EASTGATE MALL ceased to exist in a retail capacity in the early 2000s. It was auctioned off in 2007, but not demolished or repurposed as -yet- another power center. On the contrary, the mall was extensively renovated and rebuilt into a technical park and data center.
Photo from http://www.businesswire.com
EASTGATE CENTER
East Washington Street / US 40 and North Shadeland Avenue
Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana
The first mall-type shopping center in the Hoosier State was designed by Welton Becket & Associates of Los Angeles and Indianapolis' C. Wilbur Foster & Associates. EASTGATE CENTER was developed by Indy's Arthur L. Frankel, under the auspices of the Eastgate Corporation.
Encompassing approximately 370,000 leasable square feet, the mall was built on a 40.6-acre parcel, located 5 miles east of downtown Indianapolis. At the time of its completion, EASTGATE was located in a section of unincorporated Marion County known as Warren Township.
The first operational stores were a Sears Catalog & Appliance and 2-level (100,000 square foot), Indianapolis-based H.P. Wasson & Company. These opened for business on March 18, 1957. A mall-wide grand opening commenced on September 19, 1957. This was attended by Harold W. Handley (R) (Governor of Indiana). Forty stores participated in the celebration, which included a 1958 Ford Edsel as a grand prize.
The open-air shopping concourse at EASTGATE extended for 1,200 feet. The complex consisted of an upper retail level and small section of lower level stores running along the north end of the facility. Fifty-six charter tenants included Richman Brothers men's & boy's wear, Craig's at Eastgate Candy & Restaurant, Hook's Drug, Thom McAn Shoes, Harry Levinson's men's wear, National Shirt Shops, Morrison's ladies' wear and a dry-goods-only J.C. Penney. A kiddie ride amusement area known as Wonderland was located in the shopping center's north parking area.
EASTGATE was followed by GLENDALE CENTER {7 miles northwest, in Marion County} in August 1958. In 1970, the Unigov consolidation of Indianapolis and Marion County into one political jurisdiction brought EASTGATE CENTER and GLENDALE CENTER into Indiana's capital city.
In November 1971, EASTGATE CENTER re-opened as an enclosed and air-conditioned structure. During its refurbishment, seating areas, planters, fountains and a public performance stage had been installed. The General Cinema Corporation Eastgate Mall Cinema I & II was built as a southwestern outparcel. First features were shown on June 28, 1974.
In April of the same year, WASHINGTON SQUARE {3 miles east, in Indianapolis} had been dedicated. Penney's and Sears moved to WASHINGTON SQUARE, leaving EASTGATE in a rapid state of decline. Its Wasson's store closed in April 1980. The mall was sold to Indianapolis' Melvin Simon & Associates in August 1981. A second renovation was done. This time around, the exterior was given a face lift, with most of the parking lot entrances to stores sealed-off.
The complex was repositioned as a value-oriented shopping center and renamed EASTGATE CONSUMER MALL. Burlington Coat Factory, filling a 93,000 square foot section of the abandoned Wasson's, welcomed first shoppers on August 16, 1982. Front Row apparel leased the entire southwest corner of the mall. Other tenants were Famous Footwear, Publishers Book Outlet, Finish Line and F & M Distributors, a discount drug emporium (who leased the vacant J.C. Penney building).
A 1-level (115,400 square foot) Builder's Square home improvement center, constructed in the mall's northeast parking area, was dedicated in October 1986. The existing movie house was expanded into the Eastgate Mall 6, which held its grand re-opening on May 19, 1987.
The novel concept of an "outlet mall" did well for a time. However, by the early 2000s, the aging EASTGATE was in another downward spiral. It was sold to North Carolina's Whichard Realty in April 2002. Builder's Square had been shuttered in June 1999. The cinema went dark in January 2004, with the entire shopping center closing on June 30th. At the time, many thought the mall would be demolished.
However, in May 2008, the property was acquired by a joint venture of Carmel, Indiana-based Lifeline Data Centers and Kingsport, Pennsylvania-based Mark Development. A 50 million dollar renovation commenced in July 2008. The moribund mall was renamed LIFELINE DATA CENTER EASTGATE CAMPUS. It became a technical park and data center.
The first renovation phase, completed in mid-2009, involved the conversion of the Wasson's-Burlington Coat Factory building into a supercomputer facility. Phase Two got underway in late 2009. The mall concourse was sectioned into low cost office spaces, a church and catering company. The new & improved complex now housed 450,000 square feet of data center and office space.
Sources:
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
https://maps.indy.gov / Marion County-Indianapolis, Indiana
http://HistoricIrvington.blogspot.com / "Memories Of Days Gone By – Eastgate Mall" / Posted by "MidWestMrs"
http://weeklyview.net / "Eastgate: Suburban Main Street" / Steven R. Barnett
https://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com
http://www.lifelinedatacenters.com
http://www.businesswire.com
"Unigov" article on Wikipedia
