Mall St. Matthews

Mall St. Matthews is an enclosed regional shopping mall at 5000 Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews, Kentucky, near Louisville and the Watterson Expressway. The property is informally known as Louisville Mall and has also operated under the names The Mall and The Mall in St. Matthews. With more than 1 million square feet of retail space, it is one of the Louisville area’s longstanding shopping destinations and remains anchored by JCPenney and two Dillard’s-format locations. The mall opened on March 21, 1962, as The Mall. It was developed by James W. Rouse’s Community Research & Development, Inc., the organization that later became The Rouse Company. Its opening made it the first enclosed suburban shopping mall in Kentucky. The original anchor lineup included A&P, Kaufman-Straus, and Rose’s, with JCPenney added during a subsequent 1960s expansion. Early features included fountains, a large chess set, and a children’s play area with turtle-shaped climbing structures. These features helped establish the mall as both a retail center and a family-oriented community destination. As newer Louisville-area shopping centers opened, the property experienced a period of decline and gradually changed its name to The Mall in St. Matthews. A late-1980s repositioning and early-1990s remodeling brought the shorter Mall St. Matthews name, a food court, a Limited/Express wing associated with Limited Brands, and expanded department-store space. The former Kaufman-Straus location had successively become a Stewart Dry Goods and an L. S. Ayres store before being adapted for Bacon’s. Further construction added a new wing and required the rerouting of Sherburn Lane. The property continued to expand and reconfigure its department-store mix during the 1990s and 2000s. A 1995 wing added Dillard’s, while Lord & Taylor opened in 1997. After Bacon’s was merged into Dillard’s in 1998, the former Bacon’s store became a Dillard’s men’s, children’s, and home location. Lord & Taylor closed in 2004, and parts of its former space were subsequently associated with Dawahares. Dillard’s later moved its men’s and home operations into the former Lord & Taylor building, leaving the earlier Bacon’s building available for redevelopment. Forever 21 opened in that space on February 21, 2012. The mall’s later retail and entertainment strategy included a separately owned, physically attached 10-screen Cinemark multiplex, which opened on May 16, 2013, without pedestrian access to the mall interior. In 2018, Dave & Buster’s opened on the second floor of the former Forever 21 building, while Ulta Beauty was planned for part of the first floor as part of a broader redevelopment. The food court was also slated for substantial renovation, including new flooring, furniture, seating, restroom improvements, and removal of some elevated platform and railing features. Mall St. Matthews is currently owned by Brookfield Properties, which also owns nearby Oxmoor Center across the Watterson Expressway. Its identity is that of a large, established suburban shopping center combining department stores, specialty retail, beauty, dining, and entertainment. The mall has also had to manage public-safety and customer-experience issues, including a major 2015 disturbance that led to a temporary age-based supervision policy on selected evenings. Despite these challenges and the broader evolution of American enclosed-mall retailing, Mall St. Matthews remains an active regional commercial property serving the Louisville market.

