Bay Park Square

Bay Park Square is a regional shopping mall in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, a suburb of Green Bay. The property is situated on South Oneida Street, approximately one mile from Lambeau Field, and serves shoppers from Green Bay and the wider northeastern Wisconsin market. Although it is treated here as a brand because of its named retail destination, Bay Park Square is fundamentally a physical commercial property rather than a standalone product company or consumer-goods label. The mall developed from a long-delayed Montgomery Ward expansion proposal. In 1969, Montgomery Ward announced plans for a new store and an adjacent shopping center intended to replace its downtown Green Bay location. The original proposal called for a 700,000-square-foot mall and a store costing approximately $10 million, with an intended opening in 1971. Delays affected the project, although the Montgomery Ward store itself opened in 1972. During the 1970s, the broader mall development stalled and was subsequently taken over by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation as developer. The planned center was expanded to approximately 786,000 square feet, and construction began in 1979 after Shopko was announced as a second anchor. Bay Park Square opened in 1980. Its tenant mix and physical layout have changed repeatedly in response to department-store consolidation, entertainment trends, and shifts in suburban retail. An east-wing expansion in 1981 added approximately 94,000 square feet and brought Kohl's to the property. A major renovation in 1995 remodeled much of the interior, added a west wing and food court, and introduced Elder-Beerman as a new anchor. The same period also saw the development of a new Marcus movie theater on an outlot and an expansion of the Kohl's store. The property later experienced several anchor changes. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001. In 2003, the south wing was expanded and a Younkers department store was added. Elder-Beerman closed in 2007 after its parent company acquired the chain, and the space was subsequently used by a Younkers Furniture Gallery. Both Younkers locations closed in 2018 following the bankruptcy and liquidation of The Bon-Ton. Shopko, another longstanding anchor, closed its Bay Park Square store on June 16, 2019, as the entire chain shut down. Simon Property Group became the mall's owner through its merger with the DeBartolo Corporation. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, the property repositioned several former department-store and parking-lot areas toward entertainment, furniture, restaurants, and grocery retail. Dave & Buster's opened in January 2021 after a pandemic-related delay. Panda Express opened in late 2020, while Chick-fil-A opened its first northeastern Wisconsin location at the property in March 2022. Steinhafels Furniture took over the former Younkers space in April 2022, and Hy-Vee opened a large supermarket in the former Shopko location on November 8, 2022. Current anchor or major destination tenants include Kohl's, Dave & Buster's, Marcus Cinemas, Steinhafels, and Hy-Vee. The mall also features a football-stadium-themed food court called the Supper Bowl.

Bay Park Square emerged from a retail-development proposal associated with Montgomery Ward. In 1969, the retailer announced plans for a new store and a large adjacent shopping center in Ashwaubenon, intended to replace its downtown Green Bay store. The proposal initially envisioned a 700,000-square-foot mall and a store costing about $10 million, with an expected opening in 1971. E.D. Pehrson Associates of Chicago was hired as developer. The schedule slipped, but Montgomery Ward completed its new store in 1972. The shopping-center portion remained stalled through much of the 1970s. Montgomery Ward then brought in the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, which assumed the development role and enlarged the planned mall to approximately 786,000 square feet. Shopko was announced as a second anchor in 1979, construction began that year, and Bay Park Square opened in 1980. The mall expanded quickly. In 1981, an east wing added about 94,000 square feet and introduced Kohl's as an anchor. A much larger renovation followed in 1995. That project remodeled much of the enclosed mall, added a west wing and food court, and introduced Elder-Beerman in a new approximately 75,000-square-foot anchor space. The project also changed the mall's entrances and circulation patterns. A new 16-screen Marcus theater was built on an outlot behind Shopko, while Kohl's received an approximately 20,000-square-foot addition. The food court later became known as the Supper Bowl, reflecting a football-stadium theme appropriate to the property's proximity to Lambeau Field. Anchor turnover became a defining feature of the mall's later history. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001. The south wing was expanded in 2003, when Younkers opened a new department store. Elder-Beerman closed in 2007 after a corporate acquisition, and its space was subsequently associated with a Younkers Furniture Gallery. Both Younkers operations closed in mid-2018 during The Bon-Ton's bankruptcy and liquidation. Shopko closed its Bay Park Square store on June 16, 2019, as the entire chain ceased operations. Simon Property Group acquired the property through its merger with the DeBartolo Corporation. From 2019 onward, Bay Park Square pursued a repositioning strategy centered on entertainment, food, furniture, and grocery retail rather than relying primarily on traditional department-store anchors. Dave & Buster's was announced for the former Younkers Furniture space, with its opening delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic before taking place in January 2021. Panda Express opened in late 2020 in a parking-lot location, and plans were also announced for Blaze Pizza and Mission BBQ. Chick-fil-A opened near the front of the mall in March 2022. Steinhafels Furniture opened in the former Younkers space in April 2022, while Hy-Vee opened a large supermarket in the former Shopko location on November 8, 2022. The current major destinations identified in the reference material are Kohl's, Dave & Buster's, Marcus Cinemas, Steinhafels, and Hy-Vee.

