Indianapolis' Lafayette Square

A very Mid-Mod entrance graced the original LAFAYETTE SQUARE. 

Drawing from the Edward D. DeBartolo Corporation 

Stores in LAFAYETTE SQUARE opened for business between March 1968 and February 1969. At that time, the northwest side complex was the state's largest shopping center. It spanned approximately 934,300 leasable square feet and housed around eighty-four stores and services. The vast parking area could accommodate 6,000 autos.

Our first vintage interior view takes us to the Wonderfall Court and its semi-circular faux water feature. This "fountain" was divided into by a footbridge. 

Photo from Curteichcolor

A second olden days interior view demonstrates the low-intensity lighting that was popular at the time. The prevailing wisdom was that brightly-lit stores would draw customers in. 

Photo from the Estell Wholesale Company / John V. Pontiere, Junior

Although it encompassed a whopping 200,000 square feet, J.C. Penney was still the second-largest anchor at LAFAYETTE SQUARE. The largest store in the mall was Sears, which covered 230,000.

Drawing from the J.C. Penney Company

By 1975, LAFAYETTE SQUARE has grown into a superrregional shopping city. Two anchor stores, Columbus-based Lazarus and Indy-based L.S. Ayres, have been added. The mall now spans around 1,214,300 leasable square feet and houses over 100 stores and services.

By the late 1980s, Lazarus has moved from the northeast corner to a spot on Center Court, formerly occupied by William H. Block. The original Lazarus space was retenanted by Montgomery Ward soon after.

LAFAYETTE SQUARE TENANTS 1988:

LAZARUS / SEARS (with Coffee Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / J.C. PENNEY / L.S. AYRES / MONTGOMERY WARD (with Buffeteria Snack Bar) / AFNB / Athlete's Foot Shoes / Athletic Department / Bacharach Men's Wear / Baker's Shoes / Baldwin Music / Bermans Leather / Bresler's 33 Flavors Ice Cream / Brockman Hallmark / Brooks / Buster Brown Shoes / Butler Shoes / Camelot Music / Card America / Card Cage / Carousel Snack Bar / Casual Corner / Charlie's Restaurant / Chess King / Claire's Boutique / Cookie Factory / Crawford's Bakery / DaVinci Jewelers / Deck The Walls / Docktor Pet Center / Edrich Men's Wear / Fannie Mae Candies / Feminine Accents / Firestone Car Care (outparcel) Flagg Brothers Shoes / Florsheim Shoes / Fun-N-Games / Gallenkamp Shoes / The Gap / Gemstone Jewelry / GNC / Goodman Jewelers / Goodyear Tire & Auto / Hair Event / Hanover Shoes / Harry Levinson / Hickory Farms of Ohio / His Place / Hot Sam Pretzels / Hot Shots Photo / J. Riggings / Jean Nicole / Joan Barri Bags / Jo-Ann Fabrics-Singer Sewing Center / Kay Jewelers / Kimmel Shoe Repair / Kinney Shoes / LaFayette Square Cinema I & II / Lafayette Square Cinema III-IV-V (outparcel) / Lerner Shops / The Limited / Limited Express / Lowrey Organs & Music / Luca Pizza / Marroti Shoes / MCL Cafeteria / Merry-Go-Round / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Morrow's Nut House / Mother-To-Be / National Health & Nutrition / National Record Mart / National Uniform / Naturalizer Shoes / Osterman Jewelers / Orange Julius / Parklane Hosiery / Paul Harris / Piercing Pagoda / The Pine Factory / Radio Shack / Rave / Red Cross Shoes / Rost Jewelers / Silver & Gold Trading Company / Spencer Gifts / Stuart's ladies' wear / SupeRx Drugs / Sycamore Shop / Tammey Jewelers / Tes Optical / Things Remembered / Thom McAn Shoes / The Tinder Box / Top Hat / Vitamin World / Waldenbooks / Wendy's / York Steak House / Your Father's Moustache / Youthland / Zales Jewelers

An early 2000s view of Center Court.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

The mall's racetrack-themed Food Court was a 1998 addition. The adjacent Burlington Coat Factory store moved into a vacant Montgomery Ward spot in 1999.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

By the early 2000s, LAFAYETTE SQUARE was no longer the destination mall of days gone by. The mall endured an "anchors away" scenario between 2003 and 2009. When all was said and done, just two (out of five) anchor buildings were operational. The Xscape indoor amusement park seen here filled a vacant Lazarus space in December 2008 (but closed in April 2010).
Photo from www.specialtyretail.com

LAFAYETTE SQUARE achieved its 50th year in business in 2018. At this time, there were sixty-two operational stores, nine kiosk retailers and one outparcel business. Major tenants included the Finish Line, Foot Locker and Foot Action USA. 

