Bath and Body works was at Eastland for YEARS. Not sure where you got your info that they "just" opened there.
 

When I moved over to the east side of Tulsa in the Summer of 2004, there were signs at the corners of Eastland Mall reading "Bath & Body Works - Now OPEN in Eastland Mall". The way they worded the signs is what threw me. Since I just came back to Tulsa in 2003 after being gone for 15 years, I assumed this meant that the store was new to the mall. I didn't realize that it had been one of the final holdouts of chain stores. Thanks for the update.
 

Hey, It was a pretty good gimmick if it got your attention! Gotta give 'em credit for trying....
There were a couple of reasons BBW stayed as long as they did at Eastland: 1) BBW doesn't rely on "transient" traffic for business - it's a "destination" shop. 2) BBW's lease didn't expire until recently. They HAD to stay open.
Eastland is a REALLY sad story - and a major story of mall management incompetence. Even after JCPenney left - Simon was telling all tenants (and the Tulsa World) that they weren't worried - and that they would have the JCP space filled in 90 days. As you can see that didn't happen. After JCP closed - Simon wouldn't mitigate the rental costs with tenants - even with declining traffic counts. The CAM money that the tenants paid for advertising was WASTED, since some native Tulsans STILL don't know where Eastland is (or should I say "WAS"). Customers stayed away in droves - and the tenants went with them.
What's really sad is that Simon didn't even really try to keep JCP at Eastland (which most believe to be the beginning of the end). The roof on the JCP space is so pourous that I'm sure the entire space will have to have mold remediation. Simon refused to replace the roof for JCP when they were there - and JCP, undergoing a realignment at the time, were more than happy to close the small store. JCP was so eager to leave Eastland - they paid rent for another 2.5 yrs after closing. Sad too - it had a VERY loyal following, and even though it didn't do much in sales - was VERY profitable.
 

It's sad that Simon didn't have more foresight. They're building high-end housing like mad all around 41st and 145th. Some of these yuppies would still shop exclusively at Woodland Hills or Utica Square, but a lot of them would shop at Eastland [if it still had stores open]. Of course, you can't keep stores if you treat your tenants like they did JCP.
 

I went to Eastland Mall back in September, drove from St. Louis to check out Tulsa and visit some friends and to shop at the Mervyns at both Eastland and Tulsa Promenade. It will be sad to see them leave a market that is quite close to me. Now I will have to go out to California to shop at their stores. As for Eastland, its sad to see that mall in the shape its in. I guess Simon would rather promote Woodland Hills Mall and neglect Eastland because of the distance between the two malls. After Mervyns leaves, Eastland is done for. Dillards probably will leave sometime within the next two years.

You able to take pictures of the "store closing" signs that Mervyns has posted up on their store?
 

Saw on the news last night that Simon has finally sold Eastland Mall - but they didn't release the sellers name....
Wonder what will become of it????
Office/Warehouse space?
More low income housing?
Another Willie George super-church?
Corporate campus?
Another trade school?

The suspense is killing me!
 

What about having something like the highly loved 'Outlet Malls of America' that was in business around 4?th & Aspen about 20 years ago. When they were there, you would find super discounts all over the place, I always had to park way out at the end of the parking lot because everyone on that side of town was there, and people were shoulder to shoulder once you were inside. Then all of a sudden it disappeared. The current location will simply not support a high dollar mall. There are too many discount/dollar stores, flea markets, etc in the vicinity so the only way this dog will flourish is to offer the people what they want. BARGAINS!!!!
 

I was there about ten days ago looking for bargains at the Meryn's closing, and they weren't even heating the facility.

I don't know quite why that Mall effects me as it does. It's so depressing and dank, I can remember a time when it was bright, cheerful, and teeming with people.

Maybe an outlet mall would be a doo use for that location. Still in all, it sold for 1.5 million (2.5 million less than estimated worth) perhaps the new owner has a plan for the site? You don't just shell out big bucks for a place like that without having something in mind.