MALLMAKER NUMBER ONE:

SIMON PROPERTY GROUP

America's largest shopping MALLMAKER was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1960. The company, known at the time as Melvin Simon and Associates, started out, as did most of our MALLMAKERS, developing small, strip-type shopping centers.

The first fully-owned Simon complex, SOUTHGATE PLAZA, opened in Bloomington, Indiana in 1960. Forming a joint venture with Chicago-based retailer Montgomery Ward, Simon built their first department store-anchored venue in Fort Collins, Colorado. UNIVERSITY CENTER was completed in 1964.

Simon chose its homebase, the "Hoosier State", as the location for its first shopping mall. Anderson's MOUNDS MALL, anchored by Ward's and Indy-based H.P. Wasson, was completed in January 1965.

The company became known by its present name in 1993. Following its merger with the Youngstown, Ohio-based DeBartolo Realty Group in 1996, the corporation became the Simon DeBartolo Group. This was used until 1998, when the official title reverted back to the Simon Property Group heading.

Sources:

www.simon.com
"Simon Property Group" article on Wikipedia