Good point bailjumper...Big difference is the armed robbers at Penn Square are much better dressed than the ones at Crossroads...I mean there are people walking around in Crossroads with non brand name clothing and let me tell you that scares the heck out of me :police:


what the heck? If you wear non brand clothing you must be a criminal??? COME ON.... AM I the only one that thinks that is total BS..

Poor kids that wear anything, other than what you percieve is noncriminal...

I mean there are people walking around in Crossroads with non brand name clothing and let me tell you that scares the heck out of me

I know you were joking here, but that's actually the sort of thing that people think. They think that just because someone looks like a thug, they are going to be robber. Nevermind that criminals get dressed out of very different closets. No everyone wear baggy jeans and a jersey....some theifs wear Prada.

The perception problem at Crossroads could be easily fixed if they only allowed in teenagers wearing Hollister or Abercrombie cause upstanding youngsters from the Northside and Edmond are all do-gooders and always obey their parents

Never knew any northside teens to be involved in any wrongdoing like those scary southside kids who get AK-47's for Christmas

Not a day goes by w/o news of multiple murders and beatings at Crossroads...Deplorable

Classic

The perception problem at Crossroads could be easily fixed if they only allowed in teenagers wearing Hollister or Abercrombie cause upstanding youngsters from the Northside and Edmond are all do-gooders and always obey their parents

Never knew any northside teens to be involved in any wrongdoing like those scary southside kids who get AK-47's for Christmas

Not a day goes by w/o news of multiple murders and beatings at Crossroads...Deplorable

LMAO!

C'mon folks - feel the love!:Smiley077

Well, there actually was a shooting at Crossroads a few months ago. I live close by and wish it was nicer. Last time my wife went she witnessed a gang fight. And yes, I'm not stereo-typing, police officers were on the news at the time of the shooting talking about the gangs hanging there.

The good thing about that place is some of their chain stores, i.e. Gap, have a better inventory and are less busy.

No one is denying the gangs hang out at Crossroads, but I believe many gang members live closer to Penn Square and also hang out there...Ethnicity is the only difference between the Penn Square gang members and Crossroads

Fact is these guys don't have day jobs so they are able to window shop for hours and they love them some malls....All of them

My wife and I recently moved to Del City to be closer to the private school we both work at. We moved on October 27th and since then our house has been broken into, our neighbor's house has been broken into and two murders have happened within a mile of our house. Thankfully nothing was stolen from our house and more thankfully, the murders I found out about on the news (as opposed to first hand). (Unfortunately, our neighbors had thousands of dollars worth of stuff stolen).

Sometimes stereotypes are stereotyped for a good reason. We knew coming in that Del City/South(ish) OKC/Crossroads area has a reputation that precedes it. Now that we live here, the events we experienced simply reinforce our views of the area. Those views won't change unless our environment changes. That said, we have not and will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes.

Saying all that, we are well protected at our house, our immediate neighbors are very nice and sociable, we love our our house and yard, and there's a park within walking distance. We won't be moving anytime soon. I figure, because my wife and I live there, there are two less thugs in Del City. We've joined the neighborhood association. And we're doing what we can to make at least our neighborhood a better place.

My wife and I recently moved to Del City to be closer to the private school we both work at....since then our house has been broken into, our neighbor's house has been broken into and two murders have happened within a mile of our house....That said, we have not and will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes.

I've worked in the Del City area for 20 years, and as I drive it, it's about seven miles or so between here and Crossroads. No disrespect, but I think its unfair to condemn Crossroads - some seven miles distant - because of crime so close to your home. Put a different way, do you refuse to do business *anywhere* within that seven-mile radius, or is it just Crossroads? Surely Crossroads isn't the only merchant (or merchants) in the area.

To say "we will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes" is, respectfully, shortsighted. I've lived in South OKC nearly all my life, and remember when Crossroads opened way back in 1974, and have never felt unsafe there - not then, or now. My wife and son went out there and shopped for nearly two hours last Saturday and had not problem one. It is not this gangland sniper hunting ground some make it out to be, and - no disrespect intended - comments like yours perpetuate and magnify that stereotype unfairly and to the detriment of the area.

