East Hills Mall
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn enclosed shopping center in St. Joseph, Missouri, that has operated since 1965 and currently has JCPenney as its only remaining anchor tenant.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
East Hills Shopping Center, commonly presented commercially as East Hills Mall, is an enclosed shopping center in St. Joseph, Missouri. Opened in 1965, it was developed by Sherman Dreiseszun and was among the early enclosed malls established in the Midwestern United States. Its original tenant mix combined department stores, discount and drug retail, groceries, apparel, and general merchandise, reflecting the broad shopping-center model that became prominent in American cities during the mid-to-late twentieth century. At opening, the center included Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, Safeway, Katz Drug, Woolworth's, and Hirsch Brothers department store. This mix gave the property several major traffic generators and allowed it to serve as a consolidated retail destination for St. Joseph and surrounding communities. The mall was expanded in 1988, when Dillard's and Sears were added as anchor stores. The expansion strengthened the center's department-store positioning and increased its importance within the local retail market. During the 1990s and early 2000s, East Hills experienced the tenant turnover common to many traditional enclosed malls. Woolworth's, Sunglass Hut, A&W, and Osco Drug, which had previously operated as Katz Drug, departed. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 after its parent retail chain entered bankruptcy. The former Montgomery Ward space was subsequently used by a locally owned furniture retailer and later by Gordmans, which opened there in 2011. Other retailers that left during the period from 2005 to 2008 included Gadzooks, Famous Footwear, Waldenbooks, Lerner New York, Lane Bryant, FYE, and Coach House Gifts. The property underwent extensive renovation during 2008 and 2009. One of the most visible changes was the addition of a food court, intended to update the center's customer amenities and support longer visits. From 2012 onward, management announced or recruited a number of new tenants, including Christopher & Banks, Charlotte Russe, Justice, Victoria's Secret, Off Broadway Shoes, Charming Charlie, The Children's Place, Fun Run, and Spencer Gifts. Party City opened on the north side of the mall near JCPenney in 2015. East Hills also experimented with a more locally oriented retail concept. In 2018, it created an area behind Topsy's called The River, designed to showcase smaller businesses and boutiques from the surrounding region. This initiative complemented the center's conventional national-chain tenants with a small-business and community-retail component. The mall's anchor base continued to contract. Sears closed permanently in May 2017, Gordmans closed in August 2020, and Dillard's closed on August 20, 2022. Party City later closed its East Hills location in April 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the closure of multiple businesses at the property. Following these changes, JCPenney remained the only surviving traditional anchor identified in the available reference material. The center continues to operate as a local shopping venue, with stores and services including JCPenney and Fun Run reported in the source material.
History
East Hills Shopping Center was developed by Sherman Dreiseszun and opened in 1965 in St. Joseph, Missouri. It was one of the early enclosed shopping malls in the Midwestern United States. The original tenant roster included Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, Safeway, Katz Drug, Woolworth's, and Hirsch Brothers department store. These tenants gave the property a broad retail mix spanning department-store goods, groceries, pharmacy products, apparel, and general merchandise. The mall expanded in 1988 and added Dillard's and Sears as anchor retailers. For a period, the expanded center operated with several department-store destinations and a wide range of specialty retailers. During the 1990s, however, the property began losing tenants as retail formats changed and national chains contracted or disappeared. Woolworth's, Sunglass Hut, A&W, and Osco Drug, formerly Katz Drug, were among the departing businesses. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 after the chain declared bankruptcy. Its former space was occupied by a locally owned furniture retailer beginning in the mid-2000s, although that retailer later departed. Between 2005 and 2008, East Hills also lost Gadzooks, Famous Footwear, Waldenbooks, Lerner New York, Lane Bryant, FYE, and Coach House Gifts. These departures reflected the gradual weakening of the center's earlier national specialty-retail lineup. The property received a substantial renovation in 2008 and 2009, including the addition of a food court. Gordmans opened in the former Montgomery Ward location in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the center added or announced a number of new tenants, including Christopher & Banks, Charlotte Russe, Justice, Victoria's Secret, Off Broadway Shoes, Charming Charlie, The Children's Place, Fun Run, and Spencer Gifts. Party City opened on the north side near JCPenney in 2015. In 2014, the mall received unusual online attention after a back-to-school advertisement went viral because of its perceived low production quality. In 2017, Sears permanently closed. The center subsequently pursued a more locally focused tenant strategy. In 2018, it created The River, an area behind Topsy devoted to smaller shops and boutiques associated with small-town businesses. The mall's later history was marked by additional anchor losses. Gordmans closed in August 2020, while the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the closure of multiple other businesses. Dillard's closed permanently on August 20, 2022, and Party City closed its store in April 2023. The available reference material identifies JCPenney as the only remaining anchor tenant and lists businesses such as Fun Run among the continuing stores. No reliable ownership, executive, financial, or current complete tenant-directory information is provided in the supplied sources.
