// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs the Old Capitol Mall old? Mall-ly yes.

For other uses, see Old Capitol (disambiguation).

Old Capitol Town Center

The Old Capitol Mall in 2010
Location	Iowa City, Iowa
Coordinates	41.659°N 91.535°W / 41.659; -91.535
Address	201 S Clinton St, 52240
Opened	1981, Specific date unknown
Previous names	Old Capitol Center (1981-1995), Old Capitol Mall (1995-2000)
Owner	University of Iowa
Floor area	276,215 square feet
Floors	2 floors
Parking	Adjoined parking ramp contains 875 parking bays
Public transit	Iowa City Transit
Website	Old Capitol Town Center's official web site

The Old Capitol Mall (now Old Capitol Town Center) is a shopping mall in the downtown area of Iowa City, Iowa. Located across the street from the south-east corner of the Pentacrest (a four-block-sized parcel of land with a collection of five buildings with the old Iowa Territory capitol in the middle), the Old Capitol Mall was a convenient shopping center for University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff. It was originally anchored by JCPenney and Younkers, and over 70 stores. In July 1998, JCPenney and other stores moved to larger Coral Ridge Mall and divided into smaller stores. In 2004, Younkers closed.

The Mall saw decreasing traffic after the opening of the Coral Ridge Mall in the adjacent town of Coralville, Iowa. Many major retailers opted to focus on their Coral Ridge locations and close their low-performing Old Capitol locations. While some stores and restaurants still exist in the Old Capitol Mall, other spaces have been used by newspaper offices, the University of Iowa, or various political parties. The University of Iowa has largely taken over this building.

History

Before the construction of the Old Capitol Center in 1981, the lot was already home to several buildings. As of 1933, four different grocery stores were located on the lot that would be the Old Capitol Center. These grocery stores were the Economy Cash Store (101 S. Clinton Street), Great A & P Tea Company (117 S. Clinton Street), Butcher Bros. Grocery (123 S. Clinton Street), and Joseph Glassman's Cash Grocery (131 S. Clinton Street). At 9 West Washington St. (directly south of Schaeffer Hall on the University Square), sat the three-story Burkley Imperial hotel owned by Frank P. Burkley. However, during the 1970s, when the urban renewal wave hit Iowa City, it was demolished to make room for the new Old Capitol Center.

1980s

During its inaugural year, 1981, the mall opened under its original name the Old Capitol Center. Upon its opening, the anchor stores included JCPenney and Younkers. On the first floor, the stores at the time of its opening included Foot Locker, Zales, B. Dalton, Musicland (which later renamed to Sam Goody), and Claire's Boutique. On the second floor, the mall had the video arcade Aladdin's Castle. The mall also featured a movie theater and an Orange Julius.

1990s

In 1995, the mall would officially change its names to the Old Capitol Mall.

In 1998, the Coral Ridge Mall would open in the adjacent town of Coralville, Iowa, and with its opening, many free parking spots were available around the mall. Due to its location in the Iowa City Downtown Historic District, the Old Capitol Mall was not able to include very much free parking around it. With the opening of the Coral Ridge Mall, JCPenney moved its location and Younkers opened another location. With the opening of the new mall and its free parking, many of the retailers in the Old Capitol Mall began relocating their stores as shoppers started spending more time in the Coral Ridge Mall.

2000s

In 2000, the mall would rename to its current name, the Old Capitol Town Center. In 2003, the mall was saved from going bankrupt when several local investors within the Iowa City are got involved.

In 2002, UniversiTEES opens in the Old Capitol Town Center.

Following the Bankruptcy scare, the University of Iowa began taking an interest in the building due to its location relative to the University's campus. Between the years of 2006 and 2009, the University of Iowa had purchased 55 percent (207,000 square feet) of the mall in three phases.

During the Iowa flood of 2008, the building helped house the operations of the Voxman School of Music and the Iowa Memorial Union, both of which were destroyed. Located within the Iowa Memorial Union was the Iowa Hawk Shop, a University of Iowa memorabilia store, also moved into the Old Capitol Mall due to its destruction during the flood.

2010s

On April 18th, 2013, Sam's Steamed Caboose Burger announces its closure of its Old Capitol Town Center Location. Later in the year, Sparti's Gyros moved into the location the Sam's Steamed Caboose Burger had once occupied.

On August 1st, 2013, Pizza Bros. opens its doors for the first time.

