Iconic Iowa Mall Now Classified As a “Ghost Mall”
One thing that is always constant is change. Sadly, as the American economy has transitioned, malls have quickly become a thing of the past. This would have been inconceivable 30 years ago, as the shopping mall was the economic backbone of nearly every major city in the US.
The state of Iowa was no different, as several large malls enjoyed huge success in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But as we have moved through the 2000s, many of these malls are either on the decline or altogether dead. This, once popular mall, found in Eastern Iowa, has now lost all 5 of its anchor stores and is now, unfortunately, waiting for its inevitable permanent closing.
Welcome to Crossroads Mall in Waterloo, Iowa
Crossroads Mall, in Waterloo, was one of the first shopping malls built in the Hawkeye State, as construction broke ground in 1970. At the time, the mall was controversial to many local residents, as it was believed that it would close many retailers in the Waterloo downtown area. While, to a certain extent, this did end up happening, the Crossroads Mall eventually became one of the more popular shopping malls in the entire state.
The mall was at its height when Dillard's opened and the mall itself went under a $4 million renovation. It began its decline in 2015, when, J.C. Penny, the first of its anchor stores, closed its doors. Then, in 2018, the shopping mall suffered two major blows, when Sears and Yonkers also closed up shop.
At this point, the writing was on the wall, and in 2020, both Gordman's and Dillard's announced the closing of their Crossroads Mall locations. Then, in November of 2023, At Home, the last anchor store in the mall shut down its operation, marking the end of an era.
There has been some talk of the City of Waterloo buying the property and rejuvenating the mall, but as of the time of this writing, this has yet to happen.
This, however, doesn't mean that all of Iowa's shopping malls will become a thing of the past. Coral Ridge Mall, in Coralville, is just one of the examples of a mall diversifying itself and staying relevant in the 21st century. It currently has over 100 stores under its roof.
To get a good look at what the Crossroads Shopping Center looks like today, check out the YouTube video below.
Story Sources: Crossroads Mall Wikipedia Page, KWWL Website
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