Merle Hay Old Chicago Closing

[dmclone]

I understand that malls are a thing of the past but if I had to shop, I'd rather shop at Merle Hay than the Outlets of Des Moines in Altoona. The outdoor thing makes sense to me in California, it doesn't make sense to me in the midwest. The only thing it has going for it is the location to the interstate.

As far as Merle Hay, they need more things like Flix where it's one of a kind and you go to Merle Hay just to go there.

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

Older established versions of Old Chicago are closing all over the place. they are expanding and have been since 2017 but they are now branding themselves as a taphouse as well more so than just an italian (Pizza) place. Our location in Madison closed a year or two ago because there wasn't a market for it here and the location itself wasn't suited for the taphouse side of things as far as storage was concerned. I'm guessing the Merle Hay and few locations in Des Moines is part of a saturated beer market and old buildings not fitting the new direction. They've been actively pursuing that market since 2014ish. Funny how Pizza hut just keeps being terrible Pizza and doesn't change its world and its still growing but other people try to pivot and lose out.
We all know Radioshack had to go away eventually but their pivot into cell phones sped that up. Heck Family Video outlasted Blockbuster by just being unabashedly "rent movies for here cheap"

 

[capitalcityguy]

Both Polk County and Des Moines are throwing money at this and in doing so, (at least from my understanding) will be able to help dictate some of the redevelopment. This should help rid the area of the excess surface parking lots and add some mixed-use components like housing.

Agree with others. Valley West Mall is doomed more so than Merle Hay given proximity to Jordan Creek. VWM probably needs to be blown up and start over with the land use. MHM needs to re-invent itself to be sustainable long term.

 

[JP4CY]

The nice thing MHM is that all of those strip malls around the SE corner of the Target lot have really cleaned up that area.
Nice looking fast food places, cell phone stores, etc.
Flix is pretty awesome.

Too bad for the mall that the Rascall Flats bar fell......wait for it......flat.

 

[Cytown12]

Just got an email today that the OC location is permanently closing this Saturday. Wow, Merle Hay Mall has to be hurting with Younkers and Sears gone now, they lost Staples there a couple years ago. To close down the only OC location in Des Moines it must really have been tanking. I see there is a mention of this in the DM register a week ago but of course my free articles are up for the month so can't read it.

It’s closing because the service there was absolutely terrible the place was horribly managed.

 

[dirtyninety]

I always felt there were Subdivisions in the shopping malls....conform or be cast out.
Now where will highly-pierced and earnestly rebellious 14 year olds go to perform inappropriate PDA in front grandmas and other children? The Knock-out game is going to more challenging too.

Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids is an interesting profile in stratospheric branding and cultural disconnect. Coralridge Mall obviously should have impacted it, but not to the bizarre extent it did given location. A very car-centric society regardless, it should have stayed viable. The City moved out there after the flood and was an obvious benefit to the culture and economy....then they moved out....never really a partner in that suburban wasteland out there. Big visions and efforts to revive it just could never get traction or results.
Lot's of room for 15 year old to practice driving on their learners permit.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

I went to the mall as a teenager to hang out, and in college to look at stuff, and as an adult I still like to go. I don't like to shop for clothes online; I need to try things on. The same labeled size in jeans can be different lengths. It's easier for me to try everyone on at once than send it back through the mail.

Not mall-related, but we seem to be losing opportunities to engage and interact with one another as we continue to have specific stores with no public area. This is especially true in suburbs with the decline of malls.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Merle Hay went downhill when Laser X closed.

Agree. That green laser was a beacon in the night for metro teens.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Malls are fast becoming an obsolete concept.

It's interesting because they build these outdoor malls like Jordan Creek in Des Moines and Village Point in Omaha and they seem to do just fine. The only difference it seems is they aren't all under the same roof.

 

[VTXCyRyD]

Best Buy is actually going through an unexpected renaissance, so they'll probably be around longer than you think.

I've been going to Best Buy more often since they price match Amazon and anyone else. It is nice being able to pick items up there.

 

[CycoCyclone]

Malls need to include night life options, bars and restaurants in addition to residences.

 

[JP4CY]

Malls need to include night life options, bars and restaurants in addition to residences.

Years ago Valley West had a bar. My parents would always go to VW and my mom did as much shopping as she wanted because my dad would be in the bar.

 

[CycoCyclone]

and Flix is amazing

 

[JP4CY]

and Flix is amazing

I really like Flix. I buy $50 gift cards from Sam's for $40.

 

[clonefreek]

Good, their food is terrible and the concept of the beer tour is dumb in my opinion. Here, as a gratitude of our appreciation for you spending $600 on beer here we put your name on the wall with hundreds of other suckers.

 

[c.y.c.l.o.n.e.s]

You have Von Maur and Penney's, and that's it at Valley. I heard today that Banana Republic, and some Salon is closing soon. Maybe your wife will have to find a new one?

Penney's had a terrible holiday season. Between that and lack of management direction, they could soon be closing up shop. Based on this article, the fall could happen faster than the slow death that Sears is experiencing.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/ins...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

 

[Freebird]

Stopped going to the Ankeny one when they got rid of the lunch buffet. Never understood why they dumped the only thing people came there for during the day. I used to love OC. Haven't been in one in over a year.

 

[baller21]

Malls need to include night life options, bars and restaurants in addition to residences.

If you connnected apartments and turned the mall into a huge Smash Park with games, multiple bars, restaurants a gym and grocery store it would make bank.

 

[cyhiphopp]

I always felt there were Subdivisions in the shopping malls....conform or be cast out.
Now where will highly-pierced and earnestly rebellious 14 year olds go to perform inappropriate PDA in front grandmas and other children? The Knock-out game is going to more challenging too.

Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids is an interesting profile in stratospheric branding and cultural disconnect. Coralridge Mall obviously should have impacted it, but not to the bizarre extent it did given location. A very car-centric society regardless, it should have stayed viable. The City moved out there after the flood and was an obvious benefit to the culture and economy....then they moved out....never really a partner in that suburban wasteland out there. Big visions and efforts to revive it just could never get traction or results.
Lot's of room for 15 year old to practice driving on their learners permit.

I've always encountered more subdivisions in the basement bars, and in the backs of cars. Be cool or be cast out.

 

[oldman]

Not surprising. I go to the OC in ankeny fairly often because i live nearby and it feels like its been headed downhill as well. They killed the best weekday specials there (the mug deals on tuesday, the buy 2 get 1 deal on weds) and it seems like the place is less busy than it used to be because of that.

We used to go to lunch at the OC in Ankeny, and would get the smorgasbord. Usually was pretty busy. Last time we went, no more smorgasbord and there were three sets of customers. I said to my boss that the place would be closed in six months. That was two months ago, so I don't know how they're doing.