McCain Mall

McCain Mall is an enclosed shopping center in North Little Rock, Arkansas, positioned near McCain Boulevard and Interstate 40. It is the largest shopping mall in the Little Rock metropolitan area and is described as the third-largest enclosed mall in Arkansas. The property serves as a regional retail and entertainment destination, combining department stores, specialty retailers, furniture and mattress retail, dining, and a multiplex cinema. The mall was developed on a 53.3-acre site and was formally dedicated in April 1973. Its principal department-store anchor, the Little Rock-based Pfeifer-Blass, had opened in late 1972; that business later became associated with Dillard's. At opening, the center contained approximately 96 stores and services, including a J. G. McCrory five-and-ten store and McCain Mall Cinema I and II. The development established a major enclosed retail destination in the North Little Rock area and gave the region a large concentration of department-store and specialty-shopping space. McCain Mall has not undergone a major physical expansion during its more than five decades of operation, but it has received significant renovations. A major renovation took place in 1992, followed by another redevelopment and modernization period in 2011–2012. During the latter period, the former M. M. Cohn space was demolished and replaced by a Regal cinema facility, reinforcing the mall's role as an entertainment destination as well as a retail center. The property has experienced the broader changes affecting American enclosed malls. Sears, once one of its major anchors, was separated from Sears Holdings' operating portfolio in 2015 as part of the transfer of 235 properties to Seritage Growth Properties. The Sears auto center closed in 2017 and was later removed. A LongHorn Steakhouse opened on the former auto-center site on January 22, 2019. Sears subsequently announced the closure of its McCain Mall store on November 7, 2019, as part of a nationwide program affecting 96 stores; the location closed on February 2, 2020. In the 2020s, the former Sears anchor area was reused for discount furniture and mattress retail. The occupant initially operated as Overstock Furniture & Mattress and was later identified as Deep Discount Furniture & Mattress. The mall's current anchor mix includes Dillard's, JCPenney, Deep Discount Furniture & Mattress, and Regal Cinemas. Through these replacements and renovations, McCain Mall has retained a regional role despite the departure of traditional department-store tenants and the changing economics of enclosed retail.

McCain Mall was developed on a 53.3-acre parcel along McCain Boulevard near Interstate 40 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Conceived as a major regional shopping destination, it was described at its opening as Arkansas's largest mall. The center's principal anchor, Pfeifer-Blass of Little Rock, opened in late 1972, and the mall was formally dedicated in April 1973. Its initial tenant roster included about 96 stores and services, among them a J. G. McCrory five-and-ten store and McCain Mall Cinema I and II. The mall became an important retail destination for the Little Rock metropolitan area. Its traditional format relied on department-store anchors and a broad interior tenant mix, while its cinema and later dining uses added entertainment and service functions. Although the property has operated for more than 50 years, it has not been substantially expanded. Instead, its major physical updates have come through renovations, including a 1992 renovation and a broader 2011–2012 redevelopment. The 2011–2012 work included the removal of the former M. M. Cohn building and the introduction of a Regal Entertainment Group movie theater. This change converted an obsolete department-store space into an entertainment use and helped maintain the mall's relevance as consumer behavior shifted toward experience-oriented destinations. Anchor changes became more pronounced in the late 2010s and early 2020s. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property at McCain Mall, along with 234 other properties, to Seritage Growth Properties. The Sears auto center closed in 2017 and was demolished. The former auto-center site was subsequently reused by LongHorn Steakhouse, which opened on January 22, 2019. Sears announced on November 7, 2019, that its McCain Mall store would be among 96 locations closing nationwide. The store closed on February 2, 2020. The former anchor space later received a furniture and mattress tenant. It initially operated under the Overstock Furniture & Mattress name and later became Deep Discount Furniture & Mattress. The mall's history has also included serious criminal incidents on the property and in nearby parking or access areas. In June 1997, overnight security guard Laurie White was raped and murdered while working near a Sears landscape merchandise tent. Andrew Engram was convicted in 1999 and initially sentenced to death. Following later appellate proceedings concerning the adequacy of his original legal representation and issues related to his sentencing, he was resentenced in 2014 to life imprisonment without parole. White's parents brought a federal lawsuit against Simon Property Group and Sears, which was settled out of court in 2000; settlement terms were not disclosed. Separate shooting incidents were reported in or near the mall in August 2020, December 2020, November 2022, and January 2023. These incidents included a shot fired inside the concourse, a fatal Christmas Eve shooting near the mall, a double shooting involving two teenagers in a parking area, and a reported shot near the American Eagle store. Despite these events, McCain Mall remains an active regional shopping center. Its current anchor profile combines Dillard's, JCPenney, Deep Discount Furniture & Mattress, and Regal Cinemas, supplemented by specialty retail and dining.

