2026 01 23 - Mall, Gateway Fashion, Bismarck ND

Smaller mall.

NOTE: THIS IS BEING WRITTEN UP ONE MONTH LATER.

When this mall was built, it had a Sears and a White Drug. So this never was a big mall.

We can see this mall from our hotel and I've seen it many times from the other hotel's we have stayed at here in town. Now it looks like a former mall that is gradually selling off parts of the building to businesses who want the location but do not want to be part of the mall. Their doors only face the parking lot, not the mall.

It does look like in it's prime it had a Sears, Herberger's and a large theater. (the theater closed during the pandemic)

Before going here, I had looked at the above map online and wasn't sure if that was before or after some of the updates so we might be going to a mall with a hall the size of our hotel.

But this was interesting. We walked longer here than we did at the other mall in town. Because of the way it is laid out there is plenty of place to walk. And fewer walkers. Some walkers, but fewer. The right/east end of the mall is now a clinic but the center is left open for the hall. Surprising, this mall has 10+ food places. six in the food court, all open. 2 sit down restaurants where we walked in, inside the mall. Plus a few coffee shops.

Of the doors opening into the mall, Sears is closed and vacant. But a church has taken over large area's of the rest of the mall. The theater? Is their church. Another area is for group events. Plus they have a counseling center, a kids play/activity area, a craft shop and a coffee shop ... maybe other stores where theirs also.

The mall is listed as having 30 stores (including those in the parking lot) compared to others having 90-10 stores, so it is a small mall. But interesting. I didn't count, but other than Sears, I would guess the rest of it is 80% full. I don't think it is going anywhere.

Maybe next time we are in town I will get food here from one of the places.

We did our daily walk before heading back to Fargo for the day.