LAFAYETTE SQUARE
Lafayette Road and West 38th Street
Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana

Youngstown's Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation developed the first fully-enclosed mall in Indianapolis. The single-level complex was centered on a 93-acre site, located 4.8 miles northwest of the center city. At the time of its construction and dedication, the mall was in an unincorporated section of Marion County known as Pike Township. 

Plans for development of the site date back to the spring of 1958. Frederick B. Cline, an Indy-based realtor, and Doctor G.H.A. Clowes bought a 205-acre parcel. They planned to build an industrial park and had utilities extended to the property. Dr. Clowes passed away, with two family members inheriting his half-share. By this time, development had been entrusted to the Klein & Kuhn property management agency. 

It was revealed that the future route of Interstate 65 was going to divide the site. Klein & Kuhn decided to develop the southern 93-acre section as a shopping center. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation acquired the site. Grading work commenced in September 1966, with construction getting underway in March 1967.

The first operational LAFAYETTE SQUARE store, a 2-level (200,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, welcomed first shoppers on March 14, 1968. A 2-level (150,000 square foot), Indianapolis-based William H. Block was dedicated, along with the seventy-eight stores, on August 1st. A 2-level (230,000 square feet) Sears commenced operation on February 26, 1969.

Interior embellishments at the new "dream shopping world" included a 30-foot-high "Wonderfall" faux fountain, which dominated Center Court. Other water features flowed into crystal pools, surrounded by "sensational foliage." All spaces were heated and air-conditioned, maintaining a constant 72 degrees fahrenheit. All common area floors were terrazzo. 

When fully leased, the 17 million dollar LAFAYETTE SQUARE encompassed approximately 934,300 leasable square feet and housed eighty-four stores and services. Junior anchors included a Kroger supermarket and (55,800 square foot) G.C. Murphy 5 & 10.

Charter LAFAYETTE SQUARE tenants included Camelot Music, Spencer Gifts, Chess King, Florsheim Shoes, Hickory Farms of Ohio, Claire's Boutique, Goodyear Tire & Auto and SupeRx Drugs. The General Cinema Corporation Lafayette Square Cinema showed a first feature on June 26, 1968.

The Unigov consolidation of Indianapolis and Marion County, in 1970, brought the shopping hub into the corporate limits of Indiana's capital. A two-phase mall expansion got underway 3 years later.  A 2-level (134,000 square foot), Columbus-based Lazarus was built on the northeast corner of the complex, which was dedicated on August 8, 1974. Kroger, on the mall's southeast corner, was razed and replaced by a 2-level (160,000 square foot), Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres. This store opened for business on November 14, 1974.

With these improvements, LAFAYETTE SQUARE housed approximately 1,214,300 leasable square feet and contained 104 stores and services under its roof. A second cinematic venue, the General Cinema Corporation Lafayette Square II-III-IV, was constructed at the southeast corner of the mall site. This freestanding movie house debuted on November 5, 1976. The original in-mall cinema was twinned in 1977.

Retail rivals were aplenty in -and around- Indianapolis. Originally, there were GLENDALE CENTER (1958) {6.5 miles northeast, in Marion County} and GREENWOOD CENTER (1966) {4.4 miles southeast, in Greenwood}. The 1970s brought CASTLETON SQUARE (1972) {10.2 miles northeast, in Indianapolis}, FASHION MALL AT KEYSTONE (1973) {8.8 miles northeast, in Indianapolis} and WASHINGTON SQUARE (1974) {13.4 miles southeast, also in Indianapolis}.

