Crossroads Mall

[megax11]

I agree with you about poor management. However, now that those stores are already gone with many investing in standalone buildings, any future Crossroads owner needs to think "outside the box" in order to bring life back to the mall.

Literally. They need to round the mall, instead of keeping it square. Square is so 70's/80's.

[scootinger]

HPM and CRM both suffered the same fate, because they both had the same owners, who wanted more ching-ching. More money, while spending less on the mall, while charging more rent, makes for unhappy merchants and customers.

LOL, maybe they knew we were heading for a recession, so they got whatever money they could and bailed out. They probably own a grand mall in another state, where they devoted the money from these two malls, to keeping that mall up to modern standards.

Please get these facts straight too. Heritage Park and Crossroads weren't owned by the same company. HP was owned by Simon, and Crossroads was owned by Macerich, although both were sold off to different owners within the past few years. And yes, both companies do have a number of very nice malls elsewhere (in the case of Simon, right in OKC/Tulsa).

[oneforone]

I think it is rather interesting that nobody has bought it. I think there are some serious mechanical and structural issues that are not being revealed to the public. Otherwise a developer or mall management company would have jumped on it back when it was advertised at $9 Million when it went to foreclosure auction. From what I understand, nobody bid on it. You know PB Odom, Brewer, Express Personnel and several other companies have that kind of money laying around like pocket change. It could easily be geared toward industrial use or renovated as a shopping destination.

Unfortunately, It is too late for it to become a shopping destination again. It will most likely become a mixed use industrial/business park or an event center.

[Thunder]

Sadly at the time, OKC was just another joke city. Time has changed and I think this would be a fantastic time for auction.

[megax11]

Sadly at the time, OKC was just another joke city. Time has changed and I think this would be a fantastic time for auction.

It doesn't need to be up for auction.

It won't be a mixed industrial blah-blah-blah that all non-southsiders want to see it be (so they can hog retail for themselves).

It will be a shopping district again. It's only a matter of time.

It's as this dude here says -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQMOK...eature=related

[bombermwc]

Please get these facts straight too. Heritage Park and Crossroads weren't owned by the same company. HP was owned by Simon, and Crossroads was owned by Macerich, although both were sold off to different owners within the past few years. And yes, both companies do have a number of very nice malls elsewhere (in the case of Simon, right in OKC/Tulsa).

Actually his point was correct. There were many owners outside of Simon at HPM. And even Simon themselves said they didn't buy HPM to make money. They bought it to take that money and put it into their other malls for upgrades. Right out of the horse's mouth, that's part of where Penn Square's updates came from in 2000-2001. I'm honestly not making that up folks...they admitted it in an email to me...didn't even try to hide it. They weren't interested in updating HPM, only letting it tread water and then sell it.

As a corporate plan, it worked out very well for them. They managed to help create the most profitible mall per square foot in America (PSM) and then sold off HPM to the next schmo. By then it was too late though. While there actually were plans drawn up for upgrades to HPM, they never materialized because the place had fallen out of repair (and lost tenants) so bad that it wasn't going to be able to float. When the storms came through and they couldn't even afford to remove the old Montgomery Ward sign from where it had fallen over the main entrance....that was the death sentence to the mall that had been on the Green Mile for a decade.

There was a brief rebound in the late 90's, but it was short lived. It's unfortunate, but really the more MWC started gaining momentum as a retail area again, the more HPM died off. I've really seen the same for CRM. The more MWC/Moore develop their interstate retail, the more CRM doesn't have a purpose. Years of neglect can't be made up for with paint.

[megax11]

Actually his point was correct. There were many owners outside of Simon at HPM. And even Simon themselves said they didn't buy HPM to make money. They bought it to take that money and put it into their other malls for upgrades. Right out of the horse's mouth, that's part of where Penn Square's updates came from in 2000-2001. I'm honestly not making that up folks...they admitted it in an email to me...didn't even try to hide it. They weren't interested in updating HPM, only letting it tread water and then sell it.

As a corporate plan, it worked out very well for them. They managed to help create the most profitible mall per square foot in America (PSM) and then sold off HPM to the next schmo. By then it was too late though. While there actually were plans drawn up for upgrades to HPM, they never materialized because the place had fallen out of repair (and lost tenants) so bad that it wasn't going to be able to float. When the storms came through and they couldn't even afford to remove the old Montgomery Ward sign from where it had fallen over the main entrance....that was the death sentence to the mall that had been on the Green Mile for a decade.

There was a brief rebound in the late 90's, but it was short lived. It's unfortunate, but really the more MWC started gaining momentum as a retail area again, the more HPM died off. I've really seen the same for CRM. The more MWC/Moore develop their interstate retail, the more CRM doesn't have a purpose. Years of neglect can't be made up for with paint.

CRM will have a purpose soon-ish.

I like to think that southside always innovates, while the other sides of town imitate. CRM was the premier mall at one time, now it will be the premier whatever it is next, that others will wish they had.

[Architect2010]

Not only does CRM have to compete with Moore and Midwest City but it also has to compete with the 240 retail corridor, that is literally down the road, as it has seen quite an explosion these past few years.

