Western Plaza Shopping Center
Encyclopedia
Western Plaza Shopping Center was a shopping mall
in Amarillo, Texas
, United States
. It opened in 1968 with a construction cost of approximately US$
13 million. Western Plaza was once a main shopping point in Amarillo, but from the 1980s to 2000s has suffered stores leaving its complex. It is demolished and a new shopping center is being built. The Western Crossings shopping center is estimated to cost US$
40 million.
, and Montgomery Ward
as its anchor stores. In the 1970s, White & Kirk was converted to Sakowitz
, which in turn was converted to Dunlaps
before closing in the 2000s. Woolco closed in the early 1980s and was replaced with Wilson's, a catalog showroom that later became Service Merchandise
. After Service Merchandise closed. The International House of Pancakes across from the mall was a popular hangout for Amarillo youths and the site of the notorious killing of punk rocker Brian Deneke
in 1997. The mall was also home to the first Hastings Entertainment
store in the chain. In addition, Western Plaza also had a business college, Academy of Professional Careers.
By late 2005 plans had been altered significantly. On November 29, 2005, The Sietz Group of Plano, a developer hired by Triple Net Properties, announced plans for a new retail center called Western Crossing to be built in place of Western Plaza. "We're going to completely redo it. We're going to tear it down," said Carmen Dominguez, in-house counsel for The Seitz Group of Plano. Negatiations began to relocate the remaining tenants.
In 2006, several problems arose. A tax abatement sought from the city to help with costs was unsuccessful. Asbestos problems increased projected demolition cost to $29 million from $27 million. And a former tenant, Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation, sued the owners of Western Plaza for the more than $50,000 the local community mental health mental retardation center said it had incurred since being evicted to make way for a $29 million shopping center makeover.
In June 2006, the signs of the mall were taken down. On June 7, 2007, demolition began and was scheduled to be done in 60 days.
As of October 2008 Rudy's BBQ, Cheddar's Casual Café, Burlington Coat Factory
, and a Starbucks
location are all currently open.
Michael's, Petco
and other stores have since opened as well.
, Michaels Craft Store
, and Burlington Coat Factory
, plus the restaurant Cheddar's along with a separate building for Graham Central Station and an office building.
The mall and its land have been owned by Santa Ana, California
-based company, Triple Net Properties since 2001. Western Plaza's past owners include: Mattie Hedgecoke Properties, Southmark Corporation of Dallas, Texas
, Spigel Properties of San Antonio, Texas
, and General Electric Capital Corporation, the financial arm of General Electric
.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened in 1968 with a construction cost of approximately US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
13 million. Western Plaza was once a main shopping point in Amarillo, but from the 1980s to 2000s has suffered stores leaving its complex. It is demolished and a new shopping center is being built. The Western Crossings shopping center is estimated to cost US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
40 million.
History
The mall opened with White & Kirk (a local department store), WoolcoWoolco
Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in the city of Columbus, Ohio, by the F.W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its peak, Woolco had hundreds of stores in...
, and Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
as its anchor stores. In the 1970s, White & Kirk was converted to Sakowitz
Sakowitz
Sakowitz was a chain of family-owned department stores based in Houston, Texas, United States. The store was founded by two brothers, Tobias and Simon Sakowitz, in Galveston, Texas in 1902. Other family members were working in the cotton mills in Galveston...
, which in turn was converted to Dunlaps
Dunlaps
Dunlaps, based in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, was a family-owned chain of department stores in the central and southern United States catering to most classes depending on the location. The chain operated under the trade names of Dunlaps, Stripling & Cox, MM Cohn, Rogers, Clark's, Schreiner's, Kerr's,...
before closing in the 2000s. Woolco closed in the early 1980s and was replaced with Wilson's, a catalog showroom that later became Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
. After Service Merchandise closed. The International House of Pancakes across from the mall was a popular hangout for Amarillo youths and the site of the notorious killing of punk rocker Brian Deneke
Brian Deneke
On December 12, 1997, 19-year-old punk musician Brian Theodore Deneke was killed in a deliberate hit and run attack in Amarillo, Texas. He was intentionally run over by 17-year-old jock Dustin Camp....
in 1997. The mall was also home to the first Hastings Entertainment
Hastings Entertainment
Hastings Entertainment is a regional retail chain that sells books, music, movies, and video games. It also rents movies and video games and buys used books, music, movies and video games for resale....
store in the chain. In addition, Western Plaza also had a business college, Academy of Professional Careers.
Selling and demolishing
On August 1, 2001, Triple Net Properties of California officially announced the purchase of the run down mall. They announced plans to rejuvenate Western Plaza., including bringing in new anchor stores. Cathy Derr, the leasing representative for Western Plaza was quoted in the Amarillo Globe news saying she hopes to have the mall up to 65 to 85 percent occupancy within the year.By late 2005 plans had been altered significantly. On November 29, 2005, The Sietz Group of Plano, a developer hired by Triple Net Properties, announced plans for a new retail center called Western Crossing to be built in place of Western Plaza. "We're going to completely redo it. We're going to tear it down," said Carmen Dominguez, in-house counsel for The Seitz Group of Plano. Negatiations began to relocate the remaining tenants.
In 2006, several problems arose. A tax abatement sought from the city to help with costs was unsuccessful. Asbestos problems increased projected demolition cost to $29 million from $27 million. And a former tenant, Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation, sued the owners of Western Plaza for the more than $50,000 the local community mental health mental retardation center said it had incurred since being evicted to make way for a $29 million shopping center makeover.
In June 2006, the signs of the mall were taken down. On June 7, 2007, demolition began and was scheduled to be done in 60 days.
As of October 2008 Rudy's BBQ, Cheddar's Casual Café, Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, and a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
location are all currently open.
Michael's, Petco
PETCO
PETCO 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...
and other stores have since opened as well.
Future
The new retail center will include 10 buildings for retail, restaurant and office use. Some of the stores that will be moving to Western Crossing are PetcoPETCO
PETCO 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...
, Michaels Craft Store
Michaels
Michaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
, and Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, plus the restaurant Cheddar's along with a separate building for Graham Central Station and an office building.
The mall and its land have been owned by Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
-based company, Triple Net Properties since 2001. Western Plaza's past owners include: Mattie Hedgecoke Properties, Southmark Corporation of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Spigel Properties of San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and General Electric Capital Corporation, the financial arm of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.