The late former mayor of Westminster Nancy Heil remarked more than once that “we thought we had died and gone to heaven when the mall first opened.” There certainly was a buzz when the Westminster Mall opened in 1977 with about 30 stores.
For everyone who loved retail – and it was most everyone – Westminster was the big dog in the north metro. The city joined Northglenn in enjoying the benefits of having a large shopping mall destination. And Westminster smartly used its sales tax revenue to jumpstart other projects as the city grew and it worked toward opening the Promenade with the Westin Hotel not so far from the mall. The city focused on additional amenities and development, including partnerships with Hyland Hills Recreational District and also Front Range Community College in opening College Hill Library.
Looking back, Westminster Mall has had a good life stretching about 34 years to today. Cinderella City Mall, first touted as the largest covered mall this side of the Mississippi River, tallied a similar lifespan from about 1968 to 1999, as did Northglenn Mall, lasting 1974 to 2006. It appears the $10 million renovation of the Westminster Mall was worthwhile and extended the life of the mall.
So we will always remember the years that the anchors thrived. People shopped and shopped. They had their ties cut off at Trail Dust Steak House and slid down the restaurant’s slide. Children lined up to see Santa at the mall, and the balloons in the center court went up, up and away and then back down over and over again. Teens cruised the mall.
It will be interesting to watch the new development to be called Westminster Center. We like the new urban concept to feature office, retail and residential, which may create the types of buildings that last and get renovated over time rather than targeted by wrecking balls every three decades. And we like the intent that the area may gain the status of a “downtown.” It will be the residents who give the final verdict whether the new development rates as a downtown, but we like the idea.
So last week we sadly witnessed the walls of the former Macy’s at Westminster Mall coming down. The area will look worse before it looks better. But we are impressed and pleased that the city found new developers to revitalize this important enclave of Westminster.