Grand Teton Mall remains a popular place to shop and do business after 40 years of operation
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IDAHO FALLS – When Justin Martin thinks about the Grand Teton Mall celebrating four decades of business, it makes him “feel really old.”
The 44-year-old Rigby native has fond memories of going to the mall as a kid. He is now the mall’s property management associate and he’s excited to celebrate its 40th anniversary during a weeklong event starting July 29. There will be displays in the Center Court with photos and old news reports about the mall’s beginnings.
There will also be a variety of activities, including performances from local singers and dancers, and a drawing for prizes donated by businesses in the mall.
“We’ve got all the stores involved to participate. We’re excited to still be here for the community,” Martin tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Jensen Jewelers, one of the mall’s original tenants still in operation, will be giving away the grand prize that week — a $4,000 1-carat diamond.
Prize drawings will happen daily and people can enter for free. They do not have to be present to win.
“If I didn’t work at the mall, I’d be going to sign up for that. There’s a ton of cool prizes that will be given away,” says Jensen Jewelers Area Supervisor Mike Burrell.
The beginnings of the Grand Teton Mall
The Grand Teton Mall opened for the first time on Aug. 1, 1984. The Idaho Falls Chamber and members of the community celebrated the occasion with a ribbon-cutting.
At roughly 582,200-square-feet, it was one of the first large-scale commercial endeavors in Idaho Falls. Martin says the Skidmore Family and Park Enterprises were instrumental in its construction in what was then an empty field.
A lot of commercial development has occurred since then and the Grand Teton Mall is now more than 644,000-square-feet. The building that houses Alturas Preparatory Academy and Old Navy are recent additions that weren’t part of the original project.
‘The best spot in town’ for a jeweler to do business
Jensen Jewelers, along with JC Penney and ZCMI, were among the Grand Teton Mall’s first tenants. ZCMI has since been replaced by Dillard’s, but the jewelry store and JC Penney are still around.
Burrell, who has managed Jensen Jewelers for 25 years, says the business operated in the Country Club Mall for years before moving to its Grand Teton Mall location. Built decades earlier in the strip where Fred Meyer is located, Country Club was the city’s first mall. It was several years after the Grand Teton Mall opened that Country Club closed.
“John Jensen (who ran the jewelry store at the time) knew the Country Club was fading out,” Burrell explains. “He wanted to get a location as soon as this opened so he could be in the best spot in town.”
Though there are numerous Jensen Jewelers stores in eastern Idaho, the mall location remains one of the most popular. It’s outlasted other jewelers who have occupied mall space through the years, which Burrell credits to the business’s “ma and pa approach.”
“We really take care of people and it keeps them coming back,” he says.
‘People love going’ to the Grand Teton Mall
While the number of malls closing across the country has increased in recent years, Martin says the Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls is still going strong.
Several new tenants have signed leases, he says, which means more stores are coming soon.
And it’s become a destination for customers locally and out of state.
“It just seems to keep accelerating. People love going there,” says Burrell.
Though there are several reasons for its longevity, Burrell cites a major renovation project years ago as a key component of its survival and continued appeal for the modern shopper.
“(Mall management) reinvented (the building) to (make it) look like a newer mall. I think that was a real key to keeping it relevant,” says Burrell. “It was dark brown on the outside and had dark tiles and railroad ties on the ceiling. Crews tore every tile out, sheet-rocked and painted it a modern color.”
The future of the Grand Teton Mall
Martin says the food court, which has since been replaced by Barnes & Noble and Starbucks, is an amenity many would like to see make a comeback.
He isn’t sure whether that’s going to happen, but he is looking into it.
“I’ve been working to see what we can do to support that,” Martin says. “No promises.”
Meanwhile, Martin believes the key to success going forward is community involvement. Hosting more events is one of his biggest priorities. He remembers going trick-or-treating at the mall on Halloween and he’s partnering with city officials to make that happen this year.
He appreciates the community’s support over the last 40 years and is looking forward to celebrating with the community later this month.
“So far, we’ve got over $7,000 worth of prizes and gifts to give away from the stores. It’s going to be fun,” he says.
