The Empire
The Empire Plaza Mall opened on September 24, 1975. The mall has drawn shoppers from far and wide since!
On November 27, 1972, Clint Caulke, spokesman for General Growth Properties announced the plan to build a new, $10 million mall in Sioux Falls. The Empire Plaza Mall, later called The Empire, was expected to employ a thousand, and bring hundreds of thousands in tax revenue annually. The Western mall had been chugging along nicely since 1968, and General Growth either thought the market could sustain another mall, or thought the new mall’s placement at the southeast corner of 41st street and Interstate 29 would put the four-year-old mall in its rear view mirror. The shopping venue was expected to open in 1975, and was expected to have 2 or three big anchor stores, and 60 specialty stores in its 645,000 square foot footprint.
The Empire’s building site had, at the time, the Great Lakes Pipeline running beneath it, bringing oil from Kansas to the tank farm on west 12th street. These would have to be re-routed before a foundation could be dug and poured.
Construction on the Empire Plaza started in July 1974 after all of the zoning, contracts, and permits were sorted out. By October of that year, JC Penney, Herberger’s, and Younker’s were named as the Empire’s anchors. Penney’s would include an 8-bay auto center.
The Empire was kind of a big deal and teased frequently in the Argus Leader with delicious little facts. For example:
Construction on the Empire Plaza started in July 1974 after all of the zoning, contracts, and permits were sorted out. By October of that year, JC Penney, Herberger’s, and Younker’s were named as the Empire’s anchors. Penney’s would include an 8-bay auto center.
The Empire was kind of a big deal and teased frequently in the Argus Leader with delicious little facts. For example:
- The total number of bricks used in construction, if stacked end to end, would stretch 95 miles.
- If stood vertically, the building would be twice as tall as the Empire State Building (sans antenna).
- The mall offered 15 acres of shopping space.
- Surrounding it were 60 acres of parking, with room for 3,500 cars.
- The distance from the Younkers entrance to the JCPenney entrance was a quarter mile.
The Grand Opening happened on the morning of Wednesday, September 24, after a bit of pomp and circumstance including a ribbon cutting with Martin and Matthew Bucksbaum, who conceived and developed the Empire, and representatives from Younkers and Herberger’s. While the attendance numbers for the opening week aren’t published, you can bet that it was well attended. One anchor missing from the opening ceremonies was JC Penney, which was expected to open in the spring.
The amazing fountain in the center court.
Herbergers to the south.
From the fountain looking toward Younkers.
Penney’s opened their new store in the Empire Plaza on April 21, 1976. There was a grand opening circular which celebrated all that JC Penney’s had to offer as well as boosting stores that had been there at the mall’s opening or had opened since. With the incoming anchor adding to the excitement of the mall, some somber news was to follow.
In November, 1976 Fantle’s announced its exit from the Empire. For health and personal reasons, owner David Cahill bowed out. There was likely a penalty for breaking a lease with Empire management. Less than a year later Cahill’s old boss, Dayton’s announced its intentions to become a new anchor at the Empire.
Dayton’s opened in July, 1978, with a soft opening starting on the 23rd for friends and family, then a noon opening the next day for shoppers.
Tiffany’s Bake Shop was open in the Empire by October, 1979. David and Karen Guse were the proprietors who filled the hallways of the Empire with the delectable scent of baked goods. My father always had to get an elephant ear when he saw a Tiffany’s in a mall.
At the beginning of 1981 Herberger’s left the Empire. The space it once occupied was cut into smaller spaces for a number of shops.
On March, 18, 1987 Sears Roebuck and Co. announced a move to the Empire in the spring of 1988. The new 100,700 square foot space would be the fourth anchor, drawing foot traffic to the southwest corner of the mall. To facilitate this change, the Gap and Tiffany’s Bake Shop would lose their spaces. Sears opened at the end of October, 1988.
In 2001, Dayton’s name was changed to Marshall Field’s in order “to increase the company’s brand and strengthen its competitive position”. Hudson’s department stores in other parts of the country were likewise rebranded. Five years later the name was changed to Macy’s.
The Empire Mall has been in a state of flux since it opened in 1975. Every mall is. Stores come and go. It would be an amazing time lapse to see the Empire as its changed over the years. In recent years malls across the nation have been hitting on hard times as online shopping increases and places like Amazon undercut the personal touch one can find at a local shop. This is the lament of many who have worshipped at the shopping meccas around the world. We miss the malls the way they were. Teaming with life, activity and especially the frenzy of holiday season commerce.
The Empire has thus far been a fairly resilient shopping center in the grand scheme of things. They’ve made improvements along the way and still essentially kept to their humble roots. Will this persist? Time will tell.
In November, 1976 Fantle’s announced its exit from the Empire. For health and personal reasons, owner David Cahill bowed out. There was likely a penalty for breaking a lease with Empire management. Less than a year later Cahill’s old boss, Dayton’s announced its intentions to become a new anchor at the Empire.
Dayton’s opened in July, 1978, with a soft opening starting on the 23rd for friends and family, then a noon opening the next day for shoppers.
Tiffany’s Bake Shop was open in the Empire by October, 1979. David and Karen Guse were the proprietors who filled the hallways of the Empire with the delectable scent of baked goods. My father always had to get an elephant ear when he saw a Tiffany’s in a mall.
At the beginning of 1981 Herberger’s left the Empire. The space it once occupied was cut into smaller spaces for a number of shops.
On March, 18, 1987 Sears Roebuck and Co. announced a move to the Empire in the spring of 1988. The new 100,700 square foot space would be the fourth anchor, drawing foot traffic to the southwest corner of the mall. To facilitate this change, the Gap and Tiffany’s Bake Shop would lose their spaces. Sears opened at the end of October, 1988.
In 2001, Dayton’s name was changed to Marshall Field’s in order “to increase the company’s brand and strengthen its competitive position”. Hudson’s department stores in other parts of the country were likewise rebranded. Five years later the name was changed to Macy’s.
The Empire Mall has been in a state of flux since it opened in 1975. Every mall is. Stores come and go. It would be an amazing time lapse to see the Empire as its changed over the years. In recent years malls across the nation have been hitting on hard times as online shopping increases and places like Amazon undercut the personal touch one can find at a local shop. This is the lament of many who have worshipped at the shopping meccas around the world. We miss the malls the way they were. Teaming with life, activity and especially the frenzy of holiday season commerce.
The Empire has thus far been a fairly resilient shopping center in the grand scheme of things. They’ve made improvements along the way and still essentially kept to their humble roots. Will this persist? Time will tell.
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