Am I denying the fact that there have been some incidents there? Of course not. But there has been gang activity at Penn Square - including a shooting once - and that surely doesn't condemn that mall. Penn Square is a great mall, and I think Crossroads could aspire to that kind of greatness if its new owners so chose.

The point is this - before you condemn it, give it a chance. Just one.

-SoonerDave

My problem with Crossroads isn't the fear of a prison-style shanking, but just the ran-down nature of the place. Crossroads Mall along with the shopping centers around it are suffering seriously from urban decay. While older buildings near and around Quail Springs and Sooner Malls have been either renovated or removed, Crossroads has kept the status quo. You cannot blame all of this on the mall itself.

However, the mall above all other parties can take a lead in the revamp of the area. An investment to make Crossroads great once again could be successful, it just will take the money and work to do so.

I've worked in the Del City area for 20 years, and as I drive it, it's about seven miles or so between here and Crossroads.

Crossroads mall is 3.7 miles from my house. That's not far. That mall is only 2 miles from the corner of SE 44 & Bryant which is Del City and happens to be the corner that a murder happened at this past week.


No disrespect, but I think its unfair to condemn Crossroads - some seven miles distant - because of crime so close to your home. Put a different way, do you refuse to do business *anywhere* within that seven-mile radius, or is it just Crossroads? Surely Crossroads isn't the only merchant (or merchants) in the area.

Again, it's 3.7 miles from my house. Two miles from the murder that happened. I'm not associating that murder with Crossroads. I'm associating that murder with Del City. I did, however, associate Del City with the stigma attached to "southside" of which Crossroads is a part.


To say "we will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes" is, respectfully, shortsighted. I've lived in South OKC nearly all my life, and remember when Crossroads opened way back in 1974, and have never felt unsafe there - not then, or now. My wife and son went out there and shopped for nearly two hours last Saturday and had not problem one. It is not this gangland sniper hunting ground some make it out to be, and - no disrespect intended - comments like yours perpetuate and magnify that stereotype unfairly and to the detriment of the area.

As a fellow "Southsider" I feel I can, unfortunately, lend some credibility to the ghetto stereotype of this part of town. Growing up, my family would take trips from Sulphur (my hometown) to Crossroads Mall. I remember going there and never thinking twice. At some point, my family stopped going and now Penn Square and Quail Springs are the malls we visit. There is a massive difference in the quality of the shopping experience as well as the type of people that visit each of the malls.

I went to OU and enjoyed Sooner Mall, then graduated and moved to Mesta Park and thoroughly enjoyed that area. Then I moved to Del City... it is definitely different than the part of OKC I lived in and Norman.


Am I denying the fact that there have been some incidents there? Of course not. But there has been gang activity at Penn Square - including a shooting once - and that surely doesn't condemn that mall. Penn Square is a great mall, and I think Crossroads could aspire to that kind of greatness if its new owners so chose.

As I said, there is just a big difference in the quality of the shopping experience between Penn and Crossroads. The groups of people that go to the malls are different. Not that there aren't "shady" looking groups of people at Penn, it's just that there seems to be a lot more "shady" groups at Crossroads than at Penn.

Aside from the "gangsta" stereotype, I still wouldn't go to Crossroads for the types of shops that are there. In the category of urban-wear we have (from Crossroads web site): Hook-Ups, Bronx, Nue-Trendz, Ups-n-Downs, and La Moda. There may be some others, but no description was given on several stores at the Crossroads web site. Also, No Credit Auto Check, Laser Engragved Dog Tags, and airbrushed T's and tags do not interest me. There are also a lot of flea-market style "(Somebody's-First-Name) Shop/Store." The fact that there is a Sheriff substation there says something, I think. However, perhaps it is normal for police or sheriffs to rent space in malls.


The point is this - before you condemn it, give it a chance. Just one.

-SoonerDave

Honestly, we were going to go one day to "give it a chance." We needed to go to JCPenney and another store (which I can't remember). Because Crossroads didn't have that specific store we decided we'd try it another time and we just ended up going to the JCPenney at Penn. That night, no lie, we're watching the news and a shooting took place at the JCPenney at Crossroads. From that point, I was like... nope. Not gonna go there. I hope that they make some changes. Perhaps some aesthetic upgrades would be a good start. From there, perhaps other more recognizable stores would enter the market.

