Uptown Janesville
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedUptown Janesville is an enclosed shopping mall and mixed-use commercial destination in Janesville, Wisconsin, formerly known as Janesville Mall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Uptown Janesville is an enclosed shopping mall in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. The property opened in September 1973 as Janesville Mall after developer Roger Benjamin and his partners identified a large site along Milton Avenue with access to the Janesville trading area and Interstate 90. The original development was planned around department-store anchors, and its enclosed format was positioned as an advantage in Wisconsin's cold climate. The opening configuration included J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and Charles V. Weise, along with 12 other tenants. The center's anchor mix changed repeatedly as department-store chains encountered financial distress, consolidation, or changing retail conditions. Welles, which had initially been expected to anchor the project, entered bankruptcy during construction and was replaced by J. C. Penney. Montgomery Ward closed in 1985 and was replaced by Kohl's. The Charles V. Weise store became a Bergner's location and was later converted to Boston Store after Bergner's entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 1997, Sears opened a new two-story, approximately 110,000-square-foot store after the mall attracted the retailer from the nearby Beloit Plaza location. This expansion brought the mall to approximately 627,128 square feet. The property underwent significant physical updates in 1986 and 1991. The first renovation refreshed flooring, benches, and landscaping with live fig trees; the later project introduced a brighter pastel design and removed the trees. In 1998, CBL & Associates Properties acquired the mall. During the same period, Kohl's expanded into space formerly occupied by smaller mall shops, while the mall's movie theater was replaced by Chuck E. Cheese's. Retail pressures intensified in the 2010s. J. C. Penney closed its mall store in May 2014, and Dick's Sporting Goods opened in a portion of the former J. C. Penney space in October 2015. CBL announced a multimillion-dollar renovation program in late 2014. In July 2018, CBL sold the property to Houston-based RockStep Capital for $18 million. Boston Store closed in August 2018 when the Bon-Ton department-store group ceased operations, and Sears announced the closure of its mall store and Auto Center for February 2019. The property was renamed Uptown Janesville in July 2020. Its later redevelopment strategy shifted beyond traditional department-store retail. Janesville-based Woodman's Markets proposed replacing the former Sears site with the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center, an approximately 140,000-square-foot facility combining an ice arena, convention space, and multipurpose uses. The resulting facility includes Mercyhealth Arena and the Robert and Delores Kennedy Conference Center and officially opened with a ribbon cutting on September 19, 2025. The mall's current retail anchors include Dick's Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, and Kohl's, while the former Boston Store space is vacant and the former Sears building has been demolished or repurposed for the sports and convention development.
History
Planning for the property began in 1970 when developer Roger Benjamin surveyed potential sites for a Janesville shopping project. He initially considered a strip-center format anchored by Welles, a Midwestern discount department-store chain. After identifying open land along Milton Avenue in the Town of Harmony, near downtown Janesville and Interstate 90, Benjamin concluded that the surrounding trade area could support a larger enclosed center. Benjamin and two partners formed Janesville Properties Company and acquired approximately 40 acres adjoining a site where Montgomery Ward was already developing a store. The project was revised from a strip mall to an enclosed shopping mall with Montgomery Ward and Welles as intended anchors. Charles V. Weise, a department-store operation owned by Bergner's, subsequently joined the plan as a third anchor. Construction plans for the approximately $10 million project were announced in November 1970, with groundbreaking expected in spring 1971. Welles's parent company entered bankruptcy while construction was under way, and J. C. Penney assumed the planned anchor position and requested an extension into the mall. Janesville Mall opened in September 1973 with three department-store anchors and 12 additional tenants. Its enclosed design gave it a competitive advantage over nearby open-air Beloit Plaza during Wisconsin winters, and the interior tenant roster expanded rapidly. In 1985, Bergner's acquired the Boston Store chain and converted the Charles V. Weise location to the Bergner's name. Montgomery Ward closed the same year, after which Kohl's became the replacement anchor. A major 1986 remodeling project refreshed the courts with new flooring and benches and added live fig trees. The regional department-store landscape changed again in the early 1990s. Bergner's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991, and its Janesville location was rebranded as Boston Store. The mall also received a second renovation in 1991, using a brighter pastel palette and removing the earlier fig-tree landscaping. Management later pursued Sears as a fourth major anchor. After an earlier attempt failed, the mall offered Sears a new store opportunity tied to the closure of its Beloit Plaza location, including an outparcel Auto Center and financial incentives. Sears accepted, and a two-story, approximately 110,000-square-foot store opened in 1997. The expansion increased the center's reported area to approximately 627,128 square feet. CBL & Associates Properties acquired the mall in 1998. During CBL's ownership, Kohl's expanded into former small-shop space, and the mall's movie theater was replaced by Chuck E. Cheese's. The next major period of change began with J. C. Penney's closure in May 2014. CBL announced a multimillion-dollar renovation later that year, and Dick's Sporting Goods occupied roughly 40,000 square feet of the former J. C. Penney space in October 2015. In July 2018, CBL sold the property to RockStep Capital for $18 million. Boston Store closed in August 2018 as the Bon-Ton group shut down its department-store operations. Sears Holdings announced the closure of the Sears anchor and Auto Center in November 2018, with the closures scheduled for February 2019. These departures left a substantially reduced traditional anchor base centered on Kohl's and Dick's Sporting Goods, later joined in the stated anchor lineup by Ulta Beauty. The property was renamed Uptown Janesville in July 2020. In 2022, Woodman's Markets proposed a major civic and commercial redevelopment of the former Sears site. The planned Woodman's Sports & Convention Center was designed as an approximately 140,000-square-foot sports and events facility with an ice arena, convention center, and multipurpose space. Its reported $50.3 million funding package combined public support, private fundraising, federal funding, a contribution associated with the Janesville Jets, city planning money, and a city construction commitment. Naming rights resulted in the ice arena being called Mercyhealth Arena and the conference center being named the Robert and Delores Kennedy Conference Center. The facility opened on September 19, 2025, broadening Uptown Janesville's role from a conventional mall into a mixed retail, recreation, and community-events destination.
