Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Iowa

Mall of the Bluffs

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedOperatingCouncil Bluffs, IA

Opened 1986. Closed 2019. Redeveloped in 2023.

Status nowOperatingextracted, unreviewed
documented
Menards officially opened August 15th, 2023, 4 years after the mall closure.

en.wikipedia.org

What it becameretailextracted, unreviewed reported
Retrofit year2023extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability10.3 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Claim this site Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.

Mall of the Bluffs
Exterior view of a shopping center parking lot with carts and cars. · verified by a vision model. Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile18 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
Dillard'sThis site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with this
J. C. PenneyThis site: J. C. Penney wikipedia · all sites with this
JCPenneyThis site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with this
SearsThis site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
AuctionThis site: …scope: property research-deals · all sites with this
On FacebookThis site: …https://www.facebook.com/113770022043168 overture · all sites with this
Website dead or redirectingThis site: …http://www.mallofthebluffs.com overture / http check · all sites with this
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
3+ other atlas sites within 10 kmThis site: 9 within 10 km computed · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 30,700 on I 80 W fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Bike network nearbyThis site: 25 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this
County lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012This site: -18% census-cbp · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 3 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
High tornado riskThis site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with this
Interstate or freeway within 600 mThis site: I 80 W fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Shrinking countyThis site: -0.1% census-acs · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: Menards extraction · all sites with this
New use
Retail (continued)This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusOperatingextracted, unreviewed
documented
Menards officially opened August 15th, 2023, 4 years after the mall closure.

en.wikipedia.org

StrategyRedevelopedextracted, unreviewed
documented
The mall closed on December 30, 2019, and demolition began one year later.

en.wikipedia.org

New usesretailextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there nowMenardsextracted, unreviewed
documented
Menards officially opened August 15th, 2023, 4 years after the mall closure.

en.wikipedia.org

Retrofit year2023extracted, unreviewed reported
DeveloperMenardsextracted, unreviewed

History and original facts

Opened1986extracted, unreviewed
documented
Built in 1986.

en.wikipedia.org

Closed2019extracted, unreviewed
documented
The mall closed on December 30, 2019,

en.wikipedia.org

Original developerGeneral Growth Propertiesextracted, unreviewed
documented
Developed by General Growth Properties

en.wikipedia.org

AnchorsDillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Target, J. C. Penney
CountyPottawattamie County
Census division4 · West North Central
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Planning

No zoning change, subsidy or policy tool recorded for this site.

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
2019Sold—MenardsWikipedia
2015Auction—Wikipedia
2013Sold—Namdar Realty Group ← General Growth PropertiesWikipedia

Securitised debt and public filers

Filings (2001 to date) that name “Mall of the Bluffs” and “Council Bluffs” (55 hits, first 55 sampled, 9 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.

KindFilerFilingsDatesForms
Public owner (strong)General Growth Properties, Inc.172011-03-01 to 2014-02-038-K 14, 10-K 3
Public owner (strong)GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES INC162001-03-19 to 2010-08-3010-K 9, 8-K 6, 10-K/A 1

As reported by the owner

Property tables from the owner's annual report (Form 10-K, Item 2) on EDGAR, one row per filing year. GLA, occupancy and anchors are the filer's own figures at that year end; “leased” counts signed leases, “occupied” counts open stores; ownership is the filer's share. Matched by name and place, unreviewed; the verbatim table row is in sec_facts.csv.

Year endFilerName in filingGLA sq ftOccupancyYearsShareSales psfAnchors listed
2006General Growth Properties 10-K, 2007-03-01Mall of the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA
match: exact		703,732Dillard’s, Hy-Vee, JCPenney, Sears, Target

