Greenwood Park Mall

Greenwood Park Mall is an enclosed shopping center in Greenwood, Indiana, positioned along the U.S. Highway 31 retail corridor south of Indianapolis. The property is owned and operated by Simon Property Group and functions as a regional retail destination for communities in southern Indianapolis and Johnson County. Its tenant mix combines department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, and services. The mall has approximately 1.29 million square feet of total retail area and is described as one of Indiana's largest shopping malls. The property began as Greenwood Shopping Center in 1965. Developed on an approximately 87-acre site by Atkinson & Company, the original center represented a reported $25 million investment. Melvin Simon & Associates acquired the property in 1977, and a major redevelopment converted it into the enclosed Greenwood Park Mall, which reopened in 1980. The name and early interior design reflected a park-oriented theme, including live plants, trees, park-style seating, and outdoor-style lighting. Over time, the mall's anchor lineup and surrounding retail environment changed substantially. Original or predecessor department-store occupants included Lazarus, Blocks, Montgomery Ward, L.S. Ayres, and Sears. Macy's ultimately occupied the former Lazarus space, while the former L.S. Ayres building was demolished in 2007 and replaced by a lifestyle-center expansion. Dick's Sporting Goods opened in 2005 in a former Service Merchandise location. Other notable additions included Old Navy in 2000, TGI Fridays in 1998, and Dave & Buster's, which opened in 2020 in the former JCPenney Home Store space. A major renovation carried out from 2003 through spring 2004 modernized the mall's interior and exterior entrances. The project removed much of the original park motif and replaced it with a more contemporary design. It also changed the food court from a plaza-style arrangement to a more open configuration. The 2007 lifestyle-center project added about 115,000 square feet of gross leasable area and broadened the center's appeal beyond traditional enclosed-mall retail. The mall's principal anchors have included Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Macy's, and Von Maur, with Sears listed as a vacant former anchor after its closure. The Macy's location traces its history to Lazarus, while Von Maur replaced earlier occupants associated with Blocks and Montgomery Ward. In 2018, Sears announced that its Greenwood Park Mall store would close as part of a nationwide closure program. The property continues to operate as a Simon-managed regional shopping and entertainment complex. In 2022, it also became the site of a deadly shooting in the food court, an event that drew national attention and affected the mall's public profile.

Greenwood Park Mall developed from Greenwood Shopping Center, which opened in 1965 on an approximately 87-acre site in Greenwood, Indiana. Atkinson & Company developed the original center at a reported cost of $25 million. Its location along U.S. Highway 31 gave it access to the expanding communities south of Indianapolis and helped establish the corridor as a significant retail destination. Melvin Simon & Associates purchased the property in 1977. Following redevelopment and expansion, the center reopened in 1980 as Greenwood Park Mall, an enclosed shopping mall. The park-oriented name was reflected in the original interior, which incorporated live plants and trees, park-style benches, and outdoor-style lampposts. The mall's regional role grew during the 1980s, and by 1990 it reportedly attracted approximately 10 million shoppers annually. The property continued to add retail and dining tenants during the 1990s and early 2000s. A Lowe's Home Improvement store opened north of the mall in 1994. TGI Fridays began operating at the mall in 1998, and Old Navy opened in 2000. Dick's Sporting Goods later occupied a former Service Merchandise site in 2005, strengthening the mall's sporting-goods offering. From 2003 through spring 2004, Greenwood Park Mall underwent its first major renovation since its 1980 enclosed-mall redevelopment. The project introduced a more modern and upscale visual identity. Many of the original park-themed features were removed, the food court was reorganized into a more open layout, and exterior entrances were renovated. The redesigned environment became the basis for the mall's subsequent physical appearance. Anchor changes shaped the property in parallel with broader changes in American department-store retail. The Lazarus space was eventually rebranded as Macy's after Macy's ownership of Lazarus. The separate L.S. Ayres store later liquidated and closed. Its former building was demolished in 2007, and a lifestyle-center expansion opened on November 8 of that year, adding approximately 115,000 square feet of gross leasable area. The expansion diversified the property beyond its traditional enclosed-mall footprint. The mall's anchor roster has included JCPenney, Macy's, Von Maur, and Dick's Sporting Goods, while former anchors or predecessor stores included Lazarus, Blocks, Montgomery Ward, L.S. Ayres, and Sears. Sears announced in October 2018 that its Greenwood Park Mall store would close as part of a national closure plan. The former JCPenney Home Store space was later redeveloped for Dave & Buster's, which opened a 34,500-square-foot restaurant and entertainment facility on November 15, 2020. Simon Property Group owns and operates the mall. As of 2022, Steve Kempe was identified as the mall manager. Greenwood Park Mall remains a significant retail and entertainment complex in the Indianapolis region, although like many traditional malls it has evolved through anchor replacements, lifestyle retail, dining, and entertainment uses. On July 17, 2022, a mass shooting in the food court killed three people and wounded two others. The gunman was killed by an armed civilian who intervened.

