Three Rivers Crossing
Three Rivers Crossing is an enclosed shopping mall in Kelso, Washington, serving the Lower Columbia region.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Three Rivers Crossing, formerly known as Three Rivers Mall, is an enclosed shopping mall in Kelso, Washington, near Interstate 5. It opened in 1987 on the site of a former golf course and was developed as a regional retail destination for Kelso, Longview, and surrounding communities. Its arrival brought several major department stores from downtown Longview into a modern suburban shopping environment, including Sears, JCPenney, and The Bon Marche. The mall's original anchor lineup also included Emporium. The Bon Marche was later converted to Macy's, while Emporium eventually closed in 2001. Sears operated until its closure in 2013, leaving a large vacant anchor space that was later demolished. The former Emporium location was reused by Sportsman's Warehouse, which opened there in 2014. JCPenney remains one of the mall's principal anchors. Regal Cinemas also operates a major entertainment facility at the property. Like many enclosed malls, the property experienced pressure during the 2000s and 2010s as department-store chains and specialty retailers retrenched. The loss of Emporium, Sears, and numerous smaller tenants reduced traffic, and the food court experienced a prolonged period of vacancy. Former tenants and departing chains included RadioShack, Sam Goody, KB Toys, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Mr. Formal, Chuck E. Cheese's, Macy's, and Pier 1 Imports. The mall nevertheless retained and added a range of non-anchor uses, including Target, Safeway, restaurants, fitness facilities, a public library branch, and movie theaters. The property changed ownership several times. It was previously held by General Growth Properties and became part of the portfolio spun off to Rouse Properties in 2012. Brookfield Asset Management acquired Rouse in 2016, and Brookfield Property Partners acquired General Growth Properties in 2018. Brookfield Properties sold the mall to Arizona-based Three Rivers Village, LLC, in July 2019. In November 2024, a new ownership group known as Three Rivers Development Group acquired the property, after which the mall was renamed Three Rivers Crossing. The new owners announced plans to renovate the food court and add restaurants around the parking-lot perimeter. The mall combines enclosed retail, freestanding commercial uses, dining, fitness, public services, and entertainment. Its anchors and surrounding businesses have changed considerably since opening, but its strategic location beside Interstate 5 continues to support its role as a regional commercial center. A Chick-fil-A location was reported as planned for the property in 2026, with full build-out expected in 2027, subject to the development schedule described in available reference material.
History
Three Rivers Crossing opened in 1987 in Kelso, Washington, beside Interstate 5 and on land that had previously been used as a golf course. The enclosed mall was designed to consolidate regional shopping activity and brought several department stores from downtown Longview into a suburban retail setting. Its initial anchor tenants included The Bon Marche, JCPenney, Sears, and Emporium. The property later reflected the broader transformation of the American department-store and enclosed-mall sectors. Emporium closed in 2001, and its former space experienced several temporary uses before being redeveloped for Sportsman's Warehouse. Sears announced its closure in late 2012, with the store shutting in January 2013. The departure affected surrounding traffic and was followed by the exit of several other retailers, including Big 5 Sporting Goods, Fred Meyer Jewelers, and Mr. Formal. Macy's, which had taken over The Bon Marche location, announced in 2017 that its Kelso store would close; the store shut in March of that year. During this period, a number of national chains also left the property as their wider businesses contracted. These included RadioShack, Sam Goody, KB Toys, and Pier 1 Imports. Chuck E. Cheese's closed its mall location in April 2014. The food court experienced particularly weak occupancy and had no open tenants by February 2018. Local operator The Coffee Court reopened activity in that area in March 2020, marking the first food-court tenancy in more than two years. Ownership also evolved over time. General Growth Properties previously owned the mall, and the property was among a group of approximately 30 malls spun off to Rouse Properties in 2012. Brookfield Asset Management acquired Rouse in 2016. General Growth Properties was acquired by Brookfield Property Partners in 2018. In July 2019, Brookfield Properties sold the mall to Arizona-based Three Rivers Village, LLC. Several additions and adaptive-reuse projects helped diversify the center after the department-store departures. Sportsman's Warehouse opened in the former Emporium space in July 2014. Following Sears's demolition, a new Regal Cinemas theater was constructed on the site and opened in January 2015. Planet Fitness moved into the former Chuck E. Cheese's space, with its grand opening in January 2015. Panera Bread opened a freestanding restaurant in December 2017. Other freestanding businesses associated with the property included Target, Safeway, Red Lobster, Fiesta Bonita Mexican Restaurant, and later an Asian buffet restaurant in the former Izzy's Pizza space. The Kelso Public Library moved its main branch to the mall in 2011, adding a civic and public-service function to the commercial property. The mall also received exposure through the Food Network program Food Court Wars. An episode featuring Gaufre Gourmet and Pressed was filmed at the property and originally aired in March 2014. Gaufre Gourmet won the competition and opened in the food court in April, but closed in September 2014 after citing insufficient foot traffic. In November 2024, the mall was sold to a new ownership group identified as Three Rivers Development Group and was renamed Three Rivers Crossing. The group announced an intended renovation of the food court and plans for additional restaurants around the perimeter of the parking lot. In 2026, available reference material reported a proposed Chick-fil-A location south of Target, with completion projected for 2027. These plans indicate an effort to shift the property toward a more mixed retail, dining, and service-oriented format rather than relying primarily on traditional department-store anchors.
