Plans for a fourth anchor store at Valley West Mall were announced on two separate occasions but never materialized. In March 1999, Dillard’s signed a letter of intent with Watson Centers to build a $30 million store and parking ramp, but the letter of intent expired in August 2000, and Dillard’s located in the new Jordan Creek Town Center instead. In May 2001, Galyan’s (now Dick’s Sporting Goods) announced a plan to build an 84,000-square-foot (7,800 m2) anchor store, but by January 2003, it backed out of its plan to enter the Des Moines market.
While Jordan Creek was under construction, Valley West underwent an interior renovation that was completed in August 2003.
Legal issues
On December 24, 1998, a group of activists passed out handbills outside of Valley West Mall’s JCPenney store that accused Phillips-Van Heusen, whose clothing line was sold at JCPenney, of promoting sweatshop conditions. The activists were removed by West Des Moines police and arrested for trespassing. Two of them sued the city of West Des Moines and took their case to the Iowa Supreme Court, arguing that malls like Valley West had become large public gathering places where they had the right to freedom of speech. West Des Moines, on the other hand, argued that Valley West was a private property and the owners would lose control of their property if handbill distribution was allowed. On April 3, 2002, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of West Des Moines.
Valley West Mall and Merle Hay Mall were plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the city of West Des Moines over the construction of Jordan Creek Town Center. The suit, which claimed that West Des Moines was illegally using tax increment financing money to improve the infrastructure around Jordan Creek, was dismissed by the Iowa Supreme Court on February 27, 2002.
Anchors
JCPenney (136,312 sq ft/12,663.8 m2)
Von Maur (184,342 sq ft/17,125.9 m2)
Younkers (205,250 sq ft/19,068 m2)
