Mall Makeover
The Crossroads Mall, located at 72nd and Dodge streets in Omaha, will get an upgrade via a $500 million mixed-use development at the site of the mall. The new additions include establishments catering to family activities like laser tag and bowling, along with retail locations. The plan also includes offices, senior living, a hotel, a fitness center, and more.
The Crossroads Mall opened in 1961 in the heart of the city and was extremely successful for many years as a traditional collection of retail stores and restaurants. The mall has also hosted numerous special events and displays in its tenure, including annual Christmas celebrations with Santa, art installations, opera galas, watch parties, and more.
80’s Remodel of the Mall
A remodel in the 1980s included the addition of a two-story food court in the center, covered by a unique tent roof.
In the early 2000s, the popularity of the mall began to diminish. Newer malls opened in the area with flashier stores and more aesthetically pleasing features. Eventually, Crossroads Mall lost many national brands, including Younkers, Foot Locker, Dillards, and Sears. A new Target was built behind the mall in 2006, but that store has not brought more traffic to the mall itself.
The Future of Crossroads Mall
As of August 2020, Lockwood Development and Century Development have merged to plan a complete revamp, removing the entire structure that currently stands there, with the exception of Target and an existing parking garage. The goal of the new plan is to reinvigorate the area while keeping popular tenants like Barnes and Noble as part of its smaller retail section.
Chip James, one of the leaders of the revamp, told the Omaha World-Herald, “We want to fit the environment. The surrounding neighborhoods have a lot of families and kids. Our goal is to build a development for everyone.”
Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.