Oakwood Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The anchor stores are HOM Furniture, JCPenney, Hobby Lobby, Scheels, and Micon Cinemas. [1] There is one vacant anchor store that was once Sears.
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| Location | Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Opening date | October 15, 1986 |
| Developer | General Growth Properties |
| Management | Brookfield Properties |
| Owner | Brookfield Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 91 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 6 (5 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 818,689 square feet (76,058.7 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Public transit access |  ECT: 1 6 |
| Website | www |
| [1] | |
History
editThe mall opened on October 15, 1986, and underwent a major renovation in 1996. The mall also features a movie theater, which was expanded in 1997 and originally operated by Carmike Cinemas until 2017, when it was re-branded as AMC.[2]
The shopping center has seen several changes in its anchor stores over the years. In 2002, Younkers replaced Target as one of the main tenants.[3][4] However, the mall has faced some challenges since the late 2010s, as several of its anchors closed due to bankruptcy and the nationwide downturn in traditional retail. Macy's, which had been at the mall since 1991 as Dayton's and later as Marshall Fields, closed in March 2017 and was replaced by Hobby Lobby in August 2018.[5][6] Younkers followed suit and closed in August 2018, leaving a vacant space that was later purchased by HOM Furniture in January 2019.[7] The furniture store opened in early 2020 after extensive renovations.[8][9] Sears, another longtime anchor, closed in November 2018 and has not been replaced.[10] The AMC theater also closed permanently in October 2022, after struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and competition from streaming services. A local theater chain, Micon Cinemas, took over the space and reopened the 12 screen cineplex in December 2022.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ a b "Oakwood Mall". Brookfield Properties.
- ^ Davis, Mark (February 17, 2017). "AMC to drop Carmike brand, add AMC Classic brand for smaller, less-visited theaters". Kansas City Star. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ McCartney, Butch (November 18, 2001). "Younkers moving into Oakwood Mall". The Spectator.
- ^ King, Jenny (September 1, 1997). "Adaptability Is Key In The Hardy Midwest". National Real Estate Investor.
- ^ "Macy's plan to close stores including Oakwood Mall to go forward". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. January 5, 2017.
- ^ Dowd, Andrew (October 20, 2017). "Hobby Lobby to occupy Macy's spot at Oakwood Mall". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.
- ^ "Bon-Ton Stores, including Younkers in Eau Claire, start closing sales". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. April 19, 2018.
- ^ staff, Andrew Dowd Leader-Telegram (March 8, 2019). "HOM owners buy Eau Claire Younkers store". Leader-Telegram. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Wensel, Samantha (March 11, 2019). "HOM Furniture owners buy former Eau Claire Younkers location". WQOW. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Vetter, Chris (August 22, 2018). "Sears in Oakwood Mall to close". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.
- ^ Dowd, Andrew (October 3, 2022). "AMC Theatres closes in Eau Claire's Oakwood Mall". Leader-Telegram. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Micon Cinemas Oakwood Mall opens Friday". WEAU. December 9, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2023.