Mall makeover: Antioch Crossing adds tenants

The conversion of Antioch Center to Antioch Crossing is on its way.

▪ A new 41,180-square-foot Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market recently opened in the center, selling groceries and a variety of other items including health and beauty aids, pet products and cleaning supplies.

▪ A multi-tenant building is now under construction for Firehouse Subs, GNC, Modern Nails & Spa, and Gerry Optical.

▪ An 8,900-square-foot building will be put up along Antioch Road to house a PepperJax Grill and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, with another 3,800 square feet between the two restaurants still available. Construction on that building is scheduled to start in January and be completed in May, with the restaurants opening in late spring or early summer.

▪ Vintage Stock, a Joplin-based entertainment superstore chain selling new and used video games, movies, books, music, toys, comic books and sports cards, plans to open in late spring between Sears and Burlington Coat Factory. About 25,000 square feet is still available in the main building.

Antioch Center was Kansas City’s first shopping center north of the Missouri River when it opened in 1956.

The re-developer, Antioch Redevelopment Partners LLC, purchased the mall in 2010 and started tearing it down in early 2012. However, such longtime tenants as Sears, Burlington Coat Factory, Goodyear Tire and Bank of America have continued to operate there and will remain tenants of the new Antioch Crossing.

The $67 million Antioch Crossing, on 41 acres at Antioch and Vivion roads in the Northland, will have 512,000-square-feet of retail, as well as office tenants, market-rate senior housing, and walking and bike trails.

The developers also are looking for such tenants as a shoe store, bookstore, and dine-in restaurant, among other options.

More than 100,000 people with an average household income of more than $55,000 live within a 5-mile radius of the center.

Gates Plaza addition

Cupcakin, a locally owned cupcake shop, has opened in the Gates Plaza, 2311 E. 12th St.

Flavors include Miss Berry (strawberry cupcake with vanilla cream cheese frosting), the Sunshine (a lemon cupcake with vanilla cream cheese frosting and topped lemon meringue), Coco Crazy (pineapple cupcake with coconut cream cheese frosting and cherry on top), and Apple Miniskirt (spiced cupcake with apple pie filling and cream cheese frosting). They sell for $2.50 a piece.

The location also has a private party room for up to 11 children.

Owner Erica Harris, who works full-time in records at the Kansas City Police Department, started baking cupcakes as a hobby about three years ago.

“I started baking for bake sales at work and then people started placing orders,” Harris said.

Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Quick bite

Salty Iguana Mexican Restaurant has rolled out a new food truck.

The owners spent two years planning and developing Iggy’s GreenGo and it is now available for special events, festivals, office parties and more. Menu items include street tacos, dip and chips, carne asada nacho fries, and churros for dessert. It also serves “walking tacos,” a taco salad in a bag of Doritos.

“It’s another outlet for us to promote our brand,” said Steven May, a partner in Salty Iguana Restaurant Co. Inc.

Salty Iguana was founded in 1991 in Prairie Village and later added locations in Independence, Olathe, Overland Park and Lawrence.

This story was originally published December 2, 2014 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Mall makeover: Antioch Crossing adds tenants."