Old News: Circle Centre's heyday
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The opening of Circle Centre Mall in 1995 was a celebration for the Circle City. Photo: Banayote Photo Inc./Indiana Historical Society
After more than a year of concept art and confusion, Hendricks Commercial Properties has finally begun its $600 million makeover of Circle Centre Mall.
Why it matters: The mall's promised rebirth as an open-air space provides the perfect opportunity to reminisce about Circle Centre's good old days.
Driving the (old) news: Demolition to make way for the mall began in March 1989 with the loss of a number of historic buildings.
- It was supposed to open in 1993, but delays and a late-stage redesign that added the Indianapolis Artsgarden pushed back its debut to September 1995.
Zoom in: The mall was initially anchored by a 206,000-square-foot Nordstrom and a 144,000-square-foot Parisian.
- It featured a floor dedicated to movies, gaming, clubbing and restaurants.
- In its first year, retail sales topped $400 per square foot of retail space and daily traffic was as high as 70,000 people.
- It continued to grow into the 2000s, peaking in 2007 with sales of $406 per square foot.
Yes, but: The rise of e-commerce in the 2010s sparked years of decline at Circle Centre and malls across the U.S.
- The pandemic delivered a devastating blow, sinking sales to about $184 per square foot in 2020.
💭 Justin's thought bubble: The peak, mid-aughts version of Circle Centre was the one I was introduced to when I started at Purdue in 2004.
- Compared to limited offerings at the near-campus Tippecanoe Mall, Circle Centre felt like a shopper's dream — and the best way to ensure you wouldn't show up to the next icebreaker party rocking the same outfit as someone else.
- Indy mall trips were major events in my residence hall. Guys with (working) vehicles would post notices of when they were going in the common area, and we would rush to claim seats on a sign-up sheet before all the cars filled up.
📬 We want to know: What era of Circle Centre Mall was your favorite? Email us at [email protected] to share your fond mall memories!