Boise Towne Square Mall
Encyclopedia
Boise Towne Square is a mall in Boise, Idaho
, United States
. The largest mall in Idaho
, it was built in 1988 after more than 20 years of planning. It features over 186 stores, with Macy's
(formerly The Bon Marché
), JCPenney
, Sears
, Kohl's
and Dillard's
(added in 1998) as anchor store
s. The mall also includes the first Apple Store in the state of Idaho. Boise Towne Square is owned by the Chicago, Illinois-based General Growth Properties
. It is located near the junction of Interstate 84
and Interstate 184
.
General Growth also operates an adjacent strip mall, Boise Towne Plaza, which is anchored by Old Navy
. In addition, the mall owns nine freestanding businesses on its property, including major retailers PetSmart
and Pier 1 Imports
.
. During the same year, a revitalization of downtown Boise was planned to build a large shopping mall with Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) as an anchor store. ZCMI eventually backed out of the proposed mall and The Bon Marché
was added in its place. The mall was never built and, in 1982, another shopping mall, with ZCMI, Sears and J. C. Penney
as anchor stores, was planned to be constructed between Boise and Meridian.
Boise Mall at Westpark, another proposed shopping mall, was planned to be constructed near Business Loop I-84
(now Interstate 184). After a name change to Boise Towne Square, construction for the new shopping center began in December 1986. Within the next year, it was announced that Sears, JCPenney, Mervyns
and The Bon Marché would be Boise Towne Square's anchor stores. Sears, JCPenney and The Bon Marché were operating locations in downtown Boise, and the latter two stores were also anchors at the Karcher Mall
in nearby Nampa
, the only mall in the area at the time. After Boise Towne Square opened, Karcher Mall would lose business to Boise Towne Square.
. The Bon Marché, however, planned to keep its downtown location for at least a year but eventually stayed until the chain's demise in 2005 when the company's name was converted to Macy's
. Macy's would operate the downtown location for five more years before closing in 2010 after declining sales.
After much anticipation, the mall's first anchors, The Bon Marché and Sears, opened their doors on October 9, 1988 at 10 a.m. Kim Clark, advertising and special events coordinator for The Bon Marché, estimated that 10,000 people from the area would visit the store's grand opening. The mall's third anchor, JCPenney, opened its doors on October 12, the same day JCPenney closed its downtown Boise location, which it had operated since 1932. The mall's formal grand opening occurred on October 19. The mall's grand opening included a ribbon cutting ceremony with then mayor of Boise, Dirk Kempthorne
. The mall's fourth anchor, Hayward, California
-based Mervyns
, opened in February 1989.
In September 1989 ZCMI made plans to open two ZCMI II stores in Boise, including a location at Boise Towne Square; neither of the stores were built.
, 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) of new retail space, and a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) expansion for The Bon. The mall's new anchor was initially planned to be ZCMI, which had made previous attempts to construct a store in Boise. Due to its Mormon ownership, ZCMI does not operate any stores on Sundays and the mall would not approve of the requirement. During 1999, the mall completed a five-month, $1 million remodel of the food court.
announced the closure of three Treasure Valley
theaters, including the mall's theater. The movie theater, which previously operated as an Cineplex Odeon until its 1998 merger with Loews, was opened in 1988.
The empty theater was reopened by local movie theater chain, The Reel Theatre, in December 2004. The Reel Theatre shut down the Boise Towne Square location in 2007 after a major renovation of a nearby location. The mall's theater remained vacant until it was demolished in October 2009 for a PetSmart
store. The PetSmart store opened in 2010 after relocating from an older location nearby.
In 2006, the mall was expanded to add 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²) of retail space. The expansion's first new tenants included Borders, which relocated from an older location nearby, and The Cheesecake Factory
. The expansion also added Talbots
, which relocated from its 19-year-old ParkCenter Mall location, in October 2007. An interior renovation was completed in October 2008. The 2007 expansion has made Boise Towne Square the largest mall in Idaho, with more than 180 stores. Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears are its anchor store
s.
announced it would close its location in the mall in late early November 2008, as part of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. A contractor bidding announcement confirmed Kohl's
is planning a store at the Boise Towne Square Mall in the former Mervyns building. Construction on the new Kohl's store began March 1 and was completed September 27, 2011.
On February 9, 2009, local police were forced to evacuate the mall after several suspicious devices were found, a first for the 20-year-old shopping mall. At least 2,000 customers and employees were in the mall when it was evacuated. Boise police and federal law enforcement located what were discovered to be fake explosives in several different locations in the mall. The mall reopened at its regular time the following day.
It was announced in February 2010, Apple Inc. had chosen the mall for Idaho's first Apple Store location. The new store was opened on September 11, 2010. In January 2011, Nordstrom
announced it is considering the Boise Towne Square Mall as a location for Idaho's first Nordstrom Rack.
On February 16, 2011, Borders Group filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy
protection and the closure of 200 of its 642 bookstores. The mall's location was not included in the closure list released by the company. The mall's owner, General Growth Properties, has requested to appear in the Borders bankruptcy case, in order to represent their interests. On July 18, 2011, Borders announced it will liquidate and close its remaining 399 stores. The store closed September 13, 2011
. An additional anchor, Old Navy
, was later added on. A 1999 expansion added Hallmark
and Famous Footwear
. Linens 'n Things announced it would liquidate and close its remaining stores in October 2008. On January 16, 2009, it was announced that Circuit City would also liquidate and close remaining stores. On March 31, 2011, Nordstrom confirmed that Idaho's first Nordstrom Rack will open at Boise Towne Plaza in early 2012.
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The largest mall in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, it was built in 1988 after more than 20 years of planning. It features over 186 stores, with Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(formerly The Bon Marché
The Bon Marché
The Bon Marché, whose name means "the good deal" or "the good market", was the name chosen for a department store launched in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1890 by Edward Nordhoff. The name comes from Le Bon Marché, a noted Paris retailer and one of the world's first department stores,...
), JCPenney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
and 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,...
(added in 1998) as anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s. The mall also includes the first Apple Store in the state of Idaho. Boise Towne Square is owned by the Chicago, Illinois-based 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...
. It is located near the junction of Interstate 84
Interstate 84 in Idaho
In the U.S. state of Idaho, Interstate 84 heads southeast from the Oregon state line, it spurs to Interstate 184 in Boise. Eventually I-84 spurs Interstate 86 and mainline I-84 heads southeast towards Utah and I-86 is continues due east and heads to Pocatello, meeting with Interstate 15.-Future:...
and Interstate 184
Interstate 184
Interstate 184 is a short Interstate Highway spur route of Interstate 84 located in Idaho. I-184 connects I-84 travelers to downtown Boise. The western terminus of I-184 is with I-84; the eastern terminus 13th Street in downtown Boise, where I-184 empties eastbound traffic onto Myrtle Street and...
.
General Growth also operates an adjacent strip mall, Boise Towne Plaza, which is anchored by Old Navy
Old Navy
Old 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...
. In addition, the mall owns nine freestanding businesses on its property, including major retailers PetSmart
PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
and Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports Inc. is a Fort Worth, Texas based retailer specializing in imported home furnishings and decor, particularly furniture, table-top items, decorative accessories and seasonal decor. The chain operates over 1,000 stores under the name Pier 1 Imports in the United States, Canada, Mexico...
.
Plans for mall in Boise
The idea for a large regional shopping mall for Boise had been in discussion during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1980, a mall was proposed for nearby MeridianMeridian, Idaho
-History:The town was established in 1891 on the Onweiler farm north of the present site and was called Hunter. Two years later an I.O.O.F. lodge was organized and called itself Meridian because it was located on the Boise Meridian and the town was renamed...
. During the same year, a revitalization of downtown Boise was planned to build a large shopping mall with Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) as an anchor store. ZCMI eventually backed out of the proposed mall and The Bon Marché
The Bon Marché
The Bon Marché, whose name means "the good deal" or "the good market", was the name chosen for a department store launched in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1890 by Edward Nordhoff. The name comes from Le Bon Marché, a noted Paris retailer and one of the world's first department stores,...
was added in its place. The mall was never built and, in 1982, another shopping mall, with ZCMI, Sears and J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
as anchor stores, was planned to be constructed between Boise and Meridian.
