The Bon Marche

Columbia Center (Kennewick)

Earlier I had mis-stated that the Columbia Center Bon Marche is the only Bon Marche that ever existed in the Tri-Cities.I was mistaken.

C. C. Anderson, the Boise, Idaho division of Allied Stores, built a store in Richland, Washington in the early 1940s. The two story building still stands at the southwest corner of Lee Blvd and The Parkway. Please note that some streets in Richland have been renamed since the 1940s. The Seattle based Bon Marche had been owned by Allied Stores or its predecessor Hahn Department Stores since the late 1920s. C. C. Anderson was purchased by Allied Stores in 1937. C. C. Anderson was consolidated into the Bon Marche division and C. C. Anderson stores, including the Richland store, were rebranded as Bon Marche in 1962.

Most of the earliest regional shopping centers were developed by department store chains rather than specialized mall developers because malls were a new concept. Department stores had the finances to develop malls. Specialized mall developers did not have financial resources to build what was then an unproven concept. As time went on and the mall concept became successful, companies specializing in mall development were founded. Some of the earlier malls developed by department store chains such as Allied Stores were sold to these specialized mall developers. Columbia Center in Kennewick was originally developed by Allied Stores in 1969. It is a smaller version of Northgate, Southcenter, and Tacoma Mall. The mall is now owned by Simon Property Group along with Northgate(being redeveloped), and Tacoma Mall. Southcenter is now owned by Westfield.

Phase one of Columbia Center opened in 1969 anchorred by The Bon Marche and J C Penney. Phase 2, opened in 1988, included Sears and Lamont's. Lamont's was later purchased by Gottshalks which in turn has been replaced by The Bon Marche Home store. The Bon Marche was renamed Macy's after a short period being named Bon-Macy's. The Sears store at Columbia Center is now closed.

This photograph was taken in July 2003 facing west from the east parking lot.