Pritchard Park Mall
An enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Racine, Wisconsin, formerly known as Regency Mall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Pritchard Park Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping center in Racine, Wisconsin. Formerly called Regency Mall, it occupies an approximately 80-acre site at the junction of Wisconsin State Highways 31 and 11, near Durand Avenue and South Green Bay Road. The property is surrounded by freestanding retailers, restaurants, and other commercial uses, including a nearby Target store. Its physical complex historically provided roughly 872,409 square feet of gross leasable area and about 110 retail spaces, although redevelopment beginning in 2024 substantially changed the configuration and total area of the property. The mall originated with a late-1960s proposal from Federated Department Stores, then the owner of Boston Store. The county approved the project in 1969 and sold the site in 1971, but development was delayed after the property changed hands and the original timetable slipped. Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs ultimately began construction in 1978. The center opened on August 5, 1981, with Bergner-Weise and Boston Store as its initial enclosed-mall anchors. A nearby Target opened shortly before the mall, while J.C. Penney and Sears joined the anchor lineup later in 1981 and early 1982. A six-screen cinema followed in January 1983. During its most established period, Pritchard Park Mall served middle-income shoppers and was described as the only enclosed mall in Racine County. Its anchor and inline tenant mix changed repeatedly as department-store chains consolidated and specialty retailers expanded or contracted. The south anchor moved through the Bergner's, Prange's, Younkers, Boston Store, Steve & Barry's, and Burlington Coat Factory identities. Former inline and big-box spaces were adapted for Linens 'n Things, Flooring Supercenter, hhgregg, and Bob's Discount Furniture. The mall's cinema closed in 2009, and its building was later demolished. The center experienced a major period of contraction in the 2010s. Sears and J.C. Penney departed in 2014, followed by the closure of a number of smaller tenants and the departure of longtime manager Curt Pruitt. Dunham's Sports occupied the former Sears space in 2015, while the former J.C. Penney building was divided into smaller stores for Ross Dress for Less, Party City, and Joann. Planet Fitness also became part of the surrounding offering. Hull Property Group acquired the property from CBL Properties in December 2015 and positioned the acquisition as a revitalization opportunity. Boston Store closed in 2018, and Burlington left the mall in 2019 for a nearby former Toys R Us location. The current property combines enclosed-mall retail with standalone commercial uses. Listed occupants and anchor-style users include Dunham's Sports, Bob's Discount Furniture, Planet Fitness, Ross Dress for Less, Party City, and Joann. Former Boston Store and Burlington spaces were vacant before redevelopment. From 2024 into 2025, a large renovation program began, including demolition of the former Boston Store wing and its replacement with a Woodman's grocery store. The broader plan includes new retail space, a hotel, approximately 280 apartment units, a gas station, and a car wash. The redevelopment reflects an effort to reposition the property as a mixed-use commercial district rather than relying solely on traditional enclosed-mall department stores.
History
Pritchard Park Mall was developed on an approximately 80-acre tract at the northeast corner of Durand Avenue and South Green Bay Road in Racine. Before commercial development, the land was associated with an institutional farm connected to the Racine County Insane Asylum, located north of the site. Federated Department Stores, which owned Boston Store, proposed a shopping center in 1968. The county approved construction in 1969 and sold the property in 1971. The project did not proceed on its initial schedule. Construction was originally expected to begin in 1973 and finish by 1975, but the site was later sold to Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs. The developers secured an extension from the county and broke ground in fall 1978. The resulting enclosed mall opened on August 5, 1981, under the Regency Mall name. Its first two anchors were Bergner-Weise and Boston Store. Target opened in a nearby freestanding location on July 26, 1981, shortly before the mall itself began operations. J.C. Penney joined the property in November 1981 after closing its longtime downtown Racine store, which had operated since 1925. Sears became another anchor on March 1, 1982, following the opening of its third Racine location. The center added a six-screen movie theater in January 1983. The south anchor passed through several retail identities: Bergner's became Prange's in 1985, and the store became Younkers after Prange's was acquired in 1992. When Younkers closed in 2001, Boston Store opened a second location there. Steve & Barry's took over the space in November 2004, and Burlington Coat Factory later became the tenant after Steve & Barry's relocated and downsized. The ownership and tenant structure changed as the traditional department-store mall model weakened. CBL Properties acquired the mall in 2001 as part of its portfolio of shopping centers. In 2004, the property was reported to generate more than $100 million in sales and was positioned toward middle-income consumers. Several smaller southwest-side spaces, including former Chick-fil-A and RadioShack areas, were combined for Linens 'n Things. After that retailer closed, the space was used by Flooring Supercenter and then by hhgregg, which operated there from 2012 until 2016. Bob's Discount Furniture subsequently occupied the location from 2017. A second Steve & Barry's location was created through a similar subdivision and construction