Merle Hay Mall
An enclosed super-regional shopping mall serving the Des Moines metropolitan area in Iowa.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Merle Hay Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Des Moines, Iowa, with portions of its western wing extending into neighboring Urbandale. Opened in 1959 as Merle Hay Plaza, it was developed by Chicago-based real-estate developers Joseph Abbell and Bernard Greenbaum on land previously occupied by St. Gabriel’s Monastery. The center was named for Merle Hay, an Iowa serviceman regarded as the first Iowan killed in World War I, and for Merle Hay Road, the major thoroughfare on which the property is located. The project began as a planned strip center but was redesigned before construction as an open-air plaza organized around a common area. It opened on August 17, 1959, with 31 stores, Younkers as its first department-store anchor, and a bowling alley that remained part of the property’s long commercial history. Sears joined the center later in 1959 after relocating from downtown Des Moines. A movie theater and a six-story office building were added in 1965. In 1972, the property was enclosed and formally became Merle Hay Mall. A major westward expansion completed in 1974 doubled the mall’s size and added Montgomery Ward and a Younkers furniture-and-appliance store. For several decades, Merle Hay Mall was Iowa’s largest shopping mall by gross leasable area and one of the principal retail destinations in central Iowa. Its importance was reinforced by extended shopping hours and a broad department-store mix at a time when downtown retail was losing activity. By 2000, the mall reportedly averaged approximately 35,000 shoppers per day. Its competitive position weakened after the opening of Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines in 2004, which contributed to a reported decline in sales during the mall’s first year of competition. Ownership responded with renovations, reconfigured tenant spaces, new entrances, junior-anchor concepts, entertainment uses, and later sports-oriented redevelopment. The mall’s history also includes Des Moines’s deadliest fire. On November 5, 1978, the original Younkers store was destroyed in a fire that killed eleven employees and caused an estimated $20 million in damage. The store remained closed for almost a year while it was rebuilt. Investigations and subsequent litigation produced competing explanations involving hydrogen accumulation from a heating-and-cooling system and an electrical malfunction involving polyvinyl chloride-insulated wiring. Lawsuits brought by victims’ families and other parties against manufacturers and related companies were largely settled by 1984, with a final claim dismissed in 1986. Anchor tenants have changed substantially. Kohl’s replaced the former Younkers Store for Homes in 1993. Montgomery Ward closed in 1999 during the retailer’s bankruptcy period, and Famous-Barr occupied the space briefly before leaving the Des Moines market. Younkers moved into the former Famous-Barr location in 2004, while the original Younkers building was demolished for a Target store that opened in 2005. Sears, an original anchor, closed in 2018 and its building was later demolished. Ross Dress for Less replaced Staples in 2017. Flix Brewhouse opened in the former upper-level theater area in 2014, adding a major entertainment component. Merle Hay Mall is independently owned by the Merle Hay Mall Limited Partnership, with the Abbell family continuing to play a role in ownership and management. Urban Retail Properties has handled leasing duties. Current and planned uses reflect a shift from a traditional department-store-centered mall toward a mixed retail, entertainment, recreation, and events destination. Current occupants include Target, Kohl’s, Ross Dress for Less, Dinks Pickleball, Old Navy, and food and service tenants, while Applebee’s, IHOP, and Starbucks operate on surrounding outlots. Dinks Pickleball opened in November 2023 in the former Kohl’s space with 13 indoor courts. A proposed redevelopment of the former Younkers property is intended to include a hockey arena, additional ice sheets, community and tournament facilities, and potentially hotel, volleyball, soccer, concert, and other event uses. Construction of the sports complex is planned to begin in 2026, with completion targeted for fall 2027.
History
The site was occupied by St. Gabriel’s Monastery from 1921 until its demolition in 1958. In 1956, the Passionist monks sold the property to Joseph Abbell and Bernard Greenbaum, Chicago developers who selected Des Moines for a major suburban retail project. Early plans called the development Northland Shopping Center and envisioned a strip mall, but the concept was changed to an open-air plaza shortly before construction began. Younkers executives encouraged the developers to use the name Merle Hay, linking the project to Merle Hay Road and the Iowa World War I figure. Merle Hay Plaza opened on August 17, 1959, with 31 stores. Younkers was the initial department-store anchor, and Sears moved from downtown Des Moines into the development later that year. Other early tenants included Safeway, Kresge, Bishop’s Buffet, and Walgreens. A movie theater and six-story office building were added in 1965. The plaza was enclosed in 1972 and renamed Merle Hay Mall. Its 1974 westward expansion doubled the property’s size and added Montgomery Ward and a Younkers Store for Homes. The mall became a major regional retail destination and, for many years, the largest Iowa mall by gross leasable area. Its extended hours and department-store selection helped it compete with downtown Des Moines during the 1960s and 1970s. The property experienced its defining tragedy on November 5, 1978, when a fire destroyed the original Younkers store, killed eleven employees, and caused approximately $20 million in damage. The store reopened after nearly a year. Investigators and litigants advanced different technical explanations for the fire, and related lawsuits against manufacturers and other companies were mostly resolved in the mid-1980s. Anchor changes began to accelerate in the 1990s. Younkers discontinued its furniture and appliance operation, allowing Kohl’s to replace the Younkers Store for Homes in 1993. Montgomery Ward closed in early 1999 after bankruptcy-related difficulties. Famous-Barr then occupied the space until leaving the Des Moines market in 2004, when Younkers moved into the building. The original Younkers structure was demolished to make way for Target, which opened in 2005. That transition followed a period of sales pressure associated with Jordan Creek Town Center’s opening in neighboring West Des Moines. The ownership group pursued a series of renovations and tenant relocations during the 2000s and 2010s. In 2008, Des Moines approved a tax-increment-financing district around the mall to support future improvements after the property’s assessed value had declined. The redevelopment included a new main entrance, reconfigured retail areas, junior-anchor spaces, and changes involving Staples, Old Navy, Shoe Carnival, and Ulta. Entertainment uses became increasingly important: Flix Brewhouse opened in 2014, and GameDay arcade and restaurant opened in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified retail pressure in 2020, with several tenants closing or leaving the property. Sears ended its nearly six-decade presence in October 2018, and its building was demolished after plans were announced in 2020. Kohl’s was to relocate to the former Sears site. The former Younkers property became the focus of a sports redevelopment proposal involving the Des Moines Buccaneers. Later plans retained the hockey concept while broadening the proposed use to include community ice, volleyball, soccer, concerts, and other events. The mall assumed sole operation of the proposed facility after the Buccaneers ended their partnership. In 2023, Dinks Pickleball opened in the former Kohl’s building, demonstrating the property’s continuing transition from conventional department-store retail toward recreation and experiential uses.
