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Towne East Square

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Coordinates: 37°41′00″N 97°15′01″W / 37.6832°N 97.2502°W / 37.6832; -97.2502
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Towne East Square
File:Towne East Square Main Entrance.jpg
The Main entrance to Towne East Square
Map
Address7700 East Kellogg Drive
Wichita, Kansas 67207
Opening dateAugust 14, 1975
DeveloperMelvin Simon & Associates
ManagementSimon Property Group
OwnerSimon Property Group
No. of stores and services122
No. of anchor tenants5 (4 open, 1 vacant)
Total retail floor area1,145,360 sq ft (106,407 m2)
No. of floors2
ParkingParking lot
WebsiteOfficial Website

Towne East Square is an enclosed, two-story shopping mall located in the eastern section[1] of Wichita, Kansas, United States.

Overview

Towne East Square has 122 stores and restaurants in 1,145,360 square feet (106,407.4 m2) of gross leasable area.[2] The anchor stores are Dillard's, Round One Entertainment, JCPenney, and Von Maur. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears. In Summer 2019, a Round One Entertainment complex started construction in the former J.M. McDonald/Service Merchandise/Stein Mart/Steve & Barry's/New Mattress Hub/Wright Career College/Glow Golf space.[3] It was later confirmed that the Round One Entertainment Complex was slated to open in 2020.[4] It was intended to open on July 1, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the store officially opened on July 18, 2020.[5] On December 28, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 80 stores nationwide. The store closed in March 2019.[6]

The area around the mall was changed heavily in recent years as several businesses and hotels were demolished for the expansion and addition of a flyover on Highways 54/400 (Locally signed Kellogg). Simon has purchased much of the vacated land for redevelopment.[7]

History

The mall was first planned in 1972 as Kellogg Mall, but was later changed into Towne East Square, Construction began in 1973,[8] and officially opened On August 14, 1975[9] and was the first large, modern, multi-level enclosed mall in Wichita. The original Anchors were JCPenney, Dillard's, Henry's, Sears (which opened soon after the mall opened), and J.M. McDonald.

J.M. McDonald Liquidated in 1983 as Part of Parent company Wickles filing for Bankruptcy, and was replaced by Service Merchandise around 1985.[10]

In 1992, Henry's closed, and sat abandoned for a while. It stayed abandoned until 2000, when It was demolished for Von Maur, which would later open in 2002. Meanwhile, Service Merchandise closed in 1998 due to low sales,[11] and was taken up by Stein Mart in 1999.[12]

Stein Mart had financial troubles, and closed in 2002. The store was later bought by Steve & Barry's around the Mid 2000s, and liquidated in Late 2008, following Steve and Barry's bankruptcy.[13] In Late 2008, Towne East Square received a renovation to give it a more of an upscale look, including escalator movements.[14] During the summer of 2009, Mattress Hub expanded their store at the mall into the former Steve and Barry's space,[15] and moved in mid-2010 for Wright Career College that opened in 2011.[16]

Wright Career College Later went bankrupt on April 16, 2016,[17] and Glow Golf Later replaced Wright Career College on April 29, 2017, after moving from Reflection Ridge Plaza at the west side of Wichita. In 2018, Sears announced they would be closing 80 stores, including this one, which would close in March 2019. Glow Golf Wichita then announced on Facebook that they would be closing due to mall management forcing Glow Golf to close most likely due to Low attendance at the attraction. Round1 later took up the space on July 18, 2020, complete with a tenant expansion causing four other businesses at the mall to move somewhere else in order to accommodate the Tenant expansion.

Scheels was confirmed on July 14, 2021, to Replace Sears.[18] The store will open On May 31, 2023.[19]

On December 14, 2021, it was announced that Towne East Square would get a Major overhaul both Inside and outside of the Mall. This overhaul will include The entrances getting wood and glass details and new signage, outdoor seating areas will be added and the parking lots and entryways will get new landscaping. The parking lot also will be repaved. The mall's second level will get updated flooring.[20]

On March 18, 2022, at around 5:30 PM a shooting happened inside the Towne East Square close of the Round 1 establishment. There was one death of a 14-year old kid. Police captured two suspects one aged 16 and the other 17. This all stemmed from an argument between the teenagers when eventually one of them pulled out a firearm and fired it five to six times.[21]

References

  1. ^ Address of the mall's offices is 7700 East Kellogg Drive.
  2. ^ "Towne East Square". International Council of Shopping Centers. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  3. ^ "Round 1 entertainment complex coming to Towne East Square | the Wichita Eagle". Archived from the original on 2019-08-09. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  4. ^ "Towne East Square confirms new Round 1 entertainment complex to open in 2020". 2019.
  5. ^ "Round 1's new Wichita location opens at Towne East July 18". The Wichita Eagle.
  6. ^ Thomas, Lauren (2018-12-28). "Sears is closing 80 more stores in March, faces possible liquidation". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  7. ^ http://www.kansas.com/2011/04/02/1789825/towne-east-squares-owners-to-repurchase.html [bare URL]
  8. ^ "Wichita Photos".
  9. ^ "Malls of America - Vintage photos of lost Shopping Malls of the '50s, '60s & '70s".
  10. ^ "(In The Comments)". 17 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Service Merchandise set to close east store". Wichita Business Journal.
  12. ^ "Stein Mart entry set for Towne East". Wichita Business Journall.
  13. ^ "Report: Steve & Barry's to liquidate". Wichita Business Journal.
  14. ^ "Towne East to Undergo Multi-Million Dollar Renovation". Law Co.
  15. ^ https://www.kansas.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/article1007289.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ "Wright Career College opens Wichita branch in Towne East Square". Wichita Business Journal.
  17. ^ . The Wichita Eagle https://www.kansas.com/news/business/article72006587.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ "SCHEELS announces it will open in Towne East Square Sears location". 14 July 2021.
  19. ^ "SCHEELS at Towne East Square - A Shopping Center in Wichita, KS - A Simon Property".
  20. ^ https://www.kansas.com/news/business/retail/article256594631.html/ [bare URL]
  21. ^ KWCH Staff. "Teen dead, 2 others arrested in Towne East mall shooting". kwch.com. Retrieved 2022-03-19.

37°41′00″N 97°15′01″W / 37.6832°N 97.2502°W / 37.6832; -97.2502

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