FASHION UPDATE

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Apr 25, 2008 by Michael Hooper

By Michael Hooper

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

West Ridge Mall opened 20 years ago as the largest regional shopping mall in the Topeka area.

The teal and peach colors found throughout the mall were popular then, but now they are outdated and a new look is needed to keep the mall fresh and competitive. Vanna White, who came to Topeka for the grand opening of West Ridge Mall, doesn't wear the same dresses today as she did in 1988.

"If we don't change with the times, it would hurt," said Vicki Hosman, marketing manager at West Ridge Mall. "We need to keep it new and fresh."

Simon Property Group, owner of West Ridge Mall, announced Thursday plans to spend $7 million on new interior and exterior features and amenities, such as additional seating, larger restrooms, redesigned entrances, landscaping, lighting, new flooring and handrails. The neon Food Court sign will be coming down as the entire food court gets a face-lift. The second floor will include some carpet. Soft seating areas will be added throughout the mall.

The 1.1 million-square-foot mall, anchored by Macy's, Sears, Dillards, JCPenney and Burlington Coat Factory, serves a trade area of 204,207 people in northeast Kansas. The median customer age is 37.2.

Hosman said the new colors would include earth tones, such as stone, brown, basic black and gray.

"We've got gray now, but it's with the teal and the peach," Hosman said. "It's been 20 years. We need to update it."

Construction will start right away and be completed by November. The Law Company, of Wichita, the builder of the mall, is in charge of the renovation project.

Arlin Meats, mall manager, said most of the construction will occur at night. He said there will be challenges, but the mall will remain open throughout the project.

Michael Tubridy, global information specialist with the International Council of Shopping Centers, said malls like West Ridge need to change up tenants and renovate appearances in order to remain competitive.

"Re-tenanting means changing the lineup of the stores in the center, making sure there is the most desirable stores," Tubridy said.

Hosman said the tenant list at the mall has changed quite a bit over the years. Montgomery Ward, an anchor that closed in 1991, was replaced by Burlington Coat Factory in 2007.

Bailey, Banks & Biddle, a jeweler, was in the mall after it opened, but it has since departed. There used to be just one cell phone retailer in the mall, but now there are nine or 10. The Jones Store became Macy's in 2006.

Tubridy said he didn't think Legends at Village West in Wyandotte County and Zona Rosa in Kansas City, Mo., were pulling customers from West Ridge Mall.

Zona Rosa is a lifestyle mall with loft apartments and streets like a downtown shopping district at 8640 N. Dixson Ave., Kansas City, Mo.

In Topeka, developers proposed building a lifestyle center at the Shops at RiverHill, but growth has been slow there. Hollywood Theaters 14 opened in 2005 at the Shops at RiverHill, followed by two restaurants and a bank.

J. Mark Wittenburg, president of Batis Development, developer of the Shops at RiverHill, said he works with potential tenants.

"We continue to believe it will be wonderful project for the community," Wittenburg said. "Sometimes they take longer than you think."

Wittenburg said retail has bounced back on S.W. Wanamaker Road compared to five years ago when there were several vacancies, including the former Stein Mart, Circuit City and Montgomery Ward.

"Now there are no vacancies," he said. "Retail has shown a resurgence."

Michael Hooper can be reached

at (785) 295-1293

or michael.hooper@cjonline.com.