Jamestown Mall
{{Short description|Demolished shopping mall in Missouri, U.S.}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Jamestown Mall
| image = Jamestown Mall, Florissant, MO.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = Jamestown Mall in 2012
| location = Florissant, Missouri, U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|38.81992|-90.24726|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:landmark}}
| address = 175 Jamestown Mall
| opening_date = {{start date and age|1973}}
| closing_date = {{end date and age|2014|07|01}} (demolition began on September 26, 2023)
| developer = Richard E. Jacobs Group
| manager =
| owner = St. Louis County Port Authority
| architect =
| number_of_stores = 100+
| number_of_anchors = 4
| floor_area = {{convert|1250000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}
| parking =
| floors = 1 (2 in former Macy's, 4 in former Dillard's)
| belowstyle =
| footnotes =
}}
Jamestown Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Florissant, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Opened in 1973, the mall formerly included Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, and Sears as its anchor stores. The mall had become increasingly vacant since the beginning of the 2000s. It closed in July 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/jamestown-mall-quietly-closes-its-doors-planning-for-a-rebirth/article_28bed151-e638-5220-8646-33c82c6bcf01.html|title=Jamestown Mall quietly closes its doors, planning for a rebirth of the site begins|first=Steve|last=Giegerich|website=stltoday.com|date=July 18, 2014 }} and was demolished from 2023 to 2024.{{cite web | url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2024/03/29/jamestown-mall-demolition | title=Former Jamestown Mall site reaches milestone; future redevelopment unclear }} The site has been slated for redevelopment as an open-air center.
History
=Early years=
Construction began on the mall in 1972. Its anchor stores at the time were Sears and Stix Baer & Fuller, a local chain based in nearby St. Louis.{{cite journal|title=New stores and shopping centers|journal=CSA Supermarkets|date=October 1972|volume=48|pages=E–54|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2EdPAAAAYAAJ&q=%22jamestown+mall%22+%22stix%22}} The mall's initial roster of stores and services included Forum Cafeteria, Walgreen Drug, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Camelot Music, Davy Jones Locker, The Limited, Orange Bowl snack bar, Pass Pets, and an Aladdin's Castle video arcade. On July 12, 1974, a theater owned by the General Cinema Corporation opened at Jamestown Mall.
The Stix Baer & Fuller store at Jamestown Mall was converted to Dillard's in 1984, after Dillard's acquired the chain. In 1994,{{Cite web |date=22 May 1993 |title=May Co. boosts expansion spending |url=https://www.newslibrary.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB04E1FB2BD42D0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&s_trackval=GooglePM |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=www.newslibrary.com}} Famous-Barr (later Macy's) became a third anchor, and JCPenney relocated from Florissant to the mall.{{Cite web |date=29 April 1995 |title=Penney becomes 4th anchor at Jamestown |url=https://www.newslibrary.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB08304FA532420&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&s_trackval=GooglePM |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=www.newslibrary.com |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}} Famous-Barr had announced plans for a new store in April 1992, and construction began in late 1993, with the grand opening on July 30, 1994. This new store, spanning 164,500 square feet over two levels, replaced a circa-1955 operation at Jennings' Northland Center. Additionally, a movie theater was added in the 1990s.
During the 1990s, the mall's movie theater was relocated from its original location, which later housed the food court, to the front of the mall. The cinema was owned and operated by Wehrenberg Theatres. In 1999, J.C. Penney demoted their full-line operation to an Outlet Store. The mall's Famous-Barr was rebranded as Macy's in September 2006.
