Lafayette Square Mall

Last updated

Lafayette Square Mall
Lafayette square 1.jpg
Entrance to Lafayette Square Mall, 2018
Lafayette Square Mall
Location Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Coordinates 39°49′40″N86°13′58″W / 39.82778°N 86.23278°W / 39.82778; -86.23278 Coordinates: 39°49′40″N86°13′58″W / 39.82778°N 86.23278°W / 39.82778; -86.23278
Opening dateApril 1968
Developer Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.
OwnerSojos Capital
No. of anchor tenants 4 (1 open, 3 vacant)
No. of floors1
Parkingsurface parking
Public transit accessAiga bus trans.svg IndyGo logo.svg 37, 38
Website https://www.lafayettesquaremall.com/

Lafayette Square Mall is a shopping mall in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Developed in 1968 by Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., the mall is locally-owned by Sojos Capital Group. The anchor store is Shoppers World. There are three vacant anchor stores that were once Sears, L. S. Ayres, and Burlington.

Contents

History

A mall concourse in 2018. Lafayette Square 2.jpg
A mall concourse in 2018.

This mall was built by Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., and opened in April 1968 at 38th Street and Lafayette Road in Pike Township, just two miles (3.2 km) north of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in greater Indianapolis.

Upon completion, Lafayette Square featured 90 inline tenants, a single-screen General Cinema movie theatre, and over 1 million square feet of retail space located on an 80-acre (32 ha) site. Originally, there were five anchor stores built: JCPenney in the south end, Sears on the north end, G.C. Murphy in the north wing near Sears, a Kroger grocery store in the south wing near Penney's, and William H. Block at center court (opened in 1969).

An expansion in 1974 saw a sixth department store added near Sears. This wing added Ohio-based Lazarus as well as about eight new stores including Radio Shack. In 1975, the Kroger store connected to the mall was demolished to make way for another expansion that included its replacement, Indianapolis-based L. S. Ayres, on the south end near JCPenney.

The success at Lafayette Square prompted DeBartolo to plan two additional malls on opposite sides of town. Ground was broken on the northeast side of Indianapolis for what was to become Castleton Square, which opened in 1972. Washington Square Mall, on the east side of Indianapolis, opened in 1974.

Around 1987, Lazarus bought William H. Block and the Block store was converted to a Lazarus while the original Lazarus became Montgomery Ward. [1] In 1993, the G.C. Murphy five-and-dime closed.

Facing competition from new malls such as Circle Centre (opened in 1995), the mall needed a remodel. DeBartolo's company had merged with Circle Centre's operator, the locally based Simon Property Group, and they remodeled the aging mall in 1998, adding a racetrack-themed food court in the former G.C. Murphy. Montgomery Ward liquidated in whole in 2001, with Burlington Coat Factory taking over the first floor of that store.

Lazarus closed in 2002, and the space was converted into a temporary home for New Life Worship center.

In 2005, the lifestyle center known as Metropolis opened in the nearby suburb of Plainfield near the new entrance for Indianapolis International Airport, causing more withdrawals of stores from the mall once leases came up. JCPenney and Old Navy left the mall in 2005, precipitating a swift decline in the mall's fortunes. By 2006, many of the nationally known chains had begun to close at Lafayette Square and were replaced primarily by discount stores and local merchants on shorter-term leases. On September 9, 2006, the L. S. Ayres store was renamed Macy's due to the May/Federated merger.

Facing the mall's long decline and preferring to focus efforts on other malls in the Indianapolis area, Simon sold the mall to Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corp. in December 2007, a company which has since become infamous for their neglect of their properties. Some months later, the mall underwent a new remodel that included a rebuilt entrance, a Pretzelmaker/Maggie Moo's/Great American Cookie Co. kiosk, the east-coast chain Shopper's World (described as being between JCPenney and Value City in price point) located in the former JCPenney, and an entertainment facility called Xscape featuring a variety of games. [2] In October 2008 and January 2009 respectively, Sears and Macy's announced they would both close despite the new renovations. [3]

XScape was later replaced by America's Incredible Pizza company in the summer of 2010. In late 2010, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, and Andrews Jewelers all closed. In early 2011, the Pretzelmaker/Maggie Moo's/Great American Cookie Co. kiosk closed, along with Radio Shack and GameStop.

In the first quarter of 2012, Claire's Boutique, The Children's Place, and America's Incredible Pizza Company closed, leaving Burlington Coat Factory and Shoppers World as the mall's only two remaining anchors. America's Incredible Pizza announced that they would close, effective March 19, 2012. By November 2012, the last remaining original tenant, GNC, had closed, leaving the mall with mainly local stores.

On August 12, 2019, the Burlington Coat Factory at Lafayette Square permanently closed, leaving only six national tenants, mostly athletic wear stores; Finish Line, Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Jimmy Jazz, Shoppers World, and Rainbow. Shoppers World shifted into the Burlington space in 2021.

