HUTCHINSON MALL: HUTCHINSON, KS
Trent Rose 's Commentary:
Posted November 20, 2006 (user submitted)
The Hutchinson Mall was built in the middle 1980's and opened around 1986. It was the first suburban mall to open in Hutchinson, although another mall was slated to be constructed during the 60's adjoining Welles Department Store.
The Hutchinson Mall received great fan fare and had an A list of original tenants. The mall was anchored by Wal-Mart, Service Merchandise, Newman's Department Store, Dillard's and JC Penney. Some of the smaller stores included The Candle Nook, Summit Stationers, and Payless shoes. A number of other smaller stores were housed in the mall.
The mall appeared to be saturated with department stores during these early days when Wiley's and Biles and Long moved to the mall replacing downtown locations. Newman's was one of the first to shutter, and this space stayed vacant for years. Wiley's folded soon after, ending a Hutchinson tradition since 1913.
The mall seemed to continue along okay until Wal-Mart left for a location outside the mall in 1995. Service Mechandise folded in 1997, leaving an empty whole which was never completely filled with a retail venue again. The Newman's space also continued to be empty.
A new theater took the place of Newman's, although the only entrance was on the outside of the mall. Dickinson Theaters owned the new theater as well as the original Mall 4 Cinema. Stage absorbed some of Service Merchandise's space.
From 1999-current the mall has remained stagnated. The natural gas explosions of 2001 scared away many shoppers from Hutchinson and retailers reported staggering losses. Stage closed for good and virutally it and the remaining Service Merchandise space is now occupied by ESSADAK learning center, a non retail biusiness. The Via Christi Health Center is another non retail business at the mall. The DMV is also located at the mall. A few antique stores, a flea market, and a close out store have occupied space at the mall. While many spaces have remained empty. The Mall 4 Cinema is now the Kansas Children's Museum. An Old Navy Outlet occupied a number of empty spaces for 2001-2005, but it closed because of the mall's lack of traffic. This leaves a huge gaping whole encompasing about five store fronts. Goody's Department Store was added in 2005.
Although Hutchinson has been host to the U.S. Women's and Senior Open, as well as the International Motor Coach Association, this has not spurred interest in the mall. The mall corridor continues to be dark and stagnated, although the mall is still anchored by Sears, JC Penney, and Dillard's. Simon Management sold the mall in 2004.
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Victor Wilkinson’s Commentary:
User submitted in 20222020: Sears, Dillard's, and JC Penny are now gone:(
Melinda Saunders’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2021bring back calverts to
Melinda Saunders’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2021bring back ben franklin the store and alco and the gift gallery stores
Melinda Saunders’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2021i miss alco the store
Melinda Saunders’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2021i miss the fancys stores in the malls sad to see malls all over america closing
Melinda Saunders’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2021i miss sears and peguises and kmart i wish america would bring back those stores and i miss shag carpets and disco balls i wish america would bring back those things to
Melinda Saunders’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2021so sad to see hutchinson turning into a ghost town at one time it was such a thriving place
Mark Ryan’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020This mall opened in the summer of 1984, I was a member of the Hutchinson Sky Ryders Drum & Bugle Corps and we was asked to play at the opening of the Wal-Mart store.. So it was 1984..
Jon Shawver’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2019I have not been to this mall since summer 2017, but it isn't doing great. Dillard's and Sears have closed while I believe JCPenny's closed in September. The theater has been renovated and that end of the mall seems to be going well. A new sports store has opened up where Sears was and a few unconventional stores have opened. Those stores are Hobby Lobby, Orschlen's Farm Supply, and TJ Maxx. They have traditional store fronts from the outside and they seem to be doing great. One end of the mall seems to be dead, although many smaller stores seem to pop up but not last long. I think what killed the department stores are Towne West, Towne East, and New Market Square in Wichita. If you look from the outside of the mall, resturants and stores like Walmart and Home Depot seem to be thriving. Overall, a mall with no department store anchors is doomed, but there is a hope that a big company can come in and save it. Or it could continue with small shops trying to hold itself up.