Society in 1984 as part of its real estate investment trust liquidation that year. General Growth continued to manage Southridge until a partnership of the Simon Property Group and Macerich acquired the mall in March 1998 as part of a 12-mall deal. Macerich manages the mall as part of the deal. The occupancy rate at Southridge declined in the 2000s, as competition from Jordan Creek Town Center and other shopping areas such as Merle Hay Mall affected the mall's business. Renovation work in late 2006 and 2007 resulted in a new children's play area in the food court, Wi-Fi access, new seating areas, and remodeled restrooms. Steve & Barry's opened a new store near JCPenney on October 24, 2007, but that store closed at the end of 2008 as the chain liquidated its remaining stores. By December 2009, 40 out of 91 inline store spaces were reported as vacant. Some of the empty storefronts at Southridge had been filled with tenants that are not usually associated with malls, such as churches, offices and an animal shelter. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report named Southridge as one of 84 "endangered malls" due to its low sales per square foot and vacancy rate. On May 3, 2016, Sears announced that they would be closing in August 2016. On April 18, 2018, Younkers announced that they would close its location, as the parent, Bon-Ton Stores, was going out of business. The store closed on August 29, 2018. This left Target as the only remaining anchor. Renovations In 2012, renovations began on converting most of the mall to outdoor-facing retail. 296,000 square feet of retail space was demolished in the process, with Foot Locker, Shoe Carnival, T-Mobile and Rue 21 opening in the outdoor segment that replaced it. Des Moines Area Community College has also expressed interest in opening a campus in the former JCPenney building. Marshalls opened in the outdoor section in 2013, while a consignment shop called Value Villa opened in the former Steve & Barry's. A college also replaced the former JCPenney. References External links Southridge Mall's website Shopping malls in Iowa Buildings and structures in Des Moines, Iowa Economy of Des Moines, Iowa Macerich Shopping malls established in 1975 Tourist attractions in Des Moines, Iowa 1975 establishments in Iowa