JCPenney: Here, Going, Gone! - Riverdale - Coon Rapids, MN

October 18, 2020.

The final day of business for the JCPenney at Riverdale in Coon Rapids, MN. The 93,000 square foot store opened in 2002, and was one of the featured anchors at the Riverdale Shopping Center. Now Riverdale would be down it's second key anchor in the past five years. An even larger Sears store, on the north side, closed in 2017. Although that Sears is currently being renovated into a Schneiderman’s Furniture.

Nameplate on a JC Penney red shopping cart. I spent way too much time leaning on one of these, when I was dragged along with Laura's last minute X-Mess shopping, less than a year ago today...

October 24, 2020.

Front of the closed JCPenney store, on the north side, six days after it was last open. I drove by on my way home from running some Aarons, to see if anything was going on here. There wasn’t, but the JCPenney sign had already been removed from the exterior walls. 

October 24, 2021

Exactly one year to the date of my last pictures of JCPenney. I did not plan to wait exactly 365 days before going back, it was only while I was putting this story together that I noticed this. 

Construction crews have been working on the building for months now. All of the JCPenney interior had been removed, some of the brick had been ripped off of the exterior walls and several sections of the roof was cut away. With all of the work going on to make the structure unrecognizable, I still wonder why the whole thing wasn't torn down and started over from scratch. 

So far, there hasn't been a whole lot of details about the new old building when it's finished. A brief report on the city's website states the former JCPenney will be sectioned off into five separate stores. It has been said that one of the spaces will be a grocery store, and the hot rumor is Amazon Fresh will be that store. However, this has never been officially confirmed by either the developer or the city of Coon Rapids. It may very well be Amazon, but until one or both sides make that declaration, I'm not saying for certain what it would be.

Doubt my vote for a King Soopers went very far...

But now you can see all the way through to the TCF (now Huntington) Bank, across Main Street (242)!

Looking eastward at the north side of the building. More than half of this wall has undergone a brick unpeeling. Which must have made the cement underneath very tired. Now a series of beams, planted into the pavement, are required to keep them from falling over.

Don't you worry Greystone Construction, I'm staying outside your fence. There's simply not enough of interest beyond this fence that would make the risk of breaking your command worthwhile. Good thing I have two other sets of pictures to add, otherwise there would be little point in writing this story...

If you're keeping score at home, this is the 200th story to appear on Four Baggers and Foreclosures. I'm proud of that, but this milestone was previously celebrated on The 199th Post Retrospective Spectacular Whatever. You should go read that. You can finish this one first though, that's okay...

December 21, 2019, Exterior JCPenney sign at night.

Laura wanted to do some last minute X-Mess shopping tonight. We were on our way home from somewhere, and ended up at JCPenney. I think we were here for about 27 and a half hours that night. To alleviate my own boredom, I decided to take some pictures of the place as I walked around. 

They may come in useful someday!

Like maybe a year later when JCPenney decided to close this store, due to underperforming sales. This was affecting JCPenney nationwide, and the Coon Rapids store was to be sacrificed. I'm sure Covid didn't help things either...

X-Mess themed knick-knacks and expensive last minute gift ideas.

Overpriced X-Mess tree ornaments.

JCPenney was fully stocked and had a decent amount of customers shopping that night. Though it emptied out as the night went on. Of course we had to stay until closing, because reasons...

We'll get back to our extended X-Mess shopping in a bit, but for the moment, I need to introduce the photos from JCPenney's last day of business. What I consider to be the real stars of this story.

October 18, 2020.

Knowing this was the last day that the Riverdale JCPenney location would be open, I needed to stop in for some pictures. I was hoping to wander through the entire store without an employee asking me to leave. But most of them are already out of a job at midnight, so I doubt they'd really care. Not like I was there to break stuff or tag the walls.

Just inside the north doors, I think they're trying to tell us something...

If you look closely, you can see an "S" under two strips of yellow tape, which matches the yellow background of the sign. So "Last Days!" becomes "Last Day!" without needing a new sign. Ingenious! An even closer look hints at a different word under "Day(s)!", but it doesn't look like it could say Weeks or Hours. Not even minutes...