As I said, there is just a big difference in the quality of the shopping experience between Penn and Crossroads.

That's an entirely different ballgame. Your original post implied that you weren't going there because of the perceived criminal element of Crossroads. I think everyone agrees that Crossroads needs an infusion of new stores and a fresh look.



As a fellow "Southsider" I feel I can, unfortunately, lend some credibility to the ghetto stereotype of this part of town.

Please, please, PLEASE be careful what you characterize as a "ghetto." You and I may know what particular region you're thinking about, but to an outsider "Southside" is often anything south of Reno. And "ghetto" is a markedly unfair characterization in that context.

I'm a life-long Southsider and will not assent to the notion that it's a ghetto. Are there specific areas that have deteriorated over time? Absolutely. To unilaterally paint "the southside" as a "ghetto" is horrendous and, frankly, wrong. We all know that there is quite a bit of violence in the northeast part of town, but no one brushtrokes the "northside" as a ghetto/violent/whatever.

Go take a drive around SW 89th and May, and head south to about 134th, then head back east toward, oh, approximately Santa Fe. Tell me where you see "ghettos."

The problem is that no one outside the south part of town is going to do anything to prop up the area except those that live there. We have to do it. And everytime someone casually drops a comment like "southside is a ghetto," it undoes untold efforts to draw attention to the fact that is simply not an accurate statement. Are there some problem areas? Of course -- just like every other part of town. And just like people who live in Oklahoma detest the stereotypes often cast down on us from the rest of the nation, those of us who proudly live in South OKC cannot just stand by and let those kinds of broad brushstrokes go unchallenged.

-SoonerDave

.

Honestly, we were going to go one day to "give it a chance." We needed to go to JCPenney and another store (which I can't remember). Because Crossroads didn't have that specific store we decided we'd try it another time and we just ended up going to the JCPenney at Penn. That night, no lie, we're watching the news and a shooting took place at the JCPenney at Crossroads. From that point, I was like... nope. Not gonna go there. I hope that they make some changes. Perhaps some aesthetic upgrades would be a good start. From there, perhaps other more recognizable stores would enter the market.

Luke...If you cross off all the places that have ever had a shooting then you will have a very small list of places to go...Definitely steer clear of bricktown as they have had more than one shooting over the years

As a former "northsider" and a current "southsider" let me see if the assumptions I have are what most OKCitians have of the terminology we use...

The "North Side" is the area North of I-40 and West of I-235. Regarding NE OKC, that area is technically "North Side" but nobody (that I know of) refers to NE OKC as "North Side." It is simply referred to as Northeast Oklahoma City.

The "South Side" is the area South of I-40 (to 240) and extends eastward to Del City.

In my mind, the big difference is the quantity of quality. There is more quality on the "northside" than on the "southside." Yes, there are areas (maybe even swaths) of "ghetto" on the northside. However, while there are areas (maybe even swaths) of quality on the southside, those seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

The area the previous poster was referencing makes me think of Westmoore, not "southside OKC."

Just about everywhere there is new development (North, South, East or West) it is nice to very nice and definitely not ghetto. But just look at the core equidistant on both sides of the Reno. Say, Reno to Hefner on the North and Reno to 240 on the South (roughly the same area). The differences in that core from North to South are vast. One is generally much nicer than the other.

Am I way off here? I know we all have stereotypes in our head. What are others' views of what the northside and southside actually are?

So since we've moved to a social discussion, maybe we should refocus attention on the mall and its new owners. Perhaps discuss possible changes they will make...if any.

A cosmetic overhaul inside or do they leave it and just try to attract business? I've seen carpeted malls (usually lower traffic though), but they do make the place feel nice. I think if they would just bring the place out of the 70's it would take off again.

I guess I should apologize for the thread de-railing...

If someone wants to start another thread with the whole northside/southside topic feel free.

As far as the mall... A huge visual upgrade inside would do wonders. Actual tile instead of concrete slabs would be nice as flooring. More lights, decór and amenities will do a lot to attract more well known businesses.

