The Citadel
A regional shopping mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado, anchored by JCPenney and Dillard's.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Citadel is a shopping mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It opened on March 1, 1972, after construction began in 1970, and was developed as a major retail destination on the eastern side of the city. The original center contained approximately 594,800 square feet of leasable space, two levels of retail area, a JCPenney department store, a Denver Dry Goods department store, and a two-screen cinema. The property expanded as its surrounding market developed. In 1980, ownership passed to The Rouse Company. A major westward expansion completed in 1984 added a two-level extension, a third department-store anchor operated by May-Daniels & Fisher, also known as May D&F, and a two-level food court. The mall’s final major expansion followed in 1995, when a three-level Dillard’s store opened at the western end of the extension. These changes increased the center’s department-store presence and broadened its dining and specialty-retail offer. The Citadel changed ownership several times. The Macerich Company acquired it in 1997, and Midwest Mall Properties, a private investment group, purchased the property in January 2007 while retaining Macerich for management. The mall is now owned by Namdar Realty Group and managed by Mason Asset Management, according to the cited reference material. The mall campus occupies the intersection of Platte Avenue and Academy Boulevard and includes surrounding retail properties in addition to the enclosed mall itself. Like many mature American malls, The Citadel has experienced anchor-store turnover and changing retail conditions. Mervyn’s closed its Colorado stores in 2006, including its approximately 99,751-square-foot, two-level Citadel location. Foley’s was converted to Macy’s in September 2006 as part of a national rebranding, but Macy’s subsequently closed the store in March 2009, citing poor sales in reporting referenced by the mall’s Wikipedia article. Steve & Barry’s also left in 2008 following the retailer’s bankruptcy. In 2015, Dillard’s converted its location into a clearance center and closed the third floor. JCPenney was offered for sale in 2020 but remained open according to the reference material. Burlington closed its mall store in 2024 and moved to a nearby strip-center location; the former anchor space had not been permanently replaced in the supplied material, aside from a temporary Spirit Halloween occupancy in 2025. The property has also hosted community-oriented seasonal programming. From November 18 through December 25, 2005, it staged a large Santa Tracking Village to mark the 50th anniversary of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. The installation included a 25-foot Christmas tree, a tracking map, a viewing device for NORAD videos, international peace messages from children, and a coloring book featuring Santa’s assistants wearing NORAD patches. The Citadel remains a functioning shopping center serving Colorado Springs and the surrounding area, with department-store anchors, specialty retail, dining, seasonal events, and adjacent commercial uses. Its history reflects the evolution of a traditional enclosed regional mall from a 1970s opening and successive expansion phases to ownership changes, anchor contractions, clearance-oriented repositioning, and competition from nearby open-air retail.
History
Construction of The Citadel began in 1970, and the shopping mall opened on March 1, 1972, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The original two-level complex provided approximately 594,800 square feet of leasable space. Its initial anchor lineup included JCPenney and Denver Dry Goods, and the center also contained a two-screen movie theater. At opening, the mall stood near the eastern edge of Colorado Springs and was intended to serve as a substantial regional retail destination. The property’s first major ownership transition occurred by 1980, when The Rouse Company owned the mall. In 1984, the center expanded westward through a two-level addition. This project introduced a third department-store anchor, May-Daniels & Fisher, generally known as May D&F, and created a two-level food court. The mall’s final major physical expansion took place in 1995, when a three-level Dillard’s store opened at the western end of the extension. The Citadel was sold to The Macerich Company in 1997. In January 2007, Midwest Mall Properties, described in the supplied material as a private investor group, acquired the property and retained Macerich as manager. The ownership and management arrangements later changed again: the reference identifies Namdar Realty Group as the current owner and Mason Asset Management as the manager. During the 2000s, the mall was affected by department-store consolidation and retailer failures. Mervyn’s closed 10 of its 11 Colorado stores in February 2006, including a two-level Citadel store of approximately 99,751 square feet. In September of the same year, Foley’s was converted to Macy’s under a national renaming program. Steve & Barry’s closed its location in 2008 after the retailer entered bankruptcy. Macy’s then closed its Citadel store in March 2009, with poor sales cited in the supplied reporting. The mall also used programming and themed events to attract visitors. From November 18 through December 25, 2005, The Citadel hosted a Santa Tracking Village commemorating the 50th anniversary of NORAD Tracks Santa. The attraction included a 25-foot tree, a tracking map, a viewing station for NORAD Santa-tracking video, recorded peace messages from children around the world, and a 24-page coloring book depicting Santa’s assistants with NORAD patches. The center continued to adjust its anchor strategy as the traditional enclosed-mall model came under pressure. In 2015, Dillard’s converted its store into a clearance center and closed the building’s third floor. JCPenney was put up for sale in 2020 but remained open according to the cited reference. Burlington closed its location in 2024 and moved to a strip-center site across the street. The supplied material says that the former Burlington anchor had not received a permanent replacement, apart from a short seasonal Spirit Halloween tenancy in 2025. The mall campus is located at the intersection of Platte Avenue and Academy Boulevard. In addition to the enclosed shopping mall, the broader campus includes surrounding retail businesses. The property remains an active Colorado Springs shopping destination, although its history demonstrates the long-term changes affecting regional malls: ownership transfers, expansions, department-store closures, conversions to clearance formats, and competition from nearby open-air retail. The supplied reference also records repeated shooting incidents in the immediate vicinity since January 2016, including four gunshot deaths at the mall since March 2022. Those incidents have influenced local perceptions of the property and prompted the informal nickname “The Shootadel.”
