An extant asset
In the far southern reaches of the Denver metropolitan area, just outside of the limits of the city and county of Denver is one of the city’s newest traditional shopping malls. Marketed as Colorado’s only “retail resort,” Park Meadows occupies an expansive, raised lot with views of the Front Range just to the west.
1- The northeastern facing exterior of Park Meadows. 2- One of the main entrances. 3- Nordstrom’s edifice. 4- The JCPenney store. 5- Dillard’s south face. 6- Macy’s from The Vistas outdoor plaza.
It was a mission of mine to finally visit both Park Meadows and Cherry Creek Shopping Center, with the latter located closed to the city center. Decades earlier on my first ever trip to the high plains metropolis, I had picked up mallmanacs for both retail destinations at the then new Denver International Airport without knowing if I’d ever visit each place. I finally decided to do just that.
Park Meadows Mall Mallmanac ca. 2000. View the full PDF version here.
I disembarked the E Line of RTD’s light rail system at the County Line Station, which provides fantastic wide views of the entire complex. Attractive in a nineties sort of way, the earth tone brink as well as striking red roofs gave the impression of an oversized ski lodge, though no real mountains are in the immediate vicinity.
Scenes of The Vista at Park Meadows, the outdoor “lifestyle” element added to the southwest facing portion of the mall where Lord & Taylor once stood.
The common areas of Park Meadows, both inside and in the “lifestyle” element tacked onto the front face of the complex, showcases rocky water elements, evergreen trees and wood accents as well as brands Coach, The North face or Anthropologie that one might see in nearby Aspen or Vail.
1- Looking out to The Vista from Park Meadow’s main entrance. 2 to 6- Inside Park Meadows Mall.
A relatively recent addition to the Front Range retail scene, Park Meadows opened in 1996 with Dillard’s and Colorado’s first Nordstrom anchoring the more than 100 mall retailers. Before the turn of the century, more mid-scale department stores Foley’s, Denver based Joslin’s and stalwart JCPenney opened their locations.
Park Meadows Mall lease plan ca. 2011. View the full PDF version here.
When Dillard’s bought out Joslin’s just around a year after its opening, the latter’s establishment was sold to Lord & Taylor which opened in 1999. By this time the largest shopping complex in the metropolitan area, Galyan’s, a sporting goods retailer, opened in the following years on the site of the former United Artists multiplex.
In and around the ski chalet inspired center court.
Lord & Taylor, as part of their retrenchment to the northeast, closed their doors in 2004. Its pad was completely leveled and in its place was developed a new main entrance on the lower level, a Borders on the upper level, and an outdoor “lifestyle” element featuring a creek running down its main walkway.
1- Nordstrom’s mall entrance. 2- Macy’s on the upper level. 3- JCPenney. 4- Where Dillard’s opens into Park Meadows. 5- The entrance to The Dining Hall food court. 6- Dick’s ingress to the mall located in The Dining Hall. 7 & 8- Inside Park Meadow’s sizeable food court.
In the ensuing years, Macy’s took over the Foley’s outlet, Dick’s Sporting Goods moved into Galyan’s old digs and retailer Forever 21 traded Border’s books and music for their selection of fast fashion. In recent years, brands like Psycho Bunny, Vuori and Blue Nile have opened their own outlets.
Park Meadows Mall Mallmanac ca. 2024. View the full PDF version here.
All too soon, the R train had arrived at the adjacent County Line Station to whisk me away to my next destination, Town Center at Aurora just as the Saturday crowds started filling the parking lot and the corridors of Park Meadows. And I can confidently say that these crowds won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
1 to 3- What I call the Reindeer Court located just outside of Dillard’s. 4 to 6- Park Meadow’s main corridor.
No comments:
Post a Comment