A new look for Younkers
Published 10:26 am Monday, April 11, 2016
Not only did Younkers add white paint and more lighting for a brighter look, but it also blocked off the old mall entrance at the far east side of the store. Photos by Jason Schoonover/jason.schoonover@austindailyherald.com
Store paints, adds lights, rearranges inside as the mall comes down
Austin’s only clothing department store is officially off on its own and is showing off a new look.
As demolition continues on the former Oak Park Mall property, Austin’s Younkers is now officially freestanding and fresh off some work to remodel and shuffle around the store.
The store is sporting a brighter look thanks to white paint replacing the store’s former pink and mauve colors from the 1980s or 1990s, plus the store has new lighting.
“It’s amazing what bright, white paint will do and repositioning lightbulbs,” manager Randy Forster said.
The work at Younkers is the store’s first remodel since 1993, which was prior to Bon-Ton Stores acquiring the department store in 2006.
Younkers had been connected to Oak Park Mall, but the city of Austin helped Hy-Vee acquire the former mall property last fall through a $3.6 million grant from the Hormel Foundation. Hy-Vee is in the early stages of building a 60,000- to 90,000-square-foot grocery store at the site.
Hy-Vee will own the Younkers site. As part of the deal, Hy-Vee will give Younkers $220,000 to remodel as part of a renter’s rebate.
Younkers manager Randy Forster points to where the Oak Park Mall used to be. Younkers now stands alone after work to demolish the mall, and the clothing department store is coming off a remodel.
Exterior demolition started a few weeks ago on the former mall after several weeks of interior demolition, and now Younkers is completely free standing.
“It came down real quick,” Forster said.
One big change for Younkers shoppers can only be seen inside. The store used to have an entrance into the mall, but that has now been walled off.
“It’s still strange to think that there’s not a mall entrance there,” Forster admits.
Construction started in mid-January and the former east doorway leading into the mall was blocked off in February.
Without the east entrance for mall shoppers, many departments have been moved around. The cosmetics and jewelry departments are now near the front center just in from the north entrance.
The home store area is still on the south side, but the men’s department on the west side of the building was rearranged to make room for luggage and shoes.
Despite losing a bit of square footage, Forstner said everything still fits inside the store.
The shoe store, along with luggage which has been located just outside Younkers in the mall, has also been moved to the northwest corner of the store.
“Shoes is in here and it looks great,” Forster said