Yeah, I would like to see even a sheet laminate cover the concrete....just dont have conrete. Change the railings out to glass like at Penn....something that hasn't been painted 20 times. Change the lights out to something new....make there be more upward lighting on top of the store fronts. Just generally lighten the place up since its so dark right now.

Just generally lighten the place up since its so dark right now.

Agree completely. Most people suggest a huge overhaul is mandatory to rehab Crossroads, but I think something like a floor refinish (to something other than concrete gray) wouldn't cost a fortune.

As much as I like the carousel, I think it's a misuse of the center court space. There were rumblings waaay back when I was a teenager that they were going to turn the center court into a food court, which I think would have been a great idea. Obviously, it never materialized.

I don't know how many poeple remember this, but Channel 9 used to host the OKC portion of the MDA Telethon right in that center court at Crossroads. You could go out there in the middle of the night and drop a contribution in the fishbowl while all the other stores were closed. It was kinda cool. They stopped that years ago; moved it to Quail Springs for several years, now I think they do it from a hotel.

The JCPenny store that's going to open along I-35 in Moore almost certainly guarantees that the one in Crossroads will move, and to me it would be a no-brainer for Sears to try to grab that vacated space. That location at SW 44th and Western is an increasing loser, IMHO.

Getting Crossroads visually rehabbed is going to take some risk money, and I'm hoping the new owners are willing to give it a shot. I remember its grand opening, when Orange Juliuses were brand new, the LeMans Speedway was full of bumper cars, and Emmer Brothers took up two floors in the west wing along the south side. John A. Brown's was the north side anchor where Macy's is now, and Toys By Roy on the first floor had every kind of game and goodie imaginable. Napoleon Nash was just outside of Dillard's on the west side first floor.....Picadilly Cafeteria was on the 2nd floor, and a fantastic-smelling bakery was just outside of JC Penny's...name escapes me at the moment.....sorry, sorry, I'm having a memory trip....

Don't know it can return to that kind of grandeur, but here's hoping we can at least get it revived in people's minds.

-SoonerDave

Yeah, I would like to see even a sheet laminate cover the concrete....just dont have conrete. Change the railings out to glass like at Penn....something that hasn't been painted 20 times. Change the lights out to something new....make there be more upward lighting on top of the store fronts. Just generally lighten the place up since its so dark right now.

Laminate is not strong enough to withstand the foot traffic. It needs to be either tarazo (sp) or ceramic tile. Laminate is mainly used in low end housing for counters.

If you want to get rid of the crime, then get rid of the cause. TAKE OUT the arcades and the juvenile stores! I mean isn't that why they come to mall, to hange. Take out the cause and give them no reason to come here!

The price for Crossroads itself, was $78.55 million

I think we all saw this coming... Another nail in the coffin for Crossroads.


****************

J.C. Penney to leave Crossroads Mall
By Trisha Evans
Staff Writer
Longtime-anchor J.C. Penney Co. Inc. will close its doors at Crossroads Mall this summer, leaving behind a 200,000 square-foot hole.


Mall manager Jim Swenson heard about the closing from the store's employees, but it wasn't really a surprise.

"Knowing that they were going to open these other two stores, the handwriting was on the wall,” Swenson said.

The July 21 closing of the Crossroads store is timed with the opening of two other metro area stores in early August — one at the new Shops at Moore and one in Town Central Plaza in Midwest City.

"We are relocating six miles toward Midwest City and six miles toward Moore,” J.C. Penney district manager Steve Steele said.

The move means J.C. Penney will break its 35-year lease with the mall, Swenson said.

The store has been a tenant at the mall since it opened in 1974.

Swenson declined to comment what it would cost the company to leave two years before the lease was up.

"We have not officially been told by J.C. Penney's that it is closing. We've just heard it through J.C. Penney's employees,” Swenson said.

"Until they give us official notification, we're just kind of hanging until then.”

But Swenson said the mall is working to fill the giant gap that will remain and has been talking to other potential mall anchors.

"We're sad to see J.C. Penney go. It's been a strong store not only for J.C. Penney's but also for Crossroads Mall,” he said.

However, Swenson said the closing is an opportunity for the mall to give its customers a new anchor.

Company spokesman Tim Lyons said the move is strategic.

"In terms of following customers and being in the growing part of the city, the off-mall stores give us more flexibility to do that. There aren't very many malls being built anymore,” Lyons said.

