Capital Mall (interior) (Jefferson City, Missouri)

 shopping mall  Add category

 Upload a photo

From its opening in early 1978 until the mid-to-late 1980's, Capital Mall was Central Missouri's premier shopping destination. "The Mall" as it is simply known (Jefferson City is a single-mall community)is generally credited with killing off what was left of Downtown Jefferson City's two block retail district. Many of Downtown's remaining retailers, most notably J.C. Penney, opted for the ability to locate in a climate controlled environment which offered ample free, convenient parking and evening hours offered six nights a week as opposed to downtown's single night of openings. Capital Mall's dominance over the region's shoppers spiked in early 1985 when Dillard's Department Store anchored a new wing on the Mall's eastern flank. It was the center's second major expansion (the first coming in late 1980 with the arrival of J.C. Penney on the northern side) and represented the mid-tier retailer's first foray into the mid-Missouri area. The arrival of Dillard's was met with much fanfare as it brought the region a level of retailing previously unavailable in a department store format and generated the kind of traffic to the mall that eventually translated into nearly full retail capacity. However, the Dillard's expansion was also the last real heyday for the mall and the happy times were relatively short lived. By the late fall of 1985 the Columbia Mall (just 30 miles to the north) opened, featuring many of the same stores as Capital Mall (including a larger Dillard's), plus some new arrivals (such as Target). Columbia Mall's layout and design employed newer and significantly more attractive elements - it was a far more contemporary shopping environment than Capital Mall (which was designed using elements that had been in play since the mid to late 1960's). Shortly after the opening of Columbia Mall, a factory outlet mall opened 50 miles to the southwest in Osage Beach, MO, near the Lake of the Ozarks. While this shopping center didn't feature the convenience of an indoor, climate controlled experience, nor were the stores much more than Spartan, drop ceiling, fluorescently lit, boxes, the name brands featured - albeit for closeout and oddstock merchandise for the most part - were by and large far superior to and more diverse than those featured at Capital Mall. During the days or relatively inexpensive gasoline, it was not a great inconvenience for Jefferson City shoppers to opt for either Columbia or the Lake and thus Capital Mall began its steady decline. The mall continues in operation today, still anchored by Sears, Penney's and Dillard's. The latter of the three is a "borderline" store, generally at the bottom of the chain's pecking order with regard to shipments of their most popular merchandise and generally clings to its hook as a slightly more upscale option than either of its two neighboring department stores. The remainder of the mall is sparsely populated by small, third or fourth tier outposts of some national "mall-store" chains (even The Gap failed at this mall!) and is somewhat filled-in by independent, local retailers.

For a brief, shining moment in the halcyon days of early 80's mall culture, the Capital Mall was Central Missouri's definitive shopping and social focal point. Its star shone brightly and briefly and while there will likely always be a utility for a building of its size, purpose and layout, any hopes of it ever realizing the limited success it experienced during its first few years of life are probably futile.

3600 Country Club Drive
Jefferson City, MO ‎
(573) 893-5323 ‎
www.capitalmall.com