- 2026
Chick-fil-A proposal reported
[1]Plans were reported for a Chick-fil-A restaurant near Target, with full build-out expected in 2027.
- 2024
Renamed Three Rivers Crossing under new ownership
[1]Three Rivers Development Group acquired the mall in November and renamed it Three Rivers Crossing.
- 2020
Food-court tenancy resumes
[1]The Coffee Court opened in March, becoming the first food-court tenant in more than two years.
- 2019
Brookfield Properties sells the mall
[1]Brookfield Properties sold the mall to Arizona-based Three Rivers Village, LLC, in July.
- 2017
Macy's closes
[1]The former Bon Marche location, operated as Macy's, closed in March after the chain announced the store's planned closure.
- 2015
New Regal Cinemas and Planet Fitness open
[1]A replacement Regal Cinemas theater opened on the former Sears site, and Planet Fitness opened in the former Chuck E. Cheese's location.
- 2014
Sportsman's Warehouse and Food Court Wars activity
[1]Sportsman's Warehouse opened in the former Emporium space, while the property hosted filming for Food Court Wars and the winning Gaufre Gourmet concept opened briefly.
- 2013
Sears closes
[1]Sears closed its mall store in January, followed by demolition of the former store building.
- 2012
Property enters Rouse Properties portfolio
[1]The mall was among the properties spun off by General Growth Properties into Rouse Properties.
- 2011
Kelso Public Library relocates to the mall
[1]The Kelso Public Library moved its main branch to the shopping center.
Products and positioning
A regional, convenience-oriented shopping and entertainment center serving Kelso, Longview, and nearby communities, with enclosed retail supported by freestanding stores, restaurants, public services, fitness, and cinema uses.
Department store anchor · 1987
JCPenney
JCPenney is one of the mall's continuing principal anchors. The store represents the property's original department-store role and provides apparel, accessories, home merchandise, and related retail services within the enclosed center.
Sporting goods and outdoor retail · 2014
Sportsman's Warehouse
Sportsman's Warehouse occupies the former Emporium anchor space. Its presence broadened the mall's tenant mix toward outdoor recreation, sporting goods, hunting, fishing, and related equipment after the earlier department-store use ended.
Cinema and entertainment · 2015
Regal Cinemas
Regal Cinemas operates the property's movie-theater component. A new theater opened on the former Sears site in January 2015, replacing Regal's earlier freestanding theater and the Triangle Cinemas location in nearby Longview.
General merchandise · 1990
Target
Target is a freestanding general-merchandise retailer associated with the mall property. It contributes everyday shopping traffic beyond the enclosed mall's traditional specialty and department-store tenants.
Public service · 2011
Kelso Public Library
The Kelso Public Library's main branch relocated to the mall in 2011. The branch adds a civic and community-service use to the property and helps diversify the center beyond conventional retail.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Food Court Wars: Gaufre Gourmet vs. Pressed
Kelso, Washington · United States
The mall hosted an episode of the Food Network program Food Court Wars, in which Gaufre Gourmet competed against Pressed for a food-court opportunity. The winning concept received one year of free rent and opened at the mall in April 2014.
Outcome. Gaufre Gourmet later closed in September 2014, citing insufficient foot traffic, and its owners subsequently opened a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Brand decisions
2026
Planned Chick-fil-A developmentProduct launchBackground
The ownership group is pursuing additional dining uses around the mall property as part of its broader redevelopment direction.
Action taken
A Chick-fil-A location was reported as planned south of Target, in the northeast corner of the current JCPenney parking lot.
Aftermath
The reported schedule called for full build-out in 2027; completion remains dependent on the development process.
2024
Acquisition by Three Rivers Development GroupM&ABackground
After ownership under General Growth Properties, Rouse Properties, Brookfield-related entities, and Three Rivers Village, LLC, the mall changed hands again in November 2024.
Action taken
Three Rivers Development Group acquired the property and renamed it Three Rivers Crossing.
Aftermath
The new ownership group announced plans to renovate the food court and add restaurants around the parking-lot perimeter.
Reported purchase price. $20 million (November 2024 acquisition)
2015
Replace the former Regal theater with a new cinemaGeneration changeBackground
The former Sears store was demolished after its 2013 closure, creating an opportunity to redevelop the site and consolidate cinema activity.
Action taken
Regal Cinemas constructed a new theater on the former Sears site, replacing its previous freestanding theater and the nearby Triangle Cinemas location.
Aftermath
The replacement theater opened in January 2015 and became an important entertainment component of the property.
Recent events
- 2026
Chick-fil-A planned near Three Rivers Crossing[1]
Product launch · Other
Available reference material reported plans for a Chick-fil-A restaurant south of Target, in the northeast corner of the current JCPenney parking lot. The reported full build-out target was 2027.
- 2024
Three Rivers Crossing sold to new ownership group[1]
M&A
The Kelso shopping mall was sold in November 2024 to Three Rivers Development Group and subsequently renamed Three Rivers Crossing. The new owners described plans to improve the food court and develop additional restaurants around the property's perimeter.
- 2015
Regal Cinemas opens replacement theater at the mall[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Regal Cinemas opened a new theater on the former Sears site in January 2015, replacing its earlier freestanding theater and the nearby Triangle Cinemas location in Longview.
Sources2 sources
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