"The off-mall stores have been very successful. They do generate more sales-per-square foot than the mall stores.”

They also tend to be more assessable and frequented more often, compared with the mall store which is usually more of a weekend and holiday destination, Lyons said.

The newer stores are smaller and more efficient, Lyons said.

The Crossroads store is almost double the size of the two stores combined.

"In our older stores you had a much lower percentage of net sale to gross square footage because they were bigger,” Lyons said.

"Today the emphasis is on being leaner in terms of turning merchandise ... not having stock rooms full of stuff and boxes. The newer stores are more efficient.”

Employees will be offered jobs at the Moore and Midwest City locations, Steele said, and he expects more positions to be created by the relocation.

Shall we get a pool going to see who can guess which anchor will leave next and when?

My guess will be Macy's and the time I predict is sometime between back to school season and next spring.

Come to think of it, the city should recruit Macy's to move downtown. We could have a version of the NYC events right here in OKC.

On another note this makes me laugh...


But Swenson said the mall is working to fill the giant gap that will remain and has been talking to other potential mall anchors.


What is Dollar General or Family Dollar renting mall space now? Too bad Burlington Coat Factory moved already. They would make a nice tenant especially with all the gangster clothes they carry these days.

Wait a minute I know who they are talking to.... OLD PARIS FLEA MARKET. They are about to need a home after they lose the place to Crooked Oak Schools. There is no other place in the district to build and OKC Public Schools is not about give up any land for Crooked Oak to build a school.

Heck, even The Dollar Tree would be too upscale for Crossroads, now. Actually, this is all so sad. I remember going to Crossroads the first weekend it opened. I was 14 and went with my grandparents. I was in awe. It was packed and everyone was so proud of the new mall. The only real "mall" before Crossroads had been Shephard Mall and the open-air Penn Square. Which, I also have fond memories of. I always say that if they built that open-air Penn Square today, we would all think that was so cool. Times change.

If they razed it tomorrow and built a lifestyle center they would come out better years down the road.

------------------

I'm sad to hear that this is confirmed! I keep holding out hope that Crossroads will somehow "revive" itself. I still stop by there from time to time for Macy's, Dillard's, JCP, VS, and Bath & Body Works, but that's about it. Oh, and Chik Fil A.

I'm sad to hear that this is confirmed! I keep holding out hope that Crossroads will somehow "revive" itself. I still stop by there from time to time for Macy's, Dillard's, JCP, VS, and Bath & Body Works, but that's about it. Oh, and Chik Fil A.

Chik Fil-A will probably bail before long. I used to work retail southside. The manager would come and give us free sandwhich coupons to get us to come down to the mall and eat.

It is only a matter of time before they open a southside Chik-Fil-A. It will probably go somewhere south of 240 (104th, 119th or 134th) or down on I-35 & 19th in Moore.

Man, I wish I had said something about this a while back. I didn't realize this was just now being reported. I think I first learned about Penneys leaving back in February but I thought the cat was already out of the bag.

You gotta love the way Macerich (Crossroads Management) dealt with the whole issue. As soon as Macerich realized JCP was gone, they sold the mall. I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to be a part of a sinking ship either. From what I understand the new owner takes the reigns June 1, and the good news is, they plan on spending some money to get things back in shape. Now, that's just hearsay so there's no telling what the mall will be like five years from now. However, I've talked with some of the mall employees (not tenant employees) and they said they were guaranteed a raise when the new ownership took place. So, I'm assuming the raise is indication the company is willing to spend a little more money. We'll see in a few years I guess.

Man, I wish I had said something about this a while back. I didn't realize this was just now being reported. I think I first learned about Penneys leaving back in February but I thought the cat was already out of the bag.

You gotta love the way Macerich (Crossroads Management) dealt with the whole issue. As soon as Macerich realized JCP was gone, they sold the mall. I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to be a part of a sinking ship either. From what I understand the new owner takes the reigns June 1, and the good news is, they plan on spending some money to get things back in shape. Now, that's just hearsay so there's no telling what the mall will be like five years from now. However, I've talked with some of the mall employees (not tenant employees) and they said they were guaranteed a raise when the new ownership took place. So, I'm assuming the raise is indication the company is willing to spend a little more money. We'll see in a few years I guess.

