Visitors to Ward Parkway Center in the early 1960s marveled at the gaslit streets inside Kansas City's first enclosed shopping mall. Almost 50 years later, Ward Parkway remains an important part of the community, a place to shop for running shoes (Garry Gribble's), meet for coffee (Starbucks), see a movie (AMC) and stock up on toilet paper and 7UP (Target). Dallas-based Todd Interests deserves the bulk of the credit for the mall's staying power. The company bought the aging mall in 1999 and turned it into a hybrid; it retains some of the characteristics of an inward-looking enclosed mall (Mr. Bulky's, kiosks) but also caters to shoppers simply looking to grab a bag of dog food on the way home. While younger malls have bitten the dust, Ward Parkway Center keeps adding new tenants, including Staples. Best of all, the redevelopment continues without the help of tax incentives.
