Anyone been here lately? We went over Easter weekend, and what a shame. I would be surprised if it's at 30% occupancy. I know the economy's bad but where did all the stores go? I used to love this place, the courtyards were beautiful (still are) and the 70's styling really got me. It's much more ascetically pleasing than say, Tanger with a parking lot surrounding a box. May seem silly, but it's kind of sad to see the old place turn into a ghost town.
drove through there last winter/fall and early last summer.. It is a shame.. nice buildings, decent layout in parking lot.. And almost all the retailers are gone. But alas that is life of a "shopping mall".
Your right thought it is a shame..
Red Roof Mall was the first one in Branson. Second was Tanger, third was Branson Meadows. Fourth was Branson Landing. Too much competition in crappy economy! Red Roof and Branson Meadows are "dead malls." What a shame! Tanger is still holding on well, and, for all the trouble the landing has had financially and flood wise, it seems to be doing pretty good. The economy seems to really be taking a huge whack in Branson. I noticed Dickenson Gift Shop, a staple in Branson since the late 60s or early 70s, was for sale when I passed through at the beginning of Worldfest. The times they are a changin'!
First time we went to Branson was in 2001, and I remember Branson Meadows being there but thought Tanger was still under construction. Do you know when it was built? I could be remembering all the blasting for the Roark Valley round about and getting the two confused.
Red Roof has a terrible layout and is hot as heck in the summer making it unbearable to visit. Tanger has the brand name stores that the kids want to shop at. Branson Meadows never really took off. The Landing is more of a mall and not an outlet store area.
Branson is just going through a metamorphosis. It needed to go through one. I personally think that the new version will be better. One thing that needs to happen though is a focus on the teen population. They have lots and lots for the old people, but guess what they're all dying off. The young families are pretty much covered too -- BUT you need to make Branson cool again to the teen/college age crowd so that when they get older they'll bring their families down there and not just think of the town as boring and for old people.
For me personally, I never actually make it into town. That should tell you something right there. Unless I am with other people I will take Highroad to SDC and then back to the main highway and never set foot in Branson. There is just nothing there that I HAVE to see or do. In fact if it wasn't for SDC I'd never even venture down to SWMO. As a Mizzou grad that area is "icky"
cater to the tee/younger crowd? WOW! what a concept.? Now if somebody is just paying attention :)..
30 yrs viditing Branson every year...never saw a show in Branson, and do very much the same as Swoosh except I hit up the Strip for dinner most nights. I do stop by the Landing and Tanger to help fill out the day, and to allow my wife some normalcy other than JUST going to SDC (I can only subject her to so much!).
As a kid I remember the Red Roof because it had a toy store...a sorry excuse for one, but a toy store none-the-less. It is an odd layout, and I have only gone by there in the last 2 years because of a restaurant/ cooking supply store that opened last year.
I've only been to about three other "dead malls" in my life...one at Memphis, TN, one in Sikeston, MO, and one in Rogers, AR. They are always sad places to go. No customers, usually only crappy stores. Times change, and I agree a big revamp needs to take place in Branson. They have done a great job of revitalizing downtown, and the Branson Landing offers the mall experience with shops, restaurants, and special draws like the waterfront show and Bass Pro Shop.
I am a big fan of dead malls. Something about the once bustling malls, that are now empty intrigues me. We have a few out here in StL. Having grown up here, I remember vividly Northwest PLaza before it was enclosed, my granndma worked there for almost 20 yrs, I remember one of the first enclosed malls in the country- River Roads in Jennings. My mom and dad worked there in the mid-late 70s, which was torn down a few years ago...
http://deadmalls.com/features.html#MO (http://deadmalls.com/features.html#MO)
Junior should remember both of those as I think he grew up out this way...
I love the red roof mall. I would go there every trip when I still lived at home and had more disposable income. It was the place where i purchased my first Billy Idol CD. Corny I know but hey someones gotta be.
