Lindale Mall
An enclosed regional shopping mall on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Lindale Mall is an enclosed regional shopping center serving Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities in eastern Iowa. It began as Lindale Plaza, an open-air shopping center that opened on September 15, 1960, after a rezoning debate involving downtown Cedar Rapids merchants and city officials. The original development was anchored by Sears, Younkers, and Killian's, with additional early tenants including Kresge's, an Eagle supermarket, and Bishop's Buffet. Sears had relocated to the project from downtown Cedar Rapids, while Younkers became one of the property's long-standing occupants. The center was developed by Bernard Greenbaum and Associates, a firm also associated with the construction of Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines. Lindale Plaza was later enclosed and became Lindale Mall in 1980, a change that strengthened its role as a conventional regional shopping destination. The mall experienced its first major anchor transition in 1981, when Petersen Harned Von Maur replaced Killian's after Killian's entered bankruptcy. Von Maur subsequently became the mall's principal department-store anchor. Ownership and management changed several times. General Growth Properties eventually sold the property to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States in 1984 as part of General Growth's real-estate investment trust liquidation, although General Growth continued managing the mall for a period. In March 1998, SDG Macerich, a partnership involving Simon Property Group and The Macerich Company, acquired Lindale Mall. Simon later transferred the property to Washington Prime Group in a 2014 corporate spin-off; the company subsequently operated under the WP Glimcher name for a period. Lindale underwent a substantial expansion and renovation completed in August 1997. The project reportedly cost $15 million and added a 500-stall parking ramp and a 500-seat food court. The property has also included outparcels and adjacent freestanding businesses, including Jo-Ann, restaurants, a jewelry store, and Planet Fitness. These complementary uses broaden the center's role beyond enclosed-mall retail. The mall's traditional department-store structure weakened during the late 2010s. Sears announced in April 2018 that it would close its Lindale location, with the store shutting in July of that year. Younkers also closed on August 31, 2018, after its parent company, Bon-Ton Stores, entered liquidation. Those departures left Von Maur as the only remaining traditional anchor for a period. Sears's former real-estate interest had previously been placed into Seritage Growth Properties when Sears Holdings spun off 235 properties in 2015. Washington Prime Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021. Lindale Mall was subsequently sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group in July 2023 for a reported $28.5 million. The property's later redevelopment plans called for a large-format Dick's House of Sport to occupy the former Sears space. The new sporting-goods concept was reported as opening to the public on June 3, 2026. Lindale's current tenant mix is centered on Von Maur, Dick's House of Sport, restaurants, fitness, specialty retail, and outparcel businesses, reflecting the continuing adaptation of an older regional mall to changing retail patterns.
History
Lindale Mall originated as Lindale Plaza, an open-air shopping center proposed for northeast Cedar Rapids in the mid-1950s. Sears and Younkers announced plans for the development on February 15, 1956. The proposal met resistance from downtown merchants, who objected to rezoning the site from residential to commercial use and organized against the project. The Cedar Rapids City Council ultimately approved the rezoning, allowing construction to proceed. Lindale Plaza opened on September 15, 1960. Its initial anchor tenants were Sears, Younkers, and Killian's, a local department store. Sears's move from downtown Cedar Rapids made the center part of a broader shift in the city's retail geography. Other early occupants included Kresge's, an Eagle supermarket, and Bishop's Buffet. Younkers and Sears were identified as the only tenants to operate continuously at the center from its opening until the later closure of Sears. The project was developed by Bernard Greenbaum and Associates, which also built Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines. Greenbaum later sold Lindale to General Growth Properties. General Growth had opened Town & Country Shopping Center south of Lindale in 1956; that project was Cedar Rapids's first strip mall and General Growth's first shopping center. In 1984, General Growth sold Lindale to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States as part of a liquidation of its real-estate investment