1. 2022Steinhafels and Hy-Vee open

   Steinhafels Furniture opened in April and Hy-Vee opened in November in former anchor spaces.

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2. 2021Dave & Buster's opens

   Dave & Buster's opened in January after a delay associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

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3. 2019Entertainment and restaurant redevelopment announced

   The property announced Dave & Buster's for the former Younkers Furniture space and additional restaurant development.

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4. 2018Younkers operations close

   The Younkers department store and furniture operation closed during The Bon-Ton's bankruptcy-related liquidation.

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5. 2003South-wing expansion adds Younkers

   A south-wing project created space for a new Younkers department store.

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6. 2001Montgomery Ward closes

   The original Montgomery Ward anchor ceased operations at Bay Park Square.

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7. 1995Major renovation and west-wing expansion

   The mall added a west wing, a food court, Elder-Beerman, redesigned entrances, a larger Kohl's, and a new off-mall Marcus theater.

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8. 1981East-wing expansion adds Kohl's

   An approximately 94,000-square-foot east-wing addition brought Kohl's to the property.

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9. 1980Bay Park Square opens

   The enclosed shopping mall opened in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.

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10. 1979DeBartolo takes over development and construction begins

    The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation became the development partner, the planned mall was enlarged, and construction began after Shopko was announced as an anchor.

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11. 1972Montgomery Ward store opens

    The Montgomery Ward store opened even though the larger mall project experienced further delays.

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12. 1969Montgomery Ward announces the shopping-center proposal

    Montgomery Ward announced plans for a new Ashwaubenon store and an adjacent shopping mall intended to replace its downtown Green Bay location.

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A regional, multi-use shopping and entertainment destination serving Green Bay and northeastern Wisconsin, with a tenant mix spanning department stores, furniture, grocery retail, restaurants, cinema, and family entertainment.

• Kohl'sDepartment store1981

  Kohl's is a major department-store anchor at Bay Park Square. It joined the property through the 1981 east-wing expansion and received an additional approximately 20,000 square feet during the 1995 redevelopment. Its merchandise mix typically covers apparel, accessories, footwear, beauty, home products, and seasonal goods, complementing the mall's specialty stores and other destination tenants.

• Dave & Buster'sEntertainment and dining2021

  Dave & Buster's occupies the former Younkers Furniture space and combines arcade-style games, electronic entertainment, sports viewing, food, and beverages. Its arrival formed part of Bay Park Square's effort to replace a former department-store anchor with an experience-oriented destination. The location opened in January 2021 after a delay connected with the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Marcus CinemasCinema1995

  Marcus developed a new 16-screen movie theater on an outlot behind Shopko during the mall's 1995 redevelopment. The cinema broadened Bay Park Square's role beyond traditional shopping by providing an entertainment destination with a separate building and parking access.

• Steinhafels FurnitureFurniture retailer2022

  Steinhafels Furniture opened in the former Younkers space in early April 2022. The retailer brought a substantial home-furnishings offering to the property and helped fill a large former department-store anchor after the closure of Younkers and its furniture operation. A portion of the building was subdivided for a future store space.

