Kearney Nebraska Hilltop Mall Turns 25 Years Old

November 1^st, 2009 the Kearney,Nebraska Hilltop Mall turned 25. When I read the headlines "Mall Turns 25" in the Kearney Hub I was surprised. Could it really have been 25 years since Kearney's Hilltop Mall opened it's doors in Kearney, Nebraska?

Back then the land north of Kearney was little more than pasture and land for growing corn. There was acres and acres of land much of which hadn't changed for generations. 25 years ago, November 1, 1984 when Hilltop Mall opened for business, our son Chris was four and our daughter Cassie was merely one.

Kearney's main businesses were downtown on Central Avenue. When news about the a possible mall coming to Kearney broke, downtown businesses rose up with questions and concerns. They saw the Hilltop Mall as a threat. They'd seen other downtown businesses fail in other towns when a mall went up. They had reason to be concerned. In many towns around Kearney, once thriving malls faded away with many abandoned store fronts.

Despite concerns from other businesses, Hilltop Mall planners were given the go-ahead to begin building. Many of us drove north just to watch as contractors laid the foundations and framed in the long building that would become Kearney, Nebraska's Hilltop Mall.

I liked the idea of being able to do my shopping inside. I also wondered about the size. I'd been in other malls. Many were so huge that just getting around was exhausting for some like me, with limitations. Others were not well thought out and were a frustration to shop.

We didn't check out the Hilltop Mall when it first opened November 1, 1984. Crowds are not real positive for me. Instead, we waited a couple of weeks until the first serge of interest died down.

But when we took our family to check out Kearney, Nebraska's new Hilltop Mall, I was pleased. A Wal-Mart store anchored one end, Herberger's, the other. In between, was Wal-Greens pharmacy, Radio Shack, a multi-screen theater, and a variety of gift, clothing and shoe stores along with eating establishments and an arcade. Most of all, for me, I found Hilltop Mall large enough and with enough variety to meet our family's needs, but small enough that I wasn't exhausted just walking from one end to the other. There were also places we could sit and rest.

The downtown businesses who so feared a decline in business for downtown Kearney, drew together to ensure downtown was a good place for both shopping and fun. As years went by, stores in Hilltop Mall, like Wal-Mart and Wal-Greens, built free-standing stores. Hilltop Mall drew other businesses to North Kearney and the pasture and crop land became prime real estate for developers.

Twenty-five years later, North Kearney is an entirely different place, booming with business. Downtown Kearney, now called The Bricks, is also booming, because more business brought more people to Kearney, Nebraska to shop. Cooperation of downtown businesses brought new enticement for shopping downtown as well as at Hilltop Mall and other new business in North Kearney.

Twenty five years. The time has slipped by so quickly. Our children our grown, away from home, doing well and we are grandparents. It really has been 25 years.

Hilltop Mall, unlike many malls that were built and abandoned, still flourishes. Some of the same businesses that started 25 years ago at Hilltop are still there, including three original store manages. Other businesses moved out or moved on with other businesses taking their place. In an era when many malls are failing, Kearney's Hilltop Mall has an almost unheard of 97% occupancy.

Hilltop Mall is still a place to shop, find clothes or a good book. Hilltop Mall is a place to meet friends and "mall walk" for exercise. And, Hilltop Mall, from that old arcade to the theater, holds fond memories-25 year's worth.