Lexington's Turfland Mall

Lexington's very first shopping mall was anchored by three department stores. On the west end of the complex was a 2-level McAlpin's. It was the fifth branch of the Cincinnati-based chain and McAlpin's first Bluegrass State location. 

Drawing from http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org

TURFLAND MALL in 1967. The 531,100 square foot complex housed forty-four stores and services. It was anchored by Grant City, a discount mart division of W.T. Grant, "Monkey Wards" and the aforementioned McAlpin's.

An exterior view of the shopping center, showing the results of a late 1990s face lift.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky

One of the shopping center's double Dillard's locations. These were shuttered in April and June of 2008.
Graphic from www.rubloffusa.com (Rubloff Development Group)

Walgreen's defected from the enclosed mall, into a freestanding store, in 1999.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky

The east anchor of TURFLAND, Montgomery Ward, closed in March 2001. The land parcel was sold to Home Depot, who opened a new store in 2002.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky

Longhorn Steakhouse was built during the late '90s renovation.

Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kerntucky

TURFLAND MALL in 2007. This was just before Dillard's did an "anchor's away" in the summer of 2008, leaving the shopping complex with just a single destination store to sustain it.

A rendering of TURFLAND TOWN CENTER, which was proposed as a replacement for TURFLAND MALL. The mixed-use complex would have retained the Home Depot and main Dillard's buildings. Approximately 133,000 square feet of new retail, residential and data center space were to be built.
Drawing from http://www.turflandtowncenter.com

TURFLAND MALL bit the dust in February 2014, with just three store structures left standing; Home Depot, Staples and the old McAlpin's / Dillard's. The University of Kentucky repurposed the latter as a medical and dental clinic.
Drawing from http://southsidermagazine.com

TURFLAND MALL
Harrodsburgh Road / US 68 and Lane Allen Road
Lexington, Kentucky

Ground was broken for Lexington's first fully-enclosed shopping center in November 1965. TURFLAND MALL, which was also the Bluegrass State's second regional-class interior mall, opened for business August 24, 1967. The single-level complex was built on 41.6 acres, located 2.5 miles southwest of downtown Lexington.

The 5 million dollar structure spanned 531,100 leasable square feet. It was added to a freestanding, 1-level (187,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, that had been dedicated March 17, 1966. Also anchoring TURFLAND MALL were a 2-level (167,500 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's and 1-level (58,000 square foot) Grant City discount mart.

In all, there were forty-four stores and services. These included Walgreen Drug, the Blue Boar Cafeteria, Wenneker's Shoes, Robinsons Limited men's wear, Graves-Cox, Hymson's Clothing Company, the General Cinema Corporation Turfland Cinema I & II and a freestanding (34,000 square foot) Winn-Dixie supermarket.

The first commercial competitor was FAYETTE MALL (1971) {2.4 miles southeast, in Lexington}. Then came LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {4.1 miles east, also in Lexington}. The three centers coexisted for several years, but FAYETTE MALL gained a competitive edge after a major expansion in 1993.

The first anchor store change at TURFLAND MALL had taken place with the shuttering of Grant City, in early 1976. J.C. Penney opened in the space on November 17, 1976 and remained in business until November 4, 1993, when they relocated to FAYETTE MALL. The vacant store space at TURFLAND was taken by a McAlpin's Home Center, which relocated from the old Winn-Dixie space.

The next anchor change occurred October 17, 1998, with the rebranding of all McAlpin's locations by Dillard's. The Arkansas-based retailer rebannered the McAlpin's Home Center as a Dillard's For The Home operation.

Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based Rubloff Development had acquired the aging and outpositioned TURFLAND MALL in September 1997. A comprehensive renovation got underway in July 1998, which was the first refurbishment of the mall since 1986.

This remodeling included new marble flooring, landscaping and an exterior face lift. The 522,000 square foot complex was rededicated in May 1999. Unfortunately, another retail rival had come on the scene. The HAMBURG PAVILION power center {6.2 miles east, in Lexington} was completed in 1998.

Troubles at TURFLAND were exacerbated by the shuttering of Montgomery Ward, in March 2001. Home Depot demolished the old Ward's and built a 1-level (119,500 square foot) store. It opened for business in 2002, but did not connect with the interior mallway.

Hopes for a prosperous future at TURFLAND were dashed for certain in 2008, when Dillard's shuttered both of its "underperforming" stores. Dillard's For The Home shut down in April, with the main store going dark June 22. The mall closed for good October 1, 2008.

A redevelopment plan was announced in 2009. TURFLAND TOWN CENTER, an open-air, mixed-use project, was proposed. The bulk of the mall was to be razed, leaving the Home Depot, Staples and main Dillard's structures standing. Outparcels, such as Walgreen's, Ruby Tuesday, O'Charley's, Longhorn Steakhouse and Chick-Fil-A, would remain, as well.

New construction would have included two 75,000 square foot data centers, fifty inline store spaces, urban loft-type condominiums and a parking garage. Unfortunately for Rubloff Development, a new tenant for the McAlpin's / Dillard's building could not be found. By June 2012, Rubloff had defaulted on their mall loan. The bank foreclosed and the vacant shopping hub was sold in December 2012.

The new owner, Lexington-based Turf Development, demolished much of the deteriorating mall in early 2014. The Staples, Home Depot and main Dillard's buildings were left standing, along with eight outparcel structures. The University of Kentucky acquired the abandoned Dillard's and renovated it into the UK Health Care at Turfland medical clinic and UK Dentistry at Turfland dental facility.   

Sources:

"Turfland Mall" article on Wikipedia "Mall Malaise: Is Turfland Mall's Future a Storegone Conclusion?" / Lexington Herald Leader / Karla Ward
The Lexington Herald-Leader
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
"Protecting Its Turf" / Retail Trade Magazine / Amy Baldwin / May 1, 1999 http://www.rubloffusa.com/ (Rubloff development Group)
http://www.turflandtowncenter.com
http://www.fayette-pva.com (Lexington-Fayette County Property Value Administrator)

Lexington's Fayette Mall

Lexington's second shopping mall opened its doors in October 1971.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com (CBL & Associates Properties)

Sporting a Macy's nameplate since early 2005, the mall's northern anchor store started out, in 1971, as a Cincinnati-based Shillito's ["shil-uh-towz"]. It was the chain's second Bluegrass State location. The first had opened in 1970, at Louisville's OXMOOR CENTER. Over the years, the store seen here has operated under five nameplates.

Photo from www.cblproperties.com (CBL & Associates Properties)

The shopping hub, as it was configured in late 1973. FAYETTE MALL brought together Cincinnati and Louisville department stores and included a 2-level Sears on its south side. At this time, the complex housed approximately 609,300 leasable square feet, with over seventy stores and services under its roof.

A freestanding National City Bank branch (now a PNC Bank) was completed in 1972.

Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky

A freestanding restaurant joined the fold in 1982. After a couple of name changes, it operates as an Olive Garden.

Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky

The FAYETTE MALL Food Court began operation in November 1990. Today, it features twelve fast food eateries.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com (CBL & Associates Properties)

Between May 1991 and May 1993, a South Wing was added. With its completion, Sears became a walk-through anchor, similar to a store at Chicagoland's GOLF MILL CENTER. By this time, the Stewart's store at FAYETTE MALL had been rebranded four times. The building was downsized, with much space dedicated to inline stores. A JCPenney nameplate was affixed in November 1993. 

Along with the addition came a Cincinnati-based McAlpin's, which was "Dillard-ized" in October 1998.

Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky

Another enlargement of FAYETTE MALL was done in 2004-2005, when a Southwest Wing (in gray) was constructed. It added fifteen stores and increased the gross leasable area of the center to 1,198,100 square feet. It reclaimed the title of largest mall in Kentucky, which it had held -briefly- between 1993 and 1998. The mall's vast parking area could now accommodate over 5,700 autos.

Chattanooga's CBL & Associates took possession of FAYETTE MALL in 2001. In 2006, they completed THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL, a mall-adjacent strip center.