Nameplate changes began at LAFAYETTE SQUARE after its Block's store was shuttered in November 1987. Lazarus closed their store on January 17, 1988 and re-opened, in the vacant Block's, on January 20th. Montgomery Ward, assuming the original Lazarus store, began business in April 1988. This store lasted until early 1999. Burlington Coat Factory moved into first floor space in May.

By this time, LAFAYETTE SQUARE was in decline. Its upper-tier tenants had been gradually replaced by local, mom & pop-type stores and discount outlets.  Moreover, additional commercial competition came from new shopping complexes in the trade area.

CIRCLE CENTER, a downtown redevelopment mall, was dedicated in September 1995. In the following decade, Indy's first lifestyle centers were completed. CLAY TERRACE {12.7 miles northeast, in Carmel} was dedicated in October 2004. METROPOLIS {10.3 miles southwest, in Plainfield} was completed in October 2005 (the name of this complex was changed to THE SHOPS AT PERRY CROSSING in November 2015).

Meanwhile, G.C. Murphy at LAFAYETTE SQUARE closed in 1993. The store space was leased as a Myrtle Beach-based Waccamaw's HomePlace until that store closed in June of 2001. Steve & Barry's University Sportswear operated in the building between 2006 and 2008. Lazarus went dark in April 2003. Its first level was utilized as the New Life Worship Center, a 2,500-seat sanctuary. The church eventually relocated. Its space was retenanted by Xscape, an indoor amusement park with tiny tot rides, a go kart track, mini-bowling alley and 4-D motion-ride experience.

Xscape opened in December 2008. A lawsuit filed by the parents of an injured child caused the closing of the facility, in April 2010. America's Incredible Pizza Company assumed the space in July 2010, but closed in March 2012.

J.C. Penney had pulled up stakes in December 2003. The building sat vacant until a New York City-based Shoppers World discount outlet opened, on the first level, in November 2008. L.S. Ayres, "Macy-ated" in September 2006, was shuttered in January 2009. Sears closed their LAFAYETTE SQUARE store in the same month.

Indianapolis' Simon Property Group had acquired LAFAYETTE SQUARE as part of their 1996 merger with the DeBartolo Realty Corporation. In December 2007, Simon sold the struggling mall to the New York City-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation. A small refurbishment was done at this time, which included a newly-built Main Entrance.

 

This renovation failed to halt the mall's downward trajectory. It lost several inline tenants between 2010 and 2012. The Burlington store went dark on August 12, 2019. Shoppers World relocated into the vacant Burlington space in 2021. In December of the previous year, Indy-based Sojos Capital acquired the virtually vacant mall. 

 

LAFAYETTE SQUARE closed for good on August 29, 2022. In January 2024, Sojos announced plans for a major renovation and repositioning. A mixed-use facility, known as WINDOW TO THE WORLD, would be created. This would include 200 residential units, a boutique hotel, leased offices and event space. The mall would also be given an indoor-outdoor refurbishment.
 

Sources:

The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis News
https://www.cinematreasures.org
https://www.movietheatre.org
http://www.specialtyretail.com

https://maps.indy.gov / Marion County-Indianapolis, Indiana 
http://www.acrealty.com
http://www.shoplafayettemall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://sojoscapital.com / Sojos Capital
"Lafayette Square" article on Wikipedia

Indianapolis' Glendale Center

In this aerial view from mid-1958, we see the GLENDALE CENTER mall in the final stages of construction. It would officially open for business in August.
Photo from http://indianaalbum.pastperfectonline.com 

A stunning ultra-modern L.S. Ayres department store anchored the north end of GLENDALE. With such splendid architecture, it's no wonder that the shiny new shopping hub was promoted as "a thing of beauty in our midst".

Drawing from L.S. Ayres & Company

William H. Block, another Indianapolis-based retailer, anchored the south end of the mall.
Photo from Allied Stores Corporation Annual Report 1962

One of thirty-six original GLENDALE tenants, Rost Jewelers maintained a mall store for over 34 years.
Drawing from Glendale Center, Incorporated 

G.C. Murphy, a 5 & 10 chain based in the Keystone State, operated a 2-level -36,000 square foot- store in the original GLENDALE mall. 

Drawing from G.C. Murphy & Company Annual Report 1958 

A GLENDALE CENTER physical layout from 1960 shows several "Gruen-esque" features. These include a subterranean service tunnel, split-level parking area and ultra-wide Center Court area. The original, open-air complex spanned approximately 525,000 leasable square feet. There were parking provisions for 3,500 autos.

