Penn Square Mall

[scottk]

^

They will likely have plenty of opportunity to remake the mall as there are currently 2 Dillards and 1 JCP.

You'd think at least one big spot is going to be opening soon.

Tough one to predict...if Dillard's was to close another location in the immediate metro between Quail Springs and Penn Square, one would think QSM Dillards would be first over Penn Square Mall, but if Dillard's owns both of their anchors in PSM, could they sell at least one anchor back to Simon Malls for redevelopment and move down to one store?

I think the Women's Dillards (West) is larger, but both Men and Women Dillard's at Penn Square seemed to be doing fine pre-pandemic. At the same time, Quail Springs Dillard's, despite its original interior, usually had decent foot traffic and much more during the annual sales.

I can not speak for how well the Dillards "outlying" stores are at Sooner Mall or Shawnee Mall. Oakwood Mall Dillards in Enid closed before Covid, and Washington Park Mall in Bartlesville transitioned to Dillards Clearance. Lawton, Muskogee, Woodland Hills, and Tulsa Promenade, I believe are all still operating in addition to the ones in and around OKC. If Dillard's had to close a store in the OKC Metro, I would predict Shawnee or Norman before Quail or Penn.

JCPenny is also hard to call. Both stores at QSM and PSM are modern/recently renovated, and I think the Penn Square Store was built/added on in the mid-nineties. If JCP owns this space, I could see them selling it at PSM for more "bang for the buck" JCP has closed Altus, Enid, Ponca City, Bartlesville, Stillwater, McAlester, Midwest City, Muskogee, Tulsa Promenade and Shawnee. The only two non-mall locations still around are Ardmore and Owasso.

If Von Maur could go back in time, I imagine they would have pushed harder to get somehow into Penn Square Mall, since QSM has changed its tenant lineup since 2010 as they reposition their destination. I don't see Von Maur leaving Quail Springs given the custom built store and I think there are some other terms keeping them in that location for a while.

[Teo9969]

^

They will likely have plenty of opportunity to remake the mall as there are currently 2 Dillards and 1 JCP.

You'd think at least one big spot is going to be opening soon.

I think in the long run, there needs to be a hotel developed on the property fronting either Penn or Expressway and I'd think that residential would also have a lot of success here (Although probably across the way in the Belle Isle Shopping Center would be better for residential).

[Ward]

^^^ There is a brand new hotel under construction North of Belle Isle/Penn Square, just north of the Whole Foods store.

[Teo9969]

^^^ There is a brand new hotel under construction North of Belle Isle/Penn Square, just north of the Whole Foods store.

I was thinking something that had a direct connection to the mall, closer to 200 rooms, some meeting space for groups, a few entertainment amenities that could potentially even be integrated into other residential or even opened up to the public on a ticketed/pass basis. and then of course a direct connection to the mall, would be somewhere between 8 and 16 stories, depending on if you built a garage on it/incorporated residential in the same building etc.

[Joshua.Biggars]

Abercrombie is closing as well. I’d imagine it’ll be several months before those vacated spaces are backfilled.

[SomeGuy]

I'm not surprised that they're closing, H and M and discount clothing stores like Ross and TJ Maxx have really hurt them, plus it's hard to shop in there with the overwhelming smell of cologne.

[Joshua.Biggars]

Official close date for Abercrombie is January 16th. Rumor has it they may open at the Outlets in a year - but that’s just rumor.

Hollister at Penn Square is closing as well. Dropping like flies! Abercrombie, Hollister, Banana Republic, NY&Co, Williams Sonoma...etc. Any timetable on when the Apple Store will reopen? I know they’re closed for precautionary reasons.

[bucktalk]

When/if the economy become vibrant again I wonder if malls can return to life. It seems like once bigger name retailers leave its next to impossible to get them to return. I think COVID and online shopping will take is toll on many malls. Hope I'm wrong.

[brianinok]

When/if the economy become vibrant again I wonder if malls can return to life. It seems like once bigger name retailers leave its next to impossible to get them to return. I think COVID and online shopping will take is toll on many malls. Hope I'm wrong.

Possible, but I think there may also be pent-up demand for in-store shopping. I know we haven't been in a store in 10 months as of tomorrow. But we are very much ready to go in stores and shop. We may overcorrect....

[jbkrems]

Official close date for Abercrombie is January 16th. Rumor has it they may open at the Outlets in a year - but that’s just rumor.

Hollister at Penn Square is closing as well. Dropping like flies! Abercrombie, Hollister, Banana Republic, NY&Co, Williams Sonoma...etc. Any timetable on when the Apple Store will reopen? I know they’re closed for precautionary reasons.

I thought Hollister was at Quail Springs Mall on the 2nd floor, not at Penn Square. Is Banana Republic closed for good also, or just temporarily due to pandemic?

