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Prom is a high school highlight for most teenagers, and for the past three decades a mall in the Flint Hills region of Kansas has been home to the momentous occasion. Manhattan Town Center will do so again in April for the 30th year in a row.
Manhattan Town Center is a 380,000-square-foot mall operated by ICSC member Principal Real Estate Investors and managed by CBRE, Inc., in the heart of downtown Manhattan, Kan. When the mall opened in 1987, the high school needed a facility to hold the annual formal event. With an enrollment of around 1,700 students, MHS is one of the largest schools in the state. The high school gymnasium was too small, and other local venues weren’t suitable or were too costly.
The mall has special significance for Gina Scroggs, who attended prom in 1988 at the mall as a senior in high school and now is the executive director of Downtown Manhattan, Inc., a public-private agency promoting the town center.
“There was so much excitement and buzz after having gone through years of finally getting a mall and putting it in downtown” Scroggs said. “Everybody is connected to it.”
Heather Riley Landsdowne, MHS Class of 1989, was part of the junior class that brought the prom to the mall. “I’m pleased the high school has stuck to this tradition,” Landsdowne said. “It’s always one of the things I look at when I talk to people about how our mall is not just a shopping center but a community center.”
Prom-goers arrive at the mall plaza entrance for a red carpet welcome. Hundreds of community members, including friends and family, gather to see each couple introduced before they head into the private event.
Manhattan Town Center hosts the prom free of charge. Supporting the annual event is a significant contribution to the influence this community-focused mall has on Manhattan. The return on investment for the mall is immeasurable.
“I think it all plays into the decision 35 years ago to keep downtown vibrant and prevent urban sprawl. The mall anchors downtown, the heart of the city. It feels very appropriate that an important event in a local teenager’s life should be held there.”
Furthermore, for more than 20 years, a senior prom has been held at Manhattan Town Center the day after high school prom, giving adults over 50 the chance to enjoy the ambiance of Prom at the mall.