Oak Park Mall facts for kids
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| Location | Overland Park, Kansas, United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°57′13″N 94°43′10″W / 38.953485°N 94.719476°W |
| Address | 11149 West 95th Street |
| Opening date | August 28, 1975 |
| Developer | Copaken White & Blitt |
| Management | CBL & Associates |
| Owner | CBL & Associates (50%) TIAA-CREF (50%) |
| No. of stores and services | 180+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,607,803 sq ft (149,369.8 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (3 in Nordstrom) |
| Parking | Parking lot |
| Public transit access |  RideKC |
Oak Park Mall is a very large shopping center in Overland Park, Kansas, United States. It has over 180 stores and covers a huge area, making it the biggest mall in the Kansas City area and all of Kansas! The mall has two main levels and is home to five big department stores. It was built by Copaken, White & Blitt, along with Frank Morgan and Sherman Dreiseszun. Some of the main stores you'll find there include two Dillard's locations, Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, and H&M.
Contents
Who Owns Oak Park Mall?
In May 2011, a company called TIAA-CREF became a co-owner of Oak Park Mall. They now own half of the mall, sharing ownership with CBL & Associates. This helped CBL & Associates manage their finances better.
The Story of Oak Park Mall
Early Days and First Stores
Oak Park Mall first opened its doors on August 28, 1975. Back then, some of its main stores were JCPenney, Macy's, Montgomery Ward, and Stix, Baer & Fuller.
In 1982, a TV show called "The Mall" was filmed right here at Oak Park Mall! It talked about how popular shopping malls were becoming in the United States. Later, in 1984, the Stix, Baer & Fuller store changed its name to the mall's first Dillard's. Then, in 1985, another Dillard's store opened, taking the place of Macy's when Macy's decided to sell its stores in the Midwest.
Mall Expansions and New Stores
The mall got a big makeover in 1993 and grew even larger in 1997. A new part, called the Southeast Wing, was added. It had two levels and a huge, three-level Nordstrom store, which opened on March 6, 1998.
Montgomery Ward closed its doors in March 2001. After some updates, The Jones Store opened in that spot on August 14, 2002. A few years later, in 2006, Macy's bought The Jones Store. So, on September 9, 2006, Macy's made a comeback to Oak Park Mall after being away for 20 years!
A Target store opened just south of the mall in 2005.
The mall had another big renovation in 2011. This included changes to the food court and new entrances. In June 2012, the area's first Microsoft Store opened at the mall. However, due to a worldwide health situation in 2020, all Microsoft Stores closed their physical locations permanently.
Fun Features and Changes Over Time
For a while, Oak Park Mall had a fun double-decker carousel in its center, near Dillard's North. It moved around a bit over the years! In the early 2000s, the area was updated with a woodland theme, featuring a regular carousel and a small train ride. The double-decker carousel came back in 2009 but was removed again in 2023.
The mall also used to have the only Rainforest Cafe in the Kansas City area, which opened in 1999. This restaurant, known for its jungle theme, stayed for ten years. After it left, the space was divided, and an American Girl store opened there. The American Girl store closed permanently in July 2020.
In 2018, Nordstrom had thought about moving to a different location called Country Club Plaza. However, by April 2022, they decided to stay right here at Oak Park Mall.
Keeping Shoppers Safe
On November 12, 2023, there was an incident in the mall's food court that involved a police officer and a person suspected of shoplifting. A single shot was fired, but thankfully, no one was hurt. Mall security and police quickly handled the situation, ensuring everyone's safety.