JC Penney announced a month or more ago the Crossroads location would close. Plus, since they are building as close to the mall, it should have been obvious when the new stores were announced. Todays announcement is a FORMAL announcement.

jc penney announced a month or more ago the crossroads location would close.


'we have not officially been told by jc penney's that it is closing. we've just heard it through j.c. penney's employees,'swenson said.

anderson, you might want to call up crossroads mall manager jim swenson and correct him of his factual error since you know more about the mall's business than he does. while many have seen the handwriting on the wall for the past few months, penney's still hasn't made an official announcement. -M

It is only a matter of time before they open a southside Chik-Fil-A. It will probably go somewhere south of 240 (104th, 119th or 134th) or down on I-35 & 19th in Moore.

Chik-Fil-A is opening a stand-alone location at the new shopping center being built east of I-35 in Moore.


The link will provide the most up to date rendering of the shopping center plans.

http://www.mooreed.com/CollinsDevelopment-EastofI-35(July2006rendering).pdf

Chik-Fil-A is going to be located at the SW corner of the shopping center.

Funny how the mall manager that was interviewed didn't seem to care much about JC Penney's leaving. All he did was talk about how well the outparcel stores are doing, in which he has no control of.

My ex-fiance was a merchandise manager at Crossroads in 98-99. That's why we moved to OKC, he was transferred here. He really enjoyed the people he worked with there. I haven't been to Crossroads mall since then.

When I was in college (78-82) I worked in Crossroads at Orbach's.

For those that don't remember, Orbach's was much like Harold's: upscale men's store. The other OKC location was 50 Penn Place.

Shows you how much that mall has changed. Wow.

The Crossroads store is DOUBLE the size of the two new ones COMBINED? Did I read that right? One fourth the size?

metro... it was tim lyons, company spokesman for jc penney that was discussing the success of outparcel stores. the article switches interviews midstream.

jbrown... i think the article is misspeaking here. it says that the crossroads location is 200,000 sqft and other documents show the new jc penney locations weigh in at around 100,000 sqft each. -M

The one they are buliding in Moore is definitely more lean and mean than the Crossroads location...Guessing it is more like the size of a Kohls just glancing at it going by

So only 1 floor?

Definitely only one floor....If you are driving on I-35 it is the farthest back of the two bldgs now up....Not huge by any means

I'll bet you dollars to donuts that Sears tries to grab that old Penny's space. That may not be much of a net gain for Crossroads, however, as I'm not sure Sears will exist (at least as we know it today) in five years.

From a purely selfish motive, I wish Chick-Fil-A weren't building *quite* so far into Moore. That doesn't improve the driving distance too much for me. A location farther west of Crossroads, right along I-240 (maybe a little[i] south, say along that new 89th and Western development - [i]hint, hint) would be most welcome...

I, too, lament the deterioration of Crossroads. I remember when it opened that it was an incredibly eye-popping place; Orange Julius were the treat of all treats, and to spend a buck or two at the original LeMans Speedway was just *the best*. I remember when Emmer Brothers spanned two floors on the south side of the west corridor, and the local MD telethon used to originate from the center court area.

Although Crossroads is, in part, a victim of the area of town surrounding it to the immediate north/northeast, its owners financial neglect surely hasn't helped. I hope the new owner's (apparent?) willingness to put some capital into the place at least gives some hope that some brighter future is ahead...

-soonerdave

Let me add my feelings of sadness that Crossroads seems to be in such dire straits. (Personally I have been to Macy's several times and it has been nearly devoid of customers.) However there is a note of inevitability to its decline and possible failure. When it opened it drew from smaller towns and rural areas to the south and southeast. Since then however both Norman and Shawnee have opened sizable malls of their own, thus choking off Crossroads' customer base to the south and southeast. And the area of Oklahoma City proper that surrounds Crossroads is not a lucrative customer base. Furthermore as Moore adds more and more commercial outlets, even that customer base is shrinking. So I hope Crossroads finds a way to survive, but I am not optimistic.

I have never liked Penneys, and I have never shopped there...

but...