Mall St. Matthews opened on March 21, 1962, as The Mall in St. Matthews, near Louisville, Kentucky. It was developed by James W. Rouse through Community Research & Development, Inc., later known as The Rouse Company. The project was the first enclosed suburban shopping mall in Kentucky and was positioned beside the Watterson Expressway, giving it strong highway access to Louisville’s eastern suburbs. Its original anchors were A&P, Kaufman-Straus, and Rose’s. JCPenney joined during a later expansion in the 1960s. The early mall included several features intended to make it a destination for families, including fountains, an oversized chess set, and a children’s play area with turtle-shaped climbing structures. The area near Rose’s was later converted into a food court. As competing malls opened in the Louisville region, the property’s performance weakened and its name evolved from The Mall to The Mall in St. Matthews. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the center was remodeled and renamed Mall St. Matthews. The work added a food court, a Limited/Express wing, and additional department-store capacity. The former Kaufman-Straus store had successively been used by Stewart Dry Goods and L. S. Ayres before being adapted for Bacon’s, which relocated from a freestanding Shelbyville Road store. Additional retail demand led to another wing and the rerouting of Sherburn Lane around the new construction. The mall also hosted a Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre from 1984 until December 1991. The venue was particularly popular and affected business at another Louisville Pizza Time Theatre on Preston Highway. Expansion continued in the 1990s. A 1995 wing introduced a Dillard’s store, followed by Lord & Taylor in 1997. When the Bacon’s chain was merged into Dillard’s in 1998, the former Bacon’s location became a Dillard’s men’s, children’s, and home store. Lord & Taylor closed in early 2004, and part of the space was occupied by regional department-store chain Dawahares until early 2007. In 2000, Nordstrom tentatively agreed to build at the mall but withdrew in 2001 before a final contract was signed. The physical layout and tenant mix changed further in the late 2000s. Dillard’s moved its men’s and home operations into the former Lord & Taylor building in late 2007. Dillard’s then returned the former Bacon’s building to the mall owner, making it available for redevelopment. In 2007, two fountains were removed and replaced with floor tile, tables, and seating. Forever 21 moved into the former Bacon’s/Dillard’s space on February 21, 2012. A 10-screen Cinemark multiplex opened next to the mall on May 16, 2013. Although physically attached, the theater is separately owned and does not provide pedestrian access to the mall’s interior. In December 2015, a large disturbance involving teenagers and other visitors caused the mall to close early. The property subsequently introduced a temporary policy requiring visitors aged 10 to 17 to have an accompanying person at least 21 years old after 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. In 2017, the mall announced a renovation and tenant-repositioning project. Proposed work included new food-court flooring and furnishings, removal of an elevated platform and railing, improvements to a nearby restroom, a reduced Forever 21 footprint, an Ulta Beauty location, and a Dave & Buster’s entertainment venue. Dave & Buster’s opened in 2018. On April 23, 2021, Zappos Unboxed opened as a new shoe and clothing concept associated with the online retailer Zappos. The mall is currently owned by Brookfield Properties, which also owns nearby Oxmoor Center. Its principal anchors remain JCPenney and separate women’s and men’s, children’s, and home Dillard’s operations.

• 2021

  Zappos Unboxed opens

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Zappos Unboxed opens on April 23 as a shoe and clothing retail concept.

• 2018

  Dave & Buster’s opens

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Dave & Buster’s opens on the second floor of the former Forever 21 building.

• 2017

  Food court and former department-store space targeted for renovation

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  The mall announces renovations and a tenant mix centered on food-court improvements, Ulta Beauty, a reduced Forever 21, and Dave & Buster’s.

• 2015

  Disturbance leads to temporary visitor policy

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  A large December disturbance results in an early closure and a temporary evening supervision requirement for younger visitors.

• 2013

  Cinemark multiplex opens

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  A separately owned 10-screen Cinemark theater opens adjacent to the mall on May 16.

• 2012

  Forever 21 opens

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Forever 21 moves into the vacated former Bacon’s/Dillard’s space on February 21.

• 2007

  Dillard’s reorganizes its locations

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Dillard’s moves its men’s and home operations into the former Lord & Taylor building, while the former Bacon’s building becomes available for redevelopment.

• 2004

  Lord & Taylor closes

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Lord & Taylor closes its mall store; part of the former space is later used by Dawahares.

• 1998

  Bacon’s locations transition to Dillard’s

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Following the merger of Bacon’s into Dillard’s, the former Bacon’s location becomes a Dillard’s men’s, children’s, and home store.

• 1997

  Lord & Taylor opens

  [1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Lord & Taylor joins the mall’s department-store lineup.

Showing the 10 most recent.

A large, established enclosed regional shopping center serving Louisville and surrounding Kentucky communities through department stores, specialty retail, dining, beauty, and entertainment.

• Department store · 1960

  JCPenney

  JCPenney has been part of Mall St. Matthews since a 1960s expansion and serves as one of the property’s continuing department-store anchors. Its merchandise traditionally spans apparel, accessories, beauty, home goods, and related mass-market categories.

• Department store · 1995

  Dillard’s

  Dillard’s operates separate women’s and men’s, children’s, and home locations at the mall. The chain’s presence grew out of the 1990s expansion and the integration of the former Bacon’s operations.

• Entertainment venue · 2018

  Dave & Buster’s

  Dave & Buster’s added an entertainment-oriented use to the former Forever 21 building. The venue combines arcade games, food, and sports-viewing amenities and opened at the mall in 2018.

• Beauty retailer

  Ulta Beauty

  Ulta Beauty was included in the redevelopment plan for the former Forever 21 building, reflecting the mall’s effort to add specialty beauty retail alongside department stores and entertainment.

• Apparel and footwear retailer · 2021

  Zappos Unboxed

  Zappos Unboxed is a shoe and clothing retail concept connected to online retailer Zappos. Its Mall St. Matthews location opened on April 23, 2021, and was described as the first store of its kind.