In 2015, the reconstruction of the Iowa Memorial Union was completed seven years after the Iowa flood of 2008. Following its completion, the Iowa Hawk Shop moved its location back into the Union. In the same year, the University of Iowa Quickcare expanded its presence within the Old Capitol Mall, consuming a unit located next to the Blick Art Materials store which was previously occupied by a Bank of West branch.

In 2016, UniversiTEES permanently shuts down operations within the mall.

In December of 2016, the Old Capitol Town Center hosts the Iowa City Winter Market, which included music, food, and hosted a variety of small businesses.

On September 14th, 2018, Iowa City barbecue chain Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack permanently closes its doors to the Old Capitol Town Center location after being open for two years. The closure was due to weak evening and weekend sales.

In February of 2019 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened a location that occupied 3000 square feet of office space in which the University of Iowa formerly had its Office of Sustainability. A few months later, in the spring, Panera Bread opened a location within the mall.

2020s

On January 7th, 2020, the University of Iowa moved its Office of Student Financial Aid into a space that was originally occupied by the University's College of Public Health. Later in the year, the University of Iowa also moved its Student Disability Services office into the mall after a petition reach more than 3,000 signatures and due to it being a more accessible location.

On December 6th, 2021, Bartertown Toys and Collectibles, a store selling vintage memorabilia, first opens its doors.

On March 1st, 2022, La Hair, a salon and barbershop, celebrates its first opening.

On August 27th, 2024, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers opened a location in the unit previously occupied by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. No more than a month later, on September 21st, 2024, Zolly's Grill, a Mediterranean-American fusion restaurant, celebrated its grand opening. The restaurant replaced Bollywood Grill, which had closed earlier in the year.

In April of 2025, the Iowa healthy beverage chain NutriSport & Smoothie, opens a location in the Old Capitol Town Center.

Since the University of Iowa's purchase of 55 percent of the Old Capitol Town Center, has begun to acquire the rest of the building. On November 6th, 2024, the University of Iowa requested approval from the Iowa Board of Regents to purchase the remaining 45 percent of the building. The purchase of the rest of the mall was originally presented in January 2022, as part of the University's ten year master plan for their facilities. When the purchase of the remaining 45 percent was approved, the University paid 20.6 million dollars, with 10 percent of the total being paid immediately and the remaining 90 percent to be paid by October 1st, 2027.

Features

The Old Capitol Town Center is connected to the Capitol Street Parking Ramp (220 S. Capitol Street). The parking ramp contains 875 parking spaces and offers a free first hour of parking, with each additional hour costing $2 per hour. The ground floor of the parking garage also contains a bicycle parking rack and fourteen moped/motorcycle parking spaces, both of which are located to the left of the ramp's ingress. The Old Capitol Town Center and the Capitol Street Parking ramp are connected together through an elevator tower on the tower's ground floor. The tower contains two elevators and a staircase. Through this tower, it is also possible to access the University of Iowa's department of Campus Safety, which is in the basement of the Old Capitol Town Center.

The Old Capitol Town Center features two floors, with the first floor being primarily occupied by shops and restaurants, with exceptions to the UI Quickcare, the Campus Safety Service Center, Student Disability Services, and the 40-series of units in the northwest corner of the building containing various University offices. the east side of the Old Capitol mall, on S. Clinton St., the storefronts include a Noodles & Company, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Buffalo Wild Wings, Blick Art Materials, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Hills Bank and Trust Company, NutriSport & Smoothie (permanently closed), Zolly's Grill, China star (Chinese restaurant), and Saigon's Corner Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine. First floor businesses within the mall include CVS Pharmacy, Bartertown Toys and Collectibles, Le Gourmet Korean Restaurant, Asia Plus Asian Market, Sushiya Hoja, Sunkissed Tanning Salon, Tspoons Coffee and Treats, Cookies & More, and Advanced Eye Care. Additionally, the second floor is occupied by various University of Iowa offices, such as the Center for Teaching, the College of Public Health, Cowork Commons, Enrollment Management, Graduation Services, Internal Audit, UI Information Technology Services, the Office of Community Engagement, the Office of Registrar, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Printing and Mailing, the UI Boardroom, the University Service Center, the University of Iowa Office of Financial Aid, the Pentacrest Room, and the UI Conference Center.

Access to the second floor can be done through the elevator tower, the escalators near the north entrance or west entrance of the building, or one of the various staircases located throughout the building.

The Old Capitol Center contains single and multi-user restrooms for men, single and multi-user restrooms for women, and lactation rooms.

External links

• Old Capitol Mall entry at Deadmalls.com
• Internet Archive Wayback Machine: Old Capitol Mall Website in 1997