- 2025
Sports-facility operating model changes
[1]The mall became the intended sole operator of the planned hockey facility after the Des Moines Buccaneers ended their partnership.
- 2023
Dinks Pickleball opens
[1]Dinks Pickleball opened a 13-court indoor facility in the former Kohl’s anchor space.
- 2018
Younkers and Sears close
[1]Younkers closed following Bon-Ton’s liquidation, and Sears ended its long-running presence later the same year.
- 2014
Flix Brewhouse opens
[1]A movie theater and restaurant concept opened in the former upper-level theater area.
- 2005
Target opens
[1]Target opened in the rebuilt site of the original Younkers anchor.
- 1993
Kohl’s replaces Younkers Store for Homes
[1]Kohl’s took over the former furniture and appliance anchor after Younkers exited that category.
- 1978
Younkers fire
[1]A fire destroyed the original Younkers store, killed eleven employees, and became Des Moines’s deadliest fire.
- 1974
Major westward expansion completed
[1]An expansion doubled the mall’s size and added Montgomery Ward and Younkers Store for Homes.
- 1972
Plaza enclosed
[1]The center was enclosed and renamed Merle Hay Mall.
- 1959
Merle Hay Plaza opens
[1]The open-air plaza opened on August 17 with 31 stores, including Younkers and a bowling alley.
Products and positioning
A long-established regional shopping and entertainment center repositioning itself as a mixed-use retail, dining, recreation, and sports destination for the Des Moines area.
Shopping mall retail · 1959
Retail tenant mix
Merle Hay Mall’s principal commercial offering is a multi-category tenant mix rather than a proprietary product line. It includes department-store and general-merchandise retailers such as Target and Kohl’s, off-price apparel through Ross Dress for Less, fashion and specialty stores, personal services, jewelry, beauty, food, and seasonal pop-up businesses.
Indoor recreation · 2023
Dinks Pickleball
Dinks Pickleball is an indoor recreational venue occupying the former Kohl’s anchor building. It opened in 2023 with 13 permanent pickleball courts, adding memberships, play, and event-oriented recreation to the mall’s tenant mix.
Sports and events venue
Planned hockey and sports facility
The proposed redevelopment of the former Younkers space is planned as a hockey-centered sports and events complex. Announced elements include a 3,500-capacity arena, three additional ice sheets, community and tournament uses, and possible volleyball, soccer, concert, and hotel components.
Controversies
1978
Younkers store fire
A fire at the mall’s original Younkers store on November 5, 1978 killed eleven employees and caused an estimated $20 million in property damage. Subsequent investigations and civil litigation considered competing explanations involving the building’s mechanical systems and electrical wiring. Most related lawsuits were settled by 1984, while a final claim was dismissed in 1986.
Brand decisions
2020
Redevelop former anchor spaces for sports usesStrategyBackground
The mall faced anchor closures, pandemic-related retail disruption, and the planned demolition of the Sears building.
Action taken
Ownership advanced plans for a hockey and sports complex in the former Younkers building and adjacent areas.
Aftermath
The concept evolved into a broader mall-operated sports and events facility, with construction planned for 2026 and completion targeted for fall 2027.
2008
Create a tax-increment-financing districtStrategyBackground
The mall’s assessed property value had fallen by more than $13 million since 2005, creating pressure for reinvestment after the opening of Jordan Creek Town Center.
Action taken
The Des Moines City Council approved a tax-increment-financing district around the mall to support future improvements.
Aftermath
The owners pursued entrance improvements, tenant relocations, renovated space, and new junior-anchor opportunities.
1972
Enclose the open-air plazaStrategyBackground
The original open-air retail plaza faced a changing regional retail environment and growing competition from other shopping centers.
Action taken
The property was enclosed and relaunched as Merle Hay Mall.
Aftermath
The enclosed format supported the mall’s expansion into a major regional shopping destination.
Recent events
- 2025
Mall takes sole operating role in planned hockey facility[1]
Other
The planned hockey and events facility continued after the Des Moines Buccaneers ended their partnership with the mall. The mall stated that it remained committed to the project and expected construction to begin in 2026.
- 2023
Dinks Pickleball opens at Merle Hay Mall[1]
Product launch
Dinks Pickleball opened in the former Kohl’s anchor space with 13 indoor courts, expanding the mall’s recreation and experiential offerings.
- 2020
Merle Hay Mall announces hockey and sports redevelopment plans[1]
Other
The mall announced plans for a sports complex in the former Younkers building and adjacent areas, including a 3,500-seat arena, additional ice sheets, and a hotel.
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