Photo from www.cblproperties.com (CBL & Associates Properties)

A circa-2015 site plan of Kentucky's largest shopping center. Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy, P.F. Chang's and THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL opened in 2006. Sears, shuttered in early 2014, has been sectioned into inline store spaces and a mallway that now connects the shopping hub's north and south sections. A restaurant Streetscape, in light gray, was dedicated in late 2014.

FAYETTE MALL
Nicholasville Road / US 27 and West Reynolds Road
Fayette County (Lexington), Kentucky

The second shopping mall in Greater Lexington was developed by Forest City, Ohio's Jacobs, Visconsi, Jacobs Company (later known as the Richard E. Jacobs Group). It was built on a 61.3 acre plot, located 3.9 miles south of the city center. FAYETTE MALL was originally in unincorporated Fayette County. It was absorbed into the Lexington Fayette Urban County (a merger of the City of Lexington and Fayette County) on January 1, 1974.

A 2-level (183,300 square foot), Cincinnati-based Shillito's had opened its doors on October 11, 1971. The mall, and a 2-level (133,100 square foot) Sears, were officially dedicated October 14, 1971. Charter inline stores included Byck's, Brendamour's Sporting Goods, Richman Brothers men's wear, Zondervan Books, Regal Shoes, J. Riggings, Camelot Music, Kinney Shoes and Waldenbooks.

The mall's third anchor, a 2-level (138,300 square foot), Louisville-based Stewart's, held its grand opening May 1, 1972. The General Cinema Corporation Fayette Mall Cinemas I & II, an in-mall venue, showed its first features on August 8, 1973. With the theater's completion, FAYETTE MALL encompassed approximately approximately 609,300 leasable square feet and housed eighty stores and services.

Major shopping hubs in the FAYETTE MALL trade area were TURFLAND MALL (1967-2008) {2.4 miles northwest, in Lexington}, LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {3.9 miles northeast, in Lexington}, MALL AT LEXINGTON CENTER-LEXINGTON CIVIC CENTER SHOPS (1976) and MALL AT LEXINGTON GREEN (1986) {.1 mile north, also in Lexington}.

Anchor rebrandings at FAYETTE MALL got underway with the conversion of Shillito's to a Shillito Rikes, in June 1982. The store became a Lazarus on March 16, 1986, Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was "Macy-ated" March 12, 2005.

The Stewart's store also had a long rebranding history. It morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. It was rebannered, as a Louisville-based Ben Snyder's, on October 21, 1987, which was shuttered January 31, 1988. Allentown, Pennylvania-based Hess's opened in the space February 1, 1988. This store closed in early 1993.

Meanwhile, two structures had been added to the north side of the Stewart's building. One of these housed the USA Cinemas Fayette Mall 3. The other section was rebuilt into the 12-bay Pavilion Food Court, which opened on November 7, 1990. During 1991, the interior of the mall was given a face lift. The vacant Hess's was downsized into a 2-level (117,100 square foot) J.C. Penney, which welcomed its first shoppers on November 6, 1993.

The Jacob's Group had acquired a 25.2 acre plot south of FAYETTE MALL and announced an expansion project in May 1985. This became a hotly-contested issue that was litigated for the next 5 and a half years. In February 1991, the final legal hurdle was cleared, Construction of the belated (327,000 square foot) mall addition commenced in May 1991.

Built on the south side of Sears, the single-level expansion would be anchored by a 2-level (208,200 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. It would house twenty-seven inline stores, including American Eagle Outfitters and the Disney Store.

The first component of the mall renovation, a 2-level (20,000 square foot) enlargement of Sears, was dedicated on April 17, 1993. The store now encompassed 153,100 square feet. McAlpin's, and the new South Wing, were officially dedicated May 6, 1993. The final stage of the renovation, a third level for Lazarus, opened in 1994, with the store now housing 275,000 square feet.

With all of its additions taken into account, FAYETTE MALL encompassed around 1,058,100 leasable square feet and contained over one hundred stores and services. The super-sized center was now the Bluegrass State's largest shopping mall, that is, until a 1998 expansion of Louisville's MALL ST. MATTHEWS brought the gross leasable area of that complex up to 1,085,000 square feet.

