Muncie Mall
{{Short description|Shopping mall in Muncie, Indiana}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Muncie Mall
| image = 4bba7c37994d8cf88972c7ad8f870ec4--indiana-theater.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = The entrance of the Muncie Mall
| location =
| coordinates =
| address = 3501 N. Granville Ave.
| opening_date = 1970
| closing_date =
| developer = Melvin Simon & Associates
| manager = Hull Property Group
| owner = Hull Property Group
| architect =
| number_of_stores = 30+
| number_of_anchors = 4 (1 open, 3 vacant)
| floors = 1 (2 in former Carson’s)
| publictransit = {{rint|bus|1}} MITS
| website = www.munciemall.com
| belowstyle =
| footnotes =
}}
Muncie Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Muncie, Indiana. Opened in 1970, it was developed by Melvin Simon & Associates, now known as Simon Property Group. The mall's original anchor stores were W. T. Grant, Britt's, Sears, and Ball Stores. In 2020 the mall had no anchor stores, although it continued to have over 30 inline tenants. Its anchor stores as they closed were JCPenney, Macy's, Carson's, and Sears. In 2021 the former Macy's building was bought by a discount store called Buyers Market. The mall is owned and managed by the Hull Property Group.
History
= Stores =
Muncie Mall opened in 1970 with Britt's, W. T. Grant, and Sears as its anchor stores. Other major tenants upon opening included a National Tea supermarket and Osco Drug.{{cite book|title=Chain Store Age: Executives edition|date=1964|volume=45|publisher=Lebhar Friedman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W3sqAQAAMAAJ|access-date=2015-07-12}} Britt's later became L. S. Ayres and Grants later became J. C. Penney, respectively. Another major tenant was Ball Stores, which later became Elder-Beerman.{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19692831.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610235727/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19692831.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-06-10|title=Elder-Beerman sees Chap. 11 exit, plans stock offer. (Elder-Beerman Stores Corp.) - Footwear News|access-date=2015-07-12}}
Outback Steakhouse opened in the surrounding area on July 22, 1997.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-press-aussie-celebration-planne/165220764/|title=Aussie celebration planned at restaurant|publisher=The Star Press}} That year, after L.S. Ayres vacated the central anchor spot for a new store in the mall, the former Ayres building became a new Elder-Beerman store. Elder-Beerman continued to operate a home goods store within the former Ball Stores.{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DDNB&p_theme=ddnb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F51B462D135E984&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=NewsBank for DDN | www.daytondailynews.com|publisher=nl.newsbank.com|access-date=2015-07-12}}{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20079848.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611001234/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20079848.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-06-11|title=Seeing what develops: a healthy state of commercial development continues across Indiana. - Indiana Business Magazine |access-date=2015-07-12}}{{cite web|url=http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/NYS/SPG/reports/ar97.pdf|date=29 May 1998|title= SIMON DEBARTOLO GROUP, INC. 1997 ANNUAL REPORT|access-date=2015-07-12}} L.S. Ayres' newer store became Macy's in 2006. Books-A-Million opened its fourth Indiana store at the mall in the former Osco Drug in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145575498.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611001232/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145575498.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-06-11|title=New store opened by Books-A-Million in Indiana.(Brief article) - M2 Best Books|access-date=2015-07-12}} Old Navy, which replaced the Elder-Beerman home store, closed in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestarpress/access/1975031341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+02%2C+2010&author=KEITH+ROYSDON&pub=Star+Press&desc=Old+Navy+closing+at+Muncie+Mall&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411160416/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestarpress/access/1975031341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+02,+2010&author=KEITH+ROYSDON&pub=Star+Press&desc=Old+Navy+closing+at+Muncie+Mall&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2013|title=Old Navy closing at Muncie Mall|publisher=pqasb.pqarchiver.com|access-date=2015-07-12}}
The discount movie theater closed in the early 2000s, it has since been walled over and used for storage.
