HERITAGE PARK MALL: MIDWEST CITY, OK
Jack Trader's Commentary
Posted April 29, 2006 (user submitted)
Heritage Park Mall opened in 1971. The mall was quite packed throughout the
1970's & 1980's. Since I was born in 1976, my memories are only of it during
the 1980's mostly.Heritage Park Mall sits on the northwest corner of Reno
Boulevard & Air Depot Boulevard in Midwest City.
During the 1980's, the mall was
found to be mostly packed, especially during the weekends. Shoppers would flock
to the many stores inside the mall. Stores included, but not limited to: Sears,
Dillards, Montgomery Wards, and Wilson's. The store known as Wilson's soon left
in the mid 1980's and was soon replaced by Service Merchandise. Service
Merchandise had closed shop by 1999, and is now a locally owned novelty shop
called A-Z Outlet. Other tenants in the mall were Spencer's Gifts, Hickory
Farms, Olga's Kitchen, Musicland Records, Disc Jockey, and Jeans West. There was
also a pet store and even a 3 screen theatre located inside the mall.
The
economy of Midwest City is largely supplied by the nearby Tinker Air Force
Base.Today, Heritage Park Mall is held together only by 2 remaining anchor
stores, Dillards and Sears. Sears is largely responsible for keeping what is
left of the mall from folding into closure, as it is the only Sears stores
within a good 10 mile radius. (The next closest Sears store is located at S.W.
44th and Western Avenue). Many advertising attempts were done in the 1990's to
try to revitalize the mall's commerce-but sadly all have failed. Most of the
former shoppers of Heritage Park Mall, now make the commute to either
Crossroads Mall, Quail Springs Mall, or Penn Square Mall. Crossroads Mall is
the closest to Midwest City at about 8 miles away. The mall is still in
existence, but is nearing the fate of extinction unless strategic efforts are
put into place to revitalize the mall. There a just a few stores that are in
existence which include Waldenbooks, Radio Shack, Zales Jewelry, Chick
Fil-a..most of these would have already closed out if it was not for the
traffic generated by both Sears & Dillards.