NorthPark Mall

NorthPark Mall is a regional shopping center in Davenport, Iowa, serving customers across the Quad Cities area of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The Quad Cities commonly includes Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa and Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island in Illinois. The mall is located at 320 West Kimberly Road, northwest of the intersection of U.S. Highway 61, also known as Welcome Way, and U.S. Highway 6, or Kimberly Road. Its location places it within a major retail corridor serving communities on both sides of the Mississippi River. The mall opened on July 11, 1973. Its original anchor tenants were JCPenney, Younkers, and Montgomery Ward, reflecting the department-store-centered format that characterized many large American shopping centers of the period. A multimillion-dollar expansion in 1981 added Sears and Petersen Harned Von Maur. Petersen Harned later became associated with the Von Maur department-store name, and Von Maur remains one of NorthPark Mall's principal anchors. NorthPark's anchor lineup changed as department-store chains encountered financial and structural pressure. Montgomery Ward left after the chain went out of business in 2001. Dillard's replaced the former Montgomery Ward location in 2003, giving the mall a continuing department-store presence. Younkers closed in 2018 after its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, entered liquidation proceedings. Sears also closed in 2018 as part of a nationwide store-closure program. The two former anchor spaces remained vacant according to the referenced description of the mall, while Dillard's, JCPenney, and Von Maur continued to operate as the active anchor stores. NorthPark Mall can accommodate as many as 160 shops, although retail occupancy has not been uniform across the property. The corridor leading toward Von Maur and the former Sears space has been described as comparatively sparse. Like many established enclosed malls, NorthPark has undergone remodeling and renovation projects over time as its tenant mix and customer expectations changed. Its role is therefore broader than that of a single-store retail destination: it combines department stores, smaller specialty shops, food and service businesses, family activities, and recurring community programming. Regular mall programming has included educational activities and games for children, as well as a live-piano-music weekend in April. These events support the property's position as a community-oriented retail and leisure venue in addition to its traditional shopping function. NorthPark Mall is one of two operating shopping malls identified in the Quad Cities area, the other being SouthPark Mall in Moline, Illinois. NorthPark continues to be managed by Macerich, while the referenced material identifies the SouthPark property as having changed management in 2025. NorthPark's current identity is consequently that of an established Iowa regional mall anchored by Dillard's, JCPenney, and Von Maur, with a long operating history and a continuing need to manage vacant legacy department-store space.

NorthPark Mall opened in Davenport, Iowa, on July 11, 1973. From the beginning, it was designed as a major enclosed shopping destination for the Quad Cities, a bi-state market encompassing communities in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The mall's location on West Kimberly Road, near U.S. Highways 6 and 61, gave it access to a broad regional customer base rather than only the immediate Davenport population. The original anchor stores were JCPenney, Younkers, and Montgomery Ward. This combination reflected the retail structure of the early 1970s, when department stores were central to the commercial identity and customer traffic of enclosed malls. NorthPark expanded substantially in 1981 through a multimillion-dollar project. The expansion added Sears and Petersen Harned Von Maur, increasing the property's department-store presence and overall regional draw. The mall's anchor portfolio evolved as department-store retail changed. Montgomery Ward closed after the chain ceased operations in 2001. Dillard's took over the former Montgomery Ward location two years later, preserving the space as an active department-store anchor. Von Maur also continued as a principal tenant, while JCPenney remained part of the mall's long-term anchor base. NorthPark has been remodeled and renovated multiple times during its operating history. The property has been described as capable of accommodating up to 160 shops, although the condition of individual retail corridors has varied. In particular, the passage toward Von Maur and the former Sears anchor became relatively sparsely occupied, illustrating the pressure that established malls faced as department-store chains contracted and consumer shopping habits shifted. Two major anchor departures occurred in 2018. On April 18, the closure of Younkers was announced after The Bon-Ton Stores, its parent company, went out of business. The Younkers location closed on August 29. On May 31, Sears announced that its NorthPark store would be among 78 locations closed in a nationwide reduction program; the store shut on September 2. The former Younkers and Sears spaces were identified as vacant in the referenced account of the mall. Despite those departures, NorthPark retained Dillard's, JCPenney, and Von Maur as its active anchor stores. The property remains one of two operating malls identified in the Quad Cities region, alongside SouthPark Mall in Moline, Illinois. NorthPark continues to be managed by Macerich. Beyond conventional shopping, it has offered children's educational activities and games, a live piano music weekend in April, and other recurring events. These programs add a community and experiential dimension to a property whose principal role remains regional retail.

