Vancouver Mall

Vancouver Mall is a regional enclosed shopping center in Vancouver, Washington, in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. It occupies a strategically located site near the interchange of Interstate 205 and State Route 500 and has historically served shoppers from southwest Washington as well as the wider Portland region. The property opened on August 17, 1977, after plans were announced in 1972 by California-based Newman Properties and St. Louis-based May Centers. The original development was conceived as a two-level, fully enclosed mall with an estimated development cost of approximately $50 million. The mall opened with Meier & Frank, Nordstrom, and Sears as its principal anchor stores. A JCPenney was added during the second phase of development, while a planned Lipman's store was ultimately replaced by Mervyn's. The property was initially located in an unincorporated part of Clark County; it became part of the City of Vancouver in 1993. The same year, the mall added a new food court and renovated its interior. In 1994, May Centers sold the property to Westfield America as part of a broader sale of May-owned malls. Under Westfield ownership, the property was renamed Westfield Shoppingtown Vancouver in 1998 and later became Westfield Vancouver when the Shoppingtown designation was removed in 2005. During this period, the mall underwent several changes to its department-store portfolio and physical layout. Sears received interior and exterior improvements in 2003, while Meier & Frank was expanded in 2005–2006. Following Federated Department Stores' acquisition of May Department Stores, Meier & Frank was converted to Macy's in September 2006. Mervyn's closed in January 2007, and its former space was eventually converted into a multiplex cinema. Westfield considered larger redevelopment concepts in the late 2000s, including additional retail space and a lifestyle-oriented district, but those proposals were not completed. A substantial renovation announced in 2011 introduced new flooring, lighting, escalators, exterior entrances, and tenants; the work was completed in July 2012. Cinetopia opened a multiplex in the former Mervyn's location shortly afterward. AMC Theatres acquired Cinetopia in 2019 and subsequently rebranded the cinema under the AMC name. Nordstrom announced its departure in 2014, and the store closed in January 2015. Its former space was later divided for Gold's Gym and H&M. In December 2015, Vancouver Mall was sold by Westfield to Centennial Real Estate for $45 million, and the Westfield name was removed from the property. Sears later announced a nationwide closure program in 2018 and closed its Vancouver Mall store that November after more than four decades. The former Sears space was redeveloped for Hobby Lobby and Round One Entertainment, with Hobby Lobby opening in September 2020 and Round One opening in April 2021. The Sears building and associated land were sold to Allen Properties of Oregon in 2022. The mall has continued to rebalance its tenant mix as department stores and specialty retailers have entered and exited the property. Newer or returning tenants have included Hobby Lobby, Round One, Tillys, Windsor, Sephora, The Good Feet Store, Carter's, Hollister, MINISO, BoxLunch, Pandora, and JD Sports. The property also added freestanding food operators including Five Guys and Chick-fil-A. At the same time, the 2020s brought closures by numerous national chains, reflecting broader changes in department-store retail, specialty apparel, and mall-based commerce. Vancouver Mall temporarily closed on March 17, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some retailers introduced curbside pickup in late May, and the center announced a restricted reopening on June 10, 2020, with health and safety measures. A further cosmetic interior renovation, announced in October 2020, included new carpeting, seating areas, and other small improvements. The property remains an active regional shopping and entertainment destination, combining department stores, apparel and specialty retail, restaurants, fitness, family entertainment, and cinema uses.