I've given this far too much thought...

Just one week after JC Penney closed for the last time, only the faintest of label scars remained. The letters came off the wall the next day, and you have to look very closely to even see a trace.

That same wall in September, 2011.

A full west parking lot speaks of the retail gravy days of ten years ago.

These signs were taped to all the doors after the store closed. Minnesota was now down to just three JCPenney stores. A slow death watch similar to how we watched Sears die a few years ago. (Like the one in St. Paul!) All the lights were still on inside, but I couldn't get a decent picture through two layers of doors, and the reflections of the parking lot.

At least the plaque on the bricks was still there.

In case you were wondering, that decorative window on the northwest corner is fake. As are each of them on the four corners of the building. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it later.

Yeah, I get it... Stop trying to scare me...

I'm just too old and it's just not worth going across any barrier for the sake of a place like this. I can see all that I need from behind the chain link fence. Without having to give some bone headed explanation to the police they're threatening me with. Although if they're coming up from Minneapolis, instead of Crapids, I could probably get away before they got here.

Inside the front (north) doors, and directly to the right was the Menswear Department. Now reduced to just one rack, overflowing with slacks.

This area was once filled with Menswear.

Which looked like this, when it was filled with winter clothes and underwear, back in December, 2019.

Winter gloves! Now I remember, this was one of the main reasons we were here! Laura was looking for a good pair of winter gloves. I remember she bought a couple of pair, and I don't think either of them worked out.

About half way though our JCPenney shopping trip, the cart of X-Mess bounty was only half full.

We actually resorted to a second cart before we were finally finished.

This same area of Menswear, on October 18, 2020. Looking towards the east doors. Photo taken from roughly wear the tacky T-Shirts were stocked, one year earlier.

And that one year earlier, this photo was taken from roughly the same spot. Back when this area of Menswear was filled with tacky T-Shirts and more seasonal X-Mess stuff. 

And I REALLY hate that Sponge Bob meme...

Speaking of tacky, who seriously needs a Racing Hooters T-Shirt?

Especially for $27...

Although I kind of liked the cast of Super Mario Bros. T-Shirt, and even that was $20. Not worth it, but something really bothered me about this... It’s that white jellyfish/squid creature named "Blooper". I swear that when I first played Super Mario Bros. in 1985, this evil villain was named "Bloober". So I thought that this shirt featured it's own accidental/intentional blooper. This bothered me until I spent the time to look it up on Super Mario Wiki, which is actually a thing that exists. Turns out, with the release of Paper Mario, in 2000, the character Bloober was renamed Blooper. 

That means both me and the T-Shirt are correct.

The Memory Foam Slippers Department, located in the aisle on the way to the west doors.

With Minnesota Twins slippers from Ft. Collins? 

Last day of business Menswear Department, by the west doors.

Cashier stands had long been shut down. 

Lonely pants stashed under one of the display tables. They should have been reunited with their friends up in that one overflowing rack by the north doors. But that's none of my business...

These registers were closed, but the point of sale computers remained. I didn't see prices on them, so I don't know if they were for sale. 

Doors on the west end. A week after JCPenney was officially closed.

Exactly one year later...

The doors on the west end were not blocked by a fence, so I was able to walk right up to them. They were still locked, the glass on the doors were covered in dirt and other filth, but I was able to get a decent shot of what the inside looked like today. 13 months ago, the Menswear Department would have been in front of you. Now there's nothing resembling JCPenney left here.

Just a really big pile of dirt where Laura once spent 17 days looking at gloves.

Looking to the south through the same doors, you'll see a whole lot of JCPenney has been removed. Unfortunately, the reflection was unavoidable, so you have to pretend the parking lot isn't superimposed inside the building. Unless you like it this way. I kind of do... The cement floor and multiple parts of the roof have all went away. Again I'm wondering why the developer bothered to save what they did. Seems to me it would've made far more sense to demolish the entire place and rebuild from scratch.

But what was here...

Without all of the clothes in the way, you could now see the full mural of lands that look nothing like Coon Rapids. Guessing this was here to imply that if you bought some the JC Penney Casual Menswear, it would figuratively put you in a Hippie Van and ship you off to the desert? 

Not literally...

This van would probably just take you to the Buffalo Wild Wings, beyond the wall and across the parking lot.

The Fitting Room Department. Complete with a hand written sign informing you that the "Fixtures Already Sold."

Which makes sense, because there aren't any fixtures left here.

Should have asked them how much the "How To Measure For A Suit" conversion chart was. 

At 90% off, it was probably a steal!

I like how the Fitting Rooms are only temporarily closed, when the entire store is permanently closing in about two hours.

While that haphazardly tacked up piece of whiteboard kept me from exploring those temporarily closed fitting rooms, I could still look over it!

But back when those fitting rooms, and everything else was still open...

Walkway past the Shoe Department, with the Boyswear Department to the right.

Terrible looking sloth themed X-Mess sweater outside the Boys Husky Department. Didn't think retailers would still use such an outdated and pretty insulting term to describe fat children. In case you were wondering, that ugly sweater was only $37.

Better get two!

Then there's the Girlswear Department. I can't read the price tag on that "Chill Days" sweatshirt. I'd hope it's less than the Sloth sweater cost.

Disney's Frozen II display guarding the Baby Department. Something you can always say about Disney, they sure know how to milk every last possible (JC)Penney out of their licenses. No matter what movie or character or TV Show, their overkill marketing machine remains unmatched.

Once you get rid of all that merchandise, Disney or otherwise...

Looking towards the Boys Department.

Looking towards the Sleep Department.

Looking towards the Empty Merchandise Display Department.

Some of the former JCPenney in-store retail zones had the lights dimmed, but most of the place was still bright and cheery.

And empty. 

The other Fitting Room Department. This was in the former Kids Department, with a much more professional closed barrier. But now I am worried about where I'm supposed to fit, since the other nearby Fitting Rooms are also temporarily closed!

I didn't look over the barrier with my camera.

Probably should have.

Sad banner in the Disney Silhouette Department.

And no toys in the Toys Department.

Stark contrast to December 21, 2019, when the Toy Department was stocked full.

With all sorts of Disney spilling out around it.

Several gift boxes of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, with some Fortnite loot looming above.

A Rubik's Cube above the Monopoly Cheaters Edition? As if anyone who ever played Monopoly didn't just make up their own rules. Do you ever play a game using the auction rule for unsold properties?

Sumo King Wrestling, with built in sumo sound effects! I'm assuming that would be a bunch of grunting, belching and slapping. Even stranger, if you look closely, the top of the box labels this as "The Black Series". 

I'm not touching that...

Heheheheh... Fingerlings... 

"Friendship @ Your Fingertips"

What a rip off, they're the exact same toy, just painted differently.

The second I saw those toys, this was all I could think of...

Sitting next to the Toy Department, was the Suitcase department

Then the Towel Department, with the Suitcase Department behind it.

One year later, the towelless Towel Department.

One year before, it's the Kitchen Department! With the Service Desk Department in the distance, behind some mattresses in the very small Mattress Department. The salon would have been on the left side of this picture.

The Salon by InStyle, inside the south doors.

Looking out the south doors, towards Main Street.

Or 242 as the old timers call it.

I much prefer 242.

The JC Penney Portrait Department

Looking into the salon through a couple of decorative shelf toppers.

The Salon still looks somewhat open, but you'd have to stand for your styling trim.

No one was around, I really should have looked around the salon more than I did.

So let's go back to one year later...

JCPenney's old loading dock is also getting a complete makeover. Brick is gone, braces holding the walls from collapsing. 

Better view of the reimagining of the JCPenney building, from the southwest corner.

Out of all those site requirements, the fairly new bifocals aren't protecting my eyes from nothing. I am wearing steel toe boots, but no gloves or helmet. My black clothes don't reflect all that well either...

But nothing says I can't enjoy a cigarette while I walk around the site!

The recessed area in front of the loading dock doors, has been filled in with sand. 

The entire south facing exterior wall has been scraped to the concrete.

In most places, it was no longer connected to the roof.

Looking inside the south doors. The Salon would have been on your right, with the service desk on your left.

