West County Center facts for kids
West County Center entrance in 2012
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| Location | Des Peres, Missouri, United States |
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| Address | 80 West County Center |
| Opening date | 1969 (original mall) 2002 (current mall) |
| Closing date | 2001 (original mall) |
| Management | CBL & Associates, Inc. |
| Owner | CBL & Associates, Inc. and TIAA-CREF |
| No. of stores and services | 150+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,209,649 sq ft (112,380.1 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (3 in Macy's) |
West County Center is a big shopping mall located in Des Peres, Missouri. This city is a suburb of St. Louis. The mall has several main stores, called "anchors." These are Macy's, JCPenney, Nordstrom, and Dick's Sporting Goods.
The first mall on this spot was built in 1969. It closed in 2001, and a brand new mall opened in 2002. For a while, from the mid-1990s to 2007, the mall was known as Westfield West County. It was one of many malls in the St. Louis area owned by an Australian company. Later, a company called CBL & Associates bought it. In 2011, another company, TIAA-CREF, became a part owner of West County Center.
Contents
The First Mall: 1969 to 2001
The first West County Center opened on February 5, 1969. It was built where a drive-in movie theater used to be. Many people remembered the theater for special Easter services held there.
This original mall was about 563,621 square feet (52,362.1 m2) in size. Its main stores were Famous-Barr and JCPenney. The first mall closed its doors on January 27, 2001. Most of it was torn down, but the JCPenney store was kept and updated.
The New Mall: Opened in 2002
The new West County Center opened on September 20, 2002. This updated mall is much larger, about 1,138,813 square feet (105,799.2 m2). The project cost about US$230 million.
The new mall added a two-story Nordstrom store and a food court. It also included three parking garages, making it easier for people to visit. A two-story Dick's Sporting Goods store was also built. In 2009, a new section was created where the old Lord & Taylor store used to be. This new area brought in stores like Barnes & Noble, which moved from a nearby location. The mall also has one of the two Apple Stores in the region and the only Lego Store.
The Famous Dove Sign
One of the most well-known parts of West County Center is the large dove sign. It stands outside the mall, right next to Interstate 270. An artist named Tony Amato created this sign. For almost 50 years, it has been a popular meeting spot for thousands of people.
When the dove sign was taken down in early 2001 for renovations, some local churches were a little upset. But don't worry! The dove was fixed up and put back in its original spot in mid-2002. Today, you can still see it in the parking lot near Nordstrom.
Main Stores You'll Find Now
These are the biggest stores at West County Center today:
- Macy's (since 2006)
- JCPenney (since 1969, part of the original mall)
- Nordstrom (since 2002)
- Dick's Sporting Goods (since 2002)
Past Main Stores
Some big stores that used to be at the mall include:
- Famous-Barr (from 1969 to 2006) - This store later became Macy's.
- Lord & Taylor (from 2002 to 2007) - This building was later torn down to build a new part of the mall.
Other Popular Stores
Here are some other well-known stores at West County Center:
- Barnes & Noble (since 2009)
- H&M (since 2018)
Former Other Popular Stores
- Houlihan's (from 2002 to 2011) - This spot is now where H&M is located.
