Brookfield Square
A regional shopping mall in Brookfield, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Brookfield Square is a regional shopping mall in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee in Waukesha County. The center occupies a prominent site at the intersection of Bluemound Road and Moorland Road, close to Interstate 94 and approximately three miles west of the Milwaukee County line. Its location places it within the Milwaukee metropolitan area and gives it access to both suburban shoppers and visitors traveling along the region's major east-west road corridor. Public transit service includes Waukesha Metro Route 1, which links the mall with downtown Waukesha, and Milwaukee County Transit System Connect 1 service toward downtown Milwaukee. The mall opened in 1967 as a one-story, three-anchor shopping center with approximately 60 stores and services. Its early tenant mix included department stores, apparel and general merchandise retailers, food service, a pharmacy, and a single-screen cinema. Original or early anchors and major tenants included Sears, Kohl's Food Store, Woolworth's, T. A. Chapman’s, Walgreens, and other retailers. Kohl's Food Store departed in 1977, and its space was subsequently converted into a Houlihan's restaurant. Woolworth's and the mall's original single-screen cinema closed in 1994; the former cinema area was then redeveloped as a food court. Brookfield Square underwent a substantial renovation in 2004. The work refreshed the interior design, added outparcel retail and restaurant opportunities, and introduced restaurants along the exterior walls. The redevelopment was followed by the opening of a two-story Barnes & Noble outside the main mall entrance on April 13, 2005. Later additions and changes continued to reshape the center's tenant mix. Red Robin opened in November 2010, while an expansion involving additional storefronts was proposed in 2013. Old Navy and Hallmark Cards closed in early 2014, and Shoe Carnival was added in the Sears wing during the same year. The mall experienced significant anchor-store turnover in the late 2010s. Sears temporarily closed in September 2014 because of structural concerns involving its roof and ultimately shut permanently in March 2018 as part of Sears Holdings’ nationwide store-closure program. The former Sears building was demolished in June 2018. Boston Store, another major anchor, closed in August 2018. A proposed Dillard's replacement announced in July 2018 did not proceed after Dillard's withdrew from consideration of a Milwaukee-area expansion in 2019. The former Sears site was eventually redeveloped for a Movie Tavern by Marcus and a WhirlyBall entertainment center, which opened in fall 2019. The vacant Boston Store building was demolished in 2024. The current center is managed by CBL & Associates Properties. Its listed anchor and destination tenants include JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, Marcus Theatres, and WhirlyBall, supplemented by restaurants, entertainment uses, specialty retail, and mall services. Brookfield Square therefore operates less as a traditional department-store-only mall than as a diversified suburban shopping and entertainment destination. Ownership, exact gross leasable area, current tenant roster, and financial performance are not established in the supplied reference material.
History
Brookfield Square opened in 1967 in Brookfield, Wisconsin, as a one-story shopping mall with three anchors and approximately 60 stores and services. The center was built at the intersection of Bluemound Road and Moorland Road, a strategically important suburban location near Interstate 94 and west of Milwaukee. Its original retail composition reflected the era's department-store-centered mall model, combining Sears and other large-format merchants with specialty shops, food service, a pharmacy, and a single-screen cinema. The tenant base changed during the mall's early decades. Kohl's Food Store left in 1977, and its space was converted into a Houlihan's restaurant. Woolworth's and the original single-screen movie theater departed in 1994. The former cinema area was converted into a food court, helping the mall adapt its interior toward dining and more varied everyday use. A major renovation in 2004 modernized the interior and expanded the property's commercial footprint. New outparcel stores and restaurants were developed around the main building, while restaurants were also added along the mall's exterior walls. On April 13, 2005, a two-story Barnes & Noble opened outside the main entrance, creating a prominent standalone destination. Red Robin joined the property on November 8, 2010. Brookfield Square proposed an expansion of nine additional storefronts in November 2013. The following period brought both departures and additions: Old Navy and Hallmark Cards closed in early 2014, while Shoe Carnival entered the Sears wing. Sears temporarily closed in September 2014 because of structural concerns related to its roof. It later closed permanently in mid-March 2018 as part of a nationwide program to shut 103 Sears stores. The former Sears building was demolished in June 2018. Boston Store closed in August 2018, creating another major vacancy. In July of that year, plans were announced for Dillard's and Streetscape Retail to replace the Boston Store location, but Dillard's abandoned consideration of a Milwaukee-area expansion by April 2019. The former Sears property was ultimately used for entertainment-oriented redevelopment. A Movie Tavern by Marcus and a WhirlyBall center replaced the former department-store site in fall 2019, broadening Brookfield Square's offer beyond conventional retail. The vacant former Boston Store building was demolished in 2024. CBL & Associates Properties manages the mall. The destination mix identified in the available reference material includes JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, Marcus Theatres, WhirlyBall, restaurants, and specialty retail. Publicly supplied information does not establish the mall's ownership structure, gross leasable area, founding developer, current occupancy, or financial results.
