Southtown Mall

Southtown Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Developed by Melvin Simon & Associates, it opened in 1969 with J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and Fort Wayne department-store chain Wolf & Dessauer as its principal anchors. The Wolf & Dessauer location was later associated with L. S. Ayres, while Montgomery Ward was replaced by Kohl's. The mall served as a significant retail destination in southern Fort Wayne during the period when enclosed shopping centers were expanding across the United States. The property was enlarged in 1982 with a new wing anchored by Sears and Service Merchandise. The expansion increased the mall's scale, but David Simon, then the chief executive of the development company, later judged that the enlarged center was too large for its local market. The closure of the nearby International Harvester plant in 1983 also weakened the area's employment base and reduced the potential for further retail growth. Kohl's opened at Southtown in 1983 in the former Montgomery Ward space and experimented with an outlet-format store in 1995, using space formerly occupied by Spiece sporting goods. During the 1990s, Southtown experienced a prolonged decline in tenant activity. L. S. Ayres announced plans to close its store in 1991, although the location remained open until July 1997 after a proposed replacement by Elder-Beerman did not materialize. Service Merchandise and J. C. Penney both closed in June 1997, and other departures included McDonald's and Casual Corner. Simon attempted to sell the mall in 1992 and again in 1998. Heywood Whichard acquired it in 1999, but local developers criticized the ownership for not attracting enough replacement tenants. Kohl's moved to a new location that year, while J. B. Robinson Jewelers and Old Country Buffet were among the other businesses that left. Local developer Billy Lewis attempted to acquire the property and opened a convention center in the former Service Merchandise building. These efforts did not reverse the mall's decline. Southtown Mall closed on February 1, 2003, after the remaining tenants were evicted. The City of Fort Wayne acquired the property through eminent domain in 2004 and demolished the mall later that year. Plans initially called for retaining the Sears and former Service Merchandise buildings, but both were ultimately removed because renovation costs were considered too high. The redeveloped site later received a Menards home-improvement store in 2006 and a Walmart later that same year. Southtown Mall is therefore remembered as a former regional shopping center whose life cycle reflected suburban retail expansion, anchor-store turnover, industrial decline, and the eventual replacement of enclosed malls by large-format retail development.

Southtown Mall opened in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1969 as an enclosed shopping center developed by Melvin Simon & Associates. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and Wolf & Dessauer. The latter was later succeeded or rebranded through the presence of L. S. Ayres. The mall was designed to consolidate department-store shopping and specialty retail in a suburban environment and became an important commercial destination for southern Fort Wayne. In 1982, the property expanded with a new wing containing Sears and Service Merchandise. The additional anchor space increased Southtown's size and retail capacity, but it also contributed to later concerns that the center had become oversized for its market. David Simon, who was then chief executive of the development company, reportedly viewed the expansion as making the mall too large for the available trade area. The local economic environment deteriorated further when the nearby International Harvester plant closed in 1983, reducing employment and limiting the scope for future retail growth. Kohl's entered the mall in 1983 by taking over the former Montgomery Ward space. In 1995 it tested an outlet-store concept in a former Spiece sporting-goods location. Despite these initiatives, the center entered a sustained period of anchor and specialty-store attrition. L. S. Ayres announced a closing in 1991 and began clearance sales. Elder-Beerman was proposed as a replacement, but that chain's bankruptcy prevented the plan from proceeding, and the Ayres store remained open until July 1997. Service Merchandise and J. C. Penney closed in June 1997. Other tenants, including McDonald's and Casual Corner, also departed during this period. Simon first tried to sell the mall in 1992 and made another sales attempt in 1998. Heywood Whichard bought the property in 1999. Local developers criticized the new ownership for failing to secure enough replacement tenants. Kohl's moved to a newly built store elsewhere in 1999, while J. B. Robinson Jewelers and Old Country Buffet were among the businesses that subsequently closed or left. Local developer Billy Lewis attempted to purchase the mall and opened a convention center in the former Service Merchandise space, but the initiative did not restore the center's retail performance. Southtown Mall finally closed on February 1, 2003, after the last tenants were evicted. The City of Fort Wayne acquired the property through eminent domain in 2004 and demolished the mall that year. Sears and the former Service Merchandise building were initially intended to remain, but high renovation costs led to their demolition as well. The site was redeveloped for large-format retail, with Menards opening in 2006 and Walmart following later that year. Southtown's history illustrates the vulnerability of enclosed malls to anchor-store departures, industrial restructuring, declining traffic, and competition from newer freestanding retail formats.

• 2006

  Former mall site redevelops for big-box retail

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Menards opens on the site, followed later in the year by Walmart.

• 2004

  City acquisition and demolition

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Fort Wayne acquires the property through eminent domain and demolishes the mall.

• 2003

  Mall closes

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Southtown Mall closes on February 1 after the remaining tenants are evicted.

