Retail Launch and the ’70s Real Estate Push
The doors opened in the spring of 1974. Cars pulled into freshly painted lots off 39th Street, where Independence Center rose from what had been pastureland and construction mud.
The anchor lineup was familiar—Macy’s, Sears, and Stix, Baer & Fuller. All three were already household names, and together, they filled more than half the square footage.
The design wasn’t standard. Inside, a three-level atrium climbed 60 feet. Sunlight came in through the skylights above. Ramps and staircases cut diagonally across the space.
On the lowest floor, in the middle of everything, was the food court. It would stay there through decades of tenant churn, carousel rides, and mall walkers doing laps before stores opened.
The project came from Homart Development Company, the mall-building division of Sears, Roebuck & Co. Construction was handled by C.H. Leavell & Co. of Dallas.
Architectonics, also based in Dallas, drew up the floor plans. The escalators, signage, and concrete details leaned into the ’70s department store aesthetic—bold, beige, and squared off.
Back then, the Independence Center didn’t have to fight for attention. Its slogan—”The ‘I’ has it.”—was printed on shopping bags and plastered on highway billboards.
A flashing marquee stood along I-70, blinking out store names and sale announcements in red lights.
The mall was both a shopping center and an advertisement.
There were few other things to do in Independence, Missouri, at the time.
A climate-controlled retail loop with a Sears at one end and a movie theater across the street offered something close to an all-day plan.
Inside, the air smelled like new carpet and cinnamon pretzels. Outside, cars idled in rows, waiting for teenagers to finish their Orange Julius.
Ownership Deals and Anchor Swaps
By 1984, the logos on the anchor walls had already started to rotate.
Stix, Baer & Fuller sold its Missouri stores to Dillard’s that year, turning the west end of the mall into a new Dillard’s location without changing the carpet or ceiling tiles.
The branding shifted overnight—signs came down, fixtures stayed put.
The next change came in 1985. Dillard’s had picked up Macy’s Midwest locations but didn’t keep all of them. At Independence Center, they handed the old Macy’s building off to Mercantile Stores.
That deal brought in The Jones Store Co., a Kansas City chain already familiar to local shoppers.
For nearly two decades, the store carried the Jones name across the atrium from Sears.
Cosmetic updates arrived in the mid-1980s—lighter floor tile, new skylight panels, and updated signage over the food court.
It was still a regional mall, but one trying to stay fresh while others nearby were losing traffic.
In 1994, Simon Property Group bought the property, putting Independence Center under the same management as dozens of other malls across the country.
In 1996, the new owners installed a double-decker carousel in the atrium.
Two years later, they launched a $20 million renovation—elevators were replaced, staircases refaced, and the food court was rebranded with backlit menu boards and pendant lighting.
Families lingered longer. A children’s play area opened in 1998, tucked near the entrance to JCPenney.
Then, in 2004, the exterior wall facing 39th Street was opened up. That added square footage for smaller shops with exterior-only access—barbershops, frozen yogurt spots, and seasonal outlets.
In 2006, after the Federated May merger, Macy’s returned. The Jones Store name came down. Macy’s took back its original space, ending a 21-year gap in the building it first opened in 1974.
Closures, Conversions, and Anchor Gaps
In August 2019, Sears announced it was closing 26 stores, including Independence Center.
The location closed on October 27, right before Halloween.
The two-story carousel—once the heart of the mall—was taken apart that same summer.
Maintenance crews wheeled out the painted horses and left the tile circle exposed.
Some lights still glow above the space where it turned.
Ownership had changed the year before. In 2018, Pacific Retail Capital Partners took control of the property. Plans were discussed—some public, some not—but the Macy’s anchor went dark in March 2021.
During its second run, it had been open for less than 15 years.
A furniture outlet moved into the Macy’s space in May 2022. It sold large bedroom sets and bulk discounts on living room pieces.
That store closed down in July 2023. Since then, the building has been empty.
There are no signs, banners, or forwarding addresses.
That leaves two anchors still open: Dillard’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Dick’s has its outside entrance and rarely uses its interior connection. Dillard’s keeps its escalators running and both floors open.
In 2023, the city opened a small police substation inside the mall. It is near the food court, where the carousel once stood.
Who’s Still Open and Selling
A kid tapped the glass at GameStop while his dad waited outside, scrolling through his phone.
A few stores down, Bath & Body Works pushed out a wave of citrus scent every time the door opened.
Despite years of turnover, some tenants have stayed, and others keep coming back.
Retail chains still working on the mall floor include H&M, Victoria’s Secret & PINK, Windsor, Carhartt, and Pandora.
Carhartt sits near the center court, across from The Buckle. Pandora is tucked between Eyes and The Fix.
On weekends, music plays from the Windsor speakers, loud enough to spill into the corridor.
During the week, staff often outnumber customers.
Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker hold opposite corners near Champs Sports.
Tradehome Shoes operates on the lower level near Rue 21 and Forever 21.
There’s still a Finish Line and Hot Topic, where shelves are stacked with anime figurines and band tees.
Smaller shops like Rue 21, Zumiez, and City Gear fill out the mid-range retail. The food court still runs.
Charleys Cheesesteaks takes up a corner near L06. Great American Cookies and Auntie Anne’s sit side by side, with tables pushed close to the railing.
Topsy’s Popcorn fills the space beside them, just past the play area.
Farther out, Spencer’s, Buckle, and Bath & Body Works still draw a steady stream of younger shoppers and mall walkers.
Near the south corridor, the scent of perfume mixes with cinnamon and pretzels.
Music still plays. Escalators still move. But some hallways echo in the middle of the day, and entire sections feel like they’re waiting for the next lease to start. Or end.
it would be a big mistake to ever ever close the Independence Center down!
Malls don’t die overnight. But they can be worn down by long-term neglect or short-term fixes. Keeping Independence open might mean rethinking what open actually looks like.
Are you kidding me? Independence day by and allowed it to become a haven for drug and gang activity. I don’t need $15 body wash so bad that I’m willing to catch a stray bullet when I can overpay for the same thing from the safety of my living room using my cellphone.
That reaction says something that stats don’t always capture: once a place stops feeling safe, it’s hard to regain that trust—no matter what the security report says.