Vancouver Mall was developed as a major enclosed retail project for the rapidly growing Vancouver, Washington, area and the broader Portland metropolitan market. Newman Properties and May Centers announced the project in December 1972. The planned mall was designed as a two-level enclosed structure at the intersection of Interstate 205 and State Route 500, infrastructure that helped make the site accessible from both Washington and Oregon. Development was planned in two phases and was reported at the time as a roughly $50 million project. The center opened on August 17, 1977, with Meier & Frank, Nordstrom, and Sears as its principal anchors. JCPenney joined during the second phase. A Lipman's store had been contemplated but was never built; Mervyn's eventually occupied the space associated with that plan. An oak tree planted near the southwest side of the property for the grand opening remains a notable physical reminder of the mall's early history. Although now situated within Vancouver, the mall property was in unincorporated Clark County until 1993. That year brought both a new food court and an interior renovation. In 1994, May Centers sold the mall to Westfield America. Westfield subsequently changed the branding to Westfield Shoppingtown Vancouver in 1998. The Shoppingtown wording was abandoned in 2005, leaving Westfield Vancouver as the formal name, although local residents continued to use Vancouver Mall. The property evolved through changes in department-store ownership and mall redevelopment. Sears underwent renovation work in 2003. Meier & Frank was expanded in 2005 and 2006, but the store was converted to Macy's in September 2006 after Federated Department Stores acquired May Department Stores. Mervyn's closed in January 2007. Westfield explored additional expansion and a lifestyle district during the late 2000s, but neither plan was realized, in part against a backdrop of elevated vacancy. A major renovation announced in 2011 was completed in July 2012. It included new flooring and lighting, improved exterior entrances, escalator work, and changes to the tenant lineup. The former Mervyn's space became a Cinetopia multiplex in 2012. AMC Theatres acquired Cinetopia in 2019, leading to the cinema's rebranding under the AMC banner. Nordstrom announced in 2014 that it would leave the mall, and its store closed in January 2015. The former Nordstrom space was subsequently adapted for Gold's Gym and H&M. Later in 2015, Westfield sold Vancouver Mall to Centennial Real Estate. The transaction was completed on December 18, and the Westfield name was removed from signage and other property references. Sears announced another closure in 2018, and its Vancouver Mall store shut on November 25 after operating at the center since its 1977 opening. The former Sears location became the focus of a significant tenant-repositioning project. Hobby Lobby and Round One Entertainment were announced for the space in 2019. Work began in September 2019, but pandemic-related construction disruption delayed the schedule. Hobby Lobby opened in September 2020, followed by Round One in April 2021. The Sears building and related land were sold to Allen Properties of Oregon in 2022. Sephora also opened a second mall location in the former Sears auto-center area. The mall added and lost numerous specialty retailers during the 2020s. Closures included chains such as Michael Kors, GNC, The Walking Company, Kay Jewelers, Aveda, The Children's Place, Gymboree, Charlotte Russe, Christopher & Banks, Justice, Starbucks, Aldo, Loft, Aeropostale, and See's Candies. New or returning tenants included Tillys, Windsor, Sephora, The Good Feet Store, Hobby Lobby, Round One, Carter's, Hollister, MINISO, BoxLunch, Pandora, and JD Sports. Five Guys and Chick-fil-A also opened in freestanding buildings in the southwest parking area. The COVID-19 pandemic produced an additional operational interruption. Vancouver Mall closed on March 17, 2020, while some retailers later offered curbside pickup. The center reopened on June 10 with restrictions and safety protocols. In October 2020, management announced another interior refresh involving new carpets, seating, and minor cosmetic improvements. On October 31, 2024, a shooting took place in the food court during a Halloween event. Police and media accounts reported one fatality and two non-fatal injuries and characterized the incident as targeted. The event became the most serious publicly documented safety incident in the mall's recent history. Retail turnover continued into 2025, including the reported departures of Forever 21, Francesca's, FYE, and Orange Julius, alongside the reported additions of Pandora, JD Sports, and the return of Kay Jewelers.

• 2024

  Fatal shooting during Halloween event

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A food-court shooting during a Halloween event killed one person and injured two others.

• 2021

  Round One opens

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Round One Entertainment held its grand opening in the former Sears space.

• 2020

  Pandemic closure and reopening

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall closed temporarily in March and reopened in June with restrictions and safety measures.

• 2018

  Sears closes

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears store closed on November 25 after the chain selected it for closure.

• 2015

  Centennial Real Estate becomes owner

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Centennial Real Estate acquired the mall from Westfield and restored the Vancouver Mall name.

• 2012

  Renovation and Cinetopia opening

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A broad mall renovation was completed, and Cinetopia opened a multiplex in the former Mervyn's space.

• 2006

  Meier & Frank becomes Macy's

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Following Federated's acquisition of May Department Stores, the expanded Meier & Frank store was converted to Macy's.

• 2005

  Shoppingtown branding removed

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The property became known as Westfield Vancouver after the Shoppingtown designation was dropped.

• 1998

  Renamed Westfield Shoppingtown Vancouver

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Westfield introduced the Shoppingtown branding for the property.