• Hy-VeeSupermarket2022

  Hy-Vee opened a large supermarket in the former Shopko space on November 8, 2022. The store is located on the Bay Park Square property but does not connect directly to the enclosed mall through an interior entrance. Its grocery and household offering adds a frequent-needs retail component to the property's traditional apparel, entertainment, and dining mix.

• The Supper BowlFood court1995

  The Supper Bowl is Bay Park Square's American-football-stadium-themed food court. Its naming and design connect the mall to Green Bay's football identity and its location near Lambeau Field. It functions as a shared dining area within the enclosed mall rather than as a separately owned consumer brand.

• 2022Conversion of former anchor spaces to furniture and grocery usesGeneration change

  The mall's traditional department-store anchors had declined or closed, including Shopko and the Younkers-related operations.

  What changed. Steinhafels Furniture opened in the former Younkers space, while Hy-Vee opened in the former Shopko location on the mall property.

  Aftermath. The property gained a furniture destination and a large supermarket, further diversifying its role beyond enclosed-mall department-store retail.

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• 2019Repositioning former department-store space for entertainment and restaurantsStrategy

  The closures of Younkers, Younkers Furniture, and Shopko left significant former-anchor space and created pressure to refresh the property's tenant mix.

  What changed. Bay Park Square announced Dave & Buster's for the former Younkers Furniture space and additional freestanding or outlot restaurant projects, including Panda Express, Blaze Pizza, and Mission BBQ.

  Aftermath. Panda Express opened in 2020, Dave & Buster's opened in 2021 after a pandemic delay, and later additions included Chick-fil-A, Steinhafels Furniture, and Hy-Vee.

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• 2022Chick-fil-A opens first northeastern Wisconsin location

  Chick-fil-A opened near Dave & Buster's at the front of the mall in March, described in the reference material as its first location in northeastern Wisconsin.

  Product launch
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• 2022Steinhafels Furniture opens in former Younkers space

  Steinhafels Furniture opened in early April in the former Younkers space, with part of the building subdivided for a future store.

  Product launch
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• 2022Hy-Vee opens large supermarket at Bay Park Square

  Hy-Vee opened on November 8 in the former Shopko space. The store is located on the mall property but does not have an entrance directly into the enclosed mall.

  Product launch
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• 2021Dave & Buster's opens after pandemic delay

  Dave & Buster's opened in January after its launch was delayed in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Product launch
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• 2020Panda Express opens at Bay Park Square

  Panda Express opened in the mall's parking area during the property’s shift toward freestanding food and restaurant uses.

  Product launch
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• 2019Bay Park Square announces redevelopment of former Younkers space

  Plans were announced for Dave & Buster's to occupy the former Younkers Furniture space. Panda Express, Blaze Pizza, and Mission BBQ also announced plans for locations on the mall property.

  Product launch
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• 2018Younkers and Younkers Furniture close following Bon-Ton liquidation

  The mall's Younkers-related stores closed during the liquidation of The Bon-Ton and the end of the Younkers chain.

  Bankruptcy
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• 2007Elder-Beerman closes and the anchor space changes use

  Elder-Beerman left the property after its acquisition by the parent company of Younkers. The space was later used by a Younkers Furniture Gallery.

  Other
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• 2003Younkers opens after south-wing expansion

  The south wing was expanded and a new Younkers department store was added as an anchor.

  Product launch
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• 2001Montgomery Ward closes its Bay Park Square location

  The original Montgomery Ward anchor at the mall closed.

  Other
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• 1995Major renovation adds west wing, food court, and Elder-Beerman

  A substantial renovation remodeled the interior, created a west wing and food court, added Elder-Beerman, and accompanied the development of a new Marcus movie theater and a Kohl's expansion.

  Other
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• 1981Bay Park Square adds an east wing and Kohl's

  The mall expanded by approximately 94,000 square feet and added Kohl's as an anchor tenant.

  Other
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• 1980Bay Park Square opens as a new Ashwaubenon shopping mall

  The shopping mall opened after development was taken over by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and expanded from the earlier Montgomery Ward proposal.

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1. Bay Park Square
2. Bay Park Square official mall page