GLENDALE CENTER TENANTS 1960:

MALL LEVEL
L.S. AYRES (with Beauty Salon) / WILLIAM H. BLOCK (with Beauty Salon and Garden Center) / G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with lunchoenette) / STANDARD FOOD supermarket / Baker's Shoes / Bertermann Brothers florists / Chandler's Shoes / Craig's at Glendale Candy & Restaurant / Crown Laundry & Dry Cleaning / Florsheim Shoes / Glendale House Restaurant - The Patio / Glendale Meat Market / Glendale Toy & Hobby Shop / Graham's of Glendale home furnishings / Hook's Drug (with luncheonette) / Joan Bari / Kay Bradenfield / Kinney Shoes / Lerner Shops / H. Lieber Company / Harry Levinson men's wear / L. Strauss & Company men's wear / Maternity Modes / Merchants National Bank & Trust / Roderick St. Johns men's wear / Rost Jewelers / Smith-Bridenstein Opticians / Susan Ives Sportswear / Suzy Hats / Tasty Bird Farms poultry specialists / Thom McAn Shoes / Tot-N-Teen / Tune Spot records

LOWER LEVEL CONCOURSE
Cerulli's Barber Shop / Glendale House Restaurant - The Patio (lower level) / Kimmel's Shoe Repair / Lenon-Maurice Beauty Shop 

The mall was 11 years old when a roofing renovation got underway. The 100-foot-wide mall, and six entry halls, were enclosed and climate-controlled. New tile floors and brick supporting pillars were installed. The project was complete by November 1969.

Photo from the Estell Wholesale Company / John V. Pontiere, Junior

Three bronze penguins were created by Kansas City, Missouri's Arthur Kraft. They were installed on the GLENDALE mallway in October 1960. As part of the GLENDALE roofing renovation, Winkin, Blinkin & Nod were re-installed along the newly-enclosed shopping concourse.
Photo from www.kiterealty.com / Kite Realty Group

The mall enclosing project also added a mod sculpture to Center Court, which was known as The Luminaire. A second work, titled The Zodiactor, followed in 1971.
Photo from https://www.glendaletowncenter.com

The renovation of GLENDALE CENTER continued past the mall's enclosure. In 1973, work commenced in the northwest corner of the Lower Level. The Galleria, a thirty-store mall within a mall, was built.
Graphic from Glendale Center, Incorporated

By 1974, several areas have been remodeled or enlarged. A southwest block (in dark gray) was finished in October 1964. A freestanding twin cinema (also dark gray) opened in July 1967. L.S. Ayres was expanded (light gray). Block's added a third floor. Lastly, a 2-level northwest block (light gray) was built adjacent to L.S. Ayres. With these improvements, the mall contained 125 stores. An expanded parking area now accommodates 4,500 autos.

Between September 1982 and October 1984, major reconstruction was done. Store space on the south end was bulldozed and replaced by a skylit South Mall concourse. When this was completed, the existing Center Court was re-roofed and refurbished (as shown above).
Drawing from Glendale Center, Incorporated

A circa-1984 plan shows the latest changes. In 1977, the east side of Block's was reconfigured with new Mall Level inline stores (in dark gray). The existing basement Galleria was enlarged in 1978. The construction of the South Mall Concourse (light gray) and refurbishment of Center Court was accompanied by a remodeling of the original Lower Level Concourse. It was refashioned into The Village, a second mall within a mall. This was completed in October 1984.

By the late '90s, GLENDALE had been outpositioned by more upscale shopping venues in its vicinity. Another renovation, costing upward of 45 million dollars, commenced in August 1999 and continued until November of the year 2000. A vacant Lazarus (nee' Block's) was repurposed as a vertically-stacked Staples, Old Navy, Stein Mart and public library. A Lowe's store and Kerasotes ShowPlace megaplex were also been built.