A Target store opened outside the mall on the west side on March 5, 2003.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-press-new-target-store-to-open/61743727/|title=New Target store to open Wednesday|publisher=The Star Press}}
Elder-Beerman became Carson's in 2012. On April 18, 2018, Carson's announced that its store would be closing as a result of liquidation of their parent company, Bon-Ton.{{Cite web|title=Bon-Ton 'wind-down' appears to mean Carson's closing at Muncie Mall|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2018/04/18/bon-ton-wind-down-means-likely-carsons-closing-muncie/530098002/|last=Roysdon|first=Keith|website=TheStarPress|language=en}} The store closed on August 31, 2018. On May 31, 2018, Sears announced that they would also be closing as part of a plan to close 72 stores nationwide. Sears closed in September 2018.{{Cite web|title=Muncie's Sears store to close|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2018/05/31/muncies-sears-store-closing-list/660817002/|last=Roysdon|first=Keith|website=TheStarPress|language=en}} On May 31, 2019, it was announced that the owner of the mall will be returning the mall to the bank.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2019/05/30/ceo-analysts-muncie-mall-didnt-make-grade/1220595001/|title=Future of Muncie Mall uncertain as owner plans to return it to bank|website=TheStarPress|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01}} On January 7, 2020, Macy's announced that they would be closing as part of a plan to close 125 stores nationwide.{{Cite web|title=Macy's to close at Muncie Mall|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2020/01/07/macys-close-muncie-mall/2836691001/|last=Stefanski|first=Charlotte|website=TheStarPress|language=en}} The store was set to close in April 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it closed in March along with the temporary closure of the mall.
In 2019, the former Carson's was used for a once a month flea market, which later closed. In 2021, Spirit Halloween occupied the space. Neither of them used the second floor.
On June 4, 2020, JCPenney announced that it would be closing in October 2020 as part of a plan to close 154 stores nationwide, which will leave the mall without any anchor stores.{{Cite web|title=JCPenney Store Closings – JCPenney Company Blog|url=https://companyblog.jcpnewsroom.com/storeclosings/|website=companyblog.jcpnewsroom.com}} The mall had seventeen permanently closed stores and restaurants as of July 2020.{{Cite web|last=Stefanski|first=Charlotte|title=Muncie Mall continues to lose stores after reopening|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2020/07/28/muncie-mall-lose-stores-reopening-justice-lane-bryant-closing-pandemic-jcpenney-victorias-secret/5517308002/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=The Star Press|language=en-US}}
On June 18, 2021, Buyers Market (a discount store) bought and opened in the former Macy's, only using about 50% of the sales floor.
In 2022, Spirit Halloween occupied the former Carson’s, they have been the only tenant in the space since they last used it in 2021. They Did not use the mall entrance.
File:Muncie Indiana mall 1970.webp
In 2022, Buyers Market Leased out the former JCPenney for storage. Although, some For Lease signs are still on the building.
In 2023, Spirit Halloween occupied the former Carson’s for the third year in a row. They did not use the mall entrance.
In January 2024, Woodmont Company sold the mall to Hull Property Group {{Cite web |title=Muncie Mall acquired by Hull Property Group |url=https://www.ballstatedailynews.com/article/2024/01/muncie-mall-acquired-by-hull-property-group?fbclid=IwAR2xd6l90BC2MB-43RURso7Hna9G7d_GA7L0j0duabSqxwU7uwPqQTagzMk |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Muncie Mall acquired by Hull Property Group - The Daily News |language=en-US}}
= Ownership =
Muncie Mall was owned and operated by Simon Property Group prior to being spun off, along with some other Simon-owned properties, into newly formed Washington Prime Group (WPG) in 2014. In 2020, WPG CEO Louis G. Conforti referred to Muncie Mall as one of the company's "crappiest assets". WPG CFO Mark E. Yale announced the company's intention to default on mortgage loans secured by seventeen of the company's malls, including Muncie Mall, thus transitioning these malls to the company's lenders. The mall served as collateral for a $33.1 million loan from JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust to WPG.{{Cite web|last=Slabaugh|first=Seth|title=Muncie Mall lumped in with WPG's 'crappiest assets'|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2020/03/03/muncie-mall-lumped-washington-prime-groups-crappiest-assets/4938543002/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=The Star Press|language=en-US}} The mall was closed temporarily at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. A receiver was appointed to manage and lease the mall on April 14, and the mall reopened under new management by the Woodmont Company on May 18.{{Cite web|last=Slabaugh|first=Seth|title=Mayor: Muncie Mall to reopen under new management|url=https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2020/05/14/mayor-muncie-mall-reopen-under-new-management/5189573002/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=The Star Press|language=en-US}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://munciemall.com Muncie Mall]
{{Shopping Malls in Indiana}}
{{coord|40.2223|-85.3753|type:landmark_region:US-IN|display=title}}
Category:Shopping malls established in 1970
Category:Shopping malls in Indiana