There was a time when Indy’s superregional Washington Square wasn’t just a mall- it was a destination. Today, that version of the place feels almost impossible to imagine. It was real, though- I swear. I was in the area not too long ago and decided to see how things have changed at the sprawling property. It’s rough but, somehow the mall’s still open.
I’m not here to tell the entire story of Washington Square Mall, but a few key details help set the stage: when it opened in 1974, Washington Square became the third Indianapolis-area mall developed by Edward J. DeBartolo, following Lafayette Square (1967) and Castleton Square (1972). Positioned on the city’s east side, Washington Square quickly found itself in direct competition with Simon Property Group’s nearby Eastgate Consumer Mall. That was a rivalry it ultimately won, as Eastgate was forced to reinvent itself before fading away altogether.
On opening day, Washington Square featured a 154,000-square-foot L.S. Ayres1 and a 105,000-square foot William H. Block as its anchors2. A 218,400-square-foot J.C. Penney joined the mall’s lineup in April 19753, followed by a 198,000-square-foot Sears that August4. A fifth anchor, Lazarus, opened in 19785. Washington Square was huge!
Unfortunately, the mall’s first major casualty was Block, which closed in 19886 and was replaced by Montgomery Ward. DeBartolo merged with Simon in 1996, and Washington Square was renovated three years later. The biggest change came when a new 124,000-square-foot Target replaced Montgomery Ward and twelve smaller retailers7.
Citing lagging sales, J.C. Penney left the mall in 20018. Lazarus was shuttered the following year9. Burlington Coat Factory replaced J.C. Penney in 200310, and a newly-built Dick’s Sporting Goods replaced the vacant Lazarus in 2005. That same year, a new 12-screen Kerasotes movie theater was just east of the mall proper11.
In 2006, L.S. Ayres was converted to Macy’s, which closed in 2008. Three years later, Indy Wholesale Furniture opened there12 only to shutter after two years. Sears left in 2014. Dick’s and Burlington both closed in 202013. Like many, including its contemporary Lafayette Square, the mall has been in a downward spiral ever since.
Washington Square has been bought and sold several times since the days that Simon owned it. Today, the main reasons to go to there are Target -which no longer features an inline entrance- and the Showplace 12 theater, which was acquired by AMC in 2010. The old L.S. Ayres space is home to Furniture Corner, while the former Dick’s now houses a variety store called Chacharas Chuchín: Chuchín’s Trinkets
I didn’t go inside the mall on my most recent visit. I’ve heard reports that security guards are unusually aggressive, even commanding people to delete any photos they’ve taken inside! One Redditor managed to snag some back in January, though, and they don’t paint a pretty picture. Only seven stores remained14.
Although I didn’t head through its doors, I took two laps around the place by car and noticed some architectural vestiges of the Washington Square’s heyday. First was the brutalist enormity of the former J.C. Penney and Burlington, along with the slender New Formalist arches of the old L.S. Ayres and Macy’s. Still, Target and the movie theater with thriving.
Elsewhere, it was hard to believe the mall was still open. Graffiti crept across the walls, storefronts sat boarded up, and the sign panels above both main entrances were prone to “W” failure. The whole scene felt less like a mall and more like a slow-motion collapse.
That said, Washington Square might not be finished just yet. In February, officials from Cumberland and Indianapolis announced plans for a pre-development site study to take a closer look at the property and what could come next. Instead of sparking optimism, though, the move stirred unease among the mall’s owners and tenants. Rumors of a potential sale- or even a full shutdown- have been circulating for months. They’ve cast a long shadow over whatever future the study might reveal15.
Who knows what will happen, but Washington Square’s story feels familiar because it is familiar. It’s the same arc we’ve seen play out across Indiana and the Midwest: bold ambition, rapid expansion, slow attrition, and an uncertain future. Personally, I don’t see Washington Square Mall making it.
Sources Cited
1 Ayres’ Washington Square Is 11th In Family Of Department Stores (1974, October 16). The Indianapolis Star. p. 52…