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BLUE RIDGE MALL: KANSAS CITY, MO

TK update: This mall is long gone...its a Wal-Mart Supercenter now. Rats abounded when it was torn down.

Nick B' Commentary:

Posted November 20, 2006 (user submitted April 9, 2006)

The Blue Ridge Mall opened in 1958 as an open-air mall, then became an indoor mall(don't know when). The Blue Ridge Mall is completely demolished now. The land will be used for a Wal*Mart SuperCenter and a strip mall. Blue Ridge Mall facts:

  • opened in 1958
  • 3 anchors Jones Store Co (May Dept Store), JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward.
  • parking garage on the JCPenney end
  • 85 stores on 1 level
The Blue Ridge Mall started to have crime problems, similar to Bannister Mall. I went to the mall about 2 or 3 yrs ago for the last time before it was demolished. It had a nail salon, Brother's Pets, Train Town, a couple jewelry stores, Waldenbooks, KayBee Toys Express, Orange Julius, Pretzel Time, Topsy's, a few other stores and Jones Store Co., which was having a closing sale at the time. JCPenney closed up awhile back.

The mall often used the old Montgomery Ward location for gun shows and other events.

The Brother's Pets moved across the highway from the mall. Applebee's had a location there until the mall was demolished.

The Blue Ridge Mall "was" located on Blue Ridge Blvd. and right next to I-70 in Kansas City, MO.

Grady Ellis' Commentary:

Posted November 20, 2006 (user submitted August 13, 2004)

Blue Ridge Mall is located in Kansas City Missouri. It was one of the first malls built in the Kansas City. Built in 1958, with anchors The Jones Store, Jc penney, Newberry's, Harzfeld's, Montgomery Ward, and Woolworth's, Blue Ridge was one of top malls at the time it opened, and experienced changes such as being enclosed in the 1970's and when JCPenney built another store at the end of the Mall the space where JCPenney was became more stores. This mall included such stores as Lerner, Hickory Farm, Aladdin's castle, Foot Locker, Waldenbooks, and The Gap. In the early 70's Newberry's and Harzfeld's closed. The Newberry's was converted into the food court while Harzfeld's stood empty til this day. The mall thrived throughout the 70s and 80s. As a child I remember the McDonald's that was in the mall always being crowded, and going to Kay Bee toys.

In the 90s the mall started to slowly die. The lower level went empty in the early 90s. It was nearly empty except for the Business Center and The Newberry's. Woolworth's closing in 1997 began the mall's decent. By 1999 the mall had lost many stores. In 2000 the theatre was gone and the lower level where jcpenney once was was being converted into a antiques mall. In late 2000 the Ward's chain went out of business, leaving more vacancy. In 2001 the JCPenney closed, therefore causing more stores to leave. The Jones Store, the last anchor left in the mall, closed in 2003. After that most of the stores that were remaining left. By the beginning of 2004, all that was left was Applebee's (which was a newer addition), Brothers Pets, Foot Locker, Antique Sampler Shops, and Lencrafters. In May 2004 it was announced that Wal-Mart was going to buy the mall and tear it down to build a supercenter.

After the announcement, the antique sampler shops closed along with Foot Locker and all that is open is Applebee's, Brother's Pets, and Lencrafter's. No food court. 80% of the mall is sealed off.

When Wal-mart comes in most of the stores will relocate while applebee's will build on a outparcel on the property This mall is a landmark, to me at least, and I hate to see it go. But, progress is progress, and nothing will stand in its way.

Kim S. Schinkel's Commentary:

Posted December 2, 2006 (user submitted)

Harzfeld's was named after Sigmund Harzfeld, who introduced the concept of ready-to-wear to Kansas City with his "Parisian Hat and Cloak Company" located at 1101 Main. Later, the Petticoat Lane location would be known as "Harzfeld's Parisian", then simply "Harzfeld's".

In the late 70's, local ownership was swallowed up by Brooks Brothers, Miller, and Rhodes, which in turn was bought out by Allied Stores. Allied Stores had a very dim view of the beloved Midwestern operation, which also had locations at the Country Club Plaza, Corinth Shopping Center, Metcalf Shopping Center, Columbia (Missouri), Tulsa and Oklahoma City, as well as the Blue Ridge Mall. They withdrew their corporate support in the summer of 1984, knowing that it couldn't survive on its own.

They attempted to replace the Plaza store with a Bonwit-Teller.

Photos:

http://www.rodslair.com/br-mall/ - Photo Album of the demolition of Blue Ridge Mall

   
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