I went into a free standing one in Austin, like the ones they are building here and it was VERY nice, more open space, better layouts... like a nice Kohls.

I will actually consider shopping there. I think it gives Penneys a new image, and that is what they need.

I think the first sign that Penny's was going to really change itself was with the store they built out at Penn Square. Even though it was still a two-story mall-style store, it was *much* smaller than the other Penny's I'd visited, and the general style sure seemed like a departure. I think these newer stores are an outgrowth of that smaller style, even down to single-story venues...

I can't help but think one morning Crossroads will just wake up and discover that "Steve and Barry's" just packed up and left overnight. Strange and unappealing little store, at least to me...

-soonerdew

In Crossroads Mall's future I see.... a business park similar to Shepherd Mall. It's the only way until urban renewal makes it's way to I-240 in say 20 years or so.

As long as Steve and Barry's stays in OKC somewhere, I'll be alright.

If I owned Crossroads I would look at redeveloping the mall into a mixed use of residential, shopping and office space. Then lobby the city and other investors to create something like this:

Stapleton - Feels Different (http://www.stapletondenver.com/)

Developers in Denver converted the old Stapleton Airport into a mix use of retail, office space, schools and housing. The same thing could be done as an I-35 corridor project from downtown to Moore.

hmmmmm, jails and prisons are overcrowded in many places in state and in metro area, a big space is getting emptier and emptier, some say lots of law enforcement end up there regularly anyhow ... hmmm, Crossroads Correctional Center ... CCC aka The Cube ... (nah, couldn't happen ...)

anderson, you might want to call up crossroads mall manager jim swenson and correct him of his factual error since you know more about the mall's business than he does. while many have seen the handwriting on the wall for the past few months, penney's still hasn't made an official announcement. -M

I read the article when it appeared, regardless of what YOU think the man said.

"We have not officially been told by J.C. Penney's that it is closing. We've just heard it through J.C. Penney's employees,” Swenson said.

"Until they give us official notification, we're just kind of hanging until then.”

There is really no other way to read the statement that says "We have not officially been told by JC Penney's" is there mra?

Not much need to dive into a statement that couldn't be more clear...If he had said "No comment" or "It's possible..." then you may be on to something

Any chance you could yahoo or google and post us a link to that article that proves that Swenson's own memory is incorrect?

I read the article when it appeared, regardless of what YOU think the man said.

Hmmmm....let's see here. We have a factual quote from mall mgmt, someone actually within the business, saying no official announcement has been made.

And then we have your statement, based on something YOU said YOU saw.

Who has the burden of proof on this one? Oh, I know....it's YOU.

Provide the link of the OFFICIAL announcement that you read a few months back, and you'll have a lot more credibility.

Hmmmm....let's see here. We have a factual quote from mall mgmt, someone actually within the business, saying no official announcement has been made.

And then we have your statement, based on something YOU said YOU saw.

Who has the burden of proof on this one? Oh, I know....it's YOU.

Provide the link of the OFFICIAL announcement that you read a few months back, and you'll have a lot more credibility.

$20 on an answer similar to this

"I know what I read and it is fact. Back to topic!"

Still one of my fav's mra!! :tiphat:

This may not make a difference, but I just e-mailed their corporate headquarters and just asked them if they were planning on closing the store at Crossroads Mall. I am suppose to get some type of answer in the next 48 hours.

I have a feeling they're going to have a hard time filling that space. I see it possibly never being filled. Or who knows, maybe it will be a new campus for LifeChurch.tv. LOL!

That being said, yeah, the Penn Square Mall resembles the change the company has made over recent years. It's much smaller than the stores at Crossroads and Quail Springs. County records show it's 125,560 square feet, more similar to the stand alone stores.

I think it all comes down to sales per square foot. Sure it was a mall store, and JC Penney may be changing their trend, but I think the decision has more to do with dollars and cents. If the Crossroads store was making good money they wouldn't have closed it. The Crossroads Mall store simply wasn't making any money.

I expect Macy's to close there any day now. I'm really surprised they kept that store open when they announced the switch over from Foley's.

The only malls that are going to survive in today's society are those in wealthy areas and those with good management. The only thing keeping Penn Square afloat is Nichols Hills, and Edmond keeps Quail Springs afloat. But, I've also noticed since Edmond has built their open-air centers, Quail Springs Mall has taken a hit.

