Washington Square Mall (Evansville, Indiana)
Encyclopedia
Washington Square Mall is a shopping mall located in Evansville, Indiana
, United States
. It opened October 31, 1963 and was the first enclosed shopping center in Indiana
. Developed by Erie Investments, the mall was originally anchored by Sears
and an A & P supermarket. Louisville-based Stewart Dry Goods
was added, as a second anchor department store, in 1969. This store -as well as the entire chain- was merged with Indianapolis' L. S. Ayres chain in 1980.
After the larger Eastland Mall
opened in 1982, Washington Square struggled to retain stores. In 1987 the mall was remodeled and expanded to help it compete with the newer mall. The expansion was initially successful and the mall was sold a few years later to Facet Financial.
Facing even more department store consolidation, L. S. Ayres closed in January 1992. The location was converted into a Dayton, Ohio-based Elder-Beerman
, which held its grand opening in October 1993. This store was shuttered in December 2000. As a result, vacancy rates at the mall climbed, with much business being lost to Eastland Mall. In 2002, the struggling Washington Square Mall was sold to local real estate developer Gene Hahn.
A portion of the former Elder-Beerman store was home to a Values Unlimited discount mart between October 2004 and March 2007. In July of 2010, Merchants Outlet Mall opened, utilizing all of the 2-level store space.
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened October 31, 1963 and was the first enclosed shopping center in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Developed by Erie Investments, the mall was originally anchored by Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
and an A & P supermarket. Louisville-based Stewart Dry Goods
Stewart Dry Goods
The Stewart Dry Goods company of Louisville, Kentucky, commonly referred to as Stewart's, consisted of seven department stores in Kentucky and Indiana. It was a division of Associated Dry Goods in New York City....
was added, as a second anchor department store, in 1969. This store -as well as the entire chain- was merged with Indianapolis' L. S. Ayres chain in 1980.
After the larger Eastland Mall
Eastland Mall (Evansville, Indiana)
Eastland Mall is a regional shopping mall located on North Green River Road in Evansville, Indiana. It is operated by the Simon Property Group, a group which owns and develops malls around the United States. The mall has 130 specialty stores, three department stores, and a food court with a...
opened in 1982, Washington Square struggled to retain stores. In 1987 the mall was remodeled and expanded to help it compete with the newer mall. The expansion was initially successful and the mall was sold a few years later to Facet Financial.
Facing even more department store consolidation, L. S. Ayres closed in January 1992. The location was converted into a Dayton, Ohio-based Elder-Beerman
Elder-Beerman
Elder-Beerman is a U.S. chain of department stores founded in 1883 and owned by The Bon-Ton. The chain is based primarily in the United States' Midwest region...
, which held its grand opening in October 1993. This store was shuttered in December 2000. As a result, vacancy rates at the mall climbed, with much business being lost to Eastland Mall. In 2002, the struggling Washington Square Mall was sold to local real estate developer Gene Hahn.
A portion of the former Elder-Beerman store was home to a Values Unlimited discount mart between October 2004 and March 2007. In July of 2010, Merchants Outlet Mall opened, utilizing all of the 2-level store space.