Lafayette Square Mall

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Lafayette Square Mall
Facts and statistics
Location Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Opening date 1968
Developer Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.
Management Jones Lang LaSalle
Owner Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp.
No. of anchor tenants 3
No. of floors 1
Website Lafayette Square Mall

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.

Contents

[edit] 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 is now a church. 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 of 2007 the mall was sold to Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corp.

[edit] Anchors

  • Burlington Coat Factory (70,717 sq. ft.) (opened 1974 as 1st Lazarus location, became Ward's in the 1970's, 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.)

[edit] Major Stores

  • Kittles Rooms Express (now closed)

[edit] Former anchors

[edit] 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

[edit] External links