Boise Mall at Westpark, another proposed shopping mall, was planned to be constructed near Business Loop I-84
Interstate 184
Interstate 184 is a short Interstate Highway spur route of Interstate 84 located in Idaho. I-184 connects I-84 travelers to downtown Boise. The western terminus of I-184 is with I-84; the eastern terminus 13th Street in downtown Boise, where I-184 empties eastbound traffic onto Myrtle Street and...
(now Interstate 184). After a name change to Boise Towne Square, construction for the new shopping center began in December 1986. Within the next year, it was announced that Sears, JCPenney, Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
and The Bon Marché would be Boise Towne Square's anchor stores. Sears, JCPenney and The Bon Marché were operating locations in downtown Boise, and the latter two stores were also anchors at the Karcher Mall
Karcher Mall
Karcher Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Nampa, Idaho, U.S.. The mall opened in August 1965 with Buttrey Food & Drug, Rasco/Tempo Company, and Skaggs Drug Centers as anchor stores. The mall was the largest shopping center in the Treasure Valley until 1988 when the Boise Towne Square...
in nearby Nampa
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, the only mall in the area at the time. After Boise Towne Square opened, Karcher Mall would lose business to Boise Towne Square.
Opening
In September 1988, both Sears and JCPenney began to liquidate their downtown locations in preparations to open in the new mall. At the time JCPenney also liquidated their Karcher Mall location in Nampa and sold the location to Troutman's EmporiumTroutman's Emporium
Troutman's Emporium was a chain of department stores founded in 1955 by Dallas Troutman in North Bend, Oregon. Emporium's headquarters was located in Eugene, Oregon. Emporium operated stores in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California and Washington...
. The Bon Marché, however, planned to keep its downtown location for at least a year but eventually stayed until the chain's demise in 2005 when the company's name was converted to Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. Macy's would operate the downtown location for five more years before closing in 2010 after declining sales.
After much anticipation, the mall's first anchors, The Bon Marché and Sears, opened their doors on October 9, 1988 at 10 a.m. Kim Clark, advertising and special events coordinator for The Bon Marché, estimated that 10,000 people from the area would visit the store's grand opening. The mall's third anchor, JCPenney, opened its doors on October 12, the same day JCPenney closed its downtown Boise location, which it had operated since 1932. The mall's formal grand opening occurred on October 19. The mall's grand opening included a ribbon cutting ceremony with then mayor of Boise, Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Arthur Kempthorne , was the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who served under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. A Republican, Kempthorne previously served as the 30th Governor and as a U.S. Senator from Idaho...
. The mall's fourth anchor, Hayward, California
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
-based Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
, opened in February 1989.
In September 1989 ZCMI made plans to open two ZCMI II stores in Boise, including a location at Boise Towne Square; neither of the stores were built.
First expansion
The mall underwent major renovations in 1998, which included an additional anchor, Dillard'sDillard'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,...
, 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) of new retail space, and a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) expansion for The Bon. The mall's new anchor was initially planned to be ZCMI, which had made previous attempts to construct a store in Boise. Due to its Mormon ownership, ZCMI does not operate any stores on Sundays and the mall would not approve of the requirement. During 1999, the mall completed a five-month, $1 million remodel of the food court.
Closure of movie theater; 2006 expansion
In 2001, Loews CineplexLoews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated , founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The...
announced the closure of three Treasure Valley
Treasure Valley
The Treasure Valley is the area of the Western United States where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, Owyhee, and Burnt rivers drain into the Snake River. Treasure Valley includes all the lowland areas from Vale, Oregon on the west to Boise, Idaho on the east. Formerly, the valley had been known...
theaters, including the mall's theater. The movie theater, which previously operated as an Cineplex Odeon until its 1998 merger with Loews, was opened in 1988.
The empty theater was reopened by local movie theater chain, The Reel Theatre, in December 2004. The Reel Theatre shut down the Boise Towne Square location in 2007 after a major renovation of a nearby location. The mall's theater remained vacant until it was demolished in October 2009 for a PetSmart
PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
store. The PetSmart store opened in 2010 after relocating from an older location nearby.