[oklip955]

I think when this covid is over and the economy is back going good, people will want to get out and shop in person and also go out and eat. People will just be tired of staying at home and buying without putting their hands on things. Cabin fever is or will be setting in.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think that as well. I see the value of Amazon but personally I greatly prefer brick and mortar stores and it’s not even a close call for me unless I’m looking for something rare. The experience of shopping in person and getting out of the house just can’t be matched by constantly shopping online.

[TheTravellers]

I think that as well. I see the value of Amazon but personally I greatly prefer brick and mortar stores and it’s not even a close call for me unless I’m looking for something rare. The experience of shopping in person and getting out of the house just can’t be matched by constantly shopping online.

Agree totally - I'm a record guy, and online shopping for vinyl (or CD) can't even begin to compare to shopping in person for that. And after Amazon f-ed up a couple of deliveries (and I don't want to contribute one more cent to Bezos' already obscene disgusting wealth), I haven't used them since (that was probably a year ago) and don't plan to unless there's absolutely no other choice.

[Plutonic Panda]

I have heard Bezos will use almost all of his wealth on space exploration technologies. Musk has already said he plans to use half of his wealth to better the planet and the other half to get humans to Mars. I’d like to know more about Bezos’ plans. It’s insane the amount of wealth they both have built up recently. Musk just surpassed Bezos’ net worth and actually made more than Bill Gates network in a year or so.

The valuation of Tesla is insane and I partially understand it but I can’t understand a company like Rivian being valued as much as Ford. Net worth and valuations are weird measurements to me. I wonder how much cash Bezos truly has on hand. Amazon must be absolutely raking in the dough seeing as how they’re build these insanely huge distribution centers popping up like weeds around the world.

I have driven for Amazon under their Flex app and I can definitely attest to some interesting characters that deliver for them. You basically use your personal car and load up at a delivery site and follow where the app instructs you to go and make the drop off.

But yeah I just prefer the brick and mortar experience. That’s especially true when shopping for items like music records as you can interact and have fun shopping with other people you meet and strike up conversations with. Happened to me all the time at Amoeba before they were shut down. I’m not sure what the status is of their new store on Hollywood BLVD after this. Hopefully they plan on opening it.

[TheTravellers]

...
But yeah I just prefer the brick and mortar experience. That’s especially true when shopping for items like music records as you can interact and have fun shopping with other people you meet and strike up conversations with. Happened to me all the time at Amoeba before they were shut down. I’m not sure what the status is of their new store on Hollywood BLVD after this. Hopefully they plan on opening it.

Amoeba, what a great store (I think we went to the one in Berkeley), along with Aquarius (RIP), went there after we flew to SF on 9/8/2001, interesting time to travel...

[PaddyShack]

Official close date for Abercrombie is January 16th. Rumor has it they may open at the Outlets in a year - but that’s just rumor.

Hollister at Penn Square is closing as well. Dropping like flies! Abercrombie, Hollister, Banana Republic, NY&Co, Williams Sonoma...etc. Any timetable on when the Apple Store will reopen? I know they’re closed for precautionary reasons.

Last time I was in Penn Square, the Apple Store had removed the black plastic stuff from their entry.

[TheTravellers]

Amoeba, what a great store (I think we went to the one in Berkeley), along with Aquarius (RIP), went there after we flew to SF on 9/8/2001, interesting time to travel...

Oops, should be 9/18/01, can't edit the post, but wanted to correct it.

[David]

Pulled from the BRT presentation given at the 1/8/2021 COTPA meeting and helpfully screen captured by Pete, there are some nice improvements incoming that should greatly improve pedestrian access between the sidewalk up and down the west side of Penn, the Mall, the future Oak development, and even 50 Penn Place.

[Pete]

^

Penn Square will also be one of two Park & Ride locations.

[Bunty]

When/if the economy become vibrant again I wonder if malls can return to life. It seems like once bigger name retailers leave its next to impossible to get them to return. I think COVID and online shopping will take is toll on many malls. Hope I'm wrong.

Malls need to focus more on what the Internet can't do or do as well, such as restaurants, entertainment.

[snark0leptic]

That new station is taking up way too much space for trucks to park up on the grass. /s

[Pete]

That new station is taking up way too much space for trucks to park up on the grass. /s

They may now actually have to park on the north side of the mall where there is almost always plenty of spaces and (gasp!) walk a bit farther.

[warreng88]

They may now actually have to park on the north side of the mall where there is almost always plenty of spaces and (gasp!) walk a bit farther.

Any time we have every gone to the mall, doesn't matter if it is the Saturday before Christmas or tax free weekend, we have never had issues parking north of Macy's. In fact, it is our go to spot to park as we know there is always parking there. I still don't get why people park in the grass to the south and west when there are perfectly good spots to the north. Also, I don't understand why the mall allows them to as it always tears up the grass anyways.

[SomeGuy]

Godiva is closing their store at Penn Square and the rest of their locations.

[brianinok]

Apparently Banana Republic is closing too.

https://www.newson6.com/story/6008cf...ngtime-tenants

Gosh, things are getting sad there. Unfortunately I haven't been able to help (by shopping in person) because of Covid. But as soon as I'm able I'll do my part!