The final touch of the new millennium makeover was the creation of this logo. The official name of the complex was also changed to GLENDALE MALL.
Graphic from from www.kiterealty.com / Kite Realty Group

Alas, a major refurbishment, new name and logo did not reverse the fortunes of the complex. By 2006, it was -once again- on life support. Kite Realty, who had acquired GLENDALE in May 1999, closed the mall in March 2007. It was bulldozed leaving only two anchor stores, and four outparcel structures, standing. These were worked into GLENDALE TOWN CENTER.
Drawing from www.kiterealty.com / Kite Realty Group

The former Block's-Lazarus anchor store was worked into a new structure. An existing Staples (on the basement floor) and public library (on the third floor) were retained. The middle floor became part of a new Target, which was dedicated -along with the new power center- in July 2008
Photo from www.kiterealty.com / Kite Realty Group

Strip center store blocks were also attached to three sides of the existing Macy's (nee' L.S. Ayres).
Photo from www.kiterealty.com / Kite Realty Group

In our final GLENDALE layout, we see the configuration of the thoroughly demalled facility. Structures built as part of the 2007-2008 renovation are shown in light gray. At the time of this plan, the Kerasotes ShowPlace Glendale 12 has just been rebranded as the Glendale 12, a Landmark Theatres venue.

GLENDALE CENTER
North Keystone Avenue and East 62nd Street
Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana

Plans for a 7 million dollar Greater Indianapolis shopping center were announced in March 1954. The complex would be built on a 55-acre parcel, situated 7 miles northeast of the center city. At the time, the site was in an unincorporated section of Marion County known as Washington Township.

GLENDALE CENTER was designed by the Pereira & Luckman firm, of Los Angeles, Raymond Loewy, of New York City, and Karl O. Van Leuven, of Los Angeles' Victor Gruen Associates. Victor Gruen, himself, had a input into the design of the mall. It was developed by a joint venture of Indianapolis' L.S. Ayres department store chain and Chicago's Herbert Heyman and Howard Landau. Ground was broken on December 27, 1956

The open-air facility was configured with a main Mall Level and service basement; this accessed by two tunnels. There was also a small shopping concourse on this floor and basements for major stores. Two Indy-based department stores anchored the mall; a 3-level (148,000 square foot) L.S. Ayres and 2-level (118,700 square foot) William H. Block.

An initial twenty-six stores opened for business on August 14, 1958. When fully-realized, GLENDALE CENTER encompassed approximately 525,000 leasable square feet and housed fifty tenant spaces. Charter stores included Craig's at Glendale Candy & Restaurant, Hook's Drug, Roderick St. Johns men's wear, Lerner Shops ladies' wear, Rost Jewelers and the Glendale House Restaurant. There were also a (27,300 square foot) Standard Food supermarket, 2-level (36,000 square foot) G.C. Murphy 5 & 10, 2-level (26,000 square foot) Graham's of Glendale furniture and 400-seat Glendale Auditorium.

The first of many mall expansions added a 2-level (52,000 square foot) southeast store block. This included a Vonnegut's Hardware, which welcomed first shoppers on November 18, 1964. The General Cinema Corporation Glendale Cinema I & II opened for business on July 26, 1967.

This theater was a freestanding structure built in the the mall's southeast parking area. It was joined by the General Cinema Corporation Glendale III & IV, which was located across North Keystone Avenue from the mall proper. First features were shown on September 24, 1970. 

Indianapolis' first fully-enclosed mall was LAFAYETTE SQUARE {6.5 miles southwest, in Marion County}, which opened in April 1968. A renovation to enclose GLENDALE CENTER was formally announced in May 1969. This renovation turned out to be part of a three-phase project that required 4 years to complete.

The mall enclosure was finished by April 1970. At this time, the two anchor stores were being enlarged. L.S. Ayres expanded to 237,400 square feet with a 3-level eastern addition. A third floor was added to William H. Block, extending its area to 163,000 square feet. Moreover, a 2-level (40,000 square foot) section of stores was built adjacent to the new L.S. Ayres addition.

A final remodeling stage created a thirty-store mall within a mall in the basement level of the mall's northeast corner. Known as The Galleria, it encompassed 60,000 square feet and housed tenants such as Bathique, Just Jeans, Exotic Siam Boutique, Logo's Bookstore, The Pet House and Walls Unlimited art gallery. Stores began opening in December 1973. With The Galleria fully-leased, GLENDALE CENTER encompassed approximately 750,700 leasable square feet and contained 125 stores and services.