In 2006, the mall was expanded to add 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²) of retail space. The expansion's first new tenants included Borders, which relocated from an older location nearby, and The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is a restaurant company in the United States. The company operates 165 upscale, casual, full-service dining restaurants: 151 under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe mark and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark...
. The expansion also added Talbots
Talbots
Talbots is a specialty retailer and direct marketer of women’s classic clothing, shoes and accessories. Established in 1947, the company sells items such as the blazer, trench, white shirt, ballet flats and pearls....
, which relocated from its 19-year-old ParkCenter Mall location, in October 2007. An interior renovation was completed in October 2008. The 2007 expansion has made Boise Towne Square the largest mall in Idaho, with more than 180 stores. Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears are its anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s.
Loss of major retailers; 2009 bomb threat
In August 2008, long-time anchor MervynsMervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
announced it would close its location in the mall in late early November 2008, as part of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. A contractor bidding announcement confirmed Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
is planning a store at the Boise Towne Square Mall in the former Mervyns building. Construction on the new Kohl's store began March 1 and was completed September 27, 2011.
On February 9, 2009, local police were forced to evacuate the mall after several suspicious devices were found, a first for the 20-year-old shopping mall. At least 2,000 customers and employees were in the mall when it was evacuated. Boise police and federal law enforcement located what were discovered to be fake explosives in several different locations in the mall. The mall reopened at its regular time the following day.
It was announced in February 2010, Apple Inc. had chosen the mall for Idaho's first Apple Store location. The new store was opened on September 11, 2010. In January 2011, Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
announced it is considering the Boise Towne Square Mall as a location for Idaho's first Nordstrom Rack.
On February 16, 2011, Borders Group filed for Chapter 11
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
protection and the closure of 200 of its 642 bookstores. The mall's location was not included in the closure list released by the company. The mall's owner, General Growth Properties, has requested to appear in the Borders bankruptcy case, in order to represent their interests. On July 18, 2011, Borders announced it will liquidate and close its remaining 399 stores. The store closed September 13, 2011
Boise Towne Plaza
During late 1997, JP Realty Inc., owner of the mall during the 1990s, began construction on a 107500 square feet (9,987.1 m²) shopping center in a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) area adjacent to the mall, called Boise Towne Plaza. The shopping center's initial anchors were Circuit City and Linens 'n ThingsLinens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things is an online retailer of home textiles, housewares and decorative home accessories. Until 2008, the company also did business as a big box retailer under the name Linens 'n Things, Inc., headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey, United States, and did business across the United States...
. An additional anchor, Old Navy
Old Navy
Old 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...
, was later added on. A 1999 expansion added Hallmark
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
and Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear is a nationwide chain of retail stores in the United States dealing in branded footwear, generally at prices discounted from manufacturer's suggested prices. Established in 1960 as a single store, "Famous" is regarded as both a forerunner and champion of the trend towards the...
. Linens 'n Things announced it would liquidate and close its remaining stores in October 2008. On January 16, 2009, it was announced that Circuit City would also liquidate and close remaining stores. On March 31, 2011, Nordstrom confirmed that Idaho's first Nordstrom Rack will open at Boise Towne Plaza in early 2012.
See also
- Karcher MallKarcher MallKarcher Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Nampa, Idaho, U.S.. The mall opened in August 1965 with Buttrey Food & Drug, Rasco/Tempo Company, and Skaggs Drug Centers as anchor stores. The mall was the largest shopping center in the Treasure Valley until 1988 when the Boise Towne Square...
, the Treasure Valley's oldest shopping mall located in Nampa; opened 1965 - Nampa Gateway CenterNampa Gateway CenterNampa Gateway Center is a lifestyle center located in Nampa, Idaho, United States. The shopping center opened August 3, 2007 with the opening of the center's JCPenney department store, marking the return of the retail chain to Nampa after a 19 year absence...
, a lifestyle centerLifestyle 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...
located in Nampa; opened 2007