Lafayette Square Mall

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Lafayette Square Mall


caption =
location = Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
opening_date = 1968
developer = Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.
manager = Jones Lang LaSalle
owner = Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp.
number_of_stores =
number_of_anchors = 3
floor_area =
floors = 1
website = [http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=167 Lafayette Square Mall]
parking =

Lafayette Square Mall is a shopping center in Indianapolis, Indiana, owned by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp.. It is currently anchored by Macy's, Sears, Burlington Coat Factory and Steve & Barry's.

History

This mall was built by Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., and opened in April 1968. Originally, there were two anchor stores built; JC Penney in the south end, and Sears on the north. William H. Block was opened in 1969 in the middle of the mall. An expansion in 1974 saw a wing added near Sears. This wing added Ohio-based Lazarus as well as about eight new stores including Radio Shack. In 1975, a Kroger grocery store connected to the mall was demolished to make way for another expansion that included 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 broke on the northeast side of Indianapolis for what was to become Castleton Square, opening in 1972. Washington Square Mall on the east side of Indianapolis opened in 1974.

Simon Property Group merged with the DeBartolo company in 1996. Simon renovated the mall in 1996. Today, the mall now is about 70-80% occupied.

Several major tenants have left the mall since its opening in 1968. In the 1970s, Block's was acquired by Lazurus, and the combined company retained the Block's store, renamed it Lazarus, and sold the original Lazarus on the Sears end to Montgomery Ward. In 1993, G.C. Murphy vacated its store in the mall. Ward's moved out in 1996, and was replaced by a Burlington Coat Factory store on the first level. Lazurus closed its doors in 2002 and their former store was a church, and is now being renovated to be an arcade. Most recently, JC Penney moved out in 2004.

In 2005, the Metropolis Mall opened in Plainfield, an expanding suburb just west of Indianapolis. Metropolis is considered to be the successor to Lafayette Square; many of the stores in Lafayette Square, including JC Penney, moved to Metropolis when it first opened.

On September 9, 2006, the L. S. Ayres store was officially renamed Macy's as the name officially disappeared from malls having been absorbed by Macy's.

In late December 2007 the mall was sold to Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corp.

Anchors

*Burlington Coat Factory (70,717 sq ft.) (opened 1974 as 1st Lazarus location, became Ward's in the 1970s, Burlington Coat Factory on 1st Level)
*Macy's (160,233 sq ft.) (1975 opened as L. S. Ayres, converted to Macy's in 2006)
*Sears (231,006 sq ft.)
*Steve & Barry's (52,372 sq ft.)

Major Stores

* Kittles Rooms Express (now closed)

Former anchors

*G.C. Murphy "(converted to Waccamaw Pottery), then Steve & Barry's"
*JCPenney "(closed 2004)" moved to Metropolis (mall)
*Lazarus
**First location "(converted to Montgomery Ward in 1987)"
**Second location "(opened in former William H. Block, closed 2002, now vacant)"
*L. S. Ayres "(now Macy's)"
*Montgomery Ward "(now Burlington Coat Factory on first level)"
*William H. Block "(converted 1987 to Lazarus, closed 2002, now vacant)"
*General Cinema "(closed 1998, then converted to an Old Navy which itself closed)

Former Stores

*Old Navy (now Max $10 clothing store)
*Kroger (demolished for mall expansion)
*Hooks Drugs (now Kittles Rooms Express) (rooms express is now closed)
*Waccamaw Pottery

External links

* [http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=167 Official Lafayette Square website]
* [http://deadmalls.com/malls/lafayette_square.html Dead Malls: Lafayette Square]