Meadows Mall

Meadows Mall is a two-story enclosed shopping mall in Las Vegas, Nevada. Located on approximately 84 acres, the property contains about 945,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space and is served by nearly 4,600 surface parking spaces according to the referenced Wikipedia description. It is positioned near the central Las Vegas market and has historically served a broad, mass-market customer base rather than a narrowly defined luxury or lifestyle segment. The mall was conceived by Dayton-Hudson Corporation, the company that later became Target Corporation. Planning began in 1973, but the project encountered several years of opposition from the City of Las Vegas over its proposed location. Dayton-Hudson obtained a district court order requiring the city to grant a zoning variance, and the Nevada Supreme Court upheld that requirement in 1975. Groundbreaking followed in May 1976. Charles Kober & Associates designed the project with desert-inspired colors and materials, while Ernest W. Hahn Inc. served as general contractor. More than 1,200 people worked on construction, which also resulted in the creation of Meadows Lane. Meadows Mall opened on August 5, 1978, as Las Vegas's second major indoor shopping center after The Boulevard Mall. Its original anchor lineup included Diamond's and The Broadway, with Sears and JCPenney joining in 1979. Dillard's opened in 1984, and The Broadway was converted to Macy's in 1996. The mall's ownership changed repeatedly: Dayton-Hudson announced a sale shortly after opening, Shell Pension Fund acquired the property in 1979, and International Income Property purchased it in 1986. General Growth Properties acquired Meadows Mall in 1998 and became the most prominent operator associated with its modern repositioning. The property underwent several rounds of physical and operational change. Renovations in 1995 expanded Dillard's, while later work introduced additional parking and other customer-oriented improvements. General Growth Properties launched a substantial modernization program in 2003, replacing dated finishes with brighter lighting, tile flooring, a new color palette, a stone exterior facade, landscaping improvements, new escalators, upgraded restrooms, and a redesigned food court. The mall held a reopening celebration on November 21, 2003, while remaining open during much of the construction. A Healthy Living Play Area, developed with local hospitals, opened in 2004 as an educational attraction for children. The tenant mix has continued to evolve as traditional department stores have weakened and entertainment and off-price concepts have gained importance. Dillard's converted its former first-floor selling area into a clearance outlet in 2014. Curacao opened in the vacant space in 2016, and Macy's introduced a Macy's Backstage off-price section in 2018. Round One opened a 42,000-square-foot arcade and entertainment center in 2019, using part of the former Sears footprint. Sears closed its Meadows Mall store in February 2020, and Nellis Auction Outlet later occupied the former Sears space. The mall is also frequently used as an early voting location, giving it a civic function in addition to its retail role. Meadows Mall remains active, with a mix of department-store, discount, specialty-retail, food, and entertainment tenants. Its history reflects the broader development of Las Vegas retail: an early suburban regional mall that has had to refresh its physical environment and repurpose large anchor spaces in response to changing shopping habits, intensified local competition, and the decline of traditional department stores.

Meadows Mall originated in a 1973 development proposal by Dayton-Hudson Corporation, then a major American department-store operator and the predecessor of Target Corporation. The project was intended to expand Las Vegas's indoor retail infrastructure, but its location became controversial. The Las Vegas City Commission rejected the proposal in 1973 and again in 1974, with some officials arguing that the mall should be moved. Dayton-Hudson pursued legal relief, first obtaining a district court order requiring the city to issue the needed zoning variance. The city appealed, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in 1975 that the variance had to be granted. Construction began with a groundbreaking in May 1976. Charles Kober & Associates designed the mall using desert colors and tones suited to the Las Vegas setting. Ernest W. Hahn Inc. was the general contractor, and more than 1,200 workers participated in construction. The development cost was reported at $40 million and included extensive brickwork and the creation of Meadows Lane, a new city street serving the project. The mall opened on August 5, 1978, becoming Las Vegas's second major enclosed shopping center after The Boulevard Mall. Its initial anchors were Diamond's and The Broadway. Sears and JCPenney opened in 1979, completing the principal original department-store lineup. Dayton-Hudson announced shortly after the opening that the property would be sold as part of a corporate downsizing effort. Shell Pension Fund, based in The Hague, acquired the mall in 1979, with management handled by Center Companies of Michigan. International Income Property bought the property in 1986 for a reported $60 million. Dillard's became an anchor in 1984, and The Broadway later changed its name to Macy's in 1996. During the 1990s, the mall addressed both physical condition and customer-experience issues. A 1993 bomb threat led to a temporary evacuation after a teenager claimed to possess a bomb that proved to be fake. A 1995 renovation expanded Dillard's. The following year, the mall adopted an indoor no-smoking policy in response to customer requests. A partial renovation in 1997 added an overflow parking lot near JCPenney and introduced reserved spaces near entrances for expectant mothers. The mall also faced criticism in 1995 over a carousel carving that a local Native American community representative considered culturally offensive. General Growth Properties acquired Meadows Mall in May 1998. The new owner reported a rapid improvement in occupancy, reaching approximately 95 percent within a year. In June 2003, General Growth began a multimillion-dollar renovation designed to address the mall's dated appearance and strengthen its competitive position. Work included brighter lighting, tile floors, a new color scheme, a stone facade, exterior painting, landscaping, new escalators, improved restrooms, and a redesigned food court. Most construction occurred at night so that the mall could remain open. A reopening ceremony took place on November 21, 2003, accompanied by live music and children's entertainment. In 2004, the mall added a Healthy Living Play Area in partnership with Valley Hospital Medical Center and Summerlin Hospital. The 1,640-square-foot facility used children's activities to promote healthy-lifestyle education. The mall also experienced isolated security and fraud incidents, including a 2004 arrest involving alleged unauthorized access to credit-card accounts and a 2007 police search for a suspect who entered the property after fleeing a traffic stop. By the mid-2010s, local observers described Meadows Mall as facing stronger competition from newer regional shopping centers and as lacking a sharply differentiated identity. The property nevertheless retained advantages from its central location, surrounding residential population, and generally high occupancy. Its tenant strategy increasingly relied on value retail, off-price formats, and entertainment. Dillard's converted its former first floor into a clearance outlet in 2014. Curacao opened in that space in October 2016, while Macy's introduced Macy's Backstage in 2018. Round One opened a large arcade and entertainment venue in November 2019. Sears closed in February 2020, and Nellis Auction Outlet subsequently used the former Sears space. Meadows Mall continues to operate as an active Las Vegas shopping and entertainment venue and is also regularly used as an early voting site.