• Food and dining · 1990

  Mall food court

  The food court occupies space associated with the former Rose’s area and became a major component of the mall’s early-1990s remodeling. Later plans called for new flooring, furniture, seating, and nearby restroom improvements.

• Cinema · 2013

  Cinemark 10

  The 10-screen Cinemark multiplex opened adjacent to Mall St. Matthews in 2013. It is physically attached to the property but separately owned and does not provide pedestrian access to the mall interior.

• 2015

  December 2015 mall disturbance

  On December 26, a disturbance involving as many as 2,000 people, primarily teenagers, included fights and pushing involving customers. Mall management closed the property early and subsequently adopted a temporary policy requiring visitors aged 10 to 17 to be accompanied by someone at least 21 after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

  Source

Read more

• 2017

  Redevelop food-court and former Forever 21 areasStrategy

  Background

  The mall pursued physical improvements and a more diversified mix of retail and entertainment uses.

  Action taken

  Plans included food-court upgrades, a reduced Forever 21 footprint, Ulta Beauty on part of the first floor, and Dave & Buster’s on the second floor.

  Aftermath

  Dave & Buster’s opened in 2018, while the project represented a broader shift toward experiential and specialty uses.

  Source

• 2015

  Adopt temporary age-supervision rulesOther

  Background

  A large disturbance on December 26 involved teenagers, fights, and disruptions affecting customers.

  Action taken

  The mall temporarily required visitors aged 10 to 17 to be accompanied by someone at least 21 after 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings.

  Aftermath

  The rule was presented as a post-incident safety and crowd-management measure.

  Source

• 2012

  Bring Forever 21 into the former department-store spaceProduct launch

  Background

  The former Bacon’s/Dillard’s building was available after Dillard’s consolidated its operations.

  Action taken

  Forever 21 opened in the building on February 21.

  Aftermath

  The large-format apparel tenant occupied a major portion of the former anchor space before later plans reduced its footprint.

  Source

• 2007

  Reconfigure Dillard’s spaceStrategy

  Background

  Dillard’s operated multiple areas after the Bacon’s chain was integrated into the company.

  Action taken

  Dillard’s moved its men’s and home operations into the former Lord & Taylor building and returned the former Bacon’s building to the mall owner for potential redevelopment.

  Aftermath

  The released space later became the location for Forever 21 and subsequent redevelopment plans.

  Source

• 2001

  Nordstrom withdraws from proposed developmentOther

  Background

  Nordstrom had tentatively agreed in 2000 to build a store at the mall.

  Action taken

  Nordstrom withdrew in 2001 before a final contract was signed with Rouse.

  Aftermath

  The proposed anchor did not become part of the mall’s tenant lineup.

  Source

• 1995

  Add a new wing and Dillard’sOther

  Background

  The property sought to expand its department-store and specialty-retail offer.

  Action taken

  A new wing was built and Dillard’s was added as an anchor.

  Aftermath

  The expansion was followed by Lord & Taylor’s arrival in 1997 and further changes to the anchor lineup.

  Source

• 1990

  Rebrand and remodel the shopping centerStrategy

  Background

  The mall had faced declining activity as newer shopping centers attracted tenants and shoppers.

  Action taken

  Management simplified the name to Mall St. Matthews and undertook remodeling that added a food court, new retail space, and a Limited/Express-oriented wing.

  Aftermath

  The improvements helped reposition the property and supported additional tenant demand and later expansion.

  Source

• 2021

  Zappos Unboxed opens at Mall St. Matthews[1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Zappos Unboxed, a shoe and clothing store described as the first of its kind, opened at the mall on April 23.

• 2018

  Dave & Buster’s opens at Mall St. Matthews[1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The entertainment venue opened on the second floor of the former Forever 21 building as part of the mall’s redevelopment program.

• 2017

  Food-court renovation and tenant redevelopment announced[1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Plans called for food-court flooring, furniture, seating, and restroom improvements, along with changes to the former Forever 21 building, including a smaller Forever 21 footprint, Ulta Beauty, and Dave & Buster’s.

• 2015

  Mall introduces temporary evening supervision policy for younger visitors[1]Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  After the December disturbance, the mall temporarily required visitors aged 10 to 17 to be accompanied by someone at least 21 years old after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

1. 1Mall St. Matthewsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Mall St. Matthews official websitemallstmatthews.com