One year earlier, had you walked through those doors and turned to your right, this was what you would have seen. At the far end of this picture is where the Suitcase Department once was. To the left of that would be the restrooms. Now seems like a good time to visit those...

Down the hallway towards those restrooms, there's a small sitting area just outside the doors. In case you need to rest before urinating.

And if you need to read something for motivation, the store has provided this, just above the chair: 

A poem about JCPenney, by JCPenney!

Doesn't even rhyme...

Let’s go to the restroom!

Men's room uriners.

Men's room toilet.

Men's room sink.

Now wash your hands you filthy cretin!

Another small sitting area inside the restrooms. 

In case you were all worn out from pooping, here’s a nice place to relax!

But all of that stuff is long gone at this shell of a building.

You can see all the way across the empty store to the north entrance and parking lot.

Then across to the west doors.

But if you're really missing a big box retailer to shop at, in JCPenney's absence, the Riverdale Target has remodeled itself into an even bigger mess to deal with! I do not like this store, and even though it is mere blocks from my house, I choose to go to the Target in Andover instead. Sure it's a lot smaller, but a whole lot less people go there. 

Great, now everyone will go to the Andover Target, instead of Riverdale, ruining that location as well.. So if you're reading this and are in the area, and need some genuine Target brand merchandise. Please stay in Riverdale! The Andover store is getting crowded enough!

About a year ago, I looked back at my photo collection of failed Riverdale businesses. Surprised by how many pictures I had of stores that no longer were. JCPenney was already closed when I wrote that, but this serves as my first site-specific story about Riverdale.

At least until I decide to talk about IHOP…

The east side of JCPenney featured no general public access beyond a couple of emergency doors. There was no parking here either, as accommodations had to be made for that really gross looking sliver of a swamp. Assuming when the retail disaster known as Riverdale was planned and built, some 25 years ago now, this was included to meet some sort of wetland/nature preservation clause. 40 years ago, this was a cornfield. 

And I wish it still was...

Oh, drat!

There was virtually no merchandise left in the entire store, so it felt like I was walking around an already abandoned retail big box. Nearly all of the customers were clustered around the north doors, where the last of the inventory was collected. The rest of the store was empty with random fixtures for sale. Very few people were in these areas. Except me!

The empty Design Department.

Unknown Department with lots of empty racks remaining unsold.

Absolutely nothing left in the Sports Fan Shop Department, with the Fashion Jewelry Department off in the distance.

Minnesota Wild hockey jerseys in December 2019. Even though I don't follow hockey anywhere near as close as I used to, it's pretty cool that the Wild currently have one of the best records in the NHL. After two decades, it's time to finally shed that reputation of a floundering expansion team.

Minnesota Vikings caps, socks and scarves.

So you can support a team with a 60+ year tradition of floundering!

Gee, we’re back in the Menswear Department again, the west doors are seen on the right.

At this point in December 2019, our shopping trip was taking far too long. So I stepped out for a cigarette. Despite it being insanely cold and windy outside, I needed a break from all that retail inside. Even though it was nice and warm in there.

JCPenney’s neighbor, Buffalo Wild Wings, across the parking lot. I did not go inside out of fear that the strange guy in the wheelchair that followed me around the restaurant, yelling nonsense in 2004, was still there and waiting for me tonight.

The unmanned Salvation Army bucket outside the front doors, bells not included.

Plaque attached to the wall, also just outside the doors.

I found a few people and a tiny bit of merchandise over in the Handbags Department. Upon closer inspection, they were selling Oriental Rugs. This didn’t seem to be part of the JCPenney store closing sale, rather a few people just set up a pile of rugs to sell them inside the nearly empty store. This was the only picture I took that somewhat included the rug people.

The empty Fashion Jewelry Department, on October 18, 2020.

The much fuller Fashion Jewelry Department, on December 21, 2019.

Hey, it's the Fashion Jewelry Department on October 18, 2020, again!

Sitting adjacent to the once much nicer Fine Jewelry Department! 

So nice it even gets a cursive font on the sign, instead of just upper case Helvetica.

