Meadows Shopping Center
An enclosed shopping center in Terre Haute, Indiana, originally opened as an open-air retail complex in 1956.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Meadows Shopping Center, commonly known as The Meadows, is a shopping center in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. The property began operations in 1956 as an open-air shopping center and later became an enclosed mall after a major renovation carried out during 1982 and 1983. According to the shopping center's website, approximately 5,000 people attended its opening, indicating that it was conceived as a significant local retail destination from the outset. The center's original anchor tenants included Woolworth's and Kroger. Its tenant mix changed repeatedly over the following decades as national department-store, grocery, specialty-retail, and entertainment formats evolved. J.C. Penney was added after the original opening, expanding the property's department-store presence. Woolworth's departed during the 1970s and its former space was subsequently occupied by Meis, a department store. Meis was later converted into an Elder-Beerman location in 1989. The former J.C. Penney and Elder-Beerman areas were eventually combined or repurposed for Stein Mart, which opened at the center in 1995. This reflected a broader shift in the property's anchor strategy, with large spaces being adapted for newer department-store and off-price retail concepts. The center also added a movie theater in 1970, providing an entertainment component alongside its retail uses. The theater operated for decades before closing in 2014. Stein Mart remained one of the property's identifiable anchor occupants until October 26, 2020, when it closed as part of the retailer's bankruptcy and liquidation process. In June 2021, plans were announced to divide the former Stein Mart premises into two portions. One section was designated for Ace Hardware, while the other was intended to become a set of specialty-store storefronts. The proposal illustrated the continuing redevelopment of the center's large-format retail space in response to changing tenant demand. The Meadows is therefore best understood as a locally significant, long-running shopping-center property rather than a standalone consumer-goods brand. Its history is defined by physical expansion and enclosure, successive anchor replacements, the addition and later closure of cinema facilities, and ongoing efforts to reuse former department-store space. Publicly available reference material does not establish a founding company, current owner, parent group, financial results, or a definitive current operating status.
History
Meadows Shopping Center was established in 1956 in Terre Haute, Indiana, as an open-air shopping center. The property reportedly attracted about 5,000 people at its opening. Woolworth's and Kroger were among the original anchor tenants, giving the center a combination of general merchandise and grocery retail from the beginning. The center's tenant roster developed over time. J.C. Penney was added as an additional department-store anchor. During the 1970s, Woolworth's left the property and its former space was occupied by Meis. In 1970, a movie theater was added, giving the shopping center an entertainment function that complemented its retail operations. A substantial renovation between 1982 and 1983 changed the physical character of the property by enclosing the formerly open-air center. The conversion reflected the period's preference for climate-controlled regional shopping malls and allowed the property to operate as an enclosed retail environment. In 1989, the Meis space was converted into an Elder-Beerman department store. The former J.C. Penney and Elder-Beerman spaces were later adapted for Stein Mart. The Stein Mart store opened in 1995 and became a major occupant of the shopping center. These successive changes demonstrate how Meadows Shopping Center reused large anchor spaces as department-store formats changed. The property's entertainment component ended when its movie theater closed in 2014. Stein Mart subsequently closed its Meadows location on October 26, 2020, following the retailer's bankruptcy and liquidation. In June 2021, plans were announced to divide the former Stein Mart premises into two parts. One portion was intended for Ace Hardware, while the other was planned for specialty-store storefronts. The available reference material documents the center's physical development and principal tenant transitions but does not identify its founder, owner, managing company, financial performance, executive leadership, or a confirmed current tenant roster. Its historical importance is primarily local: it has served as a Terre Haute retail destination across multiple retail cycles, transitioning from an open-air center to an enclosed mall and repeatedly adapting its anchor spaces to new commercial uses.
- 2021
Redevelopment plans for former Stein Mart space
[1]Plans called for the former Stein Mart premises to be divided between Ace Hardware and specialty-store storefronts.
- 2020
Stein Mart location closes
[1]Stein Mart closed its Meadows location on October 26 after the retailer entered bankruptcy and liquidation.
- 2014
Movie theater closes
[1]The center's movie theater closed after operating for decades.
- 1995
Stein Mart opens
[1]The former J.C. Penney and Elder-Beerman areas were converted for a Stein Mart store.
- 1989
Elder-Beerman conversion
[1]The former Meis space became an Elder-Beerman department store.
- 1982
Conversion to an enclosed mall
[1]Renovation work spanning 1982 and 1983 enclosed the original open-air shopping center.
- 1970
Movie theater added
[1]A movie theater was added to the property, expanding the center's role into entertainment.
- 1970
Woolworth's replaced by Meis
[1]Woolworth's departed during the 1970s, and its former space was taken over by Meis.
- 1956
Opening as an open-air shopping center
[1]Meadows Shopping Center opened in Terre Haute with Woolworth's and Kroger among its original anchor tenants.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented shopping center serving Terre Haute and surrounding areas through a changing mix of department stores, grocery, specialty retail, hardware, and entertainment tenants.
Brand decisions
2021
Reuse of former Stein Mart premisesStrategyBackground
Stein Mart's space became available after the retailer closed its store during bankruptcy and liquidation in 2020.
Action taken
Plans announced in June 2021 proposed splitting the former anchor space into an Ace Hardware section and additional specialty-store storefronts.
Aftermath
The plan represented an effort to replace a large department-style tenant with a combination of hardware and smaller-format retail uses. The available material does not confirm the final completion or current tenant status.
1982
Enclosure and modernization of the shopping centerGeneration changeBackground
Meadows had originally operated as an open-air retail center since 1956.
Action taken
A renovation carried out from 1982 to 1983 enclosed the property and changed its operating format to an indoor mall.
Aftermath
The center continued operating as an enclosed shopping center, with later tenant changes taking place within the renovated format.
Recent events
- 2021
Former Stein Mart space planned for Ace Hardware and specialty stores[1]
M&A
Plans announced in June 2021 called for the former Stein Mart space to be divided into two sections, with Ace Hardware occupying one portion and specialty-store storefronts planned for the other.
- 2020
Stein Mart closes during retailer bankruptcy liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy
The Stein Mart store at Meadows Shopping Center closed on October 26, 2020, following Stein Mart's bankruptcy and liquidation.
- 2014
Meadows movie theater closes[1]
Other
The movie theater that had operated at the shopping center since 1970 closed after more than four decades.
- 1995
Stein Mart opens in former department-store areas[1]
Product launch
Former J.C. Penney and Elder-Beerman areas were converted for a Stein Mart store, which opened at the center in 1995.
- 1989
Elder-Beerman takes over former Meis space[1]
Other
The former Meis department-store location, itself a successor to Woolworth's, was converted into an Elder-Beerman store.
- 1982
Meadows Shopping Center is enclosed during major renovation[1]
Other
A renovation carried out from 1982 into 1983 converted the originally open-air shopping center into an enclosed mall.
- 1970
Movie theater added to the shopping center[1]
Product launch
A movie theater was added to Meadows Shopping Center, broadening the property beyond retail and introducing an entertainment use.
- 1956
Meadows Shopping Center opens as an open-air retail center[1]
Other
The shopping center began operations in Terre Haute as an open-air complex. Its original anchor tenants included Woolworth's and Kroger, and the mall's website reports attendance of approximately 5,000 people at the opening.
Sources2 sources
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