A tale of 2 malls: Jordan Creek Town Center hits its groove, while Valley West Mall faces demolition
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Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines. Screenshot: Courtesy of Google Earth
West Des Moines, central Iowa's retail hub, is preparing to enter its holiday shopping season, attracting thousands to the area every weekend.
The big picture: The suburb's two malls face polar opposite realities this winter: Jordan Creek is in a retail renaissance following pandemic-related closures and Younkers' 2018 closure, but Valley West Mall is idling mostly empty.
- At Valley West, city staff are awaiting its sale and likely razing — a move that will help revitalize the aging area that's ripe for redevelopment near I-235
Jordan Creek's renaissance
In Jordan Creek, the last two years have seen a flurry of new retailers that residents have "clamored" for, like The Lego Store, Sierra Trading Post, Abercrombie & Fitch and Urban Outfitters, Ryan Moffat, West Des Moines' economic development director tells Axios.
- There's also a slew of more "experience" attractions, like Dave and Busters, Putts & Pins, Top Golf, Blue Zoo and now KPot, a Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurant.
What's next: Don't expect retail growth to stop anytime soon. Pad sites were built around the new Top Golf that could open up the western side of the mall to even more retail and restaurants.
Zoom out: If the Grand Experience project gets off the ground, expect a lot more retail and restaurant-friendly infrastructure in the neighborhood, Moffat says.
- The Grand Avenue project between 60th and 88th streets would cover 226 acres and includes the development of a giant indoor water park, hotels and a conference center.
- City officials are expected to consider a development agreement for the water park on Dec. 2, Moffat says. Opening is tentatively set for 2026.
Valley West Mall
Meanwhile, Valley West Mall, West Des Moines' former shopping hub, has declined "rapidly" over the last two years," Moffat says. It's expected to go up for sale within the next year.
Zoom in: Several major tenants have moved elsewhere in the city, including Von Maur and Bath & Body Works.
- There are still a few national retailers at the mall like Eddie Bauer, Pearle Vision and Victoria's Secret, but Moffat suspects most will move once their leases are up.
- Today, locally owned shops are largely moving into the emptied mall.
Reality check: There's no way to redevelop Valley West into a retail hub like Jordan Creek because the metro's size isn't big enough for people to frequent both.
- Metro population growth is also moving west towards Jordan Creek.
What we're watching: City officials are courting potential buyers and have met with a half dozen interested local and national developers.
- The city wants it to become a mixed-use development that could include commercial, residential and green space. A developer would likely need to demolish the mall to accomplish that, Moffat says.