In 2021, locally-owned Sojos Capital fully acquired the mall. In November 2021, the company announced its multi-million dollar plans to create a mixed-use landmark destination development known as Window to the World. Plans also include multiple surrounding properties within the area focused on dining, music, art, shopping, housing, office, youth education, sports, entertainment, infrastructure improvements and public safety. Sojos announced that the mall will close for three months, from August 29 to November 21, 2022, to allow completion of started renovations as well as electrical work and replacement of flooring. [4]

Related Research Articles

Century III Mall Defunct shopping mall in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

Century III Mall is a defunct enclosed shopping mall located along Route 51 in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, approximately 10 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The mall was built on a former slag dump in 1979. The Century III Mall planning began in 1976, opened in 1979, and closed in 2019. Anchor stores included Kaufmann's, Gimbels, JCPenney, Sears, and Montgomery Ward.

Southern Park Mall Shopping mall in Boradman, Ohio, U.S.

The Southern Park Mall is a shopping mall in Boardman, Ohio, United States, developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in 1970, and now owned by Washington Prime Group. The mall, which is the largest shopping destination in Mahoning County, has 1,198,000 square feet (111,300 m2) of space.

Southwest Center Mall Shopping mall in Dallas

Southwest Center Mall, formerly Red Bird Mall, is a shopping mall located in Dallas, Texas. Originally owned by the DeBartolo family, it opened in 1975. It was, and remains, the only major one located in the southern half of Dallas. Its original name, Red Bird Mall, came from the Red Bird area of Dallas in which it is located.

Castleton Square Shopping mall in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Castleton Square is an enclosed shopping mall in the Castleton neighborhood on the northeastern side of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Built by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and Homart Development Company in 1972, it is owned and managed by Simon Property Group. It is the largest mall in the state of Indiana, and has remained so since its construction. The center's original anchor stores were JCPenney, Sears, Lazarus, and Woolworth. Expansions in 1990 and 1998 added to the total number of anchor and inline stores, while also adding a food court. The anchor stores are JCPenney, Forever 21, H&M, AMC Theatres, Dick's Sporting Goods, Macy's, and Von Maur; the former location of Sears has been vacant since 2018. Overall, Castleton Square consists of over 130 inline stores.

Genesee Valley Center Shopping mall in Michigan, United States

Genesee Valley Center is an enclosed shopping mall located in Flint Township, Michigan, outside the city of Flint, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1970, the mall is 1,272,397 square feet (118,209.5 m2) of leasable area. The mall has three anchor tenants: JCPenney, Macy's, and Play Big. It comprises more than 120 tenants, including a food court, and an external concourse called the Outdoor Village which also features a Barnes & Noble bookstore. The mall is located on Miller Road and Linden Road, near the junction of Interstate 69 (I-69) and I-75.

Randall Park Mall Demolished mall in North Randall, Ohio

Randall Park Mall was a shopping mall located in the village of North Randall, Ohio, United States. It opened on August 11, 1976 on the site of what used to be the Randall Park Race Track. After over a decade of decline, it closed on March 12, 2009. The former Dillards and interior of the mall were demolished in 2015 to make way for an industrial park, and the remaining anchor tenants were demolished in 2017 after they all closed down. Amazon built a new distribution center on the site in 2018.

Westland Shopping Center Shopping mall in Warren Road Westland, Michigan United States

Westland Shopping Center, also known as Westland Center, is an enclosed shopping mall located in the city of Westland, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The mall features more than 100 inline stores, with JCPenney and Kohl's serving as anchor stores.

Richmond Town Square Shopping mall in Richmond Heights, Ohio

Richmond Town Square was a super regional shopping mall known locally as 'Richmond' or 'Richmond Mall,' located in Richmond Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, at the intersection of Richmond Road and Wilson Mills Road. Opening September 22, 1966 as Richmond Mall, developed by famous mall developer Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. Original anchors were Sears and JCPenney, alongside a Loews Theater and Woolworths. The mall included in-line tenants such as Richman Brothers, and Winkelman's.

Northfield Square is a shopping mall in Bradley, Illinois, in the United States. The mall serves Kankakee County, which included Bourbonnais, Bradley, and Kankakee. The mall's anchor store is Cinemark Theatres. There are 4 vacant anchor stores that were once 2 Carson Pirie Scott stores, Sears and JCPenney

