Bannister Mall was a shopping mall in the southeast corner of Kansas City, Missouri. It opened on August 6, 1980. After nearly 27 years of operation, it closed on May 31, 2007. It was originally anchored by Macy's (which became Dillard's in 1986), JCPenney, The Jones Store, and Sears.
History
Bannister Mall was built and opened in August 1980 at 5600 Bannister Road in Kansas City, Missouri between I-435 and Hillcrest Road. The area was once the site of the Three Trails (Santa Fe, California, and Oregon) and the Santa Fe trail actually crossed the original property. The mall was one of the largest malls in the Kansas City area and in the region in a previously vital and vibrant shopping area. The mall's original anchors were Macy's, JCPenney, The Jones Store and Sears. In the early 1980s, Bannister Mall was the "place to go" with a draw over a large area that was mostly from South Kansas City, suburban Jackson County, Missouri, and Johnson County, Kansas. In 1988-1990, an area north and east of the mall called Benjamin Plaza was added to the commercial retail area.