[megax11]

Not only does CRM have to compete with Moore and Midwest City but it also has to compete with the 240 retail corridor, that is literally down the road, as it has seen quite an explosion these past few years.

I wouldn't call it an explosion though. Many of the buildings up and down 240 are still ran down, while the rest are filled with carlots, and the new plaza even saw two store closings, while one will be empty as of November 1st. The other was filled with a bootleg bookstore, that can never compete with Barnes and Noble and Borders.

It's a sad thought that I have to say this, but the only real work that was done to 240, was the 240 Penn Plaza, which is now 4 years old.

[bombermwc]

I was posting on the Mid-Del forum about something and it made me think about this. Here's a good example of how after all these years, we can see that nothing really changed at CRM. Here are a few shots from the opening of the mall...the Midwest City High band apparently "paraded" around inside as part of the opening. Noticing how it really hasn't changed much???

[MonkeesFan]

I was posting on the Mid-Del forum about something and it made me think about this. Here's a good example of how after all these years, we can see that nothing really changed at CRM. Here are a few shots from the opening of the mall...the Midwest City High band apparently "paraded" around inside as part of the opening. Noticing how it really hasn't changed much???

Uhh, is that a boy in the middle picture at the bottom?

[Thunder]

Uhh, is that a boy in the middle picture at the bottom?

Looks like you will be busy with the investigation. :-)

[ljbab728]

I was posting on the Mid-Del forum about something and it made me think about this. Here's a good example of how after all these years, we can see that nothing really changed at CRM. Here are a few shots from the opening of the mall...the Midwest City High band apparently "paraded" around inside as part of the opening. Noticing how it really hasn't changed much???

I'm assuming that the "Kappa Psi Kappa" at the top of the photo is supposed to have some reference to the band fraternity. Anyone who was ever in it like I was at OU knows that it's supposed to be "Kappa Kappa Psi". A little off topic but that really stood out to me.

[Swake2]

It doesn't need to be up for auction.

It won't be a mixed industrial blah-blah-blah that all non-southsiders want to see it be (so they can hog retail for themselves).

It will be a shopping district again. It's only a matter of time.

It's as this dude here says -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQMOK...eature=related

So,

Who all is going to the big grand opening tomorrow of the Market Center? It IS opening tomorrow, right? Isn’t that what the power point said?

How did construction go? Do they have the new website up? How did your buddy do building all those displays?

And hey, how is the new Dillard’s outlet doing during this Christmas season?

[Thunder]

So,

Who all is going to the big grand opening tomorrow of the Market Center? It IS opening tomorrow, right? Isn’t that what the power point said?

How did construction go? Do they have the new website up? How did your buddy do building all those displays?

And hey, how is the new Dillard’s outlet doing during this Christmas season?

It is one of the busiest shopping places at the mall right now. I have never seen the parking lots so crowded like that in years! Gotta love Christmas.

[Patrick]

I agree that a lot of it has to do with greed, but a lot of it has to do with demographics as well. Look at the demographics around the malls that are flourishing.

You can't really blame management for all of the woes, although I agree both HP and CR needed renovating. But, in regards to HP, remember that Simon built that mall and leased it to the very end, so if it wasn't for Simon it never would've been built to begin with. Simon must've done something right in those earlier years. I think the demographics around HP have just changed. Same can be said for the southside in general...more people moving money outside of south OKC and to Moore and Norman. Same could be said for Penn Square, but Penn Square has Nichols Hills, Crown Heights, etc. keeping it alive. Quail really has the most potential, in an elite growing part of the city.

[Jesseda]

Its been over a month and no talk about this place, anything new going in or anything panned to tear down?

[Steve]

Maybe someone can check in with the brother of the attorney who goes to the eye glasses store there.

[Thunder]

The past holidays season was really busy at the mall. Parking lots was much more packed and traffic were high.

[Midtowner]

I hear they're getting a new 'Forties and Knives.'

[warreng88]

I hear they're getting a new 'Forties and Knives.'

It will be right next door to "Sneakers and Stabbings."

[Soonerman]

I think JCPenney should put an outlet store in thier old space at Crossroads. I doubt it will happen though. It would bring some traffic back in to the mall. Same with Dillards if they put a clearance center in thier old space.

[Easy180]

Last I heard it was going to be the worlds largest Ikea

[bombermwc]

I actually went to Bath and Body Works for a Christmas present....it's way easier for folks on the east and south side than trudging up to Penn or something. It's sad that there are so few stores compared to even 10 years ago, but you know what I surprised about? There are still as many stores as would fill Heritage Park. Not to say that they had anyone shopping at them though. The busiest area was the kid area in the middle....other than that it was pretty dead in there. This was a Saturday afternoon in December...prime shopping time for Christmas. I still say give it another 10 years and it will be empty. It was really dark compared to what it used to be...but they did add an elevator (which was a lifesaver with a stroller).

[Swake2]

10 years? It likely doesn't have 10 months. Now that the holidays are over you should see stores really starting to close at a rapid pace.

Unless of course Mega has another dream.