South Side Des Moines



Major Renovations at Southridge Mall

June 11, 2012

A few weeks ago, construction crews began the major renovation project at Southridge Mall. You may remember the reports near the end of 2011 which discussed the possibility of converting large sections of the mall for new purposes, like an athletic complex. The youth indoor soccer arena and practice facility for the Iowa Barnstormers are still in the works, and Des Moines Area Community College (DMAAC) still plans to use some of the space. These projects are now described as Phase Two or Three of the overall renovation, and their time frame is yet to be determined. Younkers, Sears, and Target, the mall's anchor stores, will be staying.

Phase One, however, is already underway, and is a major project in itself. If you drive near Southridge Mall now, you'll see massive demolition and new construction going on. The area which previously contained the Food Court has already been demolished and will be turned into several open-air storefronts over the coming months, with medium-sized retailers getting ready to move in. The mall's developer will reportedly be spending around $30 million just in Phase One of this plan, which is expected to be completed this fall.

Here you can see the Mall entrance where the Food Court used to be (Target, Sears, and Younkers will remain open during the entire construction process).

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Here you can see how far the construction extends, all the way across the north side of the Mall up to Sears. To get to the stores inside the mall, as opposed to the new open-air entrances planned for the former food court, you'll have to go to the new main entrance on the NW side (near Target's alternate entrance).

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The other big news for many business owners, or those who may want to open up a new business, is that the Des Moines City Council has established a tax increment financing district for those who want to do business in the mall. City leaders, neighborhood associations, and the mall's owners all hope this will add even more incentive for companies to move into the Southridge Mall area.

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