• 2020

  Sears closes

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears anchor closed on February 3 and was later replaced by Nellis Auction Outlet.

• 2019

  Round One opens

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The 42,000-square-foot arcade and entertainment center opened in November.

• 2018

  Macy's Backstage introduced

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Macy's added an off-price Backstage store-within-a-store.

• 2016

  Curacao opens

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Curacao occupied the former first-floor Dillard's space.

• 2014

  Dillard's converts space to clearance retail

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dillard's closed its first-floor selling area and retained the second floor as a clearance outlet.

• 2003

  Major renovation completed

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A broad modernization program refreshed the building, circulation, food court, amenities, and landscaping.

• 1998

  General Growth Properties acquires the mall

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  General Growth Properties purchased Meadows Mall and subsequently improved occupancy.

• 1979

  Sears and JCPenney join the anchor lineup

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The two department stores opened, completing the mall's original anchor configuration.

• 1978

  Meadows Mall opens

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opened on August 5 as Las Vegas's second major indoor shopping center.

• 1976

  Construction begins

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Groundbreaking took place in May after several years of municipal and legal delays.

• 1975

  Nevada Supreme Court clears zoning dispute

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The court ruled that Las Vegas had to grant the zoning variance required for the project.

• 1973

  Mall proposal introduced

  [1]Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dayton-Hudson Corporation began planning a major enclosed shopping mall for Las Vegas.

A centrally located, broad-market Las Vegas regional mall combining department stores, discount retail, general merchandise, dining, and family entertainment. Its recent tenant changes emphasize value-oriented retail and experiential uses within former department-store spaces.

• Entertainment · 2019

  Round One

  A large arcade and entertainment anchor offering family-oriented gaming and leisure activities. It opened in November 2019 in part of the former Sears footprint and represents the mall's shift toward experiential uses alongside conventional retail.

• Department store and off-price retail · 1996

  Macy's and Macy's Backstage

  Macy's provides department-store apparel, accessories, home merchandise, and related categories. The location added Macy's Backstage in 2018, bringing an off-price format into the store and extending the mall's value-oriented assortment.

• Department store outlet · 2014

  Dillard's clearance outlet

  Dillard's retained the second floor of its former large department-store footprint as a clearance outlet. The format sells marked-down merchandise, including goods transferred from other Dillard's locations.

• General merchandise · 2016

  Curacao

  Curacao occupies the former first-floor portion of Dillard's and offers a broad general-merchandise assortment. Its 2016 opening added a major value-oriented tenant to the mall's anchor mix.

• Auction and discount retail

  Nellis Auction Outlet

  Nellis Auction Outlet uses the former Sears space and sells a wide variety of merchandise. Its presence repurposes a vacated traditional department-store anchor with a discount and auction-oriented retail concept.

• 2007

  Police and SWAT search

  The mall remained open while police and a SWAT team searched for a suspect who had fled inside after a traffic stop.

  Source

• 2004

  Credit-card access fraud case connected to mall claims

  A man was arrested on allegations involving unlawful access to credit-card accounts after falsely claiming to be a millionaire member of a nonexistent family that he said owned the mall.

  Source

• 1995

  Carousel design criticized as culturally offensive

  The executive director of the Las Vegas Indian Center criticized a carousel carving depicting an American Indian head on the back of one of the ride's horses.

  Source

• 1993

  Fake bomb threat and evacuation

  The mall was temporarily evacuated after a teenager made bomb threats involving an object that proved to be fake.

  Source

Read more

• 2019

  Fast-track Round One openingProduct launch

  Background

  The mall sought to replace some traditional department-store activity with entertainment and experiential uses.

  Action taken

  Round One accelerated its plans and opened a 42,000-square-foot arcade and entertainment center in part of the Sears footprint, alongside demolition of the closed Sears Auto Center.

  Aftermath

  The venue opened on November 2, adding a substantial entertainment anchor before Sears closed its remaining mall store.

  Source

• 2014

  Repurpose part of Dillard's anchorStrategy

  Background

  Changing department-store economics reduced the need for Dillard's to operate its original full-size selling area.

  Action taken

  Dillard's closed the first floor of its 180,000-square-foot store and converted the second floor into a clearance outlet.

  Aftermath

  The vacant first-floor area was later leased to Curacao, which opened in 2016.

  Source

• 2003

  Modernize the mall while keeping it openStrategy

  Background

  General Growth Properties viewed the mall's 24-year-old presentation as outdated and believed a contemporary environment was needed to compete with newer Las Vegas shopping centers.

  Action taken

  The owner undertook a multimillion-dollar renovation involving interiors, facade, lighting, flooring, landscaping, escalators, restrooms, and the food court, with most work scheduled overnight.

  Aftermath

  The mall held a reopening celebration on November 21, 2003, after reporting that approximately 99 percent of the work was complete.

  Source

1. 1Meadows Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Meadows Mall official websitemeadowsmall.com