Not to be outdone, a third expansion of FAYETTE MALL commenced in January 2005. This was undertaken by Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties, who had acquired the shopping hub in 2001. This time around, 140,000 square feet and fifteen new stores would be added southwest of the circa-1993 South Wing.

Pittsburgh-based Dick's Sporting Goods would anchor the enlargement with a 2-level (75,000 square foot) store. While the Southwest Wing was being built, the existing mall was also given an interior and exterior remodeling.

The enlargement and face lift renovation were completed in October 2005, with FAYETTE MALL snatching back the "largest mall in Kentucky" honor. The complex now encompassed 1,198,100 leasable square feet and housed over one hundred and twenty stores and services.

Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy and P.F. Chang's China Bistro restaurants were built at the mall's Main Entrance and opened for business in June and December 2006. The restaurants added an additional 14,500 square feet to the mall, which now housed an astounding 1,212,700 leasable square feet.

Meanwhile, a new retail rival had made its debut. The HAMBURG PAVILION power center {6 miles northeast, in Lexington} had opened for business in 1998.

CBL & Associates Properties bought 24.8 acres lying southwest of FAYETTE MALL in April 2002. The parcel was developed as THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL, an open-air strip center of thirteen tenant spaces, with six outparcel pads.

Encompassing 190,200 leasable square feet, the PLAZA opened for business between April and October of 2006. Tenants included a (60,000 square foot) Gordman's, plus Old Navy and Guitar Center.

Anchoring the development was the 16-screen Cinemark Fayette Mall. This state-of-the-art megaplex was a replacement for the original in-mall cinema that had closed in 1998. The new Cinemark venue showed its first features on June 28, 2006.

The FAYETTE MALL Sears was shuttered January 11, 2014. The first floor of the building was sectioned into twenty inline stores. An outward-facing Streetscape was built onto the east-facing facade of the structure. Most of the upper level of the the building was repurposed as mall storage and maintenance facilities and the Sears Auto Center was demolished.

New stores and restaurants began opening November 7, 2014. These included Cheesecake Factory, Newk's Eatery, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Janie & Jack, Jos. A. Bank, Vera Bradley, L'Occitane en Provence, Eddie Bauer and a 2-level (23,000 square foot) H & M.

When the construction dust settled in 2015, the gross leasable area of FAYETTE MALL had been reduced. The loss of selling space in the upper level of Sears, and addition of 38,700 square feet in the Sears Streetscape, adjusted the gross leasable area of the mall to approximately 1,184,900 square feet. Even after its downsizing, FAYETTE MALL was still the Blue Grass State's largest shopping center.

Sources:

"Fayette Mall" article on Wikipedia
Lexington-Fayette County tax assessor website
www.kentucky.com (Lexington Herald-Leader archive)
www.cblproperties.com (CBL & Associates Properties)
http://pastperfectvintage.com/louisvillestores.htm
www.bizjournals.com
www.scribd.com "Eastern Kentucky Movie Theaters"
www.kentucky.com
http://www.fayette-pva.com (Lexington-Fayette County Property Value Administrator)

Louisville's The Mall / Mall St. Matthews

A circa-'62 view of the main anchor store at THE MALL. The retail hub was The Bluegrass State's first regional-class, fully-enclosed shopping center. The Kaufman's of Kentucky seen here would be shuttered in 1966. Over the years, the store would operate under several different nameplates.
Photo from Brandon L. / "Louisville's History" 

In 1962, THE MALL housed approximately 308,000 leasable square feet and was promoted as "eight acres of springtime shopping". The complex was anchored by the aforementioned Kaufman's of Kentucky, a Roses variety store and A & P supermarket. Its parking area could accommodate 2,500 autos.

Here we see the East Court fountain and Roses mall entry, as they appeared in 1962. A bird aviary, a common feature of early shopping malls, is also in view, as is a Ritz Camera kiosk-type store. 

Photo from http://www.flickriver.com / "Flickriver PhotoStream" / William Bird

The first of several mall expansions was completed in early 1970. The Kaufman's store, which was rebranded by Stewart's, has been enlarged. A 2-level J.C. Penney has also been added, along with sixteen new stores. THE MALL now spans approximately 552,000 leasable square feet.