trust, while continuing to manage the property for several years. Lindale Plaza was enclosed in 1980, shortly after the opening of Westdale Mall on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. The enclosed format repositioned the property as Lindale Mall and enabled it to compete more directly as a regional destination. In 1981, Petersen Harned Von Maur replaced Killian's as an anchor after Killian's went bankrupt. Killian's final downtown Cedar Rapids store closed in November 1982. A major expansion and renovation was completed in August 1997. The reported $15 million project included a new 500-stall parking ramp and a 500-seat food court. The investment modernized the center's circulation and dining infrastructure while reinforcing its role as a destination for shoppers from the wider Cedar Rapids area. In March 1998, SDG Macerich, a partnership of Simon Property Group and The Macerich Company, purchased Lindale Mall. Simon later spun the property into Washington Prime Group in May 2014. Washington Prime subsequently operated under the WP Glimcher name following a 2015 corporate combination. In the same year, Sears Holdings spun off 235 properties, including its Lindale Mall store, to Seritage Growth Properties. The mall's anchor base contracted significantly in 2018. Sears announced on April 12 that its Lindale store would close in July. Bon-Ton Stores's collapse led to the announcement on April 18 that Younkers would also close; the store ceased operations on August 31. With both legacy anchors gone, Von Maur became the only remaining traditional department-store anchor. The former Sears space was later associated with redevelopment plans, including a Planet Fitness use and, eventually, a large-format Dick's House of Sport. Washington Prime Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021. On July 28, 2023, Kohan Retail Investment Group was reported to have acquired Lindale Mall for $28.5 million. Under the later redevelopment plan, Dick's Sporting Goods would renovate the former Sears building for a Dick's House of Sport location. The store was reported as opening on June 3, 2026. The mall's current configuration therefore combines a long-established Von Maur anchor with newer large-format sporting goods, fitness, specialty retail, restaurants, and outparcel uses.
- 2026
Dick's House of Sport opens
[1]A Dick's House of Sport location reportedly opened in the renovated former Sears space on June 3, 2026.
- 2023
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires mall
[1]Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the property for a reported $28.5 million.
- 2021
Washington Prime Group files bankruptcy
[1]The mall's then-owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- 2018
Sears and Younkers close
[1]The Sears store closed in July, followed by Younkers on August 31 after Bon-Ton Stores entered liquidation.
- 2015
Sears property transferred to Seritage
[1]Sears Holdings spun off the Lindale Sears property along with 234 other properties into Seritage Growth Properties.
- 2014
Property moves to Washington Prime Group
[1]Simon Property Group spun the property into Washington Prime Group.
- 1998
SDG Macerich acquires mall
[1]SDG Macerich, a Simon Property Group and Macerich partnership, purchased Lindale Mall.
- 1997
Expansion and renovation completed
[1]A reported $15 million project added a 500-stall parking ramp and a 500-seat food court.
- 1984
Ownership transfers to Equitable
[1]General Growth Properties sold the mall to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States during a real-estate investment trust liquidation.
- 1981
Von Maur replaces Killian's
[1]Petersen Harned Von Maur replaced Killian's as an anchor after Killian's entered bankruptcy.
Products and positioning
A regional, enclosed shopping center serving Cedar Rapids and nearby eastern Iowa communities, combining department stores, large-format specialty retail, services, restaurants, and entertainment-oriented uses.
Department store · 1981
Von Maur
Von Maur is Lindale Mall's long-established department-store anchor. The location entered the center in 1981 under the Petersen Harned Von Maur name, replacing local department store Killian's after Killian's bankruptcy. It provides broad apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home-related merchandise and has served as the mall's principal traditional anchor since the closures of Sears and Younkers in 2018.
Sporting goods · 2026
Dick's House of Sport
Dick's House of Sport is a large-format sporting-goods concept from Dick's Sporting Goods. At Lindale Mall, the concept was planned for the former Sears department-store space, representing the property's shift from legacy department-store anchoring toward experiential and specialty big-box retail. The location was reported as opening to the public on June 3, 2026, after renovation of the former Sears building.