• 2020

  Sears closes

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears anchor closed on February 2 after its announced nationwide store-closure program.

• 2019

  LongHorn Steakhouse opens

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  LongHorn Steakhouse opened on January 22 at the former auto-center site.

• 2017

  Sears auto center closes

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears auto center closed and was later demolished.

• 2015

  Sears property transferred to Seritage

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears property became part of the portfolio transferred by Sears Holdings to Seritage Growth Properties.

• 2012

  Regal cinema replaces M. M. Cohn space

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former M. M. Cohn building was demolished and replaced by a Regal cinema facility.

• 2011

  Redevelopment period begins

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A renovation and redevelopment period began, continuing into 2012.

• 1997

  Laurie White murder

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Overnight security guard Laurie White was raped and murdered on mall premises while guarding an outdoor Sears merchandise area.

• 1992

  First documented major renovation

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall underwent a significant renovation.

• 1973

  Mall dedication

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  McCain Mall was officially dedicated in April as a major enclosed shopping center for the Little Rock area.

• 1972

  Pfeifer-Blass anchor opens

  [1]McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Little Rock-based Pfeifer-Blass department store, later associated with Dillard's, began operating at the site before the mall's formal dedication.

A regional enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving North Little Rock and the wider Little Rock metropolitan area, with department-store anchors, specialty retail, furniture retail, cinema, and dining.

• Retail · 1972

  Department-store retail

  McCain Mall's department-store offer is represented by anchors such as Dillard's and JCPenney. These stores provide broad assortments spanning apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and other general merchandise, giving the mall a regional-destination function beyond small specialty stores.

• Home furnishings

  Furniture and mattress retail

  The former Sears anchor space was reused for discount furniture and mattress retail. The occupant first operated as Overstock Furniture & Mattress and later used the name Deep Discount Furniture & Mattress, providing a large-format home-furnishings use within the mall's anchor portfolio.

• Entertainment · 2012

  Regal Cinemas

  Regal Cinemas occupies space created through the replacement of the former M. M. Cohn location. The cinema broadens McCain Mall's offer from shopping to movie-based entertainment and supports longer customer visits and evening activity.

• Restaurants · 2019

  Dining offer

  Dining is part of the mall's broader service mix. LongHorn Steakhouse opened on the former Sears auto-center site in January 2019, adding a freestanding casual-dining use to the retail and entertainment destination.

• 2023

  Gunshot reported near American Eagle

  Police responded in January 2023 to a report of a gunshot fired inside the mall near American Eagle. A nearby shopper reported taking cover.

  Source

• 2022

  Double homicide near mall parking area

  In November 2022, police found two 17-year-old shooting victims inside a vehicle in the mall parking area; one victim died at the scene.

  Source

• 2020

  Concourse shooting

  A man fired one shot inside the mall concourse in August 2020.

  Source

• 2020

  Christmas Eve shooting near the mall

  A shooting near McCain Mall on Christmas Eve killed one person and injured two juveniles.

  Source

• 1997

  Rape and murder of Laurie White

  In June 1997, overnight security guard Laurie White was raped and murdered while working at an outdoor Sears landscape merchandise tent at the mall. Andrew Engram was convicted in 1999 and initially sentenced to death. After later appellate proceedings, he was resentenced in 2014 to life imprisonment without parole. White's parents filed a federal lawsuit against Simon Property Group and Sears; the case was settled out of court in 2000 with undisclosed terms.

  Source

Read more

• 2020

  Replace former Sears anchor with furniture retailStrategy

  Background

  Sears announced the closure of its McCain Mall store in November 2019, and the store closed in February 2020.

  Action taken

  The former Sears anchor space was reused for Overstock Furniture & Mattress, later renamed Deep Discount Furniture & Mattress.

  Aftermath

  The space remained occupied by a large-format retailer after the departure of Sears.

  Source

• 2019

  Reuse Sears auto-center site for diningStrategy

  Background

  The Sears auto center had closed in 2017 and the structure was subsequently demolished.

  Action taken

  LongHorn Steakhouse opened on the former auto-center site on January 22, 2019.

  Aftermath

  The site was repositioned from automotive service use to casual dining.

  Source

• 2012

  Convert former M. M. Cohn space to cinema useStrategy

  Background

  The former M. M. Cohn anchor space was demolished during the mall's 2011–2012 renovation period.

  Action taken

  A Regal Entertainment Group movie theater was developed in its place, adding an entertainment anchor.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment diversified the mall's tenant mix and supported its role as a retail and entertainment destination.

  Source

1. 1McCain Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Simon McCain Mall official directory pagesimon.com