In the early 1980s, malls across America began their glory days. In 1981, Price Development cashed in on the burgeoning lifestyle trend and built the Pine Ridge Mall. Later owned by General Growth Properties, the mall was home to anchors JCPenny, ZCMI and The Bon Marche (which became Macy’s). For more than 35 years, the Pine Ridge Mall has stood the test of time while Pocatello and Chubbuck matured around it.
Today, the Pine Ridge Mall is home to more than 40 businesses, including restaurants, retailers, a community farmer’s market, a movie theater and even a kid’s bounce house emporium.
“The Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck, Idaho is recognized for our diverse collection of stores ranging from western wear to dozens of popular fashion retailers such as Herbergers, JCPenny, The Buckle, Maurices, Vanity and many more,” said Tia Lloyd, the general manager of the Pine Ridge Mall. “The mall is open seven days a week with over 35 stores and plenty of eateries to choose from.”
Sitting near the intersection of the area’s two major freeways, the Pine Ridge Mall now spans 73 acres. Growth at the property has been extensive over the past year.
The Pine Ridge Mall has an 83 percent occupancy rate and in the last year alone has leased more than 20,000 square feet of retail space, Lloyd said. The 20,000 square feet of new additions only includes what’s inside the enclosed mall. Hobby Lobby and other outparcel additions added 60,000 square feet in the space of a year.
Throughout 2016, six new stores and four restaurants have signed on to the mall. Today, mall shoppers have six options for dining along with 38 stores to peruse.
However, in its early days, the Pine Ridge Mall was more than just a place to shop. Tyler Allen would take her spending money to Aladdin’s Castle, feeding the flashing arcade games while the sweet scent of Mrs. Powell’s cinnamon rolls tempted the teen and her friends. Andy Piantanida remembers flipping through one vinyl record after another while his parents shopped nearby.
These were the days of AquaNet and allowances, of food court dates and hours of aimless wandering after school. For those who grew up in the Pocatello/Chubbuck area, the mall’s halls are thick with memories.
“There were a lot of great memories there,” Allen said. “I wish it was the mall it used to be.”
Today, in the age of e-commerce and in-app smartphone shopping, the mall experience is now different. As the retail landscape changed, so did the Pine Ridge Mall.
While Macy’s and ZCMI have gone, anchors such as Sears and Shopko opened in new buildings as the mall expanded. In 2002, ZCMI sold their store in the mall, along with several others, to Dillard’s. Dillard’s eventually closed this location and Herberger’s took over the space in 2012. In August 2006, Macy’s closed their location in the mall. The space was later occupied by Party Palace, and it became C-A-L Ranch Store in 2014.
In November 2013, General Growth Properties sold the mall to Farmer Holding Co. for $9.05 million. Today, the mall is still owned by Farmer’s Holding Co. and its management group is Capital Real Estate Services.
Since that management and ownership change, the mall has caught the attention of businesses both big and small who want to set up shop there. Four national chain restaurants attract diners to the mall’s outparcels. The city’s largest movie theater, the Carmike Pine Ridge, added a “Big D” theater experience in 2015.
The mall’s most talked-about addition of 2016 was the Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby’s doors opened to the public at 9 a.m. on Sept. 5 as the arts, crafts, home and hobby store continued its dominating expansion across the United States. Located next to C-A-L Ranch at the Pine Ridge Mall, the store joins more than 700 Hobby Lobbys across the nation and is one of 50 stores the company is opening in 2016.
Hundreds attended the grand opening, with lines stretching out the door and down the sidewalk. More than 940 people expressed interest in the event on Facebook. Another 473 people said on Facebook that they were going to the grand opening event.
“We feel blessed for the fantastic opportunity to be a part of the Chubbuck community,” said John Schumacher, Assistant Vice President of Advertising in an e-mailed statement. “Our goal is for customers to experience the exceptional service, selection and value Hobby Lobby offers.”
The retail addition added 55,000 square feet in new construction to the Pine Ridge Mall. Hobby Lobby now offers more than 75,000 crafting and home decor products including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, wearable art, arts and crafts, jewelry making, scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies.
With the addition of Hobby Lobby, Chubbuck Mayor Kevin England said it’s evident the new owners are committed to making the Pine Ridge Mall a viable part of the community again.
“There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the bigger steps towards seeing that (revitalization) happen,” he said. “Over the next year and a half, you’re going to see the mall itself, the interior of the mall, bounce back.”
