Walla Walla Town Center, formerly Blue Mountain Mall is a shopping mall located in Walla Walla, Washington. It opened in 1989, and was considered the primary retail destination for Walla Walla and the surrounding area.[1] The mall was demolished in 2017 to make way for the current shopping center.[3] The name of the mall comes from the surrounding Blue Mountains. It featured a Shopko store as an anchor, with three anchors previously occupied by Sears, Troutman's Emporium (opened 1992[4] in a former Fred Meyer), and Gottschalks (originally JCPenney).
 | |
| Location | Walla Walla, Washington, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Address | 1631 West Rose Street, Walla Walla, WA |
| Opening date | 1989[1] |
| Owner | Zelman Development (2013) OREO Corp (2012) Meyer Properties[2] |
| No. of stores and services | 18+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 337,869 sq ft (31,389.1 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
The mall was considered a dead mall in the 2000s as its inline tenants closed, although three of the anchors were still in operation as late as 2007.[5] As of 2017, only Shopko and Carpet One remained at the location.
By 2012, the mall was bankrupt and closed, and sold on the courthouse steps on September 17 to OREO Corp for $4 Million in back taxes.[6]
In late 2013, news reports circulated that the entire property had been purchased by a large mall property development group and would be renovated in time for the holiday shopping season of 2014.[7]
In 2018, the center was reopened as Walla Walla Town Center. The Shopko from the original mall was retained, while many new tenants joined including Bed Bath & Beyond, Hobby Lobby, Ross Dress for Less, and Ulta Beauty.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Meyer Properties". Meyer Properties. 2000. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ "Meyer Properties". Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ Edinger, Shane (September 4, 2014). "JUST ASK SHANE: Update on Walla Walla's Blue Mountain Mall". khq.com. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ "Troutman's sets Nov. opening for 30th unit". Daily News Record. October 14, 1992. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ "Whitman Wire".
- ^ "Former mall in Walla Walla sold for $4 million". union-bulletin.com. September 17, 2012. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ Watson, Frances (December 24, 2013). "Blue Mountain Mall coming back". www.keprtv.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ "Walla Walla Town Center intends to reduce outshopping, boost local employment options". July 2018.