This 1989 Meadowood Mall directory offers a fascinating glimpse into one of Reno’s premier shopping destinations during its heyday. As a Taubman-developed property, Meadowood featured signature design elements like skylights with integrated lighting and unique art installations throughout the mall corridors.
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Front cover of the 1989 Meadowood Mall directory, featuring clean Taubman design lines and a subtle nod to upscale retail branding in Reno, Nevada. |
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Inside the 1989 directory: a full list of stores at Meadowood Mall, including Miller’s Outpost, Miller Stockman, and a variety of fashion and specialty retailers. |
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Back cover of the Meadowood Mall 1989 directory, notable for its unique detail: language assistance available in Icelandic—an uncommon mall amenity. |
Unique features in the 1989 directory
The directory reveals a rare offering for shoppers: language assistance available in Icelandic, highlighting the mall’s attention to welcoming diverse visitors. Notably, this directory predates the arrival of Sears and the addition of a food court at Meadowood—both developments that would come later, marking an evolution in the mall’s retail and dining options.
Brief history: Meadowood Mall’s beginnings and anchor stores
Meadowood Mall opened in 1978, anchored by Macy’s, Liberty House, and JCPenney. Liberty House closed its doors in 1983, with Macy’s South moving into that space by 1984. Sears later joined Meadowood in the 1990s after relocating from the soon-to-be-demolished Park Lane Mall, further strengthening the mall’s retail lineup.
Meadowood Mall today and its competitors
In recent years, Meadowood Mall has faced competition from the newer Summit Sierra Shopping Center, an open-air power center anchored by Dillard’s. Unlike Meadowood’s enclosed design, Summit Sierra requires driving between stores, catering to a different shopping experience. While Summit Sierra is currently popular, only time will tell which format will prevail in Reno’s retail landscape.
Comments
I think you are right about the 45 degree angles. Even the logo has it!
Maybe some Reno-ites can chime in.
Scott
Granted, I don't know the Reno market, but considering the tenants Sierra got, you'd at least have expected an outdoor format like Santana Row or Victoria Gardens in Southern Calif. But the fact that it's not indoor truly tells the tale.
Perhaps if Sierra had gotten a Macys or Nordstrom to come on board it would have been different. Problem is, there just aren't that many big anchors left. And aside from Dillards, their other anchors are quite comfortable with the strip/big box format. And as long as it was upscale, the smaller retaiers didn't care. Had it been anchored by a Wal Mart, I doubt stores like Abercrombie would have gone near it.
Years from now you could concievably put more buildings in front and convert it to a traditional outdoor mall, but I don't see it ever going indoor.
As for Meadowood, I'm surprised Weinstocks never went there and had Reno been a bigger market, we might have seen it happen. But with Sears as a co-anchor, Park Lane probably did quite well for Weinstocks until the end.
The mall is not multi-story. The elevation varies inside with short ramps and flights of stairs typically three or four steps in total. As someone else said, it was built on a sloping lot.
As far as its appearance, the original outdoor signs are still on at least one street entrance (the font is very 80's) and the inside still looks the same as it does in the scans you see on this page. The only obvious exception if you were to visit today is that the sculpture in the planter pictured on the front of the directory flier was converted into a fountain. Ultimately it was moved to a location near the information desk because its original planter/fountain location was demolished and replaced with a Starbucks a few years back. I was rather disappointed with that decision, but at least they didn't trash the sculpture. The "stage" area was flattened out with risers to eliminate the pit area (kids falling off it perhaps?), but it wasn't filled in and it's still under there.
Other than the Starbucks, all of the planters are still in place, the light fixtures are the same, and the floor still has the same tile. Today Meadowood owned by Simon Malls.
Meadowood is the only mall of its type left in the city. Park Lane mall was demolished. Sparks has the more promising Legends compared to Reno's Summit, in my opinion. The Legends incorporates a lot of Nevada history and sculptures into its walking areas, and it's basically laid out like Meadowood except without a roof. Legends is also bringing the area's first and only IMAX theater, and it's a much shorter drive than Summit.
A memory by
Darrell in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who lives ten blocks from North Americas largest mall. West Edmonton Mall
The mall has begun a massive renovation that will bring in new, upscale tenants and involve several store relocations. I'm working on updating the Mall's Wikipedia page as info becomes available.