The Mall at Lexington Green

The Mall at Lexington Green is a hybrid retail destination in Lexington, Kentucky, combining enclosed mall space with outdoor lifestyle-center elements. It is located at the intersection of New Circle Road and Nicholasville Road, adjacent to Target and Fayette Mall, the region's largest retail development. The center is positioned toward upscale and middle- to upper-income shoppers and has become associated with fashion, books, dining, and lifestyle-oriented retail rather than with the traditional department-store mall format. The property opened to the public on September 11, 1986, as a two-level complex containing both enclosed mall areas and strip-mall-style retail space. Its early tenant mix included Disc Jockey Music, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, and Sears Homelife. The center initially experienced substantial vacancy, but Joseph-Beth became an important local draw. The bookstore was recognized by the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce as its Small Business of the Year in 1989, helping establish the property as a destination for local customers and cultural activity. During the mid-1990s, the Lexington development group Langley Properties acquired the mall. Under Langley's ownership, much of the underused upper- and lower-level space was converted for Joseph-Beth Booksellers, leaving a smaller number of enclosed retail spaces. The former Joseph-Beth area was subsequently associated with CompUSA, while other portions of the property continued to evolve through tenant changes. Sears Homelife eventually closed, and its furniture operation was returned to the retailer's Fayette Mall location. The vacated space was later redeveloped for grocery use, first by Wild Oats Markets and later by Whole Foods Market. The center faced additional pressure during the mid-2000s. CompUSA and Disc Jockey closed in 2007, and other tenants also departed, creating a need for a broader repositioning of the property. On April 1, 2011, Langley Properties announced that Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, Inc. would take responsibility for leasing as part of a plan to redevelop Lexington Green into a lifestyle center. This direction reflected a wider retail-industry shift away from enclosed mall dependence and toward open-air environments, service-oriented uses, restaurants, and curated specialty stores. Lexington Green is known for a tenant mix that has included Joseph-Beth Booksellers, LOFT, Evereve, White House Black Market, Chico's, lululemon athletica, and Anthropologie. Its appeal has extended particularly to older teenagers, young adults, and local shoppers interested in fashion and the arts. The center's proximity to Fayette Mall and other major retailers gives it a prominent position within Lexington's retail corridor, while its smaller-scale and more lifestyle-focused format differentiates it from a conventional regional enclosed mall. The available reference material does not identify the current property owner, a formal corporate parent, or a complete current tenant roster.

The Mall at Lexington Green opened on September 11, 1986, in Lexington, Kentucky. It was designed as a hybrid property, combining a two-level enclosed mall with strip-mall-style areas. The center occupies a strategically important location at New Circle Road and Nicholasville Road, next to Target and Fayette Mall. From its earliest years, Lexington Green operated within a highly competitive retail corridor while attempting to distinguish itself through specialty stores and a more local, mixed-use atmosphere. The property's initial anchor and major tenant group included Disc Jockey Music, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, and Sears Homelife. Early operations were affected by substantial vacant space. Joseph-Beth Booksellers became especially important to the center's identity and local appeal. Its recognition as the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce's 1989 Small Business of the Year helped reinforce the bookstore's role as a destination and cultural institution within the property. Langley Properties, a Lexington development group, acquired the mall during the mid-1990s. The ownership group responded to the property's vacancy by converting much of the upper- and lower-level space for Joseph-Beth Booksellers. This substantially changed the internal configuration of the center and left only a limited number of enclosed retail spaces. The former bookstore space later became associated with CompUSA. Other tenant changes followed: Sears Homelife closed, with its furniture business folded back into the retailer's Fayette Mall store. The vacated area was subsequently adapted for grocery retail, first occupied by Wild Oats Markets and later by Whole Foods Market. By the middle of the 2000s, Lexington Green was again experiencing tenant turnover. CompUSA and Disc Jockey both closed in 2007, and several other retailers left afterward. These changes weakened the property's traditional enclosed-mall component and created pressure for a new operating and leasing model. On April 1, 2011, Langley Properties announced that Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, Inc. would handle leasing as part of an intended full redevelopment into a lifestyle center. The lifestyle-center direction emphasized a more open and curated shopping environment. Lexington Green's tenant profile came to include brands such as LOFT, Evereve, White House Black Market, Chico's, lululemon athletica, Anthropologie, and Joseph-Beth Booksellers. The center has been described as particularly popular with older teenagers, young adults, and middle- to upper-income Lexington residents, including shoppers drawn to fashion and the arts. The available sources establish the property's historical development and positioning, but do not provide a complete current tenant list, confirmed ownership structure, or detailed documentation of the redevelopment's final scope.

• 2011

  Lifestyle-center redevelopment announced

  [1]The Mall at Lexington Greenen.wikipedia.org

  Langley Properties announces that Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, Inc. will handle leasing as the property is planned for redevelopment into a lifestyle center.

• 2007

  Major tenants depart

  [1]The Mall at Lexington Greenen.wikipedia.org

  CompUSA and Disc Jockey close, followed by additional tenant departures that increase pressure for a property repositioning.

• 1990

  Langley Properties acquires the property

  [1]The Mall at Lexington Greenen.wikipedia.org

  During the mid-1990s, Langley Properties acquires Lexington Green and begins adapting vacant areas, including space used for Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

• 1989

  Joseph-Beth Booksellers receives local business recognition

  [1]The Mall at Lexington Greenen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph-Beth Booksellers is recognized by the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce as its Small Business of the Year, strengthening the bookstore's importance to the center.

• 1986

  Lexington Green opens

  [1]The Mall at Lexington Greenen.wikipedia.org

  The hybrid enclosed mall and strip-mall-style retail center opens to the public on September 11 in Lexington, Kentucky.

An upscale, lifestyle-oriented shopping center serving Lexington-area consumers through a blend of enclosed retail, open-air storefronts, specialty fashion, books, grocery, and cultural uses.

• Books and cultural retail

  Joseph-Beth Booksellers

  Joseph-Beth Booksellers has been one of Lexington Green's most significant destination tenants. The bookstore helped attract local customers during the center's early years and received Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce recognition in 1989. Its importance also influenced the property's physical configuration when substantial vacant upper- and lower-level areas were adapted for bookstore use.

• Apparel retail

  Fashion and specialty apparel

  Lexington Green's lifestyle-oriented apparel offer has included brands such as LOFT, Evereve, White House Black Market, Chico's, lululemon athletica, and Anthropologie. Together, these stores support the center's upscale positioning and appeal to shoppers seeking women's fashion, athletic-lifestyle apparel, and design-led specialty merchandise.

• Grocery

  Grocery retail

  A former Sears Homelife area was later adapted for grocery use. The space was occupied first by Wild Oats Markets and subsequently by Whole Foods Market, illustrating the property's use of large-format space for destination retail beyond conventional mall merchandise.

• 2011

  Shift toward a lifestyle-center formatStrategy

  Background

  Tenant losses, including the 2007 closures of CompUSA and Disc Jockey, exposed the limitations of the property's traditional enclosed-mall configuration.

  Action taken

  Langley Properties appointed Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, Inc. to handle leasing while pursuing a comprehensive redevelopment of Lexington Green as a lifestyle center.

  Aftermath

  The property was associated with a more open-air, upscale tenant mix focused on specialty apparel, books, lifestyle retail, and related uses. The available sources do not document the full completion status of the redevelopment.

  Source

1. 1The Mall at Lexington Greenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Mall at Lexington Green official websiteshoplexgreen.com