As the mall was being expanded and enclosed, the Unigov consolidation merged the City of Indianapolis and Marion County into one political entity. This brought GLENDALE CENTER into the physical limits of the Hoosier capital. Soon after, the mall faced its first true competition. CASTLETON SQUARE {2.5 miles northeast, in Indianapolis} opened for business in September 1972.

Commercial competition intensified in 1979, following the completion of a major expansion of FASHION MALL AT KEYSTONE (1973) {3.5 miles north, in Indianapolis}. This shopping venue made an upscale shift, usurping GLENDALE, which was given another keeping-up-type renovation in the early 1980s.

Work commenced on the initial -3.5 million dollar- stage in January 1982. Store space on the south end of GLENDALE was demolished. A section of an abandoned supermarket was retained and worked into the new ten-store South Mall. This Post-Modern concourse featured a lofty, skylit ceiling and new southwest mall entrance with a dramatic stained-glass-window. A Brendamour's Sporting Goods commenced operation on November 11, 1982, signalling completion of this project.

The paint was hardly dry before another major mall reconstruction got underway. This time, the Center Court would be re-roofed to match the new South Mall section. Work commenced on the 5 million dollar project in July 1983. Brick columns installed in 1969 were replaced with rounded, brightly-colored posts. A concert stage was built and all north end mall entrances were refurbished.

At the same time, the original Lower Level Concourse, in the northwest corner of the mall, was rebuilt. A (25,000 square foot) mall within a mall, known as The Village, was created. Among its six shops were The Kitchen Door, The Emporium, Kimmel Shoe Repair and Cerulli's Barber Shop (a 1958 charter tenant).

A gala cocktail and hors d'oeuvres party was held on October 29, 1984, commemorating completion of the mall makeover. This event was followed by the first GLENDALE anchor rebranding. William H. Block morphed into a Columbus-Ohio-based Lazarus on November 1, 1987.

A third major refurbishment of GLENDALE CENTER was completed in July 1994. As part of the 1 million dollar project, a Food Entertainment Court was created in the basement Galleria. Satellite campuses for Indiana University and Purdue University were set up in adjacent space. On the Mall Level, interior surfaces were painted, with new lighting and signage installed. 

Unfortunately, this project failed to halt the mall's decline. By the late 1990s, competition from nearby malls had thrown GLENDALE in a downward spiral. In May 1999, the struggling center was sold to the Indianapolis-based Kite Realty Group. A 45 million dollar renovation commenced in June 1999. The first order of business was to demolish vacant store space on the south end of the complex.

The interior of the mall was redone in a new color scheme, with common area flooring, elevators and escalators replaced. The 6-bay Terrace Food Court was built in existing Mall Level space. Its vendors included Manchu Wok, Roly Poly and Pizza di Roma, A 1-level (135,000 square foot) Lowe's home improvement center opened, in the southeastern periphery of the mall, on January 28, 2000. The Kerasotes ShowPlace Glendale 12 presented first features on May 19th.

The Lazarus building, which had been vacated in July 1999, was gutted and reconfigured. A 1-level (29,000 square foot) Old Navy commenced operation, on Level 2, in July of the year 2000. A branch of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, on Level 3, opened on October 23rd. A (24,000 square foot) Staples set up shop, on Level 1, in March 2001. Finally, a (30,000 square foot) Stein Mart opened, on Level 2, on October 11 of the same year.

The revitalized shopping hub, which encompassed approximately 668,000 leasable square feet, had been re-dedicated on November 10, 2000. Among its forty-nine mall proper tenants were Purrfect Gifts, Alter Ego, Trade Secret, Pac Sun, Sam Goody records, Express, The Limited and Victoria's Secret.

The new and improved shopping complex, now officially promoted as GLENDALE MALL, was initially successful. However, by 2004, it was becoming obvious that the afterglow of the 1999-2001 remodeling was wearing off. Stein Mart went dark in October, with Old Navy being shuttered in January 2006.

Kite Realty evicted most remaining tenants in February 2007 and closed the shopping concourse down in March. They embarked on a demalling in April. The mall was bulldozed, leaving the two anchor boxes, the movie megaplex, Lowe's store and three outparcels standing.

