CHUBBUCK — One retail giant is leaving Southeast Idaho while another appears poised to arrive.
JCPenney has announced the closure of its Pine Ridge Mall location, marking an end to having a Pocatello area presence that began in the early 1900s when the retailer had a store in downtown Pocatello.
Chubbuck Mayor Kevin England has confirmed that the mall’s new owner has signified that a lot on the mall property will be the future home of a Target store.
The mall’s new owner, SimonCRE, a national development and acquisition firm headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, told the Idaho State Journal that its plans to rebuild the mall as an outdoor shopping venue are underway.
England said the Chubbuck City Council on Wednesday approved SimonCRE’s plat plans for the mall. The company plans to demolish much of the mall and construct five new buildings, most of which will house multiple businesses. One of those lots will reportedly be the future home of the Chubbuck Target.
SimonCRE said its plans to rebuild the mall will continue during 2025 with a completion date not yet finalized.
SimonCRE would not comment on Target coming to the mall. Kohl’s was also talked about as possibly being a future mall tenant but SimonCRE said there are currently no plans for a Kohl’s store on the mall property.
England said the rebuilding of the Pine Ridge Mall is a hugely positive development for Chubbuck and he looks forward to the project’s completion.
Some of the entities at the Pine Ridge Mall own their buildings and will remain on the property in their current locations. These include Hobby Lobby, Gem Prep: Pocatello charter school and C-A-L Ranch.
Some of the other mall tenants will be relocated on the mall property as part of the rebuilding project, SimonCRE said.
The closure of the JCPenney store at the mall marks the end of an era. In the Pine Ridge Mall’s heyday, JCPenney, Sears, Dillard’s and Macy’s all had anchor stores at the mall. Starting around the time of the Great Recession those anchor stores began closing one by one until JCPenney was the sole survivor.
Now JCPenney’s presence at the Pine Ridge Mall will soon be a memory. The store’s last day will be May 25, the retailer stated.
JCPenney released the following statement: “The decision to close a store is never an easy one. We are grateful to our dedicated associates and the loyal customers who have shopped at our (Pine Ridge Mall) location. We continue to work to make every dollar count for families across America and welcome them to shop at our other JCPenney stores in the area and at JCPenney.com.”