Markland Mall
Markland Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Kokomo, Indiana, serving the surrounding north-central Indiana retail market.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Markland Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Kokomo, Indiana, United States. The property was developed by Melvin Simon & Associates, the predecessor of Simon Property Group, and opened in 1968 after development was announced the previous year. Its original tenant mix combined department stores, discount retail, grocery, drugstore, specialty retail, and entertainment, reflecting the broad regional-shopping-center model used in the United States during the late 1960s. The mall has experienced repeated changes in its anchor stores and surrounding retail configuration. Its original anchors and major tenants included Sears, Danners 5 & 10, Ayr-Way, Kroger, SupeRx, and a movie theater. Ayr-Way was converted to Target in 1981, preserving a major discount-retail presence at the property. Danners evolved into William H. Block Co. in 1974, was expanded during a major 1985 renovation, became Lazarus in 1987, and later operated as Macy's and Carson's before those department-store businesses closed. In 2020, Dunham's Sports occupied the former Carson's location. The property was renovated and reconfigured during the 1980s, including new floor tiles, skylights, expanded storefront areas, and changes to the circulation layout. Later years brought additional specialty and off-mall tenants, including Chili's, Old Navy, and a number of value-oriented and family-focused retailers. The original movie theater closed in 2006. Old Navy left in 2016, while MC Sports and Sears closed in 2017. Sears's former location was demolished and replaced by a group of big-box and specialty tenants, including Aldi, Party City, PetSmart, and Ross Dress for Less. Gravity Trampoline Park replaced the former MC Sports space in the same period. Markland Mall's current retail role is built around a smaller but diverse combination of anchor, big-box, specialty, grocery, off-price, pet-supply, sporting-goods, and entertainment tenants. Target and Dunham's Sports are identified as the principal anchors, while Books-A-Million, PetSmart, Five Below, Ross Dress for Less, Aldi, and Gravity Trampoline Park are among the other major occupants associated with the property. The mall is managed by JLL. Its history illustrates the continuing adaptation of enclosed shopping centers to department-store closures, changing retail formats, and the increasing importance of nontraditional entertainment and value-oriented tenants.
History
Markland Mall was developed in Kokomo, Indiana, by Melvin Simon & Associates, whose corporate successor became Simon Property Group. Development was announced in 1967, and the enclosed shopping center opened in 1968. Its initial retail concept combined several formats that were important to American suburban shopping centers of the period: department and discount stores, a supermarket, a drugstore, specialty retail, and an on-site movie theater. Sears, Danners 5 & 10, Kroger, SupeRx, and Ayr-Way were among the original tenants. The mall's anchor history reflects the consolidation and repositioning of American department-store retail. Danners became William H. Block Co. in 1974. In 1985, the Block store was expanded into space that had included part of a mall hallway and space vacated by Robert Hall Village. The same expansion period brought new floor tiles, skylights, and altered storefront layouts intended to refresh the interior and improve the visual rhythm of the corridors. William H. Block Co. later became Lazarus in 1987. The location subsequently operated under Macy's before that store closed. Ayr-Way was converted to Target in 1981, following the sale and conversion of the Ayr-Way chain. This change maintained a major discount anchor at Markland Mall while aligning the property with the more durable Target brand. The former Lazarus department-store space later became associated with Macy's and then Carson's. Carson's opened at the property in 2011, following the closure of an Elder-Beerman store at the nearby Kokomo Mall, which was subsequently known as Kokomo Town Center. Carson's closed in summer 2018 after the chain ceased operations. The property continued to change beyond its traditional anchors. A Chili's restaurant opened outside the mall in 1999. Old Navy was added in 2001 in space previously associated with a Goodyear service center, but closed in 2016. The original movie theater closed in 2006. MC Sports also closed in 2017. Sears closed during the same year, and its building was later demolished rather than retained as an empty anchor box. The replacement plan brought Aldi, Party City, PetSmart, and Ross Dress for Less to the former Sears site. The former MC Sports unit was repurposed for Gravity Trampoline Park. In 2020, Dunham's Sports took over the former Carson's space, giving the mall a large sporting-goods anchor in place of the departed department store. Other major tenants identified with the property include Books-A-Million, Five Below, and the retailers listed above. Markland Mall is managed by JLL. Its development and subsequent tenant changes show how an enclosed regional mall can transition from a department-store-centered model toward a blend of discount retail, specialty shopping, grocery, services, and experiential entertainment. The available reference material does not identify a current owner, exact gross leasable area, or a dedicated official website.
- 2020
Dunham's Sports opens in former Carson's space
[1]Dunham's Sports occupied the former Carson's location, replacing the departed department-store anchor.