The Derby City's original enclosed shopping hub had been joined by five roofed retail centers by 1978. Its original moniker, THE MALL, became redundant and was changed to MALL IN ST. MATTHEWS in 1984. This morphed into MALL ST. MATTHEWS (sans the "In") in 1989. 

Graphic from https://www.mallstmatthews.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

A multi-phase renovation had started in 1987. A vacant northwest anchor was enlarged (again) and re-opened, as a Bacon's, in 1988. The mall was given an interior face lift, which included the new Picnic Food Court. These projects were completed in late 1989. A Limited-Express Superplex was dedicated in late 1992. The complex now encompassed approximately 700,000 leasable square feet.

Remodeling work continued into the late 1990s. A southern expansion was completed in two phases. The first (in dark gray) was dedicated in early 1995 and added a new Dillard's. The second stage (in lighter gray) was finished in late 1998 and brought in Lord & Taylor. In 1999, Dillard's established a "double-header" operation, reconfiguring the old Bacon's as a Men's, Children's & Home Store.

J.C. Penney has anchored the shopping facility since January 1970.
Photo from Wikipedia / Mike Kalasnik

The Picnic Food Court, was a 1980s addition. It was installed in a vacant Roses variety store.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

The Cinemark Mall St. Matthews 10 opened for business in May 2013. It occupies half of a former Dillard's Men's space.
Drawing from www.cinemark.com

In a circa-2019 plan, we see several recent modifications. In 2007, Dillard's Men's moved into the Lord & Taylor space, vacated in February 2004. A portion of the original Dillard's Men's became a 2-level Forever 21 in 2011. The rest of the structure was rebuilt as the aforementioned Cinemark multiplex. Forever 21 eventually downsized its store, with Dave & Buster's opening in its upper floor in February 2019.

THE MALL / MALL ST. MATTHEWS
Shelbyville Road / US 60 and Interstate 264
Jefferson County (St. Matthews), Kentucky

The first shopping mall in the Commonwealth of Kentucky was developed on a 67 acre parcel, located 5.8 miles east of downtown Louisville. The shopping center site was adjacent to a major thoroughfare, which followed its eastern boundary. Opened, in 1948, as the Innerbelt Highway, it was renamed the Henry Watterson Expressway in 1952 and was incorporated into the Interstate Highway system in 1956.

The single-level, fully-enclosed shopping complex was known as THE MALL, or SHELBYVILLE ROAD MALL. It was officially dedicated on March 21, 1962 and was built on land previously comprising the Arterburn Estate. Designed by Baltimore's Rogers, Taliaferro, Kostritsky & Lamb firm, THE MALL was the sixth retail hub built by Maryland's James W. Rouse Company and the fifth to be completed by its Community Research & Development subsidiary.

THE MALL was originally anchored by a 2-level (78,200 square foot), Louisville-based Kaufman's of Kentucky, 1-level (46,200 square foot), North Carolina-based P.H. Rose ("Roses") variety store and (20,400 square foot) A & P supermarket.

There were also Taylor Drug, Rodes-Rapier, Davidson's Milliners, Fleischer's ladies' wear, Cinderella Shoe Repair, Alice Lace Shop, Bond Clothes, Benton's Tweed Shop, Maid Muller Candies, Baker's Shoes, Bell Brothers Shoes, Sutcliffe's Sporting Goods and Variety Records.

The original complex housed forty-two stores and services and encompassed approximately 308,000 leasable square feet. It was situated around two court areas. The West Court, fronting on Kaufman's, had a fountain and stairway to a small upper level, which housed public restrooms, a Community Room and entrance to the Kaufman's second floor. An over-sized chess set was adjacent to this court area. The East Court, fronting on Roses, featured a waterfall fountain, tropical garden and bird aviary.

Directly across Shelbyville Road was an outdoor movie venue. Originally known as simply the J. Shinbach Drive-In Theatre, it had opened for business on August 29, 1941. The name eventually morphed into the East Drive-In Theatre. The facility was demolished in the late 1960s and replaced by a Giant Foods supermarket and Almart discount department store.

