West Ridge Mall
Enclosed shopping mall in Topeka, Kansas, with department-store, furniture, and specialty retail tenants.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
West Ridge Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It opened in 1988 under the development of Melvin Simon & Associates and became a major regional retail destination for the Topeka area. The mall is described as the third-largest enclosed mall in Kansas, behind Oak Park Mall in Overland Park and Towne East Square in Wichita. At opening, the center included several traditional department-store anchors, including JCPenney, Dillard's, Sears, and The Jones Store. The opening ceremony also featured an appearance by television personality Vanna White. The mall later added Montgomery Ward in 1990, expanding its representation of national department-store chains. Its original leisure and dining mix included the West Ridge 6 movie theater, which housed a Baskin-Robbins outlet, and Old Country Buffet. West Ridge Mall's tenant mix changed substantially as department-store and entertainment chains retrenched. Montgomery Ward left in 2001 following the retailer's bankruptcy. Old Country Buffet closed in 2003, and the West Ridge 6 theater shut down in 2005. The former Montgomery Ward space was temporarily used for an exhibit by the Kansas International Museum before being converted into a Burlington Coat Factory location in 2007. Burlington later closed the store in January 2018. Sears, another original anchor, closed in September 2018. The Jones Store's successor also changed over time. Macy's acquired the parent company of The Jones Store in 2006, bringing the Macy's name to the mall and restoring the chain's presence in Topeka after its earlier downtown location had closed. The mall's Macy's store ceased operations in March 2012. The former Macy's space was subsequently occupied by Furniture Mall of Kansas beginning in late 2013, giving the property a large-format furniture anchor in place of a conventional department store. Ownership changed twice in the early 2020s. Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired West Ridge Mall in late 2021. In September 2023, the property was sold to Advisors Excel, a Topeka-based company. In January 2025, JCPenney announced that it would close its West Ridge Mall store on May 25, 2025. Following that closure, Dillard's and Furniture Mall of Kansas were identified as the mall's remaining open anchor stores, while the former Sears and Burlington spaces remained vacant. The mall continues to operate as a local enclosed retail center, although its anchor lineup reflects the broader contraction of traditional department-store retail.
History
West Ridge Mall opened in Topeka, Kansas, in 1988. It was developed by Melvin Simon & Associates as an enclosed regional shopping center and began operations with a conventional anchor lineup of JCPenney, Dillard's, Sears, and The Jones Store. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included a guest appearance by Vanna White. In 1990, Montgomery Ward added another department-store location, reinforcing the mall's role as a large regional retail complex. The original tenant mix also included Old Country Buffet and the West Ridge 6 cinema, which contained a Baskin-Robbins outlet. The property experienced a series of tenant departures during the 2000s. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 as the chain went through bankruptcy proceedings. Old Country Buffet closed in 2003, while the West Ridge 6 movie theater ended operations in 2005. The former Montgomery Ward building was later used temporarily for an exhibit connected with the Kansas International Museum. In 2007, the space became a Burlington Coat Factory store. Burlington closed the location in January 2018, creating one of the mall's vacant anchor spaces. Sears, another original anchor, closed in September 2018. The Jones Store identity also disappeared as ownership in the department-store sector consolidated. Macy's acquired the parent company of The Jones Store in 2006, causing the mall location to operate under the Macy's name. This represented a return of Macy's to Topeka after the chain's downtown store had closed in 1986. The West Ridge Mall Macy's closed in March 2012. The former Macy's premises were redeveloped for Furniture Mall of Kansas, which began operating there in late 2013 and introduced a different large-format retail concept to the mall's anchor lineup. Ownership shifted in the early 2020s. Kohan Retail Investment Group bought the mall in late 2021. Advisors Excel, a local Topeka company, acquired the property in September 2023. The next major change came in 2025, when JCPenney announced that it would close its store on May 25. This departure reduced the mall's open anchor lineup to Dillard's and Furniture Mall of Kansas, while the Sears and Burlington locations were described as vacant. West Ridge Mall remains an operating enclosed shopping center, but its history illustrates the changing economics of traditional American malls, including department-store consolidation, the loss of in-mall entertainment, and the replacement of legacy anchors with furniture and other nontraditional retail uses.
- 2025
JCPenney announces a planned closure
[1]JCPenney announces that its store will close on May 25, 2025.
- 2023
Advisors Excel acquires the property
[1]Advisors Excel purchases West Ridge Mall in September 2023.
- 2021
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires the mall
[1]The property changes ownership and is acquired by Kohan Retail Investment Group in late 2021.
- 2018
Burlington closes
[1]The Burlington Coat Factory location closes in January.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]Sears, an original anchor, closes its West Ridge Mall store in September.
- 2013
Furniture Mall of Kansas opens in the former Macy's space
[1]Furniture Mall of Kansas begins operating in the former Macy's premises in late 2013.
- 2012
Macy's closes
[1]The mall's Macy's store closes in March.
- 2007
Burlington occupies the former Montgomery Ward space
[1]The former Montgomery Ward building is converted into a Burlington Coat Factory store after an interim museum-related use.
- 2006
The Jones Store becomes Macy's
[1]Macy's acquisition of The Jones Store's parent company leads the mall location to operate under the Macy's brand.
- 2005
West Ridge 6 cinema closes
[1]The mall's movie theater, which included a Baskin-Robbins outlet, ends operations.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Topeka and surrounding communities, combining department-store and furniture anchors with specialty retail, dining, and consumer services.
Department store
Dillard's
Dillard's is one of the mall's remaining open anchor stores. Its department-store format provides apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, and home-related merchandise within the center's traditional anchor structure.
Furniture and home furnishings · 2013
Furniture Mall of Kansas
Furniture Mall of Kansas occupies the former Macy's space and serves as a large-format home-furnishings anchor. Its presence illustrates the mall's adaptation from a department-store-centered tenant mix toward furniture and home retail.
Department store · 1988
JCPenney
JCPenney was an original West Ridge Mall anchor and remained part of the mall's department-store lineup for decades. The retailer announced in January 2025 that the location would close on May 25, 2025.
Cinema and entertainment · 1988
West Ridge 6
West Ridge 6 was the mall's original movie theater. It operated with a Baskin-Robbins outlet inside the cinema area before closing in 2005.
Brand decisions
2025
Planned closure of the JCPenney anchorOtherBackground
JCPenney was one of the mall's original anchors and had remained in the center's anchor lineup since its 1988 opening.
Action taken
JCPenney announced on January 25, 2025, that its store would close on May 25, 2025.
Aftermath
The announcement left Dillard's and Furniture Mall of Kansas as the identified remaining open anchors, with former Sears and Burlington spaces vacant.
2023
Sale to Advisors ExcelM&ABackground
The property changed ownership again after its 2021 acquisition.
Action taken
Advisors Excel, a Topeka-based company, acquired West Ridge Mall in September 2023.
Aftermath
Ownership returned to a local company, according to the reference material.
2021
Sale to Kohan Retail Investment GroupM&ABackground
West Ridge Mall changed ownership in late 2021.
Action taken
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the shopping center.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed the property under a new mall investment and operating owner before its subsequent sale in 2023.
2013
Replace the former Macy's anchor with a furniture retailerStrategyBackground
Macy's closed its West Ridge Mall store in March 2012, leaving a large anchor space available for reuse.
Action taken
Furniture Mall of Kansas began operating in the former Macy's premises in late 2013.
Aftermath
The change introduced a furniture and home-furnishings anchor in place of a conventional department store.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/west-ridge-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled