Malls · Indiana
Southtown Mall
Opened 1969. Closed 2003. Redeveloped in 2006.
Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
What it becameretailextracted, unreviewed reported
Retrofit year2006extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability10.3 of 20 · 15-minute 4 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/in/fort-wayne-southtown-mall/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile15 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Former anchors
JCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with thisMontgomery Ward
This site: Montgomery Ward wikipedia · all sites with thisSears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisOwnership
Public body
This site: City of Fort Wayne county-parcels · all sites with thisPlace
200+ tax-credit housing units within 1 km
This site: 787 units in 7 properties hud-lihtc · all sites with thisBike network nearby
This site: 13 ways openstreetmap · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 5 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh inland flooding risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.96 cdc-svi · all sites with thisHigh tornado risk
This site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $42,542 census-acs · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 67% census-acs · all sites with thisTract house prices doubled in 10 years
This site: +196% fhfa · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: Menards and Walmart stores extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Retail (continued)
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Demolishedextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall was demolished for new development including a Walmart and Menards. |
| New uses | retailextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | Menards and Walmart storesextracted, unreviewed documentedIn 2006, a Menards home improvement store opened on the site. It was followed later in the year by Walmart. |
| Retrofit year | 2006extracted, unreviewed reported |
Deals and debt
| Date | Event | Price | Parties | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sold | — | City of Fort Wayne ← Heywood Whichard | Wikipedia |
| 1999 | Sold | — | Heywood Whichard ← Melvin Simon & Associates | Wikipedia |
Site context
| Transit within 800 m | no rail stationOpenStreetMap |
|---|---|
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 7: CALIBER COLLISION - FORT WAYNE; FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE 015806; LEGACY OFFICE CENTRE PHASE 1; MENARDS EXPANSION FORT WAYNE SOUTH; PUBLIC SAFETY ACADEMY OF NORTHEAST INDIANAEPA FRS |
| Census tract 18003003600 | 6,441 people, 2,494 per sq mi; median household income $42,542; median gross rent $890; 67% renters; 5.7% vacant units; 1.8% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 10.3 of 20; 24 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 377 m; land-use mix 0.52; 33,215 jobs within 45 min by car, 11,476 by transit; 15% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 4 of 6 daily needs: 5 grocers, 1 schools, 4 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 0 civic, 6 food and drink; 13 cycleway segments, 36 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, Allen County (IN), 2024 | 576 units in 5+ unit buildings, 0 in 2–4, 1,285 single-family; 2023: 706 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.96; socioeconomic 0.89; housing and transport 0.81; 32% below 150% of poverty; 14% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 20,172 m², 5.925767421722412 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 27,373 since 2015; 1,829 in the last 12 months (-12% vs the prior 12); peak 2019-12 with 565Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population +22% (5,276 → 6,441); median income +26% ($33,620 → $42,542); renters 65% → 67%; median home value +63% ($60,300 → $98,500)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively moderate overall (score 79.7); expected annual loss $1.7M; high: tornado, inland flooding, strong wind, winter weather; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 7 LIHTC properties, 787 units: Arbors Of South Towne Square Apts (213 units); Villa Capri Apts (171 units); Silver Birch Of Fort Wayne (119 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 21,464 jobs in 1,184 establishments; average annual pay $41,115; employment location quotient 1.09; employment -0.5% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 1,378 jobs; 561 in retail trade, 114 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 18003003600)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 36th income percentile as adults; 5.5% incarcerated at the 2010 count (951 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 16.5%; median family income $36,229; 626 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Fort Wayne Community Schools (PK-12); 0 public schools within 1 mileNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 783 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 226 county-logged events: 151 thunderstorm wind, 56 hail, 5 flash flood, 5 tornado; $868,000 property damage reported; 2 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 46816, 2026-09 | median list price $317,694 (+29.9% on the year); 16 active listings; median 53 days on market; 28% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 1,212 establishments (-6%); 22,348 jobs (+12%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $254,595 (+4% 1 yr, +34% 5 yr); typical rent $1,265/mo (+6% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 359 (2000 = 100); +2.5% 1 yr, +94% 5 yr, +196% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 13,721 vehicles a day on TILLMAN RD (minor arterial, 4 lanes); 819 trucks; 36 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Southtown Mall opened in 1969, expanded in 1982 with a new wing featuring Sears and Service Merchandise, and saw anchor closures beginning with L. S. Ayres in 1991. The mall closed in 2003 due to declining traffic, was acquired by the City of Fort Wayne via eminent domain in 2004, demolished, and the site was redeveloped with Menards and Walmart opening in 2006.
Why. The record shows declining traffic and anchor store losses (e.g., L. S. Ayres closure) as reasons for the mall’s decline, leading to its 2003 closure. The city’s acquisition and demolition were driven by a redevelopment strategy to replace the vacant mall with new retail.
Where it stands. The mall is demolished; the City of Fort Wayne owned the property at the time of demolition (2004 sale), and the site now hosts Menards and Walmart stores.
For a planner
- Precedent: use of eminent domain to acquire and demolish a failing mall for retail redevelopment.
- Policy tool: city-led acquisition and demolition enabled the 2006 retrofit.
- Open question: what long-term retail or mixed‑use vision guides the site now that big‑box stores are in place.
- Open question: how the redevelopment affects surrounding land use and traffic patterns.
For a developer
- Site size: not stated in the record.
- Control: City of Fort Wayne owned the parcel at demolition (2004); current owner after 2006 is not specified.
- Entitlement stage: retrofit already built (Menards and Walmart opened 2006), so no further entitlements needed for that use.
- Constraints: flood, transit, or environmental factors are not mentioned in the record.
- Market signals: tract‑level data (population growth, income, etc.) are not provided.
What we do not know yet
- Current ownership after the 2006 Menards/Walmart opening is unknown.
- Exact site dimensions and layout are not provided.
- Environmental constraints (floodplain, wetlands, contamination) are not stated.
- Transit access and proximity to major roads are not detailed.
- The record’s verification status is "draft," indicating some facts may be model‑extracted and unreviewed.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Avondale Mall, DeKalb County, GA · Malls · opened 1964; closed 2001; same strategy: redevelop
- Bashford Manor Mall, Louisville, KY · Malls · opened 1973; closed 2003; same strategy: redevelop
- Capital Plaza Mall, Landover Hills, MD · Malls · opened 1963; closed 2005; same strategy: redevelop
- Carolina Circle Mall, Greensboro, NC · Malls · opened 1976; closed 2002; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Southtown Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- KMart - Across From Southtown Mall Area commons.wikimedia.org
- Northway Mall labelscar.com
- SOUTHTOWN MALL 1969-2003 youtube.com
- Southtown Mall; Fort Wayne, Indiana : r/fortwayne reddit.com
- Southtown Mall: 21 of 33 deadmalls.com
- Southtown Mall Cinemas 1-2-3 in Fort Wayne, IN - Cinem… cinematreasures.org
- Abandoned Kohl's store at Southtown Mall in Fort Wayne | Photograph by ... chriscrawfordphoto.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- closed or demolished site (sourced)
- county grew 5.1% 2018–23
- public owner
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1969Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2003extracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall closed on February 1, 2003, when the last of its tenants were evicted. |
| Original developer | Melvin Simon & Associatesextracted, unreviewed |
| Anchors | Service Merchandise, JCPenney, Sears, Montgomery Ward, Wolf & Dessauer |
| County | Allen County |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Southtown Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Opened in 1969, it closed in 2003 due to declining traffic. Anchor stores once included JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Wolf & Dessauer, Sears, and Service Merchandise. The mall was demolished for new development including a Walmart and Menards.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1969 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1969 Opened
- 1982 Expanded with new wing featuring Sears and Service Merchandise
- 1983 Kohl's opened in former Montgomery Ward location
- 1991 L. S. Ayres announced store closure
- 1992 Mall put up for sale
- 1998 Second attempt to sell the mall
- 1999 Heywood Whichard purchased the mall
- 2003 Mall closed
- 2004 City acquired via eminent domain and mall demolished
- 2006 Menards and Walmart opened on site
Sources
- Wikipedia: Southtown Mall · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed
15 quoted sentences
The mall closed on February 1, 2003, when the last of its tenants were evicted.
Melvin Simon & Associates, the mall's developers
In 2006, a Menards home improvement store opened on the site. It was followed later in the year by Walmart.
the mall was demolished that same year.
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