Stones River Town Centre
Stones River Town Centre is a partially enclosed regional shopping mall in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, formerly known as Stones River Mall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Stones River Town Centre is a regional shopping center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States. The property was originally developed under the Stones River Mall name and is associated with the Stones River Real Estate and Aronov Realty ownership group at the time of its formal opening. Although construction began in 1989, the project encountered financial difficulties before opening, including a period in which the largely unfinished or vacant center was foreclosed on after the bankruptcy of its original developer. Several large-format tenants nevertheless began operating during this period. Walmart and Goody's were among the early occupants, followed by Sears and Carmike Cinemas in 1990. The mall formally opened to shoppers in 1992. The center was initially designed as a conventional enclosed mall, with a central fountain, a carousel, an Aladdin's Castle arcade, and a small food court. Its tenant mix developed through the 1990s as national department stores and local or regional retailers occupied anchor and junior-anchor spaces. Walmart left in 1995, and its former location was converted into a Castner Knott department store in 1996. Home Depot opened beside the mall on April 18, 1996, while JCPenney joined the property in 1997. Dillard's acquired Castner Knott in 1998, bringing the former Castner Knott space into the Dillard's portfolio. The mall also underwent an earlier renovation in 1999. A larger redevelopment program took place between 2006 and 2008. The project substantially altered the center's layout rather than simply refreshing its interiors. The existing JCPenney and Dillard's buildings were demolished and replaced or reconfigured; the former Dillard's location became an outdoor concourse, and the former JCPenney space was converted into a new food-court area. The carousel and Aladdin's Castle were removed, while the central fountain was relocated to the property's Lifestyle area. A new JCPenney opened in 2006, Dillard's opened in 2007, and Books-A-Million was added as a junior anchor. Goody's later closed in 2009. The property continued to adapt as traditional department-store retail faced pressure from changing shopping habits, bankruptcies, and store closures. Carmike Cinemas closed in August 2000 during the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. In 2015, Sterling Organization acquired the mall and became its owner and manager. The food court closed in 2017 to make room for AMC Stones River 9, a dine-in theater concept that added entertainment and food service in place of the conventional food-court format. The mall's retail identity changed further after Sears announced in November 2018 that its location would close as part of a nationwide store-closing program. The Sears store closed by February 11, 2019. In December 2018, the property was renamed Stones River Town Centre, signaling a broader repositioning from a traditional enclosed mall toward a mixed retail, dining, and entertainment destination. Strike & Spare opened in the former Sears space in September 2020, adding bowling and family entertainment. As of the latest information in the reference material, the center remains active and contains more than fifty stores and a combination of enclosed and outdoor areas. Its identified anchor or major destination tenants include Shoe Station, Books-A-Million, Electronic Express, AMC Theatres, Strike & Spare, and JCPenney. Dillard's closed its store in mid-to-late January 2025. The closure was notable because the Tennessee location was reportedly the only Dillard's store in the state leased rather than owned outright by the department-store company; the available account characterized failed lease-renewal negotiations with Sterling Organization as a possible explanation, rather than a confirmed public reason. The property's present positioning therefore reflects continued tenant replacement and experiential redevelopment within a long-established Murfreesboro shopping destination.
History
Construction of the property began in 1989, but the original development encountered serious financial problems and remained vacant for a period after the original developer went bankrupt and the project was foreclosed. Early tenants included Walmart and Goody's, with Sears and Carmike Cinemas following in 1990. The shopping center officially opened in 1992 as Stones River Mall under Stones River Real Estate and Aronov Realty. The original center used a conventional enclosed-mall design centered on a fountain, with a carousel, Aladdin's Castle arcade, and a small food court. Its retail lineup changed repeatedly during the 1990s. Walmart departed in 1995, and Castner Knott took over the former space in 1996. Home Depot opened next to the mall on April 18, 1996, and JCPenney joined the property in 1997. Dillard's acquired Castner Knott in 1998, while the mall received a renovation in 1999. Carmike Cinemas closed in August 2000 during the theater company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The most significant physical redevelopment occurred from 2006 through 2008. The original JCPenney and Dillard's buildings were demolished or reconfigured, the former Dillard's area became an outdoor concourse, and the former JCPenney space was converted into a new food-court area. The carousel and Aladdin's Castle were removed, and the central fountain was moved to the Lifestyle area. A replacement JCPenney opened in 2006, a new Dillard's opened in 2007, and Books-A-Million was added as a junior anchor. Goody's closed in 2009. Sterling Organization acquired the mall in 2015. The owner later continued the property's transition toward entertainment and food-oriented uses. The food court closed in 2017 so the space could be redeveloped as AMC Stones River 9, a dine-in theater. Sears announced in November 2018 that its store would close under a nationwide closure plan, and the store was gone by February 11, 2019. The property was renamed Stones River Town Centre in December 2018. In September 2020, Strike & Spare opened in the former Sears space, adding bowling and family entertainment. Dillard's closed its store in mid-to-late January 2025. The location had reportedly been the only Dillard's site in Tennessee leased by the department-store company rather than owned outright. The available account associated the closure with unsuccessful lease-renewal negotiations with Sterling Organization, although that explanation was presented as speculation rather than a confirmed statement from the parties. The center remains an active, partially enclosed regional shopping property with more than fifty stores and a tenant mix spanning retail, books, electronics, footwear, cinema, and family entertainment.