Meanwhile, the Kaufman's store at THE MALL had closed in 1966. Stewart's, another Louisville-based department store, moved in in October of the same year. The building was expanded, with a western addition, to 117,100 square feet.

Major shopping centers in the trade area of THE MALL included SHELBYVILLE ROAD PLAZA (1955) {.2 miles west, in St. Matthews} and MID-CITY MALL (1962) {5 miles southwest, in Louisville}. GREENTREE MALL {8.7 miles northwest, in Clarksville, Indiana} opened, as a fully-enclosed, regional-class complex, in 1968.

An enlargement of THE MALL was soon undertaken, which added a sixteen-store South Wing and 2-level (178,400 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store opened for business on January 8, 1970. In 1971, OXMOOR CENTER {.8 of a mile east, in Louisville} was dedicated. This was followed by BASHFORD MANOR MALL {4 miles southwest, in West Buechel} which opened in 1973.

The official name of THE MALL was changed to MALL IN ST. MATTHEWS in the mid-1980s. Its Stewart's store morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. 2 years later, a renovation and expansion commenced. During its first phase, a vacant L.S. Ayres was enlarged with a second westward addition. The remodeled (195,000 square foot) store re-opened, as a Louisville-based Bacon's, in September 1988.

A second phase mall remodeling had been underway since February 1988. During this project, a vacant Roses was reconfigured as the 10-bay Picnic Food Court. Moreover, the official name of the shopping hub was shortened to MALL ST. MATTHEWS (the "In" being omitted). A dedication of newly-renovated areas was held on November 16, 1989.  

By the early 1990s, MALL ST. MATTHEWS was in decline; this precipitated by the "too close for comfort" OXMOOR CENTER. In December 1991, a Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in MALL ST. MATTHEWS was shuttered. Demolition was soon underway on the mall's north end.

A (25,000 square foot) Limited-Express Superplex was built, as the exterior of the shopping hub was given a face lift. New landscaping was also installed. Twenty new stores, some in the new Limited-Express Wing, opened in November 1992.

The renovation resulted in an upturn in business. This prompted the Rouse Company to begin another expansion in early 1994. This included construction of a new South Wing and third anchor department store. A 3-level (230,000 square foot) Dillard's began business March 26, 1995.

A fifth expansion of MALL ST. MATTHEWS added a 2-level (120,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor and multilevel parking garage. This project was dedicated October 21, 1998. With its completion, MALL ST. MATTHEWS became Kentucky's largest shopping mall, with 1,094,000 leasable square feet.

On August 15, 1999, stores in the Bacon's chain were rebranded by Dillard's. The Bacon's at MALL ST. MATTHEWS morphed into a Dillard's Men's, Children's & Home Store. The mall's original Dillard's was refashioned into a Women's Store.

A new century brought more modifications. A deal, whereby Seattle-based Nordstrom was to open a store at MALL ST. MATTHEWS, fell through in early 2001. Lord & Taylor shuttered their store on February 6, 2004. The Rouse Company, builder and owner of the complex, was acquired by Chicago-based General Growth Properties in November 2004.

In 2007, Dillard's Men's moved into the old Lord & Taylor space, leaving the previous location vacant. The original plan was to demolish the structure and replace it with an open-air "lifestyle component". However, the building was left intact, at least for the time being.

A 2-level (110,000 square foot) section was renovated and re-opened, as a Los Angeles-based Forever 21, on February 12, 2011. This store relocated from a 7,000 square foot mall space. In mid-2012, plans were announced for a new theatrical venue. The remainder of the old Kaufman's store (the part not occupied by Forever 21) was gutted. The state-of-the-art Cinemark Mall St. Matthews 10 opened May 16, 2013.

MALL ST. MATTHEWS now spanned approximately 1,076,200 leasable square feet and contained one hundred and forty stores and services. It was now The Bluegrass State's second-largest enclosed shopping mall. Following a 2014-2015 refurbishment, Lexington's FAYETTE MALL encompassed 1,184,900 leasable square feet.

Forever 21 at MALL ST. MATTHEWS downsized their store into its first floor in 2017. The (45,000 square foot) second floor was refitted as a Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe, which welcomed its first patrons in early 2019.

Meanwhile, Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, had acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, MALL ST. MATTHEWS became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.