Site context

FEMA flood zoneX · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m4: FUJI PHOTO FILM USA INC; OKLAHOMA INSTALLATION CO/DILLARDS; SEARS 2022; WALGREENS 1781 - FORMER SITE OFEPA FRS
Census tract 191550312003,432 people, 2,042 per sq mi; median household income $83,864; median gross rent $1,412; 35% renters; 0.7% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 10.3 of 20; 89 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.79; 54,784 jobs within 45 min by car; 8% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)5 of 6 daily needs: 3 grocers, 0 schools, 1 parks or playgrounds, 5 health, 2 civic, 12 food and drink; 25 cycleway segments, 23 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity ZonenoHUD
Housing permits, Pottawattamie County (IA), 2024566 units in 5+ unit buildings, 10 in 2–4, 105 single-family; 2023: 43 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.35; socioeconomic 0.14; housing and transport 0.55; 17% below 150% of poverty; 8% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby9 within 10 km, 15 within 25 km: Midlands Mall (2.8 km); Union Pacific Harriman Dispatch Center (8.7 km); Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District (8.9 km); Nash Block (8.9 km); Burlington Headquarters Building (9.0 km)computed
Overture Mapsplace Mall of the Bluffs (shopping_mall, confidence 0.69, from Foursquare, Overture, Overture-signals); building footprint 19,493 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and socialwww.mallofthebluffs.com (down or redirecting, status 0) · social: facebookOverture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views16,420 since 2015; 2,010 in the last 12 months (-10% vs the prior 12); peak 2020-12 with 584Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +8% (3,167 → 3,432); median income +36% ($61,891 → $83,864); renters 26% → 35%; median home value +47% ($144,800 → $212,400)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively moderate overall (score 63.2); expected annual loss $1.7M; high: tornado, hail, strong wind, winter weather; community resilience relatively moderateFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)5,398 jobs in 248 establishments; average annual pay $35,591; employment location quotient 1.31; employment -1.9% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 20221,284 jobs; 505 in retail trade, 219 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 19155031200)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 45th income percentile as adults; 0.4% incarcerated at the 2010 count (232 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 12.6%; median family income $81,389; 120 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsCouncil Bluffs Community School District (PK-12); 1 public school within 1 mile: Abraham Lincoln High SchoolNCES EDGE
Elevation1,006 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025163 county-logged events: 68 hail, 57 thunderstorm wind, 17 tornado, 10 flash flood; $625,000 property damage reported; 1 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 51503, 2026-09median list price $316,250 (+10.4% on the year); 91 active listings; median 32 days on market; 22% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023255 establishments (-18%); 6,148 jobs (+2%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $240,980 (+3% 1 yr, +30% 5 yr); typical rent $1,327/mo (+3% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025349 (2000 = 100); +0.7% 1 yr, +46% 5 yr, +82% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)30,700 vehicles a day on I 80 W (Interstate); 9,656 trucks; 21 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Mall of the Bluffs opened in 1986 with anchor stores J. C. Penney, Dillard's, Sears, and Target. Over the 2010s it lost JCPenney (2008), Target (2009), Barnes & Noble (2011), and Sears (2012), leading to declining tenancy. The mall closed in December 2019, demolition began in 2020, and Menards opened a new retail store on the site in 2023.

Why. The primary causes visible in the record are the loss of key anchor tenants and competition from other developments in Council Bluffs that drew those anchors away. No explicit mention of debt, financing issues, or demolition orders appears in the record.

Where it stands. The site is currently operating as a Menards retail store, with Menards listed as the owner from 2019 to present.

For a planner

  • The recorded strategy is 'redevelop' with a new use of 'retail', completed in 2023.
  • Opportunity score is 0.0 because the retrofit is already built, indicating no further incentive may be needed.
  • Open questions include long‑term retail viability, traffic impacts, and any needed updates to zoning or infrastructure.

For a developer

  • Site size is not specified in the record.
  • Control is held by Menards, who acquired the property in 2019 and oversaw the 2023 retrofit.
  • Entitlement stage appears complete: the retrofit was built and the store is operating.
  • Context‑layer constraints (flood, transit, environment) and market signals from tract data are not provided.

What we do not know yet

  • Site dimensions and parcel boundaries are unknown.
  • Zoning, land‑use approvals, and any remaining entitlements are not detailed.
  • Environmental conditions (e.g., floodplain, soil contamination) are not mentioned.
  • Transit access and proximity to major roads are absent from the record.
  • Local market demand for retail and competitive landscape post‑Menards are not described.
  • Some fields are marked as 'extraction' and the record is labeled 'draft', indicating potential unverification.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Midlands Mall, Council Bluffs, IA · Malls · opened 1986; closed 2019; also in IA
  • Berkshire Mall, Lanesborough, MA · Malls · opened 1988; closed 2019; same strategy: redevelop
  • Burlington Center, Burlington Township, NJ · Malls · opened 1982; closed 2018; same strategy: redevelop
  • Cary Towne Center, Cary, NC · Malls · opened 1979; closed 2021; same strategy: redevelop

Elsewhere on the web

Retail history: Mall Of The Bluffs on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • retrofit already built

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

Background

Mall of the Bluffs was a shopping mall in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. Built in 1986, the mall featured J. C. Penney, Dillard's, Sears, and Target as its anchor stores at its peak. After both JCPenney and Target moved to other developments in Council Bluffs, it began a sharp decline in tenancy throughout the 2010s. The mall closed on December 30, 2019, and demolition began one year later.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1986 Mall opened
  2. 2008 J. C. Penney moved out
  3. 2009 Target moved out
  4. 2011 Barnes & Noble closed
  5. 2012 Sears closed
  6. 2013 Sold to Namdar Realty Group
  7. 2015 Put up for auction
  8. 2019 Mall closed
  9. 2020 Demolition began
  10. 2023 Menards opened

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Mall of the Bluffs · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed, year opened
    16 quoted sentences
    Built in 1986.
    The mall closed on December 30, 2019,
    Developed by General Growth Properties
    Menards officially opened August 15th, 2023, 4 years after the mall closure.

More in Iowa

Midlands MallMidlands MallCouncil Bluffs, IA · 1994Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: officeOld Capital MallOld Capital MallCedar Rapids, IA · 2009Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: education and office4th Street LoftsDavenport, IA · 2007Reinhabited · 56 unit complex of loft apartmentsColumbia at Mechanicsville StationMechanicsville, IARedeveloped · Replaced the 41 acres (17 ha) 588-unit McDaniel-Glenn HomesCrossroads MallWaterloo, IARedeveloped · mixed use retail/housing developmentDavenport LoftsDavenport, IA · 2005Reinhabited · 73 units of loft apartments