Towne East Square facts for kids
| Address | 7700 East Kellogg Drive Wichita, Kansas 67207 |
|---|---|
| Opening date | August 14, 1975 |
| Developer | Melvin Simon & Associates |
| Management | Simon Property Group |
| Owner | Simon Property Group |
| No. of stores and services | 122 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 (4 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,145,360 sq ft (106,407 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Parking | Parking lot |
| Website | Official Website : https://www.simon.com/mall/towne-east-square |
Towne East Square is a large, two-story shopping mall located in the eastern part of Wichita, Kansas, United States. It's a popular spot with 122 different stores and restaurants. The mall covers a huge area, about 106,440 square meters (which is 1,145,360 square feet).
The main "anchor" stores that draw people in are Dillard's, JCPenney, and Von Maur. There's also a fun place called Round One Entertainment. Round One Entertainment opened in July 2020, even though it was planned for earlier. Its opening was delayed a bit because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contents
About Towne East Square
The area around Towne East Square has changed a lot recently. Some businesses and hotels were taken down to make way for new roads. The company that owns the mall, Simon Property Group, has bought much of this empty land. They plan to build new things there in the future.
History of the Mall
How the Mall Started
The idea for this mall began in 1972. It was first going to be called "Kellogg Mall." But later, the name was changed to Towne East Square. Building the mall started in 1973.
Towne East Square officially opened its doors on August 14, 1975. It was a very important mall for Wichita. It was the first big, modern, multi-level enclosed shopping mall in the city. When it first opened, the main stores were JCPenney, Dillard's, Henry's, Sears, and J.M. McDonald.
Changes in the 1980s and 1990s
In 1983, the J.M. McDonald store closed down. A new store called Service Merchandise took its place in the mid-1980s.
Later, in 1992, Henry's closed. That spot stayed empty for a while. Then, in 2000, the old Henry's building was taken down. A new store, Von Maur, was built there and opened in 2002. Also, Service Merchandise closed in 1998. Stein Mart then opened in that space in 1999.
Big Changes in the 2000s and 2010s
Stein Mart closed in 2002. After that, a store called Steve & Barry's opened in the mid-2000s. But Steve & Barry's also closed in late 2008.
Around late 2008, Towne East Square got a makeover. The mall was updated to look more modern and fancy. This included changes to the escalators and other areas. In 2011, Wright Career College opened in the space that used to be Steve & Barry's.
However, Wright Career College closed in 2016. Then, in 2017, a place called Glow Golf opened there. Glow Golf later closed too. In 2018, Sears announced it would close many stores, including the one at Towne East Square. The Sears store closed in March 2019. Finally, Round One Entertainment moved into the large space in July 2020, bringing a new place for games and fun to the mall.