=Decline=
Jacobs Group sold the mall to Carlyle Development Group in 2003.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0FB794E7C0E83B38&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Jamestown Mall is acquired by N.Y.-based Carlyle Development|date=4 June 2003|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|accessdate=23 January 2011|via=NewsBank|url-access=subscription}} At the time, the complex was approximately 30 percent vacant.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=100521F944D1D1F5&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Mall might get makeover|date=25 January 2004|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|accessdate=23 January 2011|via=NewsBank|url-access=subscription}} In April 2006, Dillard's Inc. announced the closure of the Jamestown Mall store.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=110CC94012F034A0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Dillard's will close in Jamestown Mall|last=Appleson|first=Gail|date=4 April 2006|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|accessdate=23 January 2011|via=NewsBank|url-access=subscription}}
In 2008, Carlyle announced ambitious redevelopment plans for the mall, intending to convert the former Dillard's into offices and close its retail wing.{{Cite web |date=28 July 2008 |title=Jamestown Mall to undergo $120M transformation |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/07/28/daily14.html |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=St. Louis Business Journal}} The Sears store closed early in 2009,{{Cite web |date=22 October 2008 |title=Sears will close store at Jamestown Mall |url=https://www.newslibrary.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=124017A0246D87F0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&s_trackval=GooglePM |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=www.newslibrary.com |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}}[https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/10/20/daily40.html "Sears closing at Jamestown Mall"], St. Louis Business Journal, October 21, 2008. prompting St. Louis County to commission researchers from the Urban Land Institute to assess the mall's viability. The study revealed that the center overlapped with existing retailers,{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/09/28/daily13.html|title=Experts: Jamestown Mall should be razed|last=Volkmann|first=Kelsey|date=28 September 2009|work=St. Louis Business Journal|accessdate=23 January 2011}} making it nonviable as a shopping mall.
Despite these findings, the initial redevelopment plans faced a setback in 2009 when the developers lost financial support from the county following an unsuccessful attempt to auction the former Dillard's store.{{cite web|url=http://www.slcec.com/03-22-09-Jamestown-Mall-takes-another-hit.html|title=Jamestown Mall takes another hit|last=Hempel|first=Paul|author2=Denise Holland|date=22 March 2009|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|accessdate=23 January 2011}} Subsequent plans in 2010 aimed to demolish everything except the JCPenney and Macy's stores, envisioning a mixed-use center.{{cite web|url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_bfad6520-0f49-583c-bd7d-e222da67fe11.html|title=Planners seek new vitality for Jamestown Mall|last=Gillerman|first=Margaret|date=22 September 2010|work=Stltoday.com|accessdate=23 January 2011}}
In June 2011, Central States Liquidation opened in the former Dillard's space.{{Cite web |url=http://nocostl.com/2011/06/used-furniture-store-opens-at-jamestown-mall/ |title=Used furniture store opens at Jamestown Mall : NOCO ~ the online magazine of North St. Louis County |access-date=January 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202170754/http://nocostl.com/2011/06/used-furniture-store-opens-at-jamestown-mall/ |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }} However, the JCPenney Outlet store, later renamed JC's 5 Star Outlet, closed in late 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/jc-s-star-outlet-closing-jamestown-mall-store/article_f4aa4901-355c-5430-85c7-ce2eaae43ed0.html|title=JC's 5 Star Outlet closing Jamestown Mall store|first=Lisa|last=Brown|website=stltoday.com|date=October 4, 2013 }} In 2009, amid financial challenges, Kohan purchased the mall for $3.3 million. Despite these ownership changes, the 2010 plans reiterated the intent to demolish everything except JCPenney and Macy's, with the goal of redeveloping the complex into a mixed-use center.
