Opening Years of Oak Park Mall
Oak Park Mall opened in Overland Park, Kansas, in 1974. It was developed by Copaken, White & Blitt with Frank Morgan and Sherman Dreiseszun on a 107-acre ground lease.
The first anchor, Macy's, opened on August 7, 1975, followed by Montgomery Ward on August 10. Stix, Baer & Fuller arrived on February 19, 1976, and JCPenney opened on October 6.
At full buildout, the mall featured four anchors and more than 150 stores, spanning approximately 1.21 million square feet across two levels of covered retail space.
The structure reflected 1970s mall design with skylights, angled ceilings, and an airy floor plan lined with fountains and sculptures.
Shoppers crossed tiled walkways bordered by plants, passing water features that tied together the center courts of the newly built property.
By 1976, the enclosed complex had drawn a steady flow of department store shoppers.
Families moved through Macy's and JCPenney, while Montgomery Ward and Stix, Baer & Fuller built their own followings.
The arrival of these anchors created a foundation that supported small specialty tenants.
National brands leased inline spaces, aligning their locations with the traffic generated by the four main stores.
In its early years, Oak Park Mall quickly became the largest enclosed retail center in Kansas.
Its scale and design distinguished it from competing shopping properties across the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Retail Expansion and Media Attention
By 1982, Oak Park Mall had already garnered national attention when CBS News filmed its special report, "The Mall," entirely on the property.
The program highlighted the rise of enclosed shopping centers across America, with the Oak Park Mall serving as a prime example of this retail trend.
Two years later, in 1984, Stix, Baer & Fuller was converted into Dillard's South.
In 1985, Macy's closed its store at Oak Park Mall, and the building was taken over by Dillard's North.
This move left the mall with two separate Dillard's locations, each dividing retail categories between them.
The shift in anchor identities reshaped traffic flow.
Shoppers who once moved between four distinct department stores now circulated through two Dillard's, JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward.
Anchors carried separate product mixes, but the mall's overall sales floor stayed strong during that period of transition.
Throughout the 1980s, these changes coincided with the department store mergers and consolidations that were occurring across the broader retail industry.
Renovations and New Wing Growth
In 1993, Oak Park Mall received an extensive renovation that modernized its interiors.
Floors, lighting, and entry vestibules were updated to reflect retail design standards of that era.
The next phase came in 1997, when a major expansion added a new Southeast Wing.
This extension introduced fresh storefronts and prepared the site for another anchor tenant.
On March 6, 1998, Nordstrom opened a three-level store of 200,000 square feet at the end of that new wing.
It was one of the largest single additions to the property since its original launch.
The Nordstrom opening also drew new specialty retailers to Oak Park Mall.
National fashion chains and luxury brands filled inline spaces that grew in tandem with the anchor.
This expansion increased the mall's total floor space to around 1.55 million square feet by the late 1990s.
The number of retail tenants rose to nearly 185, filling the new concourse with additional sales.
The 1997–1998 project showed Oak Park Mall's ability to invest heavily in its footprint.
Anchor Changes and Retail Turnover
Montgomery Ward closed its Oak Park Mall location in March 2001, marking the end of nearly three decades as one of the property's core anchors.
That same building reopened as The Jones Store on August 14, 2002, after renovations that reintroduced the space with new merchandise categories.
In 2005, a Target store opened on land positioned just south of the mall's enclosed structure.
By September 9, 2006, Macy's returned to Oak Park Mall after a 20–year absence, taking over the former Jones Store space under the Macy's brand.
Ownership also shifted during this period. CBL Properties managed the mall until May 2011, when TIAA-CREF obtained a 50 percent stake as part of a joint venture designed to reduce CBL's debt.
These adjustments reshaped the mall's lineup and ownership profile.
The presence of JCPenney, Macy's, two Dillard's locations, and Nordstrom solidified the anchor structure as the 2010s approached.
Attractions, Dining, and Tenant Changes
Oak Park Mall expanded its draw in 1999 by adding a Rainforest Cafe.
The themed restaurant required a small construction project that extended the mall's footprint to house its dining space.
Rainforest Cafe remained at the property for about a decade.
When the lease ended, the space was divided into smaller units, including the American Girl store, which later occupied a central portion of the restaurant area.
In July 2020, the American Girl store closed permanently, marking another shift in the mall's mix of family-oriented tenants.
Another high-profile tenant, Microsoft Store, opened in June 2012 inside the former Talbots unit.
All Microsoft stores closed permanently in June 2020, and the space was later converted into District Eat and Play.
Entertainment attractions also played a role inside the property.
A double-decker carousel was installed, relocated, removed, and then reinstalled in 2009, only to be removed again in 2023.
Public Safety and Mall Incidents
On November 12, 2023, Oak Park Mall experienced a disruption when a shoplifting suspect gained control of an undercover officer's firearm in the food court.
One round was discharged during the struggle, though no injuries were reported, and police quickly regained control of the scene inside the mall.
The incident unfolded less than a week after another shooting at Independence Center Mall, drawing regional attention to public safety at shopping centers.
Local coverage highlighted the timing, situating both events within the broader discussion about security in enclosed malls across the Kansas City metro.
Shoppers inside Oak Park Mall that day were evacuated from the food court as officers secured the area.
Stores temporarily closed their gates while law enforcement confirmed the area was safe.
Although operations resumed later, the November 2023 event marked the first time in years that Oak Park Mall made headlines for a security matter.
The mall's reputation as a retail hub was tested in the context of wider concerns facing American malls during that period.
Recent Retail and Property Developments
In April 2024, Oak Park Mall welcomed two new tenants, Miniso and Aur Society, both of which were opening in the Kansas City market for the first time.
In October 2024, local media reported that a new single-level carousel would be installed at Oak Park Mall.
The project followed the removal of the double-decker carousel earlier in 2023, with the new ride expected to open in November.
Commercial activity also continued around the property itself.
In July 2025, Block & Company announced the sale of a pad site near the mall, reflecting steady investor interest in the area.
More changes occurred in August 2025, when Dragonfly Tea Zone opened its doors on the upper level near the food court, occupying a former Teavana space.
The shop joined a line of beverage and specialty tenants that reshaped the mall's upper floor.
These 2024–2025 developments demonstrated the mall's ability to attract new retailers, update its entertainment features, and maintain commercial value through strategic land deals.