- 2024
Former Boston Store building demolished
[1]The vacant former Boston Store anchor building is demolished.
- 2019
Entertainment redevelopment opens
[1]Movie Tavern by Marcus and WhirlyBall open on the former Sears site.
- 2018
Sears closes and is demolished
[1]Sears shuts permanently in March and its anchor building is demolished in June.
- 2014
Shoe Carnival joins the mall
[1]Shoe Carnival is added in the Sears wing while Old Navy and Hallmark Cards leave.
- 2010
Red Robin opens
[1]Red Robin opens at the center on November 8.
- 2005
Barnes & Noble opens
[1]A two-story Barnes & Noble opens outside the main entrance on April 13.
- 2004
Major renovation
[1]The mall receives an interior refresh and new exterior retail and restaurant development.
- 1994
Woolworth's and original cinema close
[1]The former cinema area is redeveloped as a food court.
- 1977
Kohl's Food Store departs
[1]The Kohl's Food Store space is converted into a Houlihan's restaurant.
- 1967
Mall opens in Brookfield
[1]Brookfield Square opens as a one-story, three-anchor mall with about 60 stores and services.
Products and positioning
Regional suburban shopping and entertainment center serving Brookfield, Waukesha County, and the wider Milwaukee metropolitan area.
Department store
JCPenney
A department-store anchor offering apparel, footwear, beauty products, home merchandise, and related services. JCPenney became the mall's only traditional department-store anchor after the closures of Sears and Boston Store.
Books and media retail · 2005
Barnes & Noble
A two-story bookstore opened outside the mall's main entrance in 2005. It functions as a standalone destination within the broader Brookfield Square retail and dining complex.
Cinema and entertainment · 2019
Marcus Theatres
A cinema and entertainment offering associated with Marcus Theatres. The current destination mix includes a Movie Tavern by Marcus developed as part of the former Sears-site redevelopment.
Family entertainment · 2019
WhirlyBall
An entertainment venue combining recreational activities and social dining. Its arrival on the former Sears site helped diversify Brookfield Square beyond conventional shopping.
Food service
Restaurants and outparcel dining
Brookfield Square includes restaurants and exterior outparcel dining introduced or expanded through successive redevelopment programs. The food and beverage component has been part of the property's strategy for replacing former retail space and increasing destination traffic.
Brand decisions
2019
Conversion of former Sears site to entertainmentStrategyBackground
Sears had closed and its anchor building had been demolished, leaving a major redevelopment opportunity.
Action taken
The site was redeveloped for a Movie Tavern by Marcus and a WhirlyBall entertainment center.
Aftermath
The fall 2019 opening broadened the property's offer toward cinema, recreation, dining, and experiential visits.
2013
Proposed nine-storefront expansionStrategyBackground
Brookfield Square sought to expand its retail offer during a period of tenant turnover and changing suburban shopping patterns.
Action taken
An expansion involving nine additional storefronts was proposed in November.
Aftermath
The supplied material does not confirm that the full proposal was completed.
2004
Renovation and outparcel expansionStrategyBackground
The aging suburban mall required modernization and additional uses beyond its original enclosed retail format.
Action taken
Brookfield Square refreshed its interior and developed new exterior retail and restaurant opportunities.
Aftermath
The redevelopment was followed by the opening of a two-story Barnes & Noble in 2005 and continued restaurant growth.
Recent events
Brookfield Square reopens to shoppers[2]
Reported:
Brookfield Square reopened to shoppers on Monday after being closed for two months; only a handful of stores were ready to operate.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Sources2 sources
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