Gateway Fashion Mall : BismarckPride.com - Your Bismarck-Mandan Database

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Gateway Fashion Mall after its recent renovation.

Gateway Fashion Mall is a regional shopping center that opened in September 1979 with original anchors Sears, White Mart, Osco Drug, and A.W. Lucas. At one time Gateway’s movie theater, operated by Midcontinent Media (now Carmike Theaters), was the largest in the city. As of January 2010, the center’s only retail anchor is Sears. Famous Labels is expected to occupy the center anchor in Spring 2010.

Gateway Mall helped contribute to the decay of downtown Bismarck, in addition to the Interstate and Kirkwood Mall. All original anchors had previous locations in downtown Bismarck. Although the White Mart concept itself was new to Bismarck, the company operated White Drug in downtown.

Long-Troubled History

Since its opening, Gateway Mall has been plagued with vacancy problems. After 80 years in business, local department store A.W. Lucas closed not long after the opening of Gateway Mall. The space was soon taken over by Herbergers, who also departed in 1994 upon expanding its Kirkwood Mall location. White Mart closed in 1986, and was replaced by Menards, who has since left after building their own store just north of the mall.

The former Lucas/Herbergers spot was shortly filled with Jacobs Trading Company (later called World’s Greatest Deals), which was a clearance-style department store similar to Big Lots. Upon their departure in 1997, this space was unable to hold a stable tenant until Conlin’s Furniture moved into the space in 2004. The former Menards location was converted into Hancock Fabrics and a “Medical Mall”.

Reinventing Gateway Mall

Interior of Gateway Fashion Mall

Between 2003-2006, Gateway Mall was sold a total of three times. Its current owner, Raymond Arjmand, announced major renovation and expansion plans for the newly named “Gateway Fashion Mall” immediately after its purchase. Renovation was completed on the dated mall in 2009.

At the time of Ajmand’s renovation announcement, it was rumored that Macy’s Department Store would establish itself as a new anchor, however since the 2006 announcement, there has been no official confirmation. Interestingly, when May Department Stores purchased Marshall Field’s from Target Corporation in 2005, the company chose not to convert the Bismarck location to Macy’s, and instead closed the store.

By the end of 2006, it was reported that Gateway Mall was 100% leased – the first time in several years. The multi-million dollar renovation was fully completed by early 2009 and things appeared promising for the reinvented shopping center.

Recent Troubles

Vacant spaces such as this are becoming a frequent sight

CVS/pharmacy, an original tenant (as Osco Drug), departed Gateway Mall in February 2009 upon relocating into a brand-new freestanding store. This would prove to be only the first blow to the center throughout 2009.

On June 26, 2009, Conlin’s Furniture and Joy’s Hallmark announced that they were leaving Gateway Mall. This marks the fourth time a major store has vacated the anchor space currently occupied by Conlin’s. Joy’s Hallmark, which will continue its location at Kirkwood Mall, had been a tenant at Gateway for over 20 years. Conlin’s Furniture closed its Gateway Mall location on December 23.

In July 2009, the owner of Joy’s Hallmark filed a lawsuit against Gateway Fashion Mall’s current owner, Raymond Arjmand, with allegations of fraud and misuse of money. Not longer after, it was announced that Arjmand was facing similar lawsuits at two malls he owns in California.

On September 25, it was announced that another long-time tenant, Hansen’s Menswear, would be departing sometime in October.

New Anchor Annonced

In March 2010, Gateway Mall announced that Famous Labels, a deep-discount retail chain, has signed a lease to occupy the center anchor space, which was vacated by Conlin’s Furniture two months earlier. The announcement comes as great relief after more than a year of repeated bad luck for the shopping center.

Dining Options

Gateway Mall does have a food court, however has been unable to retain tenants for the court. Subway is currently the only tenant within the court, and only with limited hours. Past restaurants in the food court have included Orange Julius, Papa D’s Pizza, and Taco Tina’s.

There are also two sit-down restaurants located within the center, Chinatown and the Rock’n 50’s Cafe, in addition to a coffee shop.