St. Clair Square
A regional shopping mall in Fairview Heights, Illinois, serving the eastern St. Louis metropolitan area.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
St. Clair Square is a regional shopping mall in Fairview Heights, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The mall opened in 1974 and was developed by May Centers, Inc., the shopping-center subsidiary of The May Department Stores Company. Its original department-store anchors included Famous-Barr, JCPenney, and Sears, reflecting the traditional enclosed-mall model in which department stores provided major traffic generators and smaller specialty retailers occupied the interior concourse. The property changed ownership several times during its history. The Hahn Company acquired the mall in 1989, after which the center received additional amenities, including a food court in the early 1990s. CBL & Associates Properties, now known as CBL Properties, purchased the mall in 1996 and has managed it. At the time of that acquisition, St. Clair Square was described as the fifth-largest mall in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The anchor lineup evolved as department-store brands changed. Stix Baer & Fuller opened a store at the site in 1979; that location became a Dillard's store in 1984. Famous-Barr was converted to Macy's in 2006 as part of Macy's broader rebranding of former May Department Stores banners. In the same year, Dillard's expanded its store by approximately 80,000 square feet, strengthening the mall's large-format retail offering. Sears remained one of the center's principal anchors for decades, but its parent company announced in December 2018 that the St. Clair Square location would close as part of a nationwide store-closing program. The store ceased operations in March 2019. The closure illustrates the longer-term pressure faced by traditional enclosed malls as department-store networks contracted and consumer shopping patterns shifted. St. Clair Square also received local attention in 2020 after two shootings occurred at or near the property. The August incident took place outside the food-court entrance and caused property damage but no reported injuries. A second incident followed in October after a dispute inside the mall; it also caused damage to several windows, with no reported injuries reported in the available reference material. The mall's principal identified anchors are Macy's, Dillard's, and JCPenney. Its identity is that of a conventional regional shopping center rather than a standalone consumer brand: it combines department stores, specialty retail, dining, and common-area amenities for shoppers in the St. Louis region. Publicly available reference material does not establish a founding individual, current ownership details beyond the CBL Properties management relationship, a dedicated official website, or audited operating and financial statistics.
History
St. Clair Square opened in 1974 in Fairview Heights, Illinois. The development was undertaken by May Centers, Inc., the shopping-center subsidiary of The May Department Stores Company. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of Famous-Barr, JCPenney, and Sears, placing the property within the established enclosed-regional-mall format of the period. A further department-store presence was added in 1979, when Stix Baer & Fuller opened a store on the mall site. That store changed banners in 1984 and became a Dillard's location. The ownership structure also changed over time. The Hahn Company acquired St. Clair Square in 1989. During Hahn's ownership, a food court was added in the early 1990s, expanding the mall's dining and common-area amenities. In 1996, Hahn sold the property to CBL & Associates Properties, the company now generally identified as CBL Properties. CBL has managed the mall since that transaction. At the time of the sale, St. Clair Square was characterized as the fifth-largest mall in the St. Louis metropolitan area, underscoring its regional role within the market. The mall's department-store brands continued to change as the American department-store sector consolidated. In 2006, Famous-Barr was converted to Macy's. That same year, Dillard's expanded its St. Clair Square store by approximately 80,000 square feet, increasing the scale of one of the property's major anchors. Sears later became the subject of a nationwide closure program. On December 28, 2018, the closure of the St. Clair Square Sears was announced as part of a plan affecting 80 Sears stores. The location closed in March 2019, removing one of the mall's original 1974 anchors. In 2020, the property was involved in two reported shooting incidents. On August 19, a shooting occurred outside the food-court entrance. No injuries were reported, though one window was damaged. On October 4, another shooting followed a dispute inside the mall; no injuries were reported, but several windows were damaged. The available reference material identifies Macy's, Dillard's, and JCPenney as the mall's principal current anchors. It does not provide verified information about a dedicated current website, individual executives, current ownership percentages, annual sales, or detailed tenant rosters. St. Clair Square remains best understood as a regional shopping-center property managed within the CBL Properties portfolio.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes in March after a nationwide closure announcement made in December 2018.
- 2006
Famous-Barr becomes Macy's
[1]The mall's Famous-Barr anchor changes to the Macy's brand.
- 2006
Dillard's expansion
[1]Dillard's expands its St. Clair Square store by approximately 80,000 square feet.
- 1996
CBL acquires St. Clair Square
[1]The Hahn Company sells the property to CBL & Associates Properties, now known as CBL Properties.
- 1990
Food court added
[1]A food court is added during the early 1990s; the exact opening year is not specified in the reference material.
- 1989
The Hahn Company acquires the mall
[1]Ownership transfers from the original development interests to The Hahn Company.
- 1984
Stix Baer & Fuller location becomes Dillard's
[1]The Stix Baer & Fuller store is rebranded as Dillard's.
- 1979
Stix Baer & Fuller opens
[1]Stix Baer & Fuller opens a department store at the mall site.
- 1974
Mall opens
[1]May Centers, Inc. opens St. Clair Square with Famous-Barr, JCPenney, and Sears as department-store anchors.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping mall anchored by major department stores and serving Fairview Heights and the wider eastern St. Louis metropolitan area.
Department store · 2006
Macy's
Macy's is the successor to the mall's original Famous-Barr anchor. It provides broad department-store merchandise, including apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and related retail categories. The St. Clair Square location reflects the 2006 conversion of the former Famous-Barr store.
Department store · 1984
Dillard's
Dillard's occupies the former Stix Baer & Fuller department-store location, which adopted the Dillard's name in 1984. The store was expanded by approximately 80,000 square feet in 2006, making it one of the mall's principal large-format anchors.
Department store · 1974
JCPenney
JCPenney has been an anchor since St. Clair Square opened in 1974. It contributes broad apparel, home, beauty, and family-oriented merchandise to the mall's department-store mix.
Dining facility
Food court
The food court was added during the early 1990s as part of the mall's amenity development under The Hahn Company. It provides shared dining space within the enclosed shopping environment.
Brand decisions
2018
Sears closure decisionOtherBackground
Sears announced a nationwide store-closing program involving 80 locations, including its St. Clair Square store.
Action taken
The St. Clair Square Sears location was scheduled for closure and ultimately shut in March 2019.
Aftermath
The mall lost one of its original opening anchors.
2006
Anchor-brand conversion and Dillard's expansionStrategyBackground
The mall's department-store lineup changed as Famous-Barr transitioned to Macy's, while Dillard's expanded its existing location.
Action taken
The Famous-Barr anchor was rebranded as Macy's, and Dillard's added approximately 80,000 square feet.
Aftermath
The changes modernized the mall's anchor portfolio and increased the scale of the Dillard's offering.
Recent events
- 2020
Shooting reported near the food-court entrance[1]
Other
A shooting occurred outside the mall's food-court entrance on August 19. No injuries were reported, while one window was damaged.
- 2020
Second shooting follows dispute inside the mall[1]
Other
A second shooting occurred on October 4 after a dispute inside the mall. No injuries were reported, although several windows were damaged.
- 2019
Sears closes at St. Clair Square[1]
Other
The Sears anchor at St. Clair Square ended operations after the closure announced in late 2018.
- 2018
Sears store at St. Clair Square announced for closure[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Sears announced that its St. Clair Square location would close as part of a nationwide program involving 80 store closures. The store subsequently closed in March 2019.
Sources1 sources
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