Oak View Mall
Oak View Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located at 3002 South 145th Street in West Omaha, Nebraska. In recent years, the mall has lost many iconic stores. This has led to the rapid decline of the mall. At its peak, there was 104 tenant spots on two floors of this regional mall, which was built in 1991. The mall is said to be one of America’s many dead malls. However, recent construction has generated the "Kids Coliseum" play area. Oak View was attributed with sparking a development "boom" in its approximate neighborhood, which now includes several major retailers, restaurants, and three national hotel chains. The mall's anchor stores are Dillard's, JCPenney and The Rush Market. There is one vacant anchor that served as the former location of The Rush Market as well as formerly housing a Younkers.
History
The mall opened in 1991. Official opening ceremonies held on October 3 of that year and included an appearance by Vanna White. At the time, the mall was the first enclosed mall to be built in Omaha in over 20 years. Melvin Simon & Associates developed the mall with local developer KVI Associates. After only one year, Simon sold the mall to Heitman Retail. A Barnes & Noble store opened outside the mall on July 7, 1995. Sears began negotiations to open at the mall in 1996.In 2005 the mall was the location of an attempted mall shooting similar to what happened at Westroads Mall in Omaha in December 2007. A security guard supervisor was allegedly fired for disarming and apprehending a suspected mall shooter before Omaha police were called to the scene. In August 2007 the Firefighter's Combat Challenge was held at the mall and broadcast on ESPN.