The Fine Jewelry Department was also home to the ugliest chandelier left in the store.

But you know what was still in the store a year earlier?

Butt mannequins!

Hey, that butt mannequin is naked!

Really more of crotch mannequin...

Wont someone think of the children!

One year later, all of the Butt Mannequins have fled the Intimates Department.

Which is rather remarkable considering their lack of legs...

This joyless lot was all that’s left of the former JCPenney mannequin army on closing day. Stripped of all clothing and dignity, wearing only a price tag. Someone already bought all of the Butt Mannequins (and who could blame them?), but several Torso Mannequins remained. Along with two of those strange hanging pairs of legs, and an armless woman. There was very little left of JCPenney during its last ever hours of commerce, but the mannequin graveyard was my favorite.

The A.N.A. Department. Featuring an empty water bottle. This wasn't priced.

The Juniors Department features Love at First Stripe: "All in for bold tones and super-soft feels." 

Suuuurrrrrrrre....

Looking from the Menswear Department and into the Womenswear Department.

The Portable Cold Beverage Department.

Which was missing during JCPenney's final day. That sucked, because I was parched, and in desperate need of...

The Sleep Department was fully stocked in December of 2019. Laura looked through the big comforters, but didn't find any she liked. And they were all for way more than we wanted to pay.

About a month before taking the Final Day Sale pictures, I actually was inside the JCPenney and made a couple of purchases from the clearance sale. The store was already empty in many of the departments, but I found two really nice heavy queen size comforters, for 75% off the original $165 price on each. Unfortunately they are ugly brown color that doesn't really go with any sort of color scheme we have going on. But they're damn warm and cozy and probably the best things I've ever bought from JCPenney.

I say that because I turned down the Sumo King Wrestling playset, last year.

The south side of JCPenney, with naturally occurring accent clouds.

Picture taken just minutes after I bought those two comforters.

Here's a cool light fixture in the Cookware Department.

And some small kitchen appliances in the Small Kitchen Appliances Department.

Located conveniently by the Coffee Department.

Perhaps you needed some knives for X-Mess (and you were still living in 2019)? You could choose the Cuisinart pastel pearlized knife set. Which reminds me that I could still use a really good knife with fine teeth for cutting bread. It doesn't even have to be pink!

Instant Pot. 

For when regular pot takes too long?

At least long enough to make it back to October 2020, for the Store Closing Sale...

I really liked this light!

It was hanging up in front of an old Liz Claiborne display.

Hurry! The Liz Claiborne Department still has two dresses for sale!

90% off!!!

Jump on this!

A woman in the Shoes Department looking at something.

Not sure what, since there was nothing there...

In case you can't read them, but there are signs taped to the walls are warning you to be mindful of Social Distancing while shopping at JC Penney's. Doesn't seem to be a problem today…

Well, now you can read it for yourself.

No activity in the Active Department.

And all of that boldness is gone...

More empty racks...

I looked all over the store to try and find something I didn't buy in time for X-Mess last December. No matter where I searched, I could no longer find...

The Moose Munch Department! 

Only $9.99 (on sale) for 24oz of chocolate and caramel popcorn? 

Wow, them mooseses are making a killing on their munch...

Yeah! Go to Rosedale!

With mere hours left in JCPenney Riverdale's life, all remaining merchandise has been shoved up by the north doors. About 40 customers picked through the very last of what wasn't wanted at discounts lower than 90%. Even (JC) Penney's on the dollar was too much for most of this stuff, in my mind...

Last of the JCPenney customers at the Customer Service Department.

Now that we've checked out -oh wait, I didn't buy anything.

Anyway... Let's go back outside. Where it's October, 2021 again.

To the northeast corner of JCPenney. Unlike the opposite end, the fake windows have been removed here. You can see a vague outline of them on the bare cement walls.

And I feel cheated!

Northeast corner of the JCPenney building. With an additional staging area. Although much smaller than the command center on the southwest corner.

The north doors, next to a big pile of dirt.

Looking inside those north doors, from the safety of behind a temporary chain link fence.

Since I don't really have an ending for this story...

I opened it with a shopping cart, so I may as well close it the same way.

Now go home!