approach in the northwest portion of the property. That store closed and later became The Furniture Store, while the former Steve & Barry's space eventually housed PayHalf from 2013 until its closure two years later. The mall's Marcus cinema was converted into a budget theater in 2006, but the theater closed in July 2009 and the structure was later demolished. Anchor losses accelerated in 2014, when Sears and J.C. Penney closed. Other departures included Hallmark, MasterCuts, and Regis Hair Salon. Curt Pruitt, the mall's longtime manager, also left after approximately three decades. The former Sears building was reused by Dunham's Sports, which opened on November 20, 2015. The former J.C. Penney building was divided into three smaller spaces occupied by Ross Dress for Less, Party City, and Joann from 2016. Planet Fitness also opened during this period. Hull Property Group bought the mall from CBL Properties in December 2015. The new owner described the property as a failed mall in need of repositioning, and the site began moving toward a combination of discount retail, furniture, fitness, and service-oriented uses. Boston Store closed its remaining location in August 2018 when the chain shut all of its stores. Burlington left in 2019 and relocated across the street to a former Toys R Us building. With the departure of the original department-store anchors, the center's identity increasingly depended on replacement tenants and surrounding standalone businesses. A new phase began in 2024 with a large redevelopment program reportedly estimated at $120 million. The former Boston Store wing was demolished and rebuilt for Woodman's grocery, which was scheduled to open in August 2025. The wider three-phase concept includes additional retail space, a hotel, approximately 280 apartments, a gas station, and a car wash. The project represents a shift from a conventional enclosed regional mall toward a more diversified mixed-use property intended to serve everyday shopping, residential, hospitality, and automotive needs.
- 2024
Mixed-use redevelopment starts
[1]A reported $120 million renovation program began, including demolition of the former Boston Store wing and plans for Woodman's and additional mixed-use development.
- 2018
Boston Store closes
[1]Boston Store closed its location as the chain shut down all of its stores.
- 2015
Hull Property Group takes ownership
[1]Hull Property Group acquired the mall from CBL Properties in December.
- 2015
Dunham's Sports opens
[1]Dunham's Sports opened in the former Sears anchor space on November 20.
- 2014
Sears and J.C. Penney depart
[1]The mall lost two major anchors, Sears and J.C. Penney, amid broader tenant closures.
- 2009
Cinema closes
[1]The mall's budget cinema closed in July; the building was later demolished.
- 2001
CBL Properties acquires the mall
[1]CBL Properties purchased the shopping center.
- 1982
Sears becomes an anchor
[1]Sears opened at the property on March 1, completing the early four-anchor configuration.
- 1981
Mall opens as Regency Mall
[1]The enclosed mall opened on August 5 with Bergner-Weise and Boston Store as its initial anchors.
- 1978
Construction begins
[1]After multiple delays and a change of developers, construction began in fall 1978.
Products and positioning
A regional, middle-market shopping center serving Racine and surrounding southeastern Wisconsin communities, with an increasingly mixed-use and necessity-oriented tenant strategy.
Shopping center · 1981
Enclosed retail mall
The core offering is an enclosed shopping-center environment serving Racine and nearby communities. The property historically contained approximately 872,409 square feet of gross leasable area and around 110 retail spaces, with a mix of anchor stores, inline shops, food outlets, and consumer services. Its current format increasingly emphasizes discount, furniture, sporting-goods, fitness, craft, party, and grocery uses.
Large-format retail · 1981
Anchor and large-format retail spaces
Large-format spaces have housed department stores and replacement tenants over the property's history. Current or recently identified users include Dunham's Sports, Bob's Discount Furniture, Planet Fitness, Ross Dress for Less, Party City, and Joann. The former Sears and J.C. Penney buildings were reused or subdivided after those department stores departed.
Grocery retail · 2025
Woodman's grocery redevelopment
A major redevelopment component replaces the former Boston Store wing with a Woodman's grocery store. The grocery project is part of a broader effort to shift the property toward necessity-based shopping and mixed-use activity. The store was reported as opening in August 2025.
Brand decisions
2024
Mixed-use redevelopment and mall-area reductionStrategyBackground
The property had vacant former anchor spaces and needed a use mix more relevant to contemporary shopping and local daily needs.
Action taken
A three-phase redevelopment program began, including demolition of the former Boston Store space, construction of a Woodman's grocery store, new retail space, a hotel, approximately 280 apartments, a gas station, and a car wash.
Aftermath
The project significantly reduced the traditional mall footprint while broadening the site into a planned mixed-use commercial and residential destination.
Estimated redevelopment cost. $120 million (2024 redevelopment announcement)
2015
Hull Property Group acquisitionM&ABackground
The mall had lost important tenants and anchors, including Sears and J.C. Penney, and was experiencing broader structural pressure on enclosed-mall retail.
Action taken
Hull Property Group acquired the property from CBL Properties and announced a revitalization-oriented ownership approach.
Aftermath
The property continued replacing traditional department stores with discount retail, furniture, fitness, and other service-oriented occupants.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/pritchard-park-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled