Jordan Creek Town Center
Encyclopedia
Jordan Creek Town Center is a super-regional shopping mall
and lifestyle center
in the American
city of West Des Moines, Iowa
. It is the largest shopping complex in the state of Iowa
with a total gross leasable area
of 1340000 square feet (124,490.1 m²). It is also the fourth largest shopping complex in the Midwest, and the 23rd largest shopping complex in the United States. The center is named after Jordan Creek, a tributary of the Raccoon River
that was named after James Cunningham Jordan, the first person to settle in what is now West Des Moines. Its developer, General Growth Properties
, has referred to Jordan Creek as a "retail resort" that combines elements of enclosed malls with outdoor and non-retail components. As of May 2008, there are more than 150 minor stores and 3 major stores including Dillard's
, Scheels All Sports
, and Younkers
(formerly Famous-Barr
).
in Kansas City
. In 1999, following the success of Coral Ridge Mall
in eastern Iowa, General Growth Properties chose the Wittern site for its proposed "town center" concept.
General Growth unveiled plans for Jordan Creek Town Center in May 2000. Two of the Des Moines metropolitan area
's existing malls, Merle Hay Mall
and Valley West Mall
, promptly sued the city of West Des Moines, claiming that it was illegal to use public money from tax increment financing
to make improvements around the mall. The Iowa Supreme Court
dismissed the lawsuit on February 27, 2002, allowing construction of the $200 million complex to begin later that year.
Jordan Creek Town Center opened on August 4, 2004, attracting nearly 17 million shoppers in its first year. Jordan Creek led to short-term sales declines at the three existing regional malls in the Des Moines area (Merle Hay, Valley West, and Southridge
) while accounting for nearly 37 percent of taxable sales at the four malls during the last three months of 2004. Jordan Creek also had an impact on sales tax
revenues in Dallas County
, which jumped from $16.7 million in fiscal 2004 to $33.7 million in fiscal 2006. It has also spawned other new commercial developments in West Des Moines such as the West Glen Town Center near Interstate 35
and a new Wells Fargo
office complex south of the mall.
In May 2007, Iowa State University
economists David Swenson and Liesl Eathington released a study showing that retail sales in the Dallas County portion of West Des Moines had increased by over $310 million, or 503.7 percent, during Jordan Creek's first two years of operation. At the same time, sales in the city of Des Moines
decreased by nearly $194 million (5.2 percent) while sales in the Polk County
portion of West Des Moines decreased by $22 million (2.4 percent). Smaller Dallas County cities like Adel
and Perry
also experienced declines in retail sales during this period.
Jordan Creek Town Center has been part of the Hy-Vee Triathlon
's 40K bicycle
course since 2007. In 2008 the Drake Relays
' pole vault
ing competitions were held inside Jordan Creek Town Center for the first time.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
and lifestyle center
Lifestyle center (retail)
A lifestyle center is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers...
in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city of West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 53,889 residents lived there in...
. It is the largest shopping complex in the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
with a total gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
of 1340000 square feet (124,490.1 m²). It is also the fourth largest shopping complex in the Midwest, and the 23rd largest shopping complex in the United States. The center is named after Jordan Creek, a tributary of the Raccoon River
Raccoon River
The Raccoon River is a tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longest of its three forks, its length increases to...
that was named after James Cunningham Jordan, the first person to settle in what is now West Des Moines. Its developer, General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
, has referred to Jordan Creek as a "retail resort" that combines elements of enclosed malls with outdoor and non-retail components. As of May 2008, there are more than 150 minor stores and 3 major stores including Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
, Scheels All Sports
Scheels All Sports
Scheels All Sports is a privately held, employee owned and operated sporting goods and entertainment chain store headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. Scheels operates 24 store locations in nine U.S. states. Their slogan is Gear. Passion. Sports....
, and Younkers
Younkers
Younkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...
(formerly Famous-Barr
Famous-Barr
The Famous-Barr Co. , St. Louis, Missouri, was a division of Macy's, Inc. . It was formerly the hometown division of The May Department Stores Company, which was acquired by Federated on August 30, 2005. On February 1, 2006, it was subsumed into the newly created Macy's Midwest division.The...
).
History
Around 1995, the family of local businessman Art Wittern proposed the "Village at Oakbrook" to the city of West Des Moines on the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) site that the Witterns owned at 74th Street (later renamed Jordan Creek Parkway) and E.P. True Parkway. The village would have contained a mixture of commercial, residential, and office development that was intended to attract upscale retailers similar to those at Country Club PlazaCountry Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza is an upscale shopping district and residential neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. In 1999, following the success of Coral Ridge Mall
Coral Ridge Mall
Coral Ridge Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located just south of Interstate 80 in Coralville, Iowa. The mall's primary trade area includes Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and other parts of eastern Iowa...
in eastern Iowa, General Growth Properties chose the Wittern site for its proposed "town center" concept.
General Growth unveiled plans for Jordan Creek Town Center in May 2000. Two of the Des Moines metropolitan area
Des Moines metropolitan area
The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area , consists of five counties in central Iowa, United States: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, and Guthrie...
's existing malls, Merle Hay Mall
Merle Hay Mall
Merle Hay Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. Opened in 1959, it is the oldest regional shopping center in Iowa, and was the largest mall in Iowa in terms of gross leasable area before the 2004 opening of Jordan Creek Town Center in...
and Valley West Mall
Valley West Mall
Valley West Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall in West Des Moines, Iowa.-History:Frederick Watson, a developer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, first unveiled plans for Valley West Mall in 1971...
, promptly sued the city of West Des Moines, claiming that it was illegal to use public money from tax increment financing
Tax increment financing
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used as a subsidy for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years...
to make improvements around the mall. The Iowa Supreme Court
Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. As constitutional head of the Iowa Judicial Branch, the Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices....
dismissed the lawsuit on February 27, 2002, allowing construction of the $200 million complex to begin later that year.