- 2018
Carson's closes
[1]Carson's closed during summer 2018 as the chain ended operations.
- 2017
Sears and MC Sports close
[1]Both Sears and MC Sports closed, leading to redevelopment and repurposing of their former spaces.
- 2017
Former Sears site slated for new tenants
[1]The Sears building was demolished and replaced by a retail grouping including Aldi, Party City, PetSmart, and Ross Dress for Less.
- 2017
Gravity Trampoline Park opens
[1]Gravity Trampoline Park replaced the former MC Sports store.
- 2016
Old Navy closes
[1]Old Navy left the mall.
- 2011
Carson's opens
[1]The former department-store space became Carson's after the closure of an Elder-Beerman store at the nearby Kokomo Mall.
- 2006
Movie theater closes
[1]The movie theater that had been an original tenant closed.
- 2001
Old Navy added
[1]Old Navy joined the tenant mix, replacing space previously occupied by a Goodyear service center.
- 1999
Chili's opens outside the mall
[1]A Chili's restaurant opened in an exterior location associated with the mall property.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping mall serving Kokomo and nearby communities through a mix of national anchors, value-oriented retailers, specialty stores, grocery, restaurants, and family entertainment.
Retail property · 1968
Enclosed shopping mall
Markland Mall provides an enclosed retail environment with internal pedestrian corridors, multiple storefronts, anchor spaces, and supporting exterior retail. Its tenant mix has changed substantially over time as department stores, discount chains, specialty retailers, grocery operators, restaurants, and entertainment businesses have entered or left the property.
Retail · 1968
Anchor and big-box retail
The property is anchored by Target and Dunham's Sports, supported by large-format and value-oriented tenants such as Aldi, PetSmart, and Ross Dress for Less. These stores provide everyday merchandise, groceries, sporting goods, apparel, and household-related shopping beyond the smaller inline-store offer.
Shopping and leisure · 2017
Specialty retail and entertainment
Books-A-Million, Five Below, and Gravity Trampoline Park represent the mall's specialty and experiential components. Together with restaurants and other supporting tenants, they broaden the property beyond conventional department-store shopping and contribute to visits for books, low-price merchandise, recreation, and family activities.
Brand decisions
2020
Replace Carson's with Dunham's SportsGeneration changeBackground
Carson's closed in 2018 after the chain ceased operations, leaving a large former department-store space vacant.
Action taken
Dunham's Sports occupied the former Carson's location.
Aftermath
A sporting-goods anchor replaced the department-store use and became one of the mall's principal anchors.
2017
Redevelop the former Sears locationStrategyBackground
Sears closed and its large store no longer served as an active anchor.
Action taken
The Sears building was demolished and the site was designated for Aldi, Party City, PetSmart, and Ross Dress for Less.
Aftermath
The former department-store footprint was replaced by several specialized and value-oriented retail uses.
2017
Replace MC Sports with experiential retailStrategyBackground
MC Sports closed, creating a vacant store unit within the mall.
Action taken
Gravity Trampoline Park took over the former MC Sports space.
Aftermath
The tenant mix gained a family-entertainment use rather than another conventional sporting-goods store.
1981
Convert Ayr-Way to TargetStrategyBackground
Ayr-Way's store network was being transitioned to the Target format, affecting the discount anchor at Markland Mall.
Action taken
The Ayr-Way store at Markland Mall was converted to Target.
Aftermath
The property retained a major discount retailer while adopting the Target brand.
Recent events
- 2020
Dunham's Sports takes over former Carson's location[1]
Product launch
Dunham's Sports moved into the large space previously occupied by Carson's, which had closed in 2018 after the department-store chain ceased operations.
- 2017
Former Sears site cleared for replacement retail[1]
Other
After Sears closed, the store was demolished and plans were identified for a new group of big-box and specialty tenants, including Aldi, Party City, PetSmart, and Ross Dress for Less.
- 2017
Gravity Trampoline Park replaces MC Sports space[1]
Product launch
The former MC Sports location was repurposed for Gravity Trampoline Park, adding an entertainment use to the mall's tenant mix.
- 1981
Ayr-Way stores convert to Target[1]
Other
The Ayr-Way discount-store operation at Markland Mall was converted to Target as the broader Ayr-Way chain transitioned into Target stores.
- 1968
Markland Mall opens with a multi-format tenant mix[1]
Other
The Kokomo enclosed mall opened after development by Melvin Simon & Associates, with Sears, Danners 5 & 10, Kroger, SupeRx, Ayr-Way, and a movie theater among its original tenants.
Sources1 sources
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