Uptown Rapid
A shopping mall in Rapid City, South Dakota, formerly known as Rushmore Mall.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Uptown Rapid is a shopping mall in Rapid City, South Dakota, formerly known as Rushmore Mall. It opened in 1978 and serves a broad regional trade area extending across western South Dakota, northwestern Nebraska, and northeastern Wyoming. The center was developed as a destination for residents of a geographically dispersed market, combining department stores, specialty retail, food and services, and later nontraditional anchors such as fitness and home furnishings. The mall’s original major tenants included JCPenney and Sears, both of which relocated from downtown Rapid City, and Herberger’s, which initially occupied space on the south side of the property. Target joined the center in 1980, creating a four-anchor configuration. The tenant and anchor arrangement changed repeatedly as department-store retail evolved. Herberger’s later built a replacement location west of Target in 1995, while Scheels All Sports took over the original Herberger’s space. Scheels closed its mall location in 2009, and the vacant space was subsequently reused by Planet Fitness in 2017. The property also added a major bookstore presence when Borders opened southwest of the mall in 1999. Borders closed in 2011, and the premises later became a Books-A-Million location. Target eventually relocated to the Rushmore Crossing strip-mall development, and the former Target space was used temporarily by JCPenney from 2014 to 2016 while JCPenney renovated its original store. The mall experienced financial and leasing pressure during the 2010s. In 2012, the property was transferred to a loan servicer, with JCPenney’s threatened departure and request for a larger store identified as part of the circumstances surrounding that event. Sears announced in January 2018 that its Rushmore Mall store would close as part of a nationwide round of closures; the location shut in April of that year. Herberger’s then announced its closure in April 2018 as the Bon-Ton retail group liquidated, leaving At Home and JCPenney as the principal remaining traditional retail anchors at that point. Spinoso acquired the mall in 2018. The former Sears space was subsequently repositioned as Traders Market in 2019, while the former Scheels space continued in use by Planet Fitness. In 2021, Rockstep Capital acquired the property and changed its name to Uptown Rapid. The current anchor lineup identified for the center consists of JCPenney, Planet Fitness, Traders Market, and At Home. The renaming reflects the property’s current ownership and repositioning while preserving its role as a regional shopping and services destination in the Black Hills area.
History
Uptown Rapid opened in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1978 under the name Rushmore Mall. Its development brought major department-store retail into a regional center serving residents across western South Dakota and neighboring portions of Nebraska and Wyoming. JCPenney and Sears were among the original anchors, having relocated from downtown Rapid City. Herberger’s was another original anchor and initially occupied space on the south side of the mall. Target became a fourth anchor in 1980. The configuration changed in the 1990s when Herberger’s built a new store west of Target in 1995, and Scheels All Sports replaced the original Herberger’s space. The center expanded its specialty-retail mix in 1999 when Borders opened southwest of the mall. Borders closed in 2011 and the space later became Books-A-Million. Anchor changes continued as the regional retail landscape shifted. Scheels closed its location in 2009, leaving its former space vacant for a period before Planet Fitness opened there in 2017. Target later moved from the mall to the Rushmore Crossing strip-mall development. The former Target space temporarily accommodated JCPenney from 2014 through 2016 while JCPenney renovated its established store, allowing the department store to remain operating during the work. The property encountered financial and occupancy challenges during the 2010s. In 2012, it was transferred to a loan servicer. The circumstances included pressure from JCPenney, which had threatened to leave unless it could relocate to a larger store. The situation illustrated the importance of anchor tenants to the mall’s finances and leasing strategy. Sears announced on January 4, 2018, that the Rushmore Mall store would close in a nationwide program involving 103 Sears locations. The store closed in April. Herberger’s announced on April 18, 2018, that it would close in August as The Bon-Ton, its parent company, went out of business. These departures left At Home and JCPenney as the principal remaining conventional retail anchors at the time. Spinoso purchased the mall in 2018. The former Sears building was reused as Traders Market in 2019, while the former Scheels space served as the home of Planet Fitness. Rockstep Capital acquired the property in 2021 and renamed it Uptown Rapid. The current anchor tenants identified for the center are JCPenney, Planet Fitness, Traders Market, and At Home. The property therefore represents a shift from a classic department-store-led mall toward a more varied regional center combining retail, home goods, fitness, and alternative large-format uses.
