Some malls would love to have Circle Centre’s problems. More Dawn of the Dead than designer labels, Lafayette Square and Washington Square seem destined to join the one-third of all such retail centers expected to close nationally in the next 10 years. Locals call the former “Lafayette Scare” because of its reputation for danger. Multiple shootings have taken place around and inside the west-side mall since the late 1990s. The opposite side of town hasn’t fared much better. When developers built Washington Square in 1974, they had high hopes due to the area’s manufacturing sector. But factory after factory pulled up stakes in the early ’80s, leaving the region in a lurch from which it never recovered.
Developers say the hardest space to save is a failing mall. How can such enormous, dated shells be put to better use? These projects from other cities seem worth checking out.
Randall Park Mall (Cleveland, Ohio)
Rubbing salt in the wound, Amazon spent a lot of money last year buying derelict malls to build new warehouses. One recent example was in the Cleveland suburbs – a destination once described as America’s largest mall. The online giant purchased Randall Park Mall last year and plans to hire more than 2,000 employees to staff a facility there. While it seems unlikely the company will open another fulfillment center around Indy, either at that scale or piecemeal, other online retailers could.
Highland Mall (Austin, Texas)
The once-thriving retail center declined as the surrounding area did until Austin Community College bought it in 2010. The school moved into a former JCPenney and began educating IT and healthcare students. Now, a workforce-development center and other academic programs are in progress inside the mall, as are apartments, shops, and offices outside. The revitalization, which cost more than $250 million, has attracted a $122 million building nearby and transit lines.
City Center Mall (Columbus, Ohio)
Faced with the failure of its downtown mall, and rising crime in the area around it, the City of Columbus bought and tore down the structure a decade ago. In its place, it opened Columbus Commons – a park with a stage and café – in 2011. Since then, developers have capitalized on the new digs, investing more than $400 million in office buildings, apartments, and, yes, retail.
Originally published in Indianapolis Monthly, 2018. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.