Dinosaurs invade Kansas City area mall. And there’s a giant new furniture store, too

Independence Center is hoping to get a boost from two new operations, designed to attract consumers from across the metro.

European Furniture Center and Jurassic Giants Exhibit & Dino Play had grand openings Friday.

Furniture store in former Macy’s

European Furniture Center took the former Macy’s space in May, on the east end of the center, but was waiting on another furniture line to arrive before hosting a grand opening.

The 75,000-square-foot upper level is a furniture showroom, while the lower level is the warehouse so customers won’t have to wait for their purchases. Displayed items are in stock, but customers also can get some pieces customized from a choice of fabrics.

Furniture includes sofas, sectionals, accent chairs, loungers, coffee tables, bedroom furniture, dining room tables and chairs, outdoor furniture and mattresses.

There are children’s beds — one designed like a pirate’s ship and a few from Cilek Kids Room that resemble race cars.

It also has colorful pottery from Turkey, along with pillows, blankets, baskets and other home decor.

Customers “like the price and the uniqueness,” said Heather Mount, store manager.

Los Angeles-based IGP Business Group acquired the 1.1 million-square-foot Independence Center in 2019 for $57 million.

Matt Ilbak, a partner and CEO of IGP, created European Furniture Center as a separate company. He plans to open a European Furniture Center in an IGP mall in Los Angeles in the spring and possibly another in Florida later in 2023.

He said the furniture is designed in Italy and made in such countries as Turkey, Italy, Romania and Norway.

“We are bringing affordable European furniture to the greater Kansas City market,” he said.

Jurassic Independence

Also opening in the center: Jurassic Giants Exhibit & Dino Play, a children’s attraction with animatronic dinosaurs, inflatables, games and more. It also will have a gift shop selling games, toys, apparel and candy.

“What I’m really trying to do is bring more family-friendly businesses to the mall,” Ilbak said. “If necessary I’m stepping in and taking risks. A lot of mall owners won’t do that.”

It took a space by the furniture store on the upper level.

It charges $7 per person as an introductory price. The exhibit is scheduled to run for at least six months.

“We just came in from the Gulf Coast and we sold out for the season,” said Simon Stanley, owner of Bagel Boy Productions in Scottsdale, Arizona, who is putting on the exhibit. “This exhibit is here, and I have a slightly different one in New York.”

Macy’s closed its Independence Center store in 2021 as part of a national restructuring.

Independence Center, at 11801 E. 39th St., also lost another anchor, Sears, in 2019. But it has less than a dozen empty storefronts and still counts Dillard’s as an anchor.

This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 2:48 PM.