Tacoma Mall
Tacoma Mall is the largest shopping center in Tacoma, Washington, operated by Simon Property Group.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Tacoma Mall is a regional shopping center in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It opened on October 13, 1965, and became the largest shopping center in Tacoma. The property is owned and operated by Simon Property Group and serves the South Puget Sound retail market through a mix of department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, services, and entertainment-oriented amenities. The mall's tenant roster has changed substantially over time as department-store operators consolidated, rebranded, relocated, or closed. The original and early anchor lineup included The Bon Marché, which opened before the mall's formal opening in August 1964, and JCPenney, which opened in October 1965. The Bon Marché later became Macy's. JCPenney originally occupied two levels and added a third level in 1986. A Nordstrom store began as Best's in 1965; the Best name was dropped in 1972. Nordstrom later expanded from approximately 55,000 square feet to about 134,000 square feet in 1983 and eventually moved into the former Mervyn's location in 2008. Other former anchors illustrate the mall's long retail history. Liberty House opened in 1974, briefly operated with the Rhodes name, and later became Frederick & Nelson and then Mervyn's. Mervyn's opened in the former Liberty House/Frederick & Nelson space in 1993 and closed in 2006. The former Nordstrom space was subsequently divided among retailers including Sephora, Apple, and Forever 21. Forever 21 later moved to a smaller space in 2016, and the former location became a Dick's Sporting Goods store in 2017. Sears operated another anchor location beginning in 1981, but announced its closure in 2018 as part of a nationwide store-closing program. The Sears store closed on September 2, 2018, and the building was demolished in April 2019. Following the Sears closure, Simon Property Group proposed redeveloping portions of the former anchor site with outward-facing retail space and a through-street connecting several tenant buildings. The concept was intended to introduce elements associated with open-air lifestyle centers while retaining the broader shopping-center function of the property. In December 2024, Simon announced a multimillion-dollar renovation program for Tacoma Mall. The planned work included new flooring, a new children's play structure, a redesigned food court, updated lighting, and refreshed entrances. The project reflects Simon's continuing effort to modernize the property and maintain its position as a major regional retail destination. Tacoma Mall also experienced a major public-safety incident on November 20, 2005, when a gunman wounded six people, seriously injuring one, and took four people hostage before surrendering to a SWAT team. The perpetrator was sentenced to 163 years in prison in 2007. The incident remains a significant event in the mall's public history, although it does not define the property's retail identity.
History
Tacoma Mall opened on October 13, 1965, in Tacoma, Washington, becoming the city's largest shopping center and an important retail destination for the South Puget Sound region. The Bon Marché opened at the site in August 1964, before the formal mall opening, while JCPenney opened in October 1965. The early center established a department-store-led format that was common among large American shopping malls of the period. JCPenney initially occupied two levels and added a third level in 1986. The mall's other department-store identities changed repeatedly over the following decades. A store that began as Best's in 1965 became associated with Nordstrom after the Best name was dropped in 1972. Nordstrom expanded its original approximately 55,000-square-foot operation to about 134,000 square feet in 1983. In 2008, Nordstrom moved into the former Mervyn's building, creating a larger and more prominent anchor location. Liberty House opened at Tacoma Mall in 1974. It briefly used the Liberty House/Rhodes identity before the Rhodes name was dropped, and the location later operated as Frederick & Nelson and Mervyn's. Mervyn's opened in the former Liberty House/Frederick & Nelson space in 1993 and closed in 2006. After Nordstrom left its earlier building, the space was divided in 2010 among Sephora, Apple, and Forever 21. Forever 21 moved to a smaller location in 2016, and Dick's Sporting Goods took over the former larger space in 2017. Sears became another major Tacoma Mall anchor when its store opened in 1981. The retailer announced in May 2018 that the Tacoma location would close as part of a nationwide program affecting 72 stores. The store ceased operations on September 2, 2018, and the building was demolished on April 7, 2019. Simon Property Group subsequently outlined redevelopment plans for portions of the former Sears site. The proposal called for new retail spaces oriented toward the exterior of the mall and a through-street running between several tenant buildings, borrowing some characteristics from open-air lifestyle-center development. A serious public-safety incident occurred at the mall on November 20, 2005. A 20-year-old gunman wounded six people, one critically or seriously, and held four people hostage. He surrendered to SWAT officers without further incident. In 2007, he was sentenced to 163 years in prison. The event is part of the mall's documented history but is separate from its commercial development. Tacoma Mall has continued to operate as a Simon Property Group shopping center despite changes in department-store retail and the loss of several historic anchors. In December 2024, Simon announced a multimillion-dollar renovation designed to update the customer environment. The announced improvements included new flooring, a new play structure, a new food court, upgraded lighting, and refreshed entrances. These plans indicate an ongoing effort to modernize the enclosed mall while adapting portions of the property to more outward-facing retail formats.