• 1994

  Westfield acquires the mall

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  May Centers sold Vancouver Mall to Westfield America.

• 1993

  Food court and interior renovation completed

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall added a new food court and renovated its interior.

• 1977

  Vancouver Mall opens

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opened on August 17 with Meier & Frank, Nordstrom, and Sears as anchor stores.

• 1972

  Development plans announced

  [1]Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Newman Properties and May Centers announced plans for a two-level enclosed mall near the planned Interstate 205 and State Route 500 interchange.

A large regional shopping, dining, entertainment, and services destination serving Vancouver, southwest Washington, and the Portland metropolitan area.

• Retail · 1977

  Department-store retail

  Department stores have been central to Vancouver Mall's commercial identity since opening. The original anchor lineup included Meier & Frank, Nordstrom, and Sears; Meier & Frank later became Macy's, while JCPenney remains another principal department-store anchor. These stores provide apparel, footwear, beauty, accessories, home merchandise, and seasonal goods.

• Retail · 1977

  Specialty fashion and accessories

  The mall's specialty retail mix covers fast fashion, contemporary apparel, youth fashion, footwear, jewelry, and accessories. H&M, Old Navy, Tillys, Windsor, Hollister, JD Sports, Pandora, and other specialty operators represent the center's effort to maintain relevance as department-store and mall retail patterns change.

• Retail · 2020

  Home, craft, and lifestyle retail

  Hobby Lobby expanded the mall's home-decor, craft, seasonal, and creative-merchandise offer when it opened in the former Sears space in 2020. The center also includes service-oriented and lifestyle tenants, including fitness, beauty, and specialty retail providers.

• Entertainment · 2012

  Entertainment and leisure

  Entertainment has become an increasingly important part of the mall's tenant strategy. The former Mervyn's space became a multiplex cinema in 2012, later operated under the AMC brand after AMC acquired Cinetopia. Round One added bowling, arcade, and other family-oriented entertainment uses in the former Sears space in 2021, while Gold's Gym provides a fitness anchor.

• Food service · 1993

  Dining and food services

  Vancouver Mall offers food-court and restaurant options designed to support both shopping trips and entertainment visits. Freestanding Five Guys and Chick-fil-A locations opened in the southwest parking area in 2020 and 2021, adding recognizable quick-service brands beyond the enclosed mall.

• 2024

  Fatal shooting during Halloween event

  On October 31, 2024, a masked gunman opened fire in the food court during a Halloween trick-or-treat event. One person was killed and two others were injured. The Vancouver Police Department later identified the alleged shooter and described the incident as a targeted attack.

  Source

Read more

• 2020

  Pandemic operating responseOther

  Background

  Public-health restrictions and a state construction halt disrupted mall operations and delayed redevelopment work.

  Action taken

  The mall closed temporarily, supported curbside pickup where possible, and reopened on June 10 with restrictions and safety measures.

  Aftermath

  The center continued operating while facing substantial tenant turnover and later undertook a minor interior refresh.

  Source

• 2019

  Redevelopment of former Sears spaceStrategy

  Background

  Sears closed in 2018, leaving a large anchor vacancy that required repositioning.

  Action taken

  The mall announced Hobby Lobby and Round One Entertainment for the former Sears space.

  Aftermath

  Hobby Lobby opened in September 2020 and Round One opened in April 2021, adding craft retail and experiential entertainment.

  Source

• 2015

  Sale from Westfield to Centennial Real EstateM&A

  Background

  Westfield sold a group of U.S. properties as part of a change in ownership strategy.

  Action taken

  Centennial Real Estate acquired Vancouver Mall and removed the Westfield branding from the property.

  Aftermath

  The mall resumed use of the Vancouver Mall name while existing management was retained.

  Reported sale price. $45 million (December 18, 2015)

  Source

• 2012

  Major mall renovationGeneration change

  Background

  The property required a contemporary physical environment and a refreshed tenant proposition after several decades of operation.

  Action taken

  Management renovated floors, lighting, escalators, exterior entrances, and other interior and exterior elements, completing the project in July 2012.

  Aftermath

  The renovation was followed by the opening of a Cinetopia multiplex in the former Mervyn's space.

  Source

1. 1Vancouver Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vancouver Mall official websiteshopvancouvermall.com