Southlake Mall (Indiana)

Southlake Mall
Location Merrillville, Indiana, USA
Address 2109 Southlake Mall, Merrillville, IN 46410
Opening date 1974
Developer Richard E. Jacobs Group
Owner Starwood Capital Group
No. of stores and services 100+
No. of anchor tenants 9-Kohl's, Macy's, JCPenney, Carson Pirie Scott, Sears, Dick's Sporting Goods, Forever 21, Books-A-Million, H&M (Opening in 2015)
No. of floors 2
Website www.shoppingsouthlakemall.com

Southlake Mall is a shopping mall in Merrillville, Indiana. The tract of land on which it sits was annexed from unincorporated Ross Township in 1993. Southlake Mall is the only enclosed super regional mall in Northwest Indiana, as well as one of largest in the state overall along with Castleton Square in Indianapolis and Glenbrook Square in Fort Wayne. Anchor stores include Carson Pirie Scott, Kohl's, J. C. Penney, Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods and Sears. The Macy's store was previously an L. S. Ayres prior to September 9, 2006. The mall first opened with only two anchor stores - JCPenney and Sears - and the north and south anchor wings were added later. Carson Pirie Scott once housed a cafeteria-style restaurant next to the entrance near the security garage on the south side of the mall.

History

Richard E. Jacobs's Jacobs Visconsi Jacobs group built the mall in 1974.[1] The company put it up for sale in 1999, but it was not purchased until 2002 by The Westfield Group,[2] who renamed it Westfield Shoppingtown Southlake, and again to Westfield Southlake.

Westfield Southlake underwent a significant expansion in 2006, adding Dick's Sporting Goods and a Borders bookstore, as well as several structures in the mall's outlot areas, including a 12 screen Kerasotes theater, a Fifth Third Bank branch, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Red Robin, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

In July 2011, Borders Group announced it would be closing all of its stores by the end of September due to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Liquidation, including the Southlake Mall location. After Borders was closed, it became Books-A-Million.

On November 10, 2012, a group of teens ranging from age 14-16 were arrested after an altercation with another group of teens. One of the teens shot a 7.62×25mm Tokarev into the ceiling which caused the gun to jam. The mall was shutdown after the shooting and resumed business on November 11, 2012.[3]

Carson Pirie Scott wing at Westfield Southlake

Westfield Group sold the mall and several others to Starwood Capital in September 2013. As part of the sale, the mall's name reverted to Southlake Mall.[4]

Books-A-Million relocated in 2014[5] and the old location became Forever 21 the same year.[6]

H&M is expected to open at Southlake Mall in JCPenney wing in 2015

References

  1. ↑ "MALL DEVELOPER DAVID JACOBS". Post-Tribune. 19 September 1992. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  2. ↑ McCollum, Carmen (March 15, 2002). "Closing on Southlake Mall sale delayed". Northwest Indiana Times. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Police: 3 teens arrested in mall shooting; fourth suspect sought". Northwest Indiana Times. November 10, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ Pete, Joseph (September 16, 2013). "Westfield sells Southlake Mall to new owner". Northwest Indiana Times. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/books-a-million-closes-its-southlake-mall-store-will-relocate/article_6aa2f65b-6cb6-5a53-b540-87d30a8bbd97.html
  6. ↑ Pete, Joseph (September 11, 2014). "Forever 21 coming to Southlake Mall". Northwest Indiana Times. Retrieved September 12, 2014.

External links