Palouse Mall Explained

Palouse Mall
Location:Moscow, Idaho, U.S.
Coordinates:46.734°N -117.03°W
Address:1850 West Pullman Road
Opening Date:1976,
Developer:Earl D. McCarthy
Owner:Jameson Commercial Property Management, LLC
Number Of Anchors:7
Floor Area:400000lk=inNaNlk=in[1]
Floors:1
Parking:2,170 spaces
Website:palousemall.com

Palouse Mall (originally Palouse Empire Mall) is an enclosed shopping mall in the western United States, located in Moscow, Idaho. Opened in 1976, the mall is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael's, Old Navy, Rite Aid, Ross Stores, Target, and WinCo Foods.

The site is on the western edge of the city, near the state border with Washington. It is fronted by Pullman Road, State Highway 8, which becomes State Route 270 in Washington and connects to Pullman, the other chief city on the Palouse, 7miles west.

History

Grading of the property began in October 1974;[2] the first stores to open at the site were, from the east end, Kmart, Rosauers, and Pay 'n Save (now Rite Aid) drugstore, all in 1976.[3] The mall had been in development and the land on which it was built was leased from the University of Idaho.[4] The land was previously owned and farmed by the Mix family for several generations.[5] [6] Developer Earl D. McCarthy died and the ownership of the mall went to his children, Madeline Edgren and Mike McCarthy.[4] The main enclosed portion of the mall opened that featuring J. C. Penney and The Bon Marché (now Macy's) department stores,[7] and Lamonts opened the following August.[8]

Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, the mall underwent several changes in anchor stores. Rosauers became Excell Foods but was gone by 1992,[9] then Price Connection, which closed in 1995. After closing in 1995, the Kmart space was expanded by 13000square feet on its east end and converted to Waremart, now known as WinCo Foods.[10] A year later, the mall structure itself underwent a renovation,[4] held a grand re-opening in November 1997,[11] and dropped the "Empire" from its name.[12] The J. C. Penney store closed in 1998 and became Troutman's Emporium the same year.[13]

An outparcel at the west end originally occupied by Ernst Home Centers became Office Depot and Hastings Entertainment in 1999.[14] Gottschalks purchased the Lamonts chain in 2000.[15] [16] Emporium went out of business in 2003 and its space became Ross Stores two years later.[17] Gottschalks closed in January 2007 and was torn down for Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy;[18] Macy's closed in April 2016.[19] In 2016, the Office Depot space became Staples while Hastings Entertainment went out of business. In 2017, the Hastings Entertainment space became Marshalls and PetCo.

In September 2020, Target announced plans to open a store in the space vacated by Macy's.[20] The store opened in October 2021.[21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leasing. Palouse Mall. 13 September 2014.
  2. News: Mall construction begins . Idaho Argonaut . (Moscow) . (University of Idaho). Thomas . Sue . October 11, 1974 . 1.
  3. News: Mall, other facilities rising at Moscow . Spokane Daily Chronicle . (Washington) . Cross . Helen . April 30, 1976 . 3 .
  4. News: Palouse Mall set for first facelift. White. Vera. March 11, 1996. Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). 1B.
  5. News: Idaho seeks pasture land . Spokane Daily Chronicle . (Washington) . January 29, 1971 . a3.
  6. News: Oldtimers look back on Palouse area days gone by . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . (Idaho-Washington) . Smith . Georgie . December 27, 1993 . 1A.
  7. News: Chamber's guest speaker reviews mall's history . White . Vera . March 18, 1993. Moscow-Pullman Daily News . (Idaho-Washington) . 12A.
  8. News: Lamonts opens in Palouse Mall . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . August 10, 1980 . 4D.
  9. News: Palouse Empire Mall changes hands . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . (Idaho-Washington) . White . Vera . January 29, 1993 . 12A .
  10. News: Discount grocery store replacing Kmart . LaBoe . Barbara . August 12, 1995 . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . Idaho-Washington . 1A.
  11. News: Palouse Mall reopens Nov. 13 . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . (Idaho-Washington) . October 23, 1997. 3C .
  12. News: You will find it all at the Palouse Mall . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . Idaho-Washington . (advertisement) . August 13, 1998. 6A .
  13. News: Emporium takes over J. C. Penney's spot as mall anchor. 15 July 1998. Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. 13 September 2014.
  14. News: Palouse Mall lands chain store . Raquet . Murf . July 3, 1999 . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . (Idaho-Washington) . 1A.
  15. News: Gottschalks is buying Lamonts. Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. April 25, 2000 . 6A .
  16. News: Palouse Mall fills Lamonts space. Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Raquet . Murf . September 2, 2000 . 1C.
  17. News: Ross Dress for Less has designs on the region . Williams . Elaine . April 8, 2005 . Lewiston Tribune . (Idaho) . 1B.
  18. Web site: Make way for new stores . Moscow-Pullman Daily News . (Idaho-Washington) . December 9, 2006. 1C.
  19. Web site: Moscow, Spokane will lose their Macy's stores. January 7, 2016. Idaho Business Review.
  20. Web site: Target to open doors in the fall. August 6, 2021. The Lewiston Tribune.
  21. Web site: Doors swing open at Target in Moscow. Moscow-Pullman Daily News. October 20, 2021.