• 2022

  Food-court shooting

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A shooting at the mall's food court kills three people and wounds two others.

• 2020

  Dave & Buster's opens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dave & Buster's opens a restaurant and entertainment venue in the former JCPenney Home Store space.

• 2018

  Sears closure announced

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears announces the closure of its Greenwood Park Mall location.

• 2007

  Lifestyle-center expansion opens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A lifestyle-center expansion opens on the former L.S. Ayres site and adds approximately 115,000 square feet of gross leasable area.

• 2005

  Dick's Sporting Goods opens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dick's Sporting Goods occupies a former Service Merchandise location.

• 2003

  Major renovation begins

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall begins its first major renovation since the 1980 enclosed-mall redevelopment.

• 2000

  Old Navy opens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Old Navy opens at Greenwood Park Mall.

• 1998

  TGI Fridays opens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  TGI Fridays officially opens at the mall.

• 1994

  Lowe's opens near the mall

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A Lowe's Home Improvement store opens north of Greenwood Park Mall.

• 1990

  Annual visitation reaches approximately 10 million

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall is reported to attract about 10 million shoppers per year, or approximately 28,000 per day.

• 1980

  Greenwood Park Mall reopens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Following renovation and expansion, the property reopens under the Greenwood Park Mall name.

• 1977

  Melvin Simon & Associates acquires the property

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Melvin Simon & Associates purchases Greenwood Shopping Center and later redevelops it into an enclosed mall.

• 1965

  Greenwood Shopping Center opens

  [1]Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Atkinson & Company opens Greenwood Shopping Center on an approximately 87-acre site in Greenwood, Indiana.

A large regional shopping and entertainment center serving the south side of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, with a mix of department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, and leisure venues.

• Department stores · 1980

  Department-store anchor mix

  Greenwood Park Mall's department-store offering has historically included Macy's, JCPenney, and Von Maur. The current and former anchors reflect the evolution of the property from its Lazarus, Blocks, Montgomery Ward, L.S. Ayres, and Sears-era lineup. These stores provide broad apparel, accessories, cosmetics, home, and seasonal merchandise categories.

• Sporting goods · 2005

  Dick's Sporting Goods

  Dick's Sporting Goods is a major sporting-goods tenant and anchor at Greenwood Park Mall. It opened in 2005 in a former Service Merchandise location, bringing athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and outdoor merchandise to the center's anchor portfolio.

• Mixed-use retail · 2007

  Lifestyle-center expansion

  The lifestyle-center component opened in 2007 on the site of the former L.S. Ayres building. The approximately 115,000-square-foot expansion extended the mall's retail footprint and added a more open-air, contemporary format alongside the traditional enclosed shopping environment.

• Entertainment and dining · 2020

  Dave & Buster's

  Dave & Buster's operates a restaurant, arcade, and event venue in a 34,500-square-foot space formerly occupied by the JCPenney Home Store. Its 2020 opening expanded Greenwood Park Mall's offer from conventional shopping into large-scale food, games, and group entertainment.

• 2019

  Dave & Buster's conversion announcedProduct launch

  Background

  The former JCPenney Home Store space provided an opportunity to add a large entertainment and dining tenant.

  Action taken

  Greenwood Park Mall announced that Dave & Buster's would occupy the approximately 34,500-square-foot space.

  Aftermath

  The venue opened on November 15, 2020, adding arcade entertainment, dining, and event capabilities.

  Source

• 2018

  Sears anchor closureOther

  Background

  Sears announced a nationwide program of store closures that included its Greenwood Park Mall location.

  Action taken

  The Sears store was closed, leaving the former anchor space vacant.

  Aftermath

  The closure changed the mall's anchor configuration and left a vacant former Sears location.

  Source

• 2007

  Construction of a lifestyle-center expansionOther

  Background

  The former L.S. Ayres building had been demolished after the department store closed.

  Action taken

  Simon developed a lifestyle-center component on the site, adding approximately 115,000 square feet of gross leasable area.

  Aftermath

  The expansion opened on November 8, 2007, broadening the property's format beyond enclosed-mall retail.

  Source

• 2003

  Modernization of the enclosed mallStrategy

  Background

  The mall had retained a park-themed interior after its 1980 redevelopment, but Simon pursued a major modernization project.

  Action taken

  The renovation removed many live plants, trees, park benches, and outdoor-style lampposts, updated the food court, and remodeled exterior entrances.

  Aftermath

  Work was completed by spring 2004, and the updated design became the mall's established visual format.

  Source

1. 1Greenwood Park Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Greenwood Park Mall — Simon Property Groupsimon.com