• 2018

  Younkers closes

  [1]NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org

  The Younkers location closed on August 29 after The Bon-Ton Stores went out of business.

• 2018

  Sears closes

  [1]NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org

  The Sears store closed on September 2 as part of a nationwide program to shut 78 Sears locations.

• 2003

  Dillard's replaces Montgomery Ward

  [1]NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org

  Dillard's replaced Montgomery Ward in the former anchor location two years after Montgomery Ward's closure.

• 2001

  Montgomery Ward closes

  [1]NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org

  Montgomery Ward left the mall after the department-store chain went out of business.

• 1981

  Major expansion adds new anchors

  [1]NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org

  A multimillion-dollar expansion added Sears and Petersen Harned Von Maur to the mall's anchor lineup.

• 1973

  NorthPark Mall opens

  [1]NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org

  NorthPark Mall opened in Davenport on July 11 with JCPenney, Younkers, and Montgomery Ward as its original anchor stores.

An established regional enclosed mall serving the broader Quad Cities market through department-store anchors, specialty retail, services, and community-oriented programming.

• Department store · 2003

  Dillard's

  Dillard's is one of NorthPark Mall's active anchor stores. It occupies the former Montgomery Ward anchor location, which the chain replaced in 2003. As a department-store anchor, it contributes broad merchandise coverage and regional draw to the mall.

• Department store · 1973

  JCPenney

  JCPenney was one of NorthPark Mall's original anchors when the property opened in 1973. It remains part of the mall's active anchor lineup and provides department-store apparel, home, and general merchandise within the regional shopping-center format.

• Department store · 1981

  Von Maur

  Von Maur traces its NorthPark presence to the 1981 expansion, when Petersen Harned Von Maur was added as an anchor. The store remains one of the mall's principal active anchors and is associated with a dedicated mall corridor.

• Shopping-center tenant mix

  NorthPark Mall specialty retail and services

  NorthPark Mall can accommodate up to 160 shops, including specialty retailers, food and beverage businesses, and service providers. The exact current tenant roster is not established by the supplied reference material.

• Children's educational activities and games

  Davenport · Quad Cities

  The mall offers educational activities and games for children as part of its recurring family-oriented programming.

  Source
• April live piano music weekend

  Davenport · Quad Cities

  NorthPark Mall has hosted a live piano music weekend in April as part of its regular event programming.

  Source

• 2018

  Manage the departure of Younkers and SearsOther

  Background

  Younkers closed following the liquidation of The Bon-Ton Stores, while Sears selected its NorthPark location for closure in a nationwide store-reduction program.

  Action taken

  Younkers closed on August 29 and Sears closed on September 2.

  Aftermath

  The mall retained Dillard's, JCPenney, and Von Maur as active anchors, while the former Younkers and Sears spaces were identified as vacant.

  Source

• 2003

  Replace the former Montgomery Ward anchor with Dillard'sGeneration change

  Background

  Montgomery Ward's closure in 2001 left a major anchor space available after the chain went out of business.

  Action taken

  Dillard's replaced Montgomery Ward two years later.

  Aftermath

  The former Montgomery Ward space continued operating as a department-store anchor.

  Source

• 1981

  Expand the mall and add two anchor storesStrategy

  Background

  NorthPark expanded during a period when large department stores were central to enclosed-mall traffic generation.

  Action taken

  A multimillion-dollar expansion added Sears and Petersen Harned Von Maur.

  Aftermath

  The expansion broadened the mall's anchor lineup and increased its regional shopping-center capacity.

  Source

1. 1NorthPark Mall (Iowa)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2NorthPark Mall official websitenorth-park-mall-ia.com