Sources:

preservenet.cornell.edu/publications/Longstreth Branch Store.doc
The Courier-Journal
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://drive-ins.com/theater
aboutnordstrom.com / "Nordstrom Cancels Plans For Louisville Store" / February 21, 2004
www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
www.macerich.com
Comment post by "Jonah Norason"

Malls Of America Blogspot / "Retro Louisville Malls" post

Louisville's Oxmoor Center

Cincinnati's Shillito's ["shil-uh-towz"] chain expanded into the Kentucky market with its OXMOOR CENTER location, which opened for business in August 1970. A nearly identical store opened in the following year at Lexington's FAYETTE MALL. 

Photo from http://www.panoramio.com

A circa-'71 physical layout of the new fun and fashionable OXMOOR CENTER. The original complex, which encompassed around 650,000 leasable square feet, occupied only the section of mall site lying north of Beargrass Creek. 

In 1982, construction commenced on a southward expansion, which would take the mall over Beargrass Creek and develop the entire land parcel. The new South Wing (in gray) was completed in July 1984. OXMOOR CENTER now housed approximately 851,600 leasable square feet. It was promoted as The Showplace of Kentucky.

The retail hub was given a thorough renovation between November 1997 and November 1998. During this project, Center Court was totally reconfigured, with a new escalator and fountain installed.

Photo from http://hellolouisville.com

The new millennium brought another expansion of the mall. Indiana's Galyan's Trading Company built a new anchor store in the north parking area. OXMOOR CENTER, which was commemorating its 30th anniversary at the time of this site plan, now spanned 960,000 leasable square feet.

Pottery Barn Kids, one of the outward-facing stores along the shopping center's Streetscape. Another facet of the 1997-'98 renovation, it opened the north facade of the complex to the adjacent parking area.

Photo from www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (seen on the left) joined the Streetscape at OXMOOR CENTER in March 2008.
Photo from www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)

Meanwhile, the lifestyle center fad extended to the Derby City with the November 2001 debut of SUMMIT LOUISVILLE.
Photo from http://bayerproperties.com (Bayer Properties)

A circa-2012 layout shows various modifications done at OXMOOR CENTER since 2001. During a 2013 face lift, the Mezzanine Level and Center Court were reconfigured. Three anchor stores have also switched nameplates. Jacobson's became a Von Maur in 2003. Galyan's Trading Company morphed into Dick's Sporting Goods in 2004. Lastly, Lazarus was "Macy-ated" in 2005.

The mall's fourth anchor operated as a Sears between July 1984 and January 2018. Barring any legal hurdles, the building will be demolished and replaced by a Topgolf driving range and sports bar complex.

Photo from https://www.flickr.com / Mike Kalasnik

OXMOOR CENTER
Shelbyville Road / US 60 and Oxmoor Lane
Louisville, Kentucky

The third major shopping mall in Greater Louisville was built on a 75 acre parcel, located 6.5 miles east of the Derby City's downtown area. The fully-enclosed complex was developed by a joint venture of the Bullitt Family Trust-Beargrass Corporation and Seattle's SafeCo Insurance-Winmar conglomerate.

The OXMOOR CENTER land parcel was adjacent to the Henry Watterson Expressway (Interstate 264). It was part of the 940 acre Oxmoor Estate and was leased for operation of the mall. Originally encompassing approximately 650,000 leasable square feet, OXMOOR CENTER consisted of a main Mall Level and Upper Level, which surrounded its Center Court.

The first operational store, a 2-level (183,300 square foot), Cincinnati-based Shillito's, began business August 3, 1970. The mall proper officially opened for business February 8, 1971. On hand for the grand opening celebration was Cynthia Ann Bostick, "Miss Kentucky 1970", who cut the ceremonial ribbon. A 2-level (156,000 square foot), Louisville-based Stewart's held its grand opening August 1, 1971.

Charter tenants at OXMOOR CENTER included Yudofsky Furriers, Lerner Shops, Far East Imports, Thom McAn Shoes, Something To Do, Rodes-Rapier, Byck's, Loevenhart's, Disc Records, Zales Jewelers, Modelle's