L.S. Ayres, which had been rebranded by Macy's on February 1, 2006, was thoroughly renovated. The structure was surrounded on three sides by outward-facing store blocks. In all, 45,000 square feet of retail and 16,300 square feet of leasable office space were built. The second level of the Block's-Lazarus building was also expanded into a (129,000 square foot) Target.

The new -entirely open-air- GLENDALE TOWN CENTER opened for business on July 27, 2008. The complex encompassed 393,000 leasable square feet and contained thirty-four stores, services and office suites. One of these stores would close for good 10 years later. Macy's, Inc. pulled the proverbial plug on their GLENDALE TOWN CENTER store in March 2019.

Sources:

The Indianapolis News
The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Recorder
Indiana Historical Society
https://maps.indy.gov / Marion County-Indianapolis, Indiana 
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
http://historicindianapolis.com / Jeff Kamm
http://kiterealty.com / Kite Realty
https://www.cinematreasures.org
http://movie-theatre.org/theatre.html / Mike Rivest

Indianapolis' Eastgate Center

A mural-size rendering of EASTGATE CENTER shows the west-facing facade of the complex all of the way from H.P. Wasson (on the left) over to Standard Food.
Drawing from the Eastgate Corporation

Signage, which once stood along North Shadeland Avenue and US Route 40, beckoned mid-century shoppers into Indiana's first mall-type retail complex.

Indy-based H.P. Wasson & Company was the mall's primary anchor. The building housed the capital city's first suburban department store, which was dedicated in March 1957.
Drawing from the Eastgate Corporation

An EASTGATE CENTER logo montage is composed predominantly of trademarks of stores that opened along with the mall in 1957.

The original EASTGATE CENTER incorporated approximately 370,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-four stores. The parking lot of the 10 million dollar shopping venue accommodated 3,000 autos at one time.

EASTGATE CENTER TENANTS 1957:

H.P. WASSON & COMPANY (with Snack Bar) / J.C. PENNEY / STANDARD FOOD supermarket / COLONIAL STORES supermarket / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Beauty By Bryant / Citizen's Gas & Coke Utility / Craig's Eastgate Candy & Restaurant / Columbia Carpet / Dunlap Barber Shop / Fame Laundry & Cleaning / Fannie May Candies / First Federal Savings / Goodman Jewelers / Harry Levinson men's wear / Hood Stores / Hook's Drug (with luncheonette) / Household Finance Corporation / Hudson's men's wear / Indiana National Bank / Kinney Shoes / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Maplehurst Dairy Bar / Miracle Dry Cleaning / Morrison's ladies' wear / National Shirt Shops / Omar Bakery / Pure Oil Service Station, Highway 100 (outparcel) / Pure Oil Service Station, Highway 40 (outparcel) / Richman Brothers men's wear / Rost Jewelers / Roy Steel shoe repair / Sam's Subway & Buffeteria / Sears Catalog & Appliance (with freestanding Auto Center) / Sharper & Gardner / Susan Ives Sportswear / Suzy Hats / The Vision Center / Thom McAn Shoes

Open courts and concourses at EASTGATE CENTER were roofed and climate-controlled, with the new & improved mall welcoming shoppers in November 1971. Advertising of the time promoted the revitalized complex as "a whole new shopping experience."
Drawing from the Eastgate Corporation 

The prestige of EASTGATE CENTER slipped considerably after the dedication of the too-close-for-comfort WASHINGTON SQUARE, in April 1974. EASTGATE, struggling considerably, was acquired by Indy's Melvin Simon & Associates. They renovated and remarketed the property. A name change, to EASTGATE CONSUMER MALL, was instituted in August 1982.
Graphic from Melvin Simon & Associates / Simon Property Group 

The new EASTGATE CONSUMER MALL featured just one store from the original complex...F.W. Woolworth. The remaining forty-three tenant spaces were leased to value-oriented retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory, GNC Value, Front Row, Off The Rax and The Fashion Outlet. Factoring in the 14-bay Food Court, the ECM spanned approximately 320,000 leasable square feet.

Above, we have a LabelScar view of the latter-day EASTGATE MALL. A tenant since 1983, Dunham's Sporting Goods went dark in January 2003. By this time, the complex was operating on life support.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"