Three Rivers Mall
Three Rivers Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Kelso, Washington that opened in 1987, on the site of a former golf course, adjacent to Intersate 5. Previously owned by General Growth Properties, the mall was one of 30 malls that was spun off into Rouse Properties, the current mall owner, in 2012. The mall has three anchors: Macy's, JCPenney, and Sportsman's Warehouse, & Planet Fitness. Its original main anchors were The Bon Marche (which became Macy's), JCPenney, Sears (closed 2013), and Emporium (closed 2001).
The mall also has several freestanding businesses: Safeway (originally TOP Food & Drug), Target (opened 1990), and Pier 1 Imports. There are also several freestanding restaurants: Red Lobster, Izzy's Pizza, and Fiesta Bonita Mexican Restaurant. Regal Cinemas operated a freestanding theater until January, 2015 when it relocated into the main mall.
The Kelso Public Library moved its main branch to the mall in 2011.[1]
While the mall opened to great fanfare in 1987, bringing a variety of new stores to the area, as well as the relocation of Sears, JCPenney, and The Bon Marche from nearby downtown Longview, Washington, the mall began to struggle in the early 2000s, starting with the closure of the Emporium chain. A few tenants, such as a used car showroom, a seasonal Halloween store, and a church, occupied the former Emporium for brief periods of time until 2014. The decline in foot traffic prompted many smaller retailers to close, and some chains present in the mall such as Radio Shack, Sam Goody, and K-B Toys, were also closed as those chains struggled. The food court also dwindled down to a couple of local tenants. Sears announced late in 2012[2] that they would close their store in the mall in January 2013,[3] which further reduced foot traffic. Among the businesses that left after Sears closed were Big 5 Sporting Goods,[4] Fred Meyer Jewelers,[5] and Mr. Formal.[5] Chuck E. Cheese's also closed their location inside the mall.[6]
Despite the recent struggles, some redevelopment is occurring. Sportsman's Warehouse has remodeled the Emporium space and opened in July, 2014.[7] The former Sears store has been demolished, and Regal Cinemas has constructed a new theater on the former Sears site, which replaced the mall's freestanding theater, as well as the Triangle Cinemas in nearby Longview. The new theater opened in January, 2015.[8] It was announced in September, 2014, that Planet Fitness will be moving into the former Chuck E. Cheese's site, plus some additional space. [9] Planet Fitness held its grand opening in January, 2015.[10]
In Popular Culture
An episode of the Food Network show Food Court Wars was filmed in the mall. The episode titled "Gaufre Gourmet vs. Pressed" originally aired on March 30, 2014.[11] The winner of the contest received one year of free rent in the food court, and Gaufre Gourmet opened for business in April, 2014. However, citing a lack of foot traffic, Gaufre Gourmet closed in September, 2014, and the owners have since opened a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[12]
References
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