# Mall of the Bluffs

Council Bluffs, IA · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-0c4aef8cf2` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ia/council-bluffs-mall-of-the-bluffs/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-0c4aef8cf2.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-0c4aef8cf2.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-0c4aef8cf2

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | operating | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | retail | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | Menards | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1986 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Closed | 2019 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2023 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | General Growth Properties | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Menards | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_opened**: “Built in 1986.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- **year_closed**: “The mall closed on December 30, 2019,” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- **original_developer**: “Developed by General Growth Properties” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- **after_notes**: “Menards officially opened August 15th, 2023, 4 years after the mall closure.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- **status**: “Menards officially opened August 15th, 2023, 4 years after the mall closure.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- **strategy**: “The mall closed on December 30, 2019, and demolition began one year later.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs

## Anchors

Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Target, J. C. Penney

## Parties

- General Growth Properties — owner (from text) (1986–2013)
- Namdar Realty Group — owner (from text) (2013–2019)
- Menards — owner (from text) (2019–)

## Timeline

- 1986: Mall opened
- 2008: J. C. Penney moved out
- 2009: Target moved out
- 2011: Barnes & Noble closed
- 2012: Sears closed
- 2013: Sold to Namdar Realty Group
- 2015: Put up for auction
- 2019: Mall closed
- 2020: Demolition began
- 2023: Menards opened

## Deals and debt

- 2019 sale:  Menards   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- 2015 auction:     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs
- 2013 sale:  Namdar Realty Group ← General Growth Properties  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_opened — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_of_the_Bluffs

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Mall of the Bluffs, Council Bluffs, IA." Record m-0c4aef8cf2, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ia/council-bluffs-mall-of-the-bluffs/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_councilbluffsmallofthebluffs,
  title = {Mall of the Bluffs, Council Bluffs, IA},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ia/council-bluffs-mall-of-the-bluffs/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-0c4aef8cf2, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.