• 1999

  Ownership changes and Kohl's relocates

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Heywood Whichard acquires the property, and Kohl's moves to a new off-site store.

• 1997

  Several major tenants depart

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Service Merchandise and J. C. Penney close in June, while L. S. Ayres ends operations in July.

• 1991

  L. S. Ayres announces a planned closure

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  L. S. Ayres begins closing sales, although its Southtown location remains open until 1997.

• 1983

  Kohl's takes over Montgomery Ward space

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Kohl's opens in the former Montgomery Ward location as the nearby International Harvester plant closes.

• 1982

  Major expansion adds Sears and Service Merchandise

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A new wing expands the mall and introduces Sears and Service Merchandise as additional anchors.

• 1969

  Southtown Mall opens

  [1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed shopping mall opens in Fort Wayne with J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and Wolf & Dessauer as anchor stores.

Former enclosed regional shopping mall serving southern Fort Wayne and nearby communities; later characterized by declining traffic, anchor departures, and eventual redevelopment as a large-format retail site.

• Shopping mall · 1969

  Enclosed shopping-center retail space

  Southtown Mall's core offering was an enclosed retail environment combining department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, and consumer services under one roof. Its tenant mix changed substantially over time as national chains entered, relocated, or closed.

• Department stores · 1969

  Department-store anchor portfolio

  The mall hosted a succession of major department-store anchors, including J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Wolf & Dessauer, L. S. Ayres, Sears, and Kohl's. These stores supplied apparel, household goods, appliances, and general merchandise and were central to the mall's original regional-retail model.

• Catalog showroom retail · 1982

  Service Merchandise

  Service Merchandise operated as one of the mall's later anchor tenants after the 1982 expansion. Its presence broadened the center's merchandise offer beyond traditional department-store shopping, but the location closed in June 1997.

• 2004

  Redevelop the former mall propertyStrategy

  Background

  The City of Fort Wayne acquired the closed mall through eminent domain and evaluated whether some anchor buildings could be reused.

  Action taken

  The city demolished the mall and ultimately removed the Sears and former Service Merchandise buildings because renovation costs were too high.

  Aftermath

  Menards and Walmart later occupied the redeveloped site.

  Source

• 2003

  Close the failing mallStrategy

  Background

  After years of anchor closures, specialty-store departures, and declining traffic, the remaining tenant base was no longer sufficient to sustain operations.

  Action taken

  Southtown Mall closed on February 1 after its final tenants were evicted.

  Aftermath

  The city acquired and demolished the property in 2004, replacing the enclosed mall with large-format retail development.

  Source

• 1998

  Attempt to sell the propertyM&A

  Background

  Declining traffic and tenant departures led Simon to pursue another sale after an earlier attempt in 1992.

  Action taken

  The property was offered for sale and was subsequently acquired by Heywood Whichard in 1999.

  Aftermath

  The ownership change did not halt the loss of tenants, including Kohl's, which relocated in 1999.

  Source

• 1982

  Expand the mall with a new anchor wingGeneration change

  Background

  The developers sought to increase Southtown's retail capacity and add major department-store and showroom tenants.

  Action taken

  Melvin Simon & Associates added a new wing anchored by Sears and Service Merchandise.

  Aftermath

  The expansion increased the center's footprint, but David Simon later considered the mall too large for its market.

  Source

• 2006

  Menards and Walmart replace the former mall site[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Redevelopment of the former Southtown site brought a Menards home-improvement store and later a Walmart.

• 2004

  Fort Wayne acquires and demolishes Southtown Mall[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The city acquired the property through eminent domain and demolished the mall, including buildings initially expected to remain.

• 2003

  Southtown Mall closes after remaining tenants are evicted[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The mall ceased operations on February 1, 2003, when its final tenants were evicted.

• 1999

  Heywood Whichard acquires Southtown Mall[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  Heywood Whichard purchased the mall after a second Simon sales effort. Kohl's relocated to a new store the same year.

• 1997

  Service Merchandise and J. C. Penney close[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Both anchor tenants closed in June 1997, adding to a series of major departures from the property.

• 1992

  Simon seeks to sell Southtown Mall[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The mall was placed on the market as its long-term tenant and traffic difficulties became increasingly evident.

• 1991

  L. S. Ayres announces closure of its Southtown store[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  L. S. Ayres announced a planned closure and began liquidation sales, although the store continued operating until July 1997.

• 1983

  International Harvester plant closure constrains nearby retail growth[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The closure of a nearby International Harvester plant weakened the surrounding economic base and limited the area's potential for additional retail development.

• 1982

  Southtown Mall adds Sears and Service Merchandise wing[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  Melvin Simon & Associates expanded the property with a new wing anchored by Sears and Service Merchandise.

• 1969

  Southtown Mall opens in Fort Wayne[1]Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The enclosed mall opened with J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and Wolf & Dessauer as its principal anchor stores.

1. 1Southtown Mallen.wikipedia.org