MOUNDS MALL
South Scatterfield and Mounds Roads
Anderson, Indiana

Melvin Simon and Associates' first mall was also the second enclosed shopping center in Indiana. MOUNDS MALL was constructed on a 32 acre tract, located 2.5 miles southeast of downtown Anderson.

The center opened for business in January 1965. It was originally anchored by a 1-level (85,100 square foot) Montgomery Ward and 1-level (66,700 square foot), Indianapolis-based H.P Wasson. A 2-level (118,300 square foot) J.C. Penney came inline in December 1968.

Charter tenants included the MCL Cafeteria, F.W. Woolworth, Hoyt, Wright and Company and Zales Jewelers. A combination Kroger and Super X Drug served as a junior anchor.

MOUNDS MALL had no major retail rival, as it was (and is) the only mall-type center in -or around- Anderson. Moreover, the malls nearest to it, MUNCIE MALL (1970) -in Muncie- and Indianapolis's CASTLETON SQUARE (1972), were also Simon-owned.

Anchor store rebrandings at the 407,400 square foot complex were many. H.P. Wasson morphed into an Anderson-based Weiler's and Terra Haute-based Meis. It became a Dayton-based Elder-Beerman in 1989.

The Montgomery Ward structure was taken by Sears in 2001. J.C. Penney closed in May 2002 and was demolished. The Mounds Mall 10 Theatre opened on its space in April 2004. The old Kroger / Super X eventually became an Elder-Beerman Home Store.

The mall was acquired by Coral Gables, Florida-based Bayview Financial Corporation in January 2003. They initiated a renovation soon after, which included new skylights, signage and an updated Food Court.

Sources:

"Mounds Mall" article on Wikipedia
www.moundsmallanderson.com
"Mounds Mall Still Courting Customers" / The Herald Bulliten / December 9, 2007 / Neal McNamara