- 2025
Woodman's Sports & Convention Center opens
[1]The new sports and convention facility at the former Sears site opened on September 19.
- 2020
Property renamed Uptown Janesville
[1]The former Janesville Mall adopted the Uptown Janesville name.
- 2018
RockStep Capital becomes owner
[1]RockStep Capital purchased the mall from CBL for $18 million.
- 2015
Dick's Sporting Goods opens
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods opened in part of the former J. C. Penney space.
- 1998
CBL acquires the property
[1]CBL & Associates Properties acquired Janesville Mall.
- 1997
Sears opens a new anchor
[1]A new two-story Sears store and Auto Center were developed, expanding the mall to approximately 627,128 square feet.
- 1991
Boston Store branding and second remodeling
[1]The former Bergner's anchor became Boston Store, and the mall received a brighter pastel redesign.
- 1986
First major remodeling
[1]The mall updated its flooring, benches, and interior courts and introduced live fig trees.
- 1985
Kohl's replaces Montgomery Ward
[1]Montgomery Ward closed and Kohl's became its replacement anchor.
- 1973
Janesville Mall opens
[1]The enclosed mall opened in September with J. C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Charles V. Weise, and 12 other tenants.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center combining national retail tenants with community-oriented sports, convention, entertainment, and event facilities.
Shopping center · 1973
Enclosed retail mall
The core offering is an enclosed shopping environment serving Janesville and the surrounding regional trade area. Its tenant mix has historically combined department stores, specialty retail, beauty, sporting goods, food, and family entertainment. The center's principal retail anchors have changed over time in response to department-store closures and redevelopment.
Sporting goods retail · 2015
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods occupies approximately 40,000 square feet of the former J. C. Penney anchor. The store represents the mall's transition from a department-store-led tenant structure toward more specialized retail categories.
Department store · 1985
Kohl's
Kohl's replaced Montgomery Ward in 1985 and later expanded into space formerly occupied by smaller mall shops. It remains one of the property's principal retail anchors.
Beauty retail
Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty is listed among Uptown Janesville's current anchor tenants and adds cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance, and related beauty services to the property's retail mix.
Sports and convention facility · 2025
Woodman's Sports & Convention Center
The approximately 140,000-square-foot facility replaced the former Sears site and extends the property into sports, ice activities, conventions, conferences, and community events. Its named components include Mercyhealth Arena and the Robert and Delores Kennedy Conference Center.
Brand decisions
2022
Redevelopment of former Sears siteStrategyBackground
The closure of Sears left a large former anchor site and created an opportunity to diversify the property.
Action taken
Woodman's Markets proposed a sports and convention center with an ice arena, conference space, and multipurpose facilities.
Aftermath
The Woodman's Sports & Convention Center opened in September 2025, with Mercyhealth Arena and the Robert and Delores Kennedy Conference Center as named components.
Reported project cost. $50.3 million (2022 proposal and subsequent development)
2018
Sale to RockStep CapitalM&ABackground
CBL & Associates Properties sold the property after owning it since 1998.
Action taken
RockStep Capital acquired Janesville Mall for $18 million.
Aftermath
The property later adopted the Uptown Janesville name and pursued broader redevelopment beyond traditional mall retail.
Acquisition price. $18 million (2018)
1996
Recruitment of Sears as a fourth anchorStrategyBackground
Mall management sought to replace the nearby Beloit Plaza Sears with a new store at Janesville Mall after an earlier recruitment attempt had failed.
Action taken
Management offered Sears a new two-story store, an Auto Center, and financial incentives including tax-related support.
Aftermath
The approximately 110,000-square-foot Sears opened in 1997 and expanded the mall to approximately 627,128 square feet.
Recent events
Reported
RockStep Capital announces mall rebranding[2]
RockStep Capital announced that it is rebranding its mall properties; its Janesville retail center will be called Uptown Janesville. The company estimated the rebranding would be complete across its properties by the end of 2020.
Reported
Janesville Mall to be renamed Uptown Janesville[3]
RockStep Capital announced that it is rebranding its mall properties. Its Janesville retail center will be called Uptown Janesville; the company estimated the rebranding across its properties would be completed by the end of 2020.
Sources3 sources
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