Craft and fabric supplies
Jo-Ann
Jo-Ann operates as a freestanding outparcel business associated with Lindale Mall. Its assortment typically serves sewing, fabric, crafting, seasonal decoration, and related hobby needs. The Lindale location occupies a former movie-theater building rather than a conventional inline mall unit.
Fitness services
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness is a fitness-club use located at the left side of Lindale Mall's main entrance. Its presence adds recurring service traffic and broadens the property beyond conventional merchandise retail. The site was also discussed as a possible reuse of part of the former Sears area after Sears closed.
Food service · 1997
Food court and restaurants
Lindale Mall includes a food court and multiple restaurant uses. The 1997 renovation added a 500-seat food court, while additional restaurants operate in or around the mall as outparcel and complementary destinations. These food-service offerings support longer visits and help the center function as a regional gathering and convenience destination.
Brand decisions
2025
Approve Dick's House of Sport redevelopmentProduct launchBackground
The former Sears department-store building required a substantial replacement use after Sears closed in 2018.
Action taken
Plans were approved for Dick's Sporting Goods to renovate the former Sears space for a large-format Dick's House of Sport store.
Aftermath
The project was intended to replace a vacant legacy anchor with a contemporary sporting-goods destination and increase experiential retail activity at the mall.
2023
Sell Lindale Mall to Kohan Retail Investment GroupM&ABackground
The transaction followed Washington Prime Group's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2021 and a period of major anchor-store departures.
Action taken
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Lindale Mall.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed the property under new ownership as it pursued tenant replacement and redevelopment of former department-store space.
Reported acquisition price. $28.5 million (July 28, 2023)
2018
Manage the loss of Sears and YounkersOtherBackground
Sears announced the closure of its Lindale store, while Younkers was affected by the liquidation of parent company Bon-Ton Stores.
Action taken
Both department stores closed during 2018, leaving Von Maur as the only remaining traditional anchor.
Aftermath
The closures created substantial vacant anchor space and required the property to pursue replacement uses and a more diversified tenant mix.
1997
Undertake major expansion and renovationStrategyBackground
The established mall required updated circulation, parking, and dining infrastructure to maintain its regional role.
Action taken
Lindale completed a reported $15 million project that added a 500-stall parking ramp and a 500-seat food court.
Aftermath
The renovation expanded the mall's support infrastructure and reinforced its destination-shopping proposition.
Reported project cost. $15 million (1997)
1980
Convert the open-air center into an enclosed mallStrategyBackground
Lindale Plaza operated in an open-air format during a period when enclosed regional malls were becoming important retail destinations.
Action taken
The center was enclosed and adopted the Lindale Mall name.
Aftermath
The conversion strengthened the property's regional shopping-center format and positioned it to compete with other Cedar Rapids retail destinations.
Recent events
- 2026
Dick's House of Sport opens at Lindale Mall[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The new Dick's House of Sport location was reported as opening to the public on June 3, 2026, following renovation of the former Sears department store.
- 2025
Dick's House of Sport planned for former Sears space[1]
Product launch
Plans were approved for Dick's Sporting Goods to convert the former Sears space into a large-format Dick's House of Sport location.
- 2023
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires Lindale Mall[1]
M&A
Kohan Retail Investment Group was reported to have acquired Lindale Mall for $28.5 million.
- 2021
Washington Prime Group files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy[1]
Bankruptcy
The mall's then-owner, Washington Prime Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- 2018
Sears announces closure of its Lindale Mall store[1]
Other
Sears announced that its Lindale Mall department store would close during the summer of 2018.
- 2018
Younkers closes after Bon-Ton liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Younkers closed its Lindale Mall location on August 31 after the Bon-Ton Stores bankruptcy and liquidation process.
- 1997
Lindale Mall completes major expansion and renovation[1]
Other
The mall completed a reported $15 million redevelopment that added a parking ramp and a new food court.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/lindale-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled