crossroads Asian Plaza” and tabs the former JC Penney building as 'Phase I'.

The same filing shows the mall and former Dillards – which the group also owns along with the associated 56.9 acres – as 'available'.

The former John A. Brown department store on the north side of the mall is under separate ownership and operates as Santa Fe South Hills Elementary. The former Montgomery Wards department store to the east is owned by a group operating Santa Fe South middle school and high school.

Located at the intersection of I-35 and I-240 in south Oklahoma City, Crossroads Mall was the first regional mall in Oklahoma when it formally opened in February of 1974. At 1.3 million total square feet, the mall hosted four department stores and nearly 100 shops and businesses.

By the 1990s, Crossroads started to decline and ultimately all the department stores closed and most of the retail shops followed. In 2013, the mall was purchased by a group planning to convert the property into a Latino-oriented mixed-use project to be called Plaza Mayor, but very little headway was made before completely shuttering the complex in 2017.

[shawnw]

I'm not sure this initiative will be any more successful that past initiatives...

[Pete]

Something has to be done.

That entire property is crumbling, even the parking lots.

It was pretty shocking to walk around the property last weekend, and I know the inside is no better.

[shawnw]

I wonder how much having a commuter train stop near here will help drive things.

If this doesn't work out though, maybe consider tearing it down (you know how much I hate to say that) and returning the land to "the neighborhood" to become housing, something that's needed anyway...

[dankrutka]

Are local Asian American business owners or entrepreneurs involved in this project? Do they already have agreements for local Asian American concepts as tenants?

[stlokc]

I'm sorry but I just think this is weird. OKC has a thriving Asian district in a completely different part of town. A Hispanic/Latin themed version of this didn't work and OKC has many times more Hispanics and Crossroads is actually geographically close to that community.

What an odd mix of uses for this old mall. I think ShawnW upthread is correct. Bulldoze this entire thing, tear up the parking lot, return it to virgin ground and then rethink the whole parcel. Maybe distribution/warehouses, or housing if there is a need.

[PhiAlpha]

This seems like a poor choice of location and frankly hope it fails. We have an awesome Asian district and I think the focus on future development should be there instead of in a dead/isolated mall on the southside of town. I don't see how this wouldn't negatively impact the Asian district, similar to how it effected downtown retail when originally built, if successful. The Hispanic themed mall made a ton more sense and it it failed miserably.

[catch22]

Yeah. This is odd.

When this fails it will be time to just raze the mall. It’s served its purpose and every attempt to restore it to functionality has failed.

[Roger S]

This seems like a poor choice of location and frankly hope it fails. We have an awesome Asian district and I think the focus on future development should be there instead of in a dead/isolated mall on the southside of town.

Southside/Moore/Del City has a fairly significant Asian population.

[jn1780]

Hmm, feel like we went down this path before........

Also, I love how there is pot being grown literally beneath the feet of elementary school students. Not saying there is anything wrong with that. Its just funny. How far we have come.

[shawnw]

Southside/Moore/Del City has a fairly significant Asian population.

didn't realize this (and I'm asian).

[Roger S]

didn't realize this (and I'm asian).

I think predominantly Korean but Asian none the less.... Oklahoma City has about a 4.5% Asian population as of 2020 census and Moore is 2.4% and Del City is at 1.8%

Edit: Norman's 2020 population is 4.9%.

[SEMIweather]

Looking forward to this plot of land finally becoming a viable mixed-use district 5-10 years after whenever the commuter rail line finally gets going.

[corwin1968]

The old pictures of the interior of the mall gave me a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings. I have no history with Crossroads, but spent time at Town East (Wichita) as a kid and Quail Springs as a teenager/young adult. Lots of really good memories from the mall scene.

[Roger S]

The old pictures of the interior of the mall gave me a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings.

Yep.... I would sure like to be able to spend one more afternoon hanging out in the LeMans arcade playing Space Invaders and Asteroids

[Pete]

I'm very sentimental by nature, but Crossroads has a special place in my heart because I worked there (Orbach's) through most of my college years, so it is intertwined with a very important time in life.

There were a big group of OU students who worked there, from different fraternities and sororities. We all became good friends and would often go to each other's parties.

Among them were two different couples who met there and then married.

And we received amazing discounts on clothing... I think it was their cost -15%. So for most items that was way below half price. I learned to Dress for Success and developed an appreciation for dressing sharp and quality men's clothing that has served me well.

Breaks were spent getting an Orange Julius and/or playing Donkey Kong at Le Mans.


One of my fondest memories involves the Miracle on Ice in the 1980 winter Olympics. That hockey game against the Russians was played in the afternoon for some reason and customers coming into the store gave us the unbelievable news. It was to be aired on TV prime time, so as soon as I left work that night instead of going back to my place in Norman I drove to my home in NW OKC so I could watch the game with my mom, who was a huge hockey fan. I think she knew that we won because I showed up to watch it, but I never let on until it was over. Still, one of the most thrilling moments of 50+ years of sports fandom. My mom has been gone for 35 years and that was one of my favorite memories with her.

[jccouger]

didn't realize this (and I'm asian).

The Giac Quang Buddhist temple on SE 44th st is a beautiful facility considering the area

[Laramie]

The Giac Quang Buddhist temple on SE 44th st is a beautiful facility

Thought of this when I saw Pete's renderings.

[Roger S]

The Giac Quang Buddhist temple on SE 44th st is a beautiful facility considering the area

Yep... I considered mentioning the number of Korean and Vietnamese religious facilities on the south side. That shopping center at 89th and Penn is predominately Asian.... Panang, Pho B&B, Bistro B, and i forget what the place next to Panang was called but it's now Thai Street Eats. And that was also where the south side Asian grocery was before they closed it and opened World Fresh Market.

There are also several clothing alteration businesses, one at the corner mentioned above, that are all Asian owned and operated.

[HOT ROD]

when I first saw the gate I was like - finally, we're getting a real Chinatown gate to the Asian District; then I read it is going into 'crossroad's mall'??? and wha???

I'm all about economic development and for growth in OKC but this will be a struggle; as mentioned, we already have a chinatown/international district that's thriving but needs some more theme/placemaking that's bolder than what we currently have. I so wish this could be developed there as opposed to Crossroads, as mentioned, Crossroads is better suited for a latin/hispanic theme. BTW, it failed because of the lack of vision and wanting to take on the entire property as opposed to something "smaller" like this.

Hate to say it should fail but I think it will stretch OKC too thin currently given its size and location away from the traditional, established district. But what if they brought in Asian Big Boxes like HMart and Chain restaurants like Yoshinoya or Din Tai Fung; it could actually work without taking away from the Asian District.

Who knows though, maybe they do this right and later open another anchor for the latin community (a revised Plaza Mayor), and perhaps one of the achor pods for Europe and another for Africa, then OKC would have a World International Mall as a tourism draw right with it's own Crossroads Commuter Rail Station and Transit Center and I-35/I-240.. Hmm.