- 2024
Simon announces a major renovation
[1]Simon Property Group announces a multimillion-dollar renovation involving flooring, lighting, entrances, a children's play structure, and the food court.
- 2019
Former Sears building is demolished
[1]The former Sears building is demolished on April 7.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes on September 2 after being included in the retailer's nationwide store-closure program.
- 2017
Dick's Sporting Goods occupies the former larger Forever 21 space
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods moves into the former larger Forever 21 location.
- 2016
Forever 21 relocates
[1]Forever 21 moves to a smaller Tacoma Mall location.
- 2010
Former Nordstrom space is subdivided
[1]The former Nordstrom location is divided among Sephora, Apple, and Forever 21.
- 2008
Nordstrom relocates to the former Mervyn's building
[1]Nordstrom moves into the former Mervyn's anchor building.
- 2006
Mervyn's closes
[1]Mervyn's closes its Tacoma Mall store.
- 2005
Tacoma Mall shooting
[1]A shooting on November 20 wounds six people and results in four hostages being held before the gunman surrenders.
- 1993
Mervyn's opens in the former Liberty House space
[1]Mervyn's begins operating in the former Liberty House and Frederick & Nelson anchor location.
Products and positioning
A major regional shopping center serving Tacoma and the South Puget Sound area, combining department-store anchors, specialty retail, dining, services, and mall amenities under Simon Property Group ownership.
Retail format · 1965
Department-store retail
Tacoma Mall's historic commercial model has relied heavily on department-store anchors. The property has hosted The Bon Marché, later Macy's, JCPenney, Nordstrom, Sears, Liberty House, Frederick & Nelson, and Mervyn's at different times. These stores provide broad assortments of apparel, accessories, home goods, beauty products, and other general merchandise, while their changing identities reflect wider shifts in American department-store retail.
Retail format · 2010
Specialty retail
The mall's specialty-retail mix includes fashion, beauty, sporting goods, technology, and lifestyle stores. Documented occupants have included Sephora, Apple, Forever 21, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Specialty tenants have also been used to subdivide former department-store space, allowing Simon to adapt large legacy anchor footprints to changing tenant demand.
Shopping-center amenities · 2024
Dining and mall amenities
Tacoma Mall also offers food and customer-oriented amenities typical of a regional enclosed shopping center. Simon's 2024 renovation announcement included a new food court, refreshed flooring and entrances, upgraded lighting, and a new children's play structure. These elements support the property's role as a destination for shopping, dining, and family visits rather than only a collection of individual stores.
Brand decisions
2024
Simon announces a multimillion-dollar renovationStrategyBackground
Simon Property Group announced a renovation intended to update Tacoma Mall and keep the property aligned with the company's current shopping-center standards.
Action taken
The announced work includes new flooring, a children's play structure, a new food court, updated lighting, and refreshed mall entrances.
Aftermath
The announcement signals continued investment in Tacoma Mall as a regional retail destination. No specific budget amount or final completion date is established in the supplied material.
2018
Redevelopment planning follows Sears closureOtherBackground
Sears announced the closure of its Tacoma Mall store during a nationwide reduction of its retail footprint. The store closed in September 2018, leaving a major former-anchor site available for reuse.
Action taken
Simon Property Group planned to redevelop portions of the former Sears area with outward-facing retail space and a through-street connecting several tenant buildings.
Aftermath
The proposal represented a shift toward a more mixed, lifestyle-center-oriented configuration for part of the traditionally enclosed mall property. The available material does not establish the full completion status of the plan.
Sources2 sources
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