Jordan Creek Town Center opened on August 4, 2004, attracting nearly 17 million shoppers in its first year. Jordan Creek led to short-term sales declines at the three existing regional malls in the Des Moines area (Merle Hay, Valley West, and Southridge
Southridge Mall (Iowa)
Southridge Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall on the south side of Des Moines, Iowa. It attracts roughly 3.3 million visitors per year, with a primary trade area consisting of most of the city of Des Moines and areas to its south and east....
) while accounting for nearly 37 percent of taxable sales at the four malls during the last three months of 2004. Jordan Creek also had an impact on sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
revenues in Dallas County
Dallas County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 66,135 in the county, with a population density of . There were 27,260 housing units, of which 25,240 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, which jumped from $16.7 million in fiscal 2004 to $33.7 million in fiscal 2006. It has also spawned other new commercial developments in West Des Moines such as the West Glen Town Center near Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
and a new Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
office complex south of the mall.
In May 2007, Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
economists David Swenson and Liesl Eathington released a study showing that retail sales in the Dallas County portion of West Des Moines had increased by over $310 million, or 503.7 percent, during Jordan Creek's first two years of operation. At the same time, sales in the city of Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
decreased by nearly $194 million (5.2 percent) while sales in the Polk County
Polk County, Iowa
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 430,640 in the 2010 census, an increase from 374,601 in the 2000 census. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city of Iowa...
portion of West Des Moines decreased by $22 million (2.4 percent). Smaller Dallas County cities like Adel
Adel, Iowa
Adel is a city along the North Raccoon River in Dallas County in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 3,435 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dallas County and the birthplace of 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick....
and Perry
Perry, Iowa
Perry is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States, along the North Raccoon River. The population was 7,633 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area....
also experienced declines in retail sales during this period.
Jordan Creek Town Center has been part of the Hy-Vee Triathlon
Hy-Vee Triathlon
The Hy-Vee Triathlon is an Olympic-distance triathlon race held in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. It has been a participant in the ITU Triathlon World Cup series three times from 2008 to 2010, and serves as the World Triathlon Corporation's 5150 Series 2011 U.S. Championships...
's 40K bicycle
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
course since 2007. In 2008 the Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
' pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
ing competitions were held inside Jordan Creek Town Center for the first time.
Layout
The town center has 158 retailers and is composed of three districts:- The Shopping District is a two-level enclosed shopping center anchored by YounkersYounkersYounkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...
, Dillard'sDillard'sDillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
, and Scheels All SportsScheels All SportsScheels All Sports is a privately held, employee owned and operated sporting goods and entertainment chain store headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. Scheels operates 24 store locations in nine U.S. states. Their slogan is Gear. Passion. Sports....
; Younkers replaced Famous-BarrFamous-BarrThe Famous-Barr Co. , St. Louis, Missouri, was a division of Macy's, Inc. . It was formerly the hometown division of The May Department Stores Company, which was acquired by Federated on August 30, 2005. On February 1, 2006, it was subsumed into the newly created Macy's Midwest division.The...
when they pulled out of the project a year before the mall opened. Other tenants of the Shopping District include Abercrombie & FitchAbercrombie & FitchAbercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
, AppleApple Store (retail)The Apple Retail Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. The stores sell Macintosh personal computers, software, iPods, iPads, iPhones, third-party accessories, and other consumer electronics such as Apple TV...
, Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
, the Cheesecake Factory, Pottery BarnPottery BarnPottery Barn is an American-based home furnishing store chain with retail stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Since September 1986, when it was purchased from GAP, Inc, Pottery Barn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
, and Williams-SonomaWilliams-SonomaWilliams-Sonoma, Inc. is a high-end American consumer retail company that sells kitchenwares, furniture and linens, as well as other housewares and home furnishings, along with a variety of specialty foods, soaps and lotions...
. The mall also includes a 20-screen movie theaterMovie theaterA movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
complex run by Century TheatresCentury TheatresCentury Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...
, a food courtFood courtA food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
that offers free wireless internet access, and a children's play area. A fourth anchor space between Younkers and Scheels was part of the original plans for the mall, but no retailer has committed to that space yet and the fourth anchor remains unbuilt.
- The Lake District features a 3.5 acre (14,000 m²) lake with walking trails, a boardwalk with waterfront dining, a Residence Inn by MarriottResidence Inn by MarriottResidence Inn by Marriott is a brand of extended stay hotels. The chain was launched in 1975 in Wichita, Kansas by Jack DeBoer, and acquired by Marriott International in 1987. As of April 2005, there were over 450 Residence Inn hotels in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The brand's slogan...
hotel, an amphitheater, and several casual diningCasual diningThis is a list of casual dining restaurant chains around the world, arranged in alphabetical order. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere...
restaurants. - The Village District has an open-air design with big box stores and smaller specialty retailers. Bed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
, Best BuyBest BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, CostcoCostcoCostco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
, DSW, Old NavyOld NavyOld Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, and PETCOPETCOPETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
are the big-box anchors of this district, while smaller retailers like Party AmericaParty AmericaParty America is a chain of stores that sell supplies for parties. There are 144 total Party America stores and they are located in 46 states . Party America is not located in Maine, New Mexico, Hawaii, or Alaska.Its 2005 revenue was $160 million, and it had 1,764 employees in 2005...
and Buffalo Wild WingsBuffalo Wild WingsBuffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar is a casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States that is known for its Buffalo wings.-History:...
are also found here.
External links
- Jordan Creek Town Center
- Jordan Creek Town Center photo gallery from AbsoluteDSM.com