Jordan Creek Town Center is a must-visit stop for many as the seasons change and the West Des Moines shopping mall and entertainment center has plenty of changes in store as the leaves start to fall.
The 19-year-old center is nearing 100% capacity and Jordan Creek Town Center general manager Randy Tennison cites a strong metro economy, dedicated consumers, and a one-stop must-see for entertainment and shopping as reasons for Jordan Creek’s constant staying power.
“Jordan Creek is definitely thriving right now. The mall is a great place for people to just come to and hangout,” Tennison said. “We have great restaurants, we have the movie theatre, we have events around the lake so it’s kind of an all-inclusive entertainment location.”
A number of changes in recent months have made the shopping center grow even further in time for the holiday season. Here’s a guide to what’s going on at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Amazon 4-star opening cancelled
Last December, Seattle-based Amazon announced plans to open an Amazon 4-star store at the shopping mall filled with a rotating stock of highly rated products. It even had a spot, ready to take over the former Soft Surroundings space.
Amazon closed 68 of its brick-and-mortar storefronts in March and cancelled proposed store openings to refocus efforts on Whole Foods and other technologies, according to USA Today. The e-commerce giant’s store cancellation included its first Iowa store which planned to open in spring 2022. There are no reported plans to reopen any of the cancelled or closed stores.
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Von Maur slated as new anchor store
Valley West Mall anchor Von Maur, which joined the mall just a year after the West Des Moines mall first opened in 1976, is permanently closing and moving to Jordan Creek Town Center. Von Maur is in the midst of renovating a former Younkers space that spans two stories and 140,000 square feet.
Iowa’s own Von Maur soft opens Nov. 3 with a grand opening scheduled for Nov. 5. The family department store will serve as another anchor in the town center and is slated to open in time for the holiday season.
The Valley West location closes after the Jordan Creek location opens.
Tavern Grill set to open, entrance under construction
The shopping center’s most-used entrance, near the food court and Century 20 Theatres, has undergone significant renovations in recent months and will be ready for customer use later this fall.
Tavern Grill, an Edina, Minnesota-based American-style restaurant chain, plans to open near the mall’s theater entrance later this year.
The restaurant specializes in make-your-own variations on burgers, salads and pizzas. The menu features steak, seafood, salads, appetizers and desserts as well. Menu options include lemon beurre blanc jumbo shrimp, meatloaf smothered in a bourbon onion sauce, Buffalo mac and cheese, and red velvet cake.
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GNC will join the shopping mall’s Dillard’s wing
Vitamin and supplements stop GNC, which has a second metro store at Southridge Mall, will join the mall later this year. The popular shopping center store will open in the shopping center’s wing near Dillard’s.
National retailer on the way
Tennison said that within the next month, a large national retailer will take up space on the building’s second floor. Mall management has relocated Journeys Kidz and Icing with plans to move Halberstadt’s Men’s Clothiers to another space. The national retailer will take up five leasing spaces in the mall.
More:Four new stores open at Altoona’s Outlets of Des Moines just in time for back-to-school shopping
Lovesac plans to return
American furniture retailer Lovesac returns to Jordan Creek Town Center after a yearlong hiatus. Known originally for its beanbag chairs, the company has become well-known among comfy-chic interior design critics for moveable, modular furniture pieces that pair well in diverse spaces. Lovesac was part of the original Jordan Creek development in 2004.
Blue Zoo and Kids Empire coming to Village near Costco and Best Buy
Two family friendly entertainment options are coming to the Brookfield Properties-owned development, which owns the mall and space nearby Jordan Creek Town Center, near Costco, Best Buy, and Old Navy.
Spokane, Washington-based aquarium chain Blue Zoo — which houses sharks, stingrays and reptiles — is set for a metro location while children’s playground chain Kids Empire, which has rapidly expanded throughout the country, will bring its popular slides and soft matted playground space to the region.
Dave & Buster’s
Popular nationwide entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s, known for its sport bar and arcade, has planned to open a nearly 23,000-square-foot location at 170 South Creek Parkway. The Dallas-based chain is set to open in 2023 at a fenced-off portion in the parking lot between Century 20 Theatres and Residence Inn by Marriott.
More:West Des Moines officials approve site plan for Iowa’s first Dave & Buster’s
Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, or reach out at [email protected].