Store at Penn Square: 125,560 sq feet
Store at Crossroads: 200,000+ sq feet
Store at Quail Springs: 154,576 sq feet

As long as Quail has the AMC movie theatre.. it will be visited... we went last night to see Spiderman 3.. (as did half the state it seemed like!) ... it was packed!

We bought tickets early in the day and came back about 50 min before show time... there was already a line but by the time they let us in the theater, the line was wrapped around the place.. they showed it in 7 theaters.. every 1/2 hour and still, the lines were amazingly long. The food court was jam packed and the entire mall was bustling.

"We have not officially been told by J.C. Penney's that it is closing. We've just heard it through J.C. Penney's employees,” Swenson said.

"Until they give us official notification, we're just kind of hanging until then.”

There is really no other way to read the statement that says "We have not officially been told by JC Penney's" is there mra?

Not much need to dive into a statement that couldn't be more clear...If he had said "No comment" or "It's possible..." then you may be on to something

Any chance you could yahoo or google and post us a link to that article that proves that Swenson's own memory is incorrect?

Many corporatet exceutives have since the beginning of commerce, not released information they knew to be factual. So, when a general manager, especially one of a failing mall that the owners care less about, I tend to wait for the official release. I do not know about you, however, I was raised in buisness by a BUSINESS OWNER, and have learned a lot more than most... Like it or not, THAT is factual!:numchucks

Many corporatet exceutives have since the beginning of commerce, not released information they knew to be factual. So, when a general manager, especially one of a failing mall that the owners care less about, I tend to wait for the official release. I do not know about you, however, I was raised in buisness by a BUSINESS OWNER, and have learned a lot more than most... Like it or not, THAT is factual!:numchucks

My dad was also a business owner....So let's go with your standard age argument then

"I read the article when it appeared, regardless of what YOU think the man said."

Your comeback above doesn't address what several of us have asked...Please post the article you are describing and we will move on

Many corporatet exceutives have since the beginning of commerce, not released information they knew to be factual. So, when a general manager, especially one of a failing mall that the owners care less about, I tend to wait for the official release. I do not know about you, however, I was raised in buisness by a BUSINESS OWNER, and have learned a lot more than most... Like it or not, THAT is factual!:numchucks


But you said that it was already announced by JC Penney, and we're asking you to back that up.

This has nothing to do with your supposed background or education. You made a statement contrary to what someone on the inside has said and expect us to take YOUR statement as the factual statement, without any proof.

I honestly couldn't care less if you were raised by a business owner, the Dali Llama or a pack of wolves. You are constantly telling people that your word is gospel, simply because YOU said it and not based on any factual information. Then if/when you are proven wrong, you simply change the subject or deny the proof we've provided.

My dad was also a business owner....So let's go with your standard age argument then

"I read the article when it appeared, regardless of what YOU think the man said."

Your comeback above doesn't address what several of us have asked...Please post the article you are describing and we will move on

I do not need to post an article. It is your choice if you believe the truth. You have chosen against it.

If I owned Crossroads I would look at redeveloping the mall into a mixed use of residential, shopping and office space. Then lobby the city and other investors to create something like this:

Stapleton - Feels Different (http://www.stapletondenver.com/)

Developers in Denver converted the old Stapleton Airport into a mix use of retail, office space, schools and housing. The same thing could be done as an I-35 corridor project from downtown to Moore.

And with the BNSF tracks running directly to the east it could have a stop on the future Edmond-downtown OKC-Norman commuter rail. Talk about HUGE potential for a mixed-use transit-oriented development with retail, restaurants, and lots of new housing options from houses to apartments, all connected to the train station.

Commuter rail with Crossroads stop:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/bg918/okccommuterrail.jpg

Yeah I hate Crossroads, I'm always pissed off when I leave there because of all the idiots. And it's pretty damn sad that cops just have to hang out up there inside the mall.

I am pretty excited about Chickfila moving to Moore, it's a restaurant that is rare in cities and it's awesome that we're now going to be one of the few communities with one that is stand alone. It's really going to prosper here in Moore.

Now all we need is Toys R Us.