Billy Idol? well yea! ;D
So Northwest Plaza is now a dead mall? This is a surprise to me, but I have not visited since about 1972 or '73. That was a busy, busy place. Prior to the growth of Wal-Mart, families like mine from Hazelwood would visit Northwest Plaza for the serious shopping...there was a Sears (still called Sears Roebuck in my youth) and that was the place for back to school clothes shopping, as well as big purchases like the first new living room furniture mom and dad bought. Our neighbor, Mr. Harvey, was the manager of the sporting goods department at Sears. For everyday shopping it was a trip to Village Square in Hazelwood, home of Tri-City Grocery Store, a haircut at the barber shop, discount shopping at S.S. Kreske and Company (Called K-Mart today) and a Famous Barr Department Store. When Cliff St. James did his Corky the Clown routine, or when Mr. Patches, the channel 30 cartoon show host would make appearances, I'd get to see them at Village Square. There was also a Lindburgh Bank, a Flaming Pit Steakhouse, and Werner Klemper...the guy who played the commandant on Hogan's Heroes...had a mens clothing store (part of a chain) at Village Square. And I hate to admit this, but I purchased my first 45rpm single record for 70 cents at S.S. Kreske, it was The Partridge Family song "I think I Love You!" :D
Not sure if this worked or not. I had an opportunity to meet a gentleman (will not name at this time) that works with the Mayor of Branson. We were discussing the economy and things that Branson needs to do to keep it "hip" for the younger crowd. I think the main age group to start focusing on is today's 13-18 year olds. I hope he did mention something but who knows. The attractions, shows, etc. need to probably keep this in mind. I know when I spent summers out here with my grandparents, my friends would always ask, "why would you go to Branson, MO?, boring!". My sis and I always could find something to do and loved it, of course we explained it to our friends but they didn't get it. Also from a different generation. In the winter during those times though it pretty much was "boring", this was before the Ozark Mtn Christmas ,etc. Let's hope the city of Branson is paying attention to what today's kids are looking for. I hate seeing what has happened to the Red Roofs, before they came in you had to go to Springfield for real shopping.
If Branson wants to stay relevant they need to look at what Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg is doing. MagicQuest and stuff like that -- and maybe a little more organized on the strip. Why not a Comedy Barn? Stuff like that
Funny junior... My uncle and dad were talking about the same clowns at Easter.
I have many great memories from n/w plaza in Stl but it is in fact closed for good and just like riverroads and northland, it will be gone soon. It was also hit by the recent tornado, but the damage was not Publicized since the mall is empty and will be demolished this year (2011).
It had a 24 hr fitness most recently but that has closed, and the mall is done. There is a wikipedia page for the mall if you are interested junior, and I have many interior photos from present day as well for this and riverroads.
Speaking of malls in STL that need to be torn down - how about that one downtown about a block or two west of Laclede's Landing.
That would be the old St. Louis Center? Visited there about 1986, it was packed then. How is the Union Station Mall doing? I heard it had fallen upon hard times.
I was going to mention Union Station.
it is an "uban ghost town"
"An Urban "Ghost Town""
You would be appauled by the place. It is EMPTY. There are only a couple stores with minimal merchandise, some sports memorabilia and candle stores, a food court that is obviously struggling and vast emptiness. The poor Fudgery fudge maker's audience cannot be more than a few people at a time. It is depressing!
To go from 100,000 train passengers a day in the 40's to the jam-packed mall of the 80's to a total empty shell where one person's footsteps echo throughout is a sad transition. I was there 3 weeks ago, and even with all of the city festivities with the marathon and 1/2 marathon, the place was empty. It ia one of the most beautiful places in StL, and it is sitting empty.
A great book to check out:
http://books.google.com/books?id=RmM5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=blueprint+union+station+st+louis&source=web&ots=6U6tEeu-Lz&sig=khb5UDj_ThWd2conHgNx5x74j-8#v=onepage&q&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=RmM5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=blueprint+union+station+st+louis&source=web&ots=6U6tEeu-Lz&sig=khb5UDj_ThWd2conHgNx5x74j-8#v=onepage&q&f=false)
I had no idea NW Plaza was empty either. I haven't been there since probably the mid 90's, but I do remember going there when I was a little kid (late 70's) and how he thought it was absolutely the cat's meow. Seems like it used to have a York steakhouse in it also.
Just wondering, how did the subject get changed? I didn't put the (dead malls) part in my original post.