- 2024
Burlington relocates
[1]Burlington closes its mall store and moves to a nearby strip-center location.
- 2020
JCPenney offered for sale
[1]JCPenney is put up for sale but remains open according to the cited reference.
- 2015
Dillard's becomes a clearance center
[1]Dillard’s changes the store to a clearance format and closes the third floor.
- 2007
Midwest Mall Properties acquisition
[1]Midwest Mall Properties purchases the mall and retains Macerich for management.
- 2005
NORAD Tracks Santa village
[1]The mall hosts a large Santa-tracking attraction from November 18 through December 25 for the program’s 50th anniversary.
- 1997
Macerich acquisition
[1]The Macerich Company acquires The Citadel.
- 1995
Dillard's expansion
[1]A three-level Dillard’s opens at the western end of the mall.
- 1984
Westward expansion
[1]A two-level western extension adds May D&F and a two-level food court.
- 1980
Rouse ownership
[1]The Rouse Company owns the mall by this date.
- 1972
Mall opens
[1]The Citadel opens on March 1 with JCPenney, Denver Dry Goods, and a two-screen cinema.
Products and positioning
Regional enclosed shopping mall serving Colorado Springs with department stores, specialty retail, dining, and community-oriented seasonal programming.
Department store · 1972
JCPenney
JCPenney was one of The Citadel’s original anchor stores at its 1972 opening and remains identified in the supplied reference as an operating anchor. Its department-store assortment traditionally spans apparel, accessories, beauty, home merchandise, and related consumer goods, although the precise current in-store mix is not specified in the source material.
Department store · 1995
Dillard's Clearance Center
Dillard’s entered the mall as a major western-end anchor through the 1995 expansion. In 2015, its location was repositioned as a clearance center and the third floor was closed. The format focuses on discounted department-store merchandise rather than the full footprint of a conventional multi-level Dillard’s store.
Dining · 1984
Food court and dining
The 1984 westward expansion added a two-level food court, making dining part of the mall’s expanded visitor offer. The supplied material does not identify the current restaurant roster, so this entry describes the facility and category rather than individual tenants.
Events and entertainment · 2005
Seasonal community programming
The Citadel has hosted seasonal attractions in addition to retail. Its 2005 Santa Tracking Village included holiday displays, NORAD-related educational content, video viewing, international peace messages, and a children’s coloring book, illustrating the mall’s use of experiential programming to draw visitors.
Marketing campaigns
- 2005NORAD Tracks Santa 50th Anniversary Santa Tracking Village
Colorado Springs · United States
The Citadel hosted a large holiday installation from November 18 through December 25 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NORAD Tracks Santa. It featured a 25-foot tree, a Santa-tracking map, a viewing device for NORAD video, peace messages from children around the world, and a coloring book featuring NORAD-patched Santa assistants.
Outcome. The source describes the event and its attractions but does not provide attendance or commercial performance figures.
Brand decisions
2024
Burlington relocation from the mallStrategyBackground
Burlington maintained a presence in the surrounding retail area but changed its location.
Action taken
Burlington closed its store inside The Citadel and moved to a strip mall across the street.
Aftermath
The former anchor space had not been permanently replaced in the supplied material, apart from a short Spirit Halloween tenancy in 2025.
2015
Dillard's clearance-center conversionStrategyBackground
The mall faced a changing department-store environment and needed to adapt the use of a large anchor space.
Action taken
Dillard’s converted its Citadel store into a clearance center and closed the third floor.
Aftermath
The store continued operating in a reduced format; the supplied material does not quantify the financial effect.
Recent events
- 2024
Burlington leaves the mall for a nearby strip center[1]
Other
Burlington closed its store at The Citadel and moved to a strip-mall location across the street.
- 2022
Reported shooting incidents affect the mall vicinity[1]
Other
The supplied reference states that multiple shooting incidents occurred in the immediate vicinity since January 2016, with four people killed by gunfire at the mall since March 2022. The incidents contributed to the locally used nickname “The Shootadel.”
- 2015
Dillard's converts its store to a clearance center[1]
Other
Dillard’s reduced the operating footprint of its Citadel location by converting it to a clearance center and closing the third floor.
- 2009
Macy's announces closure of the Citadel store[2]
Other
Macy’s closed its Citadel location in March after reported poor sales.
- 2006
Mervyn's closes its Citadel location[1]
Other
Mervyn’s closed 10 of its 11 Colorado stores, including its roughly 99,751-square-foot, two-level store at The Citadel.
- 2006
Foley's becomes Macy's[1]
M&A · Other
The Foley’s department store at The Citadel was renamed Macy’s as part of a nationwide brand conversion.
- 1995
The Citadel adds a three-level Dillard's[1]
Product generation
The mall’s final major expansion introduced a three-level Dillard’s store at the end of the western extension.
- 1984
Westward expansion adds May D&F and a food court[1]
Other
A two-level western extension added May-Daniels & Fisher, also known as May D&F, a third anchor, and a two-level food court.
- 1972
The Citadel opens in Colorado Springs[1]
Other
The mall opened on March 1 with JCPenney, Denver Dry Goods, and a two-screen cinema as key components of the original center.
Sources2 sources
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