- 2023
Party City closes
[1]Party City's East Hills store closed in April.
- 2022
Dillard's closes
[1]Dillard's permanently closed on August 20.
- 2020
Gordmans closes
[1]Gordmans permanently closed its store in August.
- 2018
The River opens
[1]The mall introduced The River, a space for small-town businesses and boutiques behind Topsy's.
- 2017
Sears closes
[1]Sears permanently closed its East Hills location in May.
- 2015
Party City opens
[1]Party City opened on the mall's north side near JCPenney.
- 2014
Back-to-school advertisement goes viral
[1]A back-to-school advertisement attracted widespread online attention for its perceived poor production quality.
- 2011
Gordmans opens
[1]Gordmans opened in the former Montgomery Ward space.
- 2009
Food court added
[1]The renovation program included the addition of a food court.
- 2008
Renovation begins
[1]The mall underwent extensive renovation work, continuing through 2009.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving St. Joseph and nearby communities, combining a long-established department-store anchor with national specialty retailers, food offerings, and locally oriented boutique space.
Department store · 1965
JCPenney
JCPenney is the mall's remaining traditional anchor identified in the supplied reference material. Its department-store format provides apparel, accessories, footwear, home merchandise, and related general retail categories, although the current store assortment and operating status should be verified against the official directory.
Local retail and boutiques · 2018
The River
The River is a dedicated area established behind Topsy's to accommodate smaller shops, boutiques, and businesses from nearby small towns. It represents the mall's effort to supplement national chains with locally oriented retail and community-based merchants.
Food service · 2009
Food court
The food court was added during the major 2008–2009 renovation. It expanded the center's non-retail amenities and provided a shared dining area for shoppers and visitors.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Back-to-school advertisement
United States · St. Joseph, Missouri
East Hills released a back-to-school advertisement that spread widely online after audiences reacted to its notably low-budget or poor-quality presentation.
Outcome. The advertisement generated substantial unsolicited online attention, although the available source does not document measurable commercial results.
Brand decisions
2018
Creation of The RiverStrategyBackground
The mall sought to broaden its tenant mix beyond national chains and provide space for independent businesses.
Action taken
Management established The River behind Topsy's for small-town businesses and boutiques.
Aftermath
The River became part of the center's locally oriented retail offer; the supplied material does not provide detailed occupancy or financial results.
2011
Reuse of former Montgomery Ward spaceStrategyBackground
Montgomery Ward's former anchor space had remained available after the chain's 2001 closure and a subsequent local furniture tenancy.
Action taken
Gordmans opened in the former Montgomery Ward space.
Aftermath
Gordmans operated at the center until its permanent closure in August 2020.
2008
Property renovation and food-court investmentStrategyBackground
The mall had experienced significant tenant departures and required updated amenities and a refreshed retail environment.
Action taken
East Hills undertook extensive renovations through 2008 and 2009 and added a food court.
Aftermath
The renovated property later recruited additional specialty retailers and opened Gordmans in 2011.
1988
Expansion and anchor diversificationStrategyBackground
The original center was expanded as enclosed malls continued to compete through larger footprints and multiple department-store anchors.
Action taken
East Hills added Dillard's and Sears in the 1988 expansion.
Aftermath
The expansion increased the mall's department-store presence, although both retailers eventually closed their locations.
Sources2 sources
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