- 2025
Dillard's closes
[1]Dillard's shut its store at the property in mid-to-late January.
- 2020
Strike & Spare opens
[1]Strike & Spare opened in the former Sears location.
- 2018
Sears closure announced and property renamed
[1]Sears announced its closure, and the mall adopted the Stones River Town Centre name in December.
- 2017
Food court converted for dine-in cinema
[1]The food court closed to enable development of AMC Stones River 9.
- 2015
Sterling Organization acquires the mall
[1]Sterling Organization purchased the property and became its owner and manager.
- 2007
New Dillard's opens
[1]Dillard's opened a replacement store as part of the center's physical redevelopment.
- 2006
Redevelopment begins and new JCPenney opens
[1]The major 2006–2008 renovation program began, and a new JCPenney store opened during the project.
- 1999
Mall renovation
[1]The property underwent a renovation before its larger mid-2000s redevelopment.
- 1997
JCPenney joins the center
[1]JCPenney became a mall tenant.
- 1996
Castner Knott and Home Depot arrive
[1]Castner Knott opened in the former Walmart location, and Home Depot opened beside the mall on April 18.
Products and positioning
A locally significant regional shopping and entertainment center combining traditional mall retail with outdoor-concourse space, dining-oriented cinema, and family entertainment.
Retail property · 1992
Regional shopping center
The core offering is a partially enclosed regional shopping environment serving Murfreesboro and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities. The center combines enclosed retail corridors with an outdoor Lifestyle area and concourse space, supporting a mix of national, regional, and specialty tenants.
Cinema and dining · 2017
AMC Stones River 9
AMC Stones River 9 is a dine-in theater concept created in the former food-court area. Its development represented a shift from conventional mall food service toward entertainment-led use, combining movie exhibition with on-site dining.
Family entertainment · 2020
Strike & Spare
Strike & Spare is a bowling and family-entertainment destination occupying the former Sears space. Its arrival broadened the center's tenant mix beyond shopping and helped repurpose a large department-store footprint after Sears's departure.
Specialty retail
Retail tenant portfolio
The center's retail portfolio includes identified major tenants such as Shoe Station, Books-A-Million, Electronic Express, and JCPenney. Together they represent footwear, books, electronics, apparel, and general department-store merchandise within a broader population of more than fifty stores.
Brand decisions
2020
Open Strike & Spare in former Sears locationProduct launchBackground
Sears had closed the large anchor space by February 2019.
Action taken
Strike & Spare opened a bowling and family-entertainment center in the former Sears location in September 2020.
Aftermath
The vacant department-store footprint was reused for an experiential entertainment offering.
2018
Rebrand from Stones River Mall to Stones River Town CentreStrategyBackground
The property had added outdoor space and entertainment uses while facing the departure of a major Sears anchor.
Action taken
The mall changed its public name to Stones River Town Centre in December 2018.
Aftermath
The new name reflected a broader town-center positioning rather than a purely traditional enclosed-mall identity.
2017
Replace food court with dine-in theaterStrategyBackground
The property continued moving toward entertainment and experience-based uses.
Action taken
The food court was closed to make room for AMC Stones River 9.
Aftermath
The center added a cinema and dining destination in place of a traditional mall food court.
2006
Comprehensive physical redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The original enclosed-mall configuration, including its anchor buildings, food-court wing, carousel, and arcade, was substantially redesigned during a redevelopment program running from 2006 to 2008.
Action taken
The former Dillard's area was converted into an outdoor concourse, the former JCPenney space became a food-court area, replacement stores were built, and the fountain was relocated.
Aftermath
The project produced a more mixed-format property with enclosed retail, outdoor space, and revised anchor footprints.
Sources2 sources
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