Tri-County Mall Abandoned shopping mall in Springdale, Ohio, United States

Tri-County Mall was a shopping mall located on State Route 747 just south of Interstate 275 in the city of Springdale, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Originally known as Tri-County Shopping Center, it opened in 1960 and has been expanded several times in its history. The original shopping center was an open-air property featuring H. & S. Pogue Company (Pogue's) and John Shillito Company (Shillito's) as the anchor stores. An enclosed wing anchored by Sears was added in 1969, followed by the enclosure of the rest of the mall. Shillito's was later known as Shillito-Rike's, Lazarus, Lazarus-Macy's, and then just Macy's; Pogue's was consolidated with L. S. Ayres and then converted to JCPenney. A mall expansion begun in 1990 and finished in 1992 added a second level of stores and McAlpin's as a fourth anchor store. The mall underwent a slow decline in the 21st century, owing mainly to the center's age and increased competition and lost all of its anchors. Both JCPenney and Dillard's relocated to newer shopping centers in the 2010s, while Sears closed in 2018 and Macy's closed in 2021. The mall is owned by MarketSpace Capital and Park Harbor Capital. The mall closed permanently on May 15, 2022 for redevelopment.

Greenwood Park Mall is a shopping mall located in Greenwood, Indiana. The mall is the hub of the retail and commercial corridor along U.S. Highway 31 on the south side of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. As with several other central Indiana shopping centers, Greenwood Park Mall is owned and operated by Simon Property Group.

Washington Square Mall (Indianapolis) Shopping mall in Indiana, United States

Washington Square Mall is a regional shopping mall located on the eastern side of Indianapolis. It opened in 1974 and was renovated/expanded in 1999. Today, the mall consists mostly of Finish Line, Bath & Body Works, and Target, as well as AMC Theatres.

College Mall Shopping mall in Indiana, United States

College Mall is a regional shopping mall located in Bloomington, Indiana. This is home to Indiana University's flagship campus. The mall's anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods and Target. The mall also features a Fresh Thyme Farmers Market and an Ulta Beauty.

Glenbrook Square Shopping mall in Indiana, USA

Glenbrook Square is a shopping mall at 4201 Coldwater Road, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's, and Barnes & Noble.

Security Square Mall Shopping mall in Maryland, U.S.

Security Square Mall is a mall in Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, in the United States. The mall features over 100 stores and restaurants, as well as a food court. One section of the mall, Grand Village Plaza, previously included Korean shops and restaurants; however, most of these establishments had closed by 2010. Security Square Mall is located adjacent to the North American School of Trades. The anchor stores are Bayit Furniture, Set the Captives Free Outreach Center, Burlington, and Macy's. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears.

Northwoods Mall (North Charleston, South Carolina) Shopping mall in South Carolina, United States

Northwoods Mall is a 101-store regional 833,833-square-foot (77,465.6 m2) indoor shopping mall located in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is the second largest indoor shopping mall in the Tri-County area next to Citadel Mall. Built in 1972, the mall is located at the intersection of Rivers Avenue, Ashley Phosphate Road and Interstate 26. Northwoods Mall was the first regional indoor shopping mall constructed in the South Carolina lowcountry and featured Belk, Sears, and the locally owned Kerrison's department stores as its original anchor tenants. A food court offers options such as Charley's Steakery, China Max Asian Cuisine, Dairy Queen, Orange Julius and more. The mall's anchor stores are Burlington, JCPenney, Belk, Planet Fitness, Dillard's, and Books-A-Million. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears.

Northland Mall was a shopping mall located on the north side of Columbus, Ohio, at the intersection of Morse Road and Karl Road. It opened in 1964 as an open-air shopping center. Northland was the first of the four directionally-named shopping hubs in Columbus, along with Eastland (1967), Westland (1969) and Southland (1975) [a small strip center, now closed]. Though popular through the 1990s, three new shopping centers were completed in the late 1990s and early 2000s that took businesses and shoppers away from Northland. It closed in 2002 and was demolished in 2004. The site has subsequently been redeveloped as Northland Village, a multi-use complex containing government offices, retail stores and the Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center.

NewPark Mall Shopping mall in Newark, California

NewPark Mall is a 1,161,681 square feet (107,923.7 m2) super-regional mall in Newark, California. Opened in August 1980, it currently houses 119 stores. It serves the Tri-City area. The mall underwent extensive renovations that were completed in early 2017. Among the additions are a 12-screen AMC movie complex with an IMAX screen and an elaborate new glass-walled restaurant area with views through the entire property.

Northgate Mall (Ohio) Shopping mall in Ohio, United States

Northgate Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Northgate, Ohio. Built in 1972, the mall has two vacant anchor stores that were once Sears and Macy's.

Tippecanoe Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Lafayette, Indiana. Opened in 1974, it is anchored by JCPenney, Macy's, Kohl's, and Dick's Sporting Goods. It is owned by Simon Property Group.

References

  1. ↑ "Lafayette Square Mall; Indianapolis, Indiana". November 28, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Lafayette Square Plans More Store Openings". Speedway Navigator. October 1, 2008. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  3. ↑ "The Indianapolis Star".
  4. ↑ Brown, Alex (June 20, 2022). "3-month closure to fuel Lafayette Square Mall renovation". WISH-TV . Retrieved June 21, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.