West Acres Shopping Center is a regional shopping center located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota near the intersection of Interstates 29 and 94. The name of the mall is often shortened to just West Acres. It is the largest mall in North Dakota and includes four major anchors, nearly 130 stores and services, and a 750 seat food court. The mall is also home to The Roger Maris Museum, a collection of regional art, the Touchstone Energy Dinosaur Playland, and a collection of spearfishing decoys created by the late John Jensen.
The Wachter family built the shopping center and it opened in 1970. The first manager of the Mall was Eddo Carlson. Mr. Carlson managed the shopping center until the Wachter family sold it in 1984 for a reported $40 million. It has seen several expansions and changes over the years. A new wing anchored by a
Target store and a JC Penney store was added approximately ten years after the mall was opened. Also, Herberger’s significantly expanded its store after closing its Gateway Mall location on the north side of Bismarck.
Over the years Kirkwood Mall has seen a few changes with its anchors. Anchoring the northeast corner of the mall was a F.W. Woolworth Co. store. After F.W. Woolworth Co.’s decline, the Bismarck Kirkwood location was turned into a Dayton’s store. Then, in 2001, it became Marshall Field’s after the merger of the Target Corporation’s largest department stores into the one name. The store was closed in 2005 after Target Corporation sold their Marshall Fields stores to May Company and May Company sold the location back to the Target Corporation. The former Dayton’s / Marshall Field’s store was then demolished and the mall’s Target store moved to that location and opened in the fall of 2006. Scheels All Sports then moved from its previous space into the former Target space after renovation.
Originally Kirkwood Mall also had a Montgomery Ward store. Following that store’s decline the space was taken over by I. Keating Furniture of Minot, ND in 2003.
Kirkwood today
Kirkwood Mall houses five major anchor stores including Herberger’s, J.C. Penney, Target, Scheels All Sports, and I. Keating Furniture. The TJ Maxx has since relocated to the new Pinehurst Square Shopping Center, and in its place will be North Dakota’s first Gold’s Gym. Kirkwood Mall is also home to over 90 smaller stores and a handful of restaurants.
CVS/pharmacy, an original tenant (as Osco Drug), will be vacating the mall sometime in 2009 when it completes its new store directly northwest of the mall.
Current anchors
Herberger’s (92,500 sq ft.)
J.C. Penney (105,882 sq ft.)
Target (former location of Dayton’s & Marshall Fields) (145,000 sq ft.)
I. Keating Furniture (former Montgomery Ward location) (103,994 sq ft.)
Scheels All Sports (former Target location) (105,000 sq ft.)
