Nicholasville Road / US 27 and West Reynolds Road
Fayette County (Lexington), Kentucky
The second shopping mall in Lexington was developed by Greater Cleveland's Jacobs, Visconsi, Jacobs Company (later known as the Richard E. Jacobs Group). It was built on a 61.3-acre plot, located 3.9 miles south of the city center. FAYETTE MALL was originally in unincorporated Fayette County. It was absorbed into the Lexington Fayette Urban County (a merger of the City of Lexington and Fayette County) on January 1, 1974.
A 2-level (133,100 square foot) Sears had become the mall's first operational store on September 15, 1971. Cincinnati-based Shillito's opened a 2-level (183,300 square foot) store on October 11, 1971. A mall-wide dedication was held at this time. Charter tenants included J. Riggings, Camelot Records, Kinney Shoes. Florsheim Shoes, Treasury Drug, Embry & Company, Helzburg Jewelers and Waldenbooks.
In its original state, FAYETTE MALL featured four fountains with metal sculptures. These were crafted by Cleveland's Clarence E. Van Duzer. There were two recessed seating areas; one in the north concourse and one in the south. A series of skylights also provided ample natural lighting.
The mall's third anchor, a 2-level (118,100 square foot), Louisville-based Stewart's, held its grand opening on May 1, 1972. The General Cinema Corporation Fayette Mall Cinemas I & II, an in-mall venue, showed its first features on August 8, 1973. With the theater's completion, FAYETTE MALL encompassed approximately approximately 802,700 leasable square feet.
Major shopping hubs in the FAYETTE MALL trade area were (and are) TURFLAND MALL (1967-2008) {2.4 miles northwest, in Lexington}, LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {3.9 miles northeast, in Lexington}, MALL AT LEXINGTON CENTER-LEXINGTON CIVIC CENTER SHOPS (1976), MALL AT LEXINGTON GREEN (1986) {.1 mile north, in Lexington} and -eventually- HAMBURG PAVILION (1997) {6 miles northeast, also in Lexington}.
Anchor rebrandings at FAYETTE MALL got underway with the conversion of Shillito's to a Shillito Rikes, in June 1982. The store became a Columbus-based Lazarus on March 16, 1986, a Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was "Macy-ated" on March 12, 2005. The Stewart's store also had a long rebranding history. It morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. It was rebannered, as a Louisville-based Ben Snyder's, on October 21, 1987, which was shuttered on January 31, 1988. Allentown, Pennylvania-based Hess's opened on February 1, 1988.
Meanwhile, the Jacob's Group had acquired a 25.2-acre plot south of FAYETTE MALL and announced an expansion project in May 1985. This became a hotly-contested issue that was litigated for the next 5-and-a-half years. In February 1991, the final legal hurdle was cleared, Construction of the belated mall addition commenced in May 1991.
Built on the south side of Sears, the single-level expansion would be anchored by a 2-level (208,200 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. It would house twenty inline stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, The Children's Place, Babbage's and The Disney Store.
The first component of the mall renovation, a 2-level (20,000 square foot) enlargement of Sears, was dedicated on April 17, 1993. The store now encompassed 153,100 square feet. The existing mall was also refurbished, with a new Main Entrance built. McAlpin's, and the new South Wing, were officially dedicated on May 6, 1993. The final stage of the remodeling, a third level for Lazarus, opened in 1994, with the store now housing 275,000 square feet.
The mall's third anchor, a 2-level (118,100 square foot), Louisville-based Stewart's, held its grand opening on May 1, 1972. The General Cinema Corporation Fayette Mall Cinemas I & II, an in-mall venue, showed its first features on August 8, 1973. With the theater's completion, FAYETTE MALL encompassed approximately approximately 802,700 leasable square feet.
Major shopping hubs in the FAYETTE MALL trade area were (and are) TURFLAND MALL (1967-2008) {2.4 miles northwest, in Lexington}, LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {3.9 miles northeast, in Lexington}, MALL AT LEXINGTON CENTER-LEXINGTON CIVIC CENTER SHOPS (1976), MALL AT LEXINGTON GREEN (1986) {.1 mile north, in Lexington} and -eventually- HAMBURG PAVILION (1997) {6 miles northeast, also in Lexington}.
Anchor rebrandings at FAYETTE MALL got underway with the conversion of Shillito's to a Shillito Rikes, in June 1982. The store became a Columbus-based Lazarus on March 16, 1986, a Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was "Macy-ated" on March 12, 2005. The Stewart's store also had a long rebranding history. It morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. It was rebannered, as a Louisville-based Ben Snyder's, on October 21, 1987, which was shuttered on January 31, 1988. Allentown, Pennylvania-based Hess's opened on February 1, 1988.
In 1990, the northwest corner of the mall was reconfigured. A vacant Forum Cafeteria and outdoor courtyard were rebuilt as the Pavilion Food Court. The 20,000 square foot facility opened for business on November 7, 1990. Among its twelve fast food restaurants were Gold Star Chili, Arby's, Chick-Fil-A and Sbarro The Italian Eatery. Hess's closed for good in early 1993. J.C. Penney assumed the vacant store and welcomed its first shoppers on November 6, 1993.