- 2021
Rockstep Capital acquires and renames the mall
[1]Rockstep Capital buys the property and changes its name from Rushmore Mall to Uptown Rapid.
- 2019
Traders Market opens in the former Sears space
[1]The former Sears anchor is repurposed as Traders Market.
- 2018
Sears and Herberger’s close
[1]Sears closes in April, and Herberger’s announces a closure connected to The Bon-Ton liquidation.
- 2018
Spinoso acquires the property
[1]Spinoso purchases the mall after a period of anchor departures and financial pressure.
- 2017
Planet Fitness opens
[1]Planet Fitness opens in the former Scheels space, adding a service-oriented anchor use.
- 2016
JCPenney returns to its renovated store
[1]JCPenney completed its temporary use of the former Target space and returned to its renovated location.
- 2014
JCPenney temporarily relocates within the mall
[1]JCPenney moved into the former Target space while its existing store underwent renovation.
- 2012
Property transferred to a loan servicer
[1]The mall was taken to a servicer amid financial and leasing pressure, including JCPenney’s demands for a larger store.
- 2009
Scheels closes
[1]Scheels All Sports closes its location in the former Herberger’s space.
- 1999
Borders opens
[1]Borders opens southwest of the mall, strengthening the center’s specialty-retail and bookstore offering.
Products and positioning
A regional shopping center serving Rapid City and a multistate Black Hills trade area, with a tenant mix spanning department-store retail, home goods, fitness, general merchandise, and specialty shopping.
Department store · 1978
JCPenney
JCPenney is one of the mall’s original major anchors and remains part of the current anchor lineup. Its offering is centered on department-store merchandise, including apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and related services. The store temporarily occupied the former Target space from 2014 to 2016 while its established location was renovated.
Fitness center · 2017
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness occupies the former Scheels space and opened at the mall in 2017. Its presence illustrates the property’s move toward a broader tenant mix that includes recurring service uses alongside conventional retail. The club is identified as one of Uptown Rapid’s current anchors.
General merchandise and market retail · 2019
Traders Market
Traders Market occupies the former Sears anchor space. It opened in 2019 after the department store closed, giving the large-format premises a new retail use and helping replace part of the mall’s former anchor capacity.
Home furnishings
At Home
At Home is a home-furnishings and home-goods anchor located in space formerly associated with Target after Target moved to Rushmore Crossing. It is identified as one of the current anchors and contributes a large-format home-retail offer to the center.
Book retail · 1999
Former Borders and Books-A-Million space
Borders opened southwest of the mall in 1999 and closed in 2011. The premises later became a Books-A-Million location, representing a former specialty-retail and bookstore component of the mall’s tenant mix.
Brand decisions
2021
Rebranding as Uptown RapidStrategyBackground
Rockstep Capital acquired the property after several years of anchor turnover and repositioning.
Action taken
The mall was renamed from Rushmore Mall to Uptown Rapid.
Aftermath
The property adopted its current name and continued operating as a regional shopping center.
2019
Repurposing of the former Sears anchorStrategyBackground
Sears closed its mall store in April 2018, leaving a large anchor building vacant.
Action taken
The former Sears space was converted for Traders Market.
Aftermath
The conversion restored an active tenant use to a major portion of the mall after Sears’s departure.
2018
Sale to SpinosoM&ABackground
The property faced anchor-store departures and financial pressure during a period of major change in department-store retail.
Action taken
Spinoso acquired the mall.
Aftermath
The former Sears space was later repositioned for Traders Market, while the property continued operating with a reduced and more varied anchor mix.
Sources1 sources
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