Comments on: Park Lane Mall; Reno, Nevada

By: Jerry

Jerry — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:09:25 +0000

Reading this story is depressing. It reminds one of the relentless march of time.

As a young lad of 18, I came to Reno in 1980. Park Lane Mall was my favorite hangout spot. At the time, masses of crowds populated Park Lane; by contrast, Meadowwood Mall was a tomb. You see, Meadowwood Mall in 1980 was located in the “boonies”.

By the year 2005, this pattern was exactly reversed: Meadowwood Mall swamped, Park Lane Mall a tomb. By that time, thousands of houses had been built in the vicinity of Meadowwood, and the business followed this development. Meanwhile, Woolworth’s, a major player at Park Lane, had gone under, while online music swapping killed Mirabelli’s, the record store in Park Lane that was another big hangout. Even Walden Books, a third hangout, had gone under—another victim of the Internet.

On a related note, it is not widely known that Park Lane Mall even had a resident “ghost”—a young woman who was murdered in 1979 who was said to haunt the lower-level restrooms.

But time marches on. Park Lane Mall will always hold a special spot in my memory. I was sorry to see it go.

By: Pearl

Pearl — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:00:54 +0000

PARK LANE MALL–RENO , NEVADA —THE MALL WAS COMPLETELY TORN DOWN YEARS AGO!! IT’S JUST A BIG EMPTY LOT NOW

By: Caldor

Caldor — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:47:37 +0000

Gottschalks won’t be reopening here or anywhere now; the chain is liquidating.

By: Vicki Turco

Vicki Turco — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:59:19 +0000

Will Gottschalks be reopening any where soon, I really miss that store?

By: Allan

Allan — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:37:15 +0000

Very interesting and informative write-up about the history of this mall. I had a very sneaky suspicion looking at the pics that the decor was stuck in the 1980s, and I see with when the last mall renovation for this mall occurred that I was right!

Funny that both this entry, plus the one before on Golf Mill, were consecutive entries about malls that opened as open-air centers, and were later enclosed! Finally, I hope that clock is one day reinstalled somewhere in the downtown area, now that this mall shuttered.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:08:55 +0000

In 1968, at age 11, during a visit to Reno with my parents, we went to Park Lane Center (after Harrah’s Auto Museum, where else in Reno do you take the kids?). Having only seen the old Weinstock’s in downtown Sacramento, I thought their ‘new’ store was very cool indeed. The elevator had a PH button, which my father told me meant ‘penthouse’. Conjuring up images of a Rainbow Room-type cocktail lounge filled with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers lookalikes (and to think my parents were surprised when 7 years later I told them I was gay), I instantly pressed the PH button. Boy was I disappointed when the elevator doors opened and there was nothing but a bunch of naked mannequins and discarded sale signs.

By: BIGMallrat

BIGMallrat — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:11:01 +0000

Park Lane was unique because it featured local tenants; not the usual mall-fare. However, it wasn’t enough. Most of the tenants were on year-to-year leases since Macerich decided to redevelop the mall years ago (think lifestyle center or mega-casino). They abandoned the project and sold the mall to M&H, who valued the real estate more than the mall.
You wanted to know what happened to the clock… I want to know what happened to the ghost. If you knock down the building, does the ghost move on?
Scott

By: Penmentor

Penmentor — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:23:03 +0000

Here’s a story of what happened to the clock – http://www.newsreview.com/reno/Content?oid=623443 – Apparently, the City of Reno is now the proud owner and it now sits in a storage unit

By: E Ruskin

E Ruskin — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:38:14 +0000

What a cute little mall, how sad it close down…anyway, I heard this mall was haunted, does anyone know for sure, i read that on the internet, aparently in the basement restrooms a woman got raped and killed, i sure hope that was like an urban myth and not real, how scary! That’s why my friend Pilar, who lived nearby said she hated going shopping there alone, she moved from Reno to Tahoe CA 2 years ago so she didnt heard about that anymore, anyone knows if this is true?

By: Caldor

Caldor — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:47:13 +0000

Right, the Gottschalk’s is still standing and open for the next few days. They apparently still want to re-open in the area and are looking for a new site.