Meanwhile, the Jacob's Group had acquired a 25.2-acre plot south of FAYETTE MALL and announced an expansion project in May 1985. This became a hotly-contested issue that was litigated for the next 5-and-a-half years. In February 1991, the final legal hurdle was cleared, Construction of the belated mall addition commenced in May 1991.
Built on the south side of Sears, the single-level expansion would be anchored by a 2-level (208,200 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. It would house twenty inline stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, The Children's Place, Babbage's and The Disney Store.
The first component of the mall renovation, a 2-level (20,000 square foot) enlargement of Sears, was dedicated on April 17, 1993. The store now encompassed 153,100 square feet. The existing mall was also refurbished, with a new Main Entrance built. McAlpin's, and the new South Wing, were officially dedicated on May 6, 1993. The final stage of the remodeling, a third level for Lazarus, opened in 1994, with the store now housing 275,000 square feet.
With all of its additions taken into account, FAYETTE MALL encompassed around 1,095,000 leasable square feet. The super-sized center was now the Bluegrass State's largest shopping mall, that is, until a 1998 expansion of Louisville's MALL ST. MATTHEWS brought the gross leasable area of that complex up to 1,118,700 leasable square feet.
Not to be outdone, a third expansion of FAYETTE MALL commenced in January 2005. This was undertaken by Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties, who had acquired the shopping hub in January 2001. This time around, fifteen new stores would be added in a single-level Southwest Wing. Dick's Sporting Goods would anchor the enlargement with a 2-level (75,000 square foot) store. While the Southwest Wing was being built, the existing mall was also given an interior upgrade.
The newly-enlarged and renovated mall was re-dedicated on October 1, 2005, FAYETTE MALL now encompassed approximately 1,313,200 leasable square feet. The complex snatched back the largest mall in Kentucky title, which it retains to this day.
Not to be outdone, a third expansion of FAYETTE MALL commenced in January 2005. This was undertaken by Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties, who had acquired the shopping hub in January 2001. This time around, fifteen new stores would be added in a single-level Southwest Wing. Dick's Sporting Goods would anchor the enlargement with a 2-level (75,000 square foot) store. While the Southwest Wing was being built, the existing mall was also given an interior upgrade.
The newly-enlarged and renovated mall was re-dedicated on October 1, 2005, FAYETTE MALL now encompassed approximately 1,313,200 leasable square feet. The complex snatched back the largest mall in Kentucky title, which it retains to this day.
CBL & Associates Properties bought 24.8 acres lying southwest of FAYETTE MALL in April 2002. The parcel was developed as THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL, an open-air strip center of 190,200 leasable square feet. There were thirteen tenant spaces, with five outparcel pads. A grand opening was held on November 11, 2006. Tenants included Old Navy, Guitar Center, Gordmans, Logan's Road House and Johnny Carino's Italian restaurant.
Anchoring the development was the 16-screen Cinemark Fayette Mall. This state-of-the-art megaplex was a replacement for the original in-mall tri-plex that had closed in 1998. The new Cinemark venue showed its first features on June 28, 2006. At the same time, Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy and P.F. Chang's China Bistro were built at the mall's Main Entrance. These open-air restaurants were dedicated between June and December of 2006.
Anchoring the development was the 16-screen Cinemark Fayette Mall. This state-of-the-art megaplex was a replacement for the original in-mall tri-plex that had closed in 1998. The new Cinemark venue showed its first features on June 28, 2006. At the same time, Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy and P.F. Chang's China Bistro were built at the mall's Main Entrance. These open-air restaurants were dedicated between June and December of 2006.
The FAYETTE MALL Sears was shuttered on January 11, 2014. The building was stripped down to the framework and sectioned into twenty-one inline stores. A spacious shopping concourse was created, which linked the north and south sections of the mall. The upper level of the the building was reconfigured as a second level for a new H & M store, with the remainder devoted to mall storage and hvac and maintenance equipment.
The abandoned Sears Auto Center has been knocked down. An open-air Streetscape of eight tenant spaces was built onto the east-facing facade of the old Sears. New stores and restaurants began opening on November 7, 2014.
In the new Streetscape were The Cheesecake Factory, Newk's Eatery and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The old Sears, now promoted as the Middle Wing, featured Janie & Jack, Jos. A. Bank, Vera Bradley, L'Occitane en Provence, and a 2-level (23,300 square foot) H & M. With these improvements, the gross leasable area of FAYETTE MALL now stood at around 1,352,800 square feet.
Sources:
Sources:
The Lexington Herald-Leader
The Times Tribune (Corbin, Kentucky)
www.kentucky.com
www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
CBL & Associates Annual Report - 2000
http://www.shopfayette-mall.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://cinematreasures.org
http://pastperfectvintage.com/louisvillestores.htm
www.bizjournals.com
www.kentucky.com
http://www.fayette-pva.com / Lexington-Fayette County Property Value Administrator
https://icsc.secure-platform.com / "Fayette Mall Sears Redevelopment" / International Council of Shopping Centers
"Fayette Mall" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF FAYETTE MALL IMAGE:
The images from the James Edwin Weddle Photo Collection (University of Kentucky Libraries) and International Council of Shopping centers illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are not replaceable with a free-use or public-domain images. The use of the images does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the images in any way. The images are being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.