In late 2011, Kohan lost ownership of Jamestown Mall due to foreclosure but retained some ownership in late 2012. The mall had previously declared bankruptcy in August 2011. Subsequently, Carlyle reclaimed ownership of the mall. In late 2012, gas service to the mall was shut off but later restored.{{cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/jamestown-mall-reaches-an-agreement-to-have-heat-restored/article_945ce7b6-f607-5c3b-830d-1bdf7f09b5bf.html|title=Jamestown Mall reaches an agreement to have heat restored|first=Kavita|last=Kumar|website=stltoday.com|date=November 30, 2012 }}
=Closure and demolition=
The mall's closure was announced on Thanksgiving Eve in November 2013 due to the heat being shut off.{{Cite web|title=Jamestown Mall closes due to no heat|url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/jamestown-mall-closes-due-to-no-heat/63-308582761|access-date=2021-04-04|website=ksdk.com|date=November 27, 2013 |language=en-US}} The closure of the Macy's store was announced in January 2014, leaving the mall with no anchors.{{Cite web|title=Macy's to close Jamestown Mall location|url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/macys-to-close-jamestown-mall-location/63-282268119|access-date=2021-04-04|website=ksdk.com|date=January 8, 2014 |language=en-US}} Jamestown Mall finally closed its doors on July 1, 2014. Among the last remaining tenants were Foot Locker and LensCrafters.
In December 2017, Carlyle sold the mall to the St. Louis Port Authority with the intention of demolishing the mall and embarking on a complete redevelopment of the site. However, those plans never materialized as expected. The Port Authority permitted scrappers to access the site with the assumption that demolition would take place, but it never did. Consequently, the mall began to deteriorate rapidly.{{Cite web |date=2018-01-12 |title=Port Authority Closes on Purchase of Jamestown Mall |url=https://stlpartnership.com/port-authority-closes-purchase-jamestown-mall/ |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=St. Louis Economic Development Partnership |language=en-US}}
In June 2020, firefighters entered the building and discovered large piles of furniture on fire, with heavy smoke emanating from Dillard's and Macy's inside the mall.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-12 |title=Crews extinguish multiple fires at Jamestown Mall Friday night |url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/jamestown-mall-fire/63-2aa57d28-7b33-4373-9775-84d7a5674a92 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=ksdk.com |language=en-US}}
In October 2021, a portion of the shuttered Jamestown Mall in north St. Louis County faced a new challenge as burst pipes flooded the first floor of the Sears building. It remains unclear when the water and fire suppression lines at the Sears building broke, and the extent of the water release is still unknown.{{Cite web |last=Kukuljan |first=Steph |date=2021-10-22 |title='Significant maintenance problem': Portion of Jamestown Mall floods after water line breaks |url=https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/wellness/significant-maintenance-problem-portion-of-jamestown-mall-floods-after-water-line-breaks/article_f27738b6-d6d6-5106-a3e8-e49153ff74dc.html |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}
In April 2022, St. Louis County approved a $6 million demolition plan to demolish the mall.{{Citation |title=St. Louis County approves $6 million to demolish Jamestown Mall | date=April 26, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k86gXaXto1U |language=en |access-date=2023-02-12}}
In April 2023, a fire broke out in front of the entrance to Dillard's inside Jamestown Mall, which resulted in a hole being left in the roof of the building. The fire caused significant damage to the surrounding area, and there were reports of smoke and water damage inside the mall as well. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. In September 2023, nearly a decade after its closure, St. Louis County finally initiated an announcement that demolition would begin on the former Jamestown Mall effective September 26, 2023, with a ceremony being hosted at the mall's site that same day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/jamestown-mall-demolition-begins/63-1bb405a1-9051-4624-9fc5-8a3410144f11|title=Long-awaited demolition of shopping mall near Florissant began Tuesday|date=September 26, 2023|access-date=November 4, 2023|website=KSDK|language=en}} Demolition of all structures on the property was complete by March 2024.{{cite web | url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2024/03/29/jamestown-mall-demolition | title=Former Jamestown Mall site reaches milestone; future redevelopment unclear }}
{{wide image|Jamestown Mall, Florissant, Missouri.jpg|1000px|alt=Jamestown Mall, 2016|Jamestown Mall, 2016}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{St. Louis malls}}
{{Shopping malls in Missouri}}
Category:1973 establishments in Missouri
Category:2014 disestablishments in Missouri
Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2023
Category:Buildings and structures in Florissant, Missouri
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011
Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Missouri
Category:Demolished shopping malls in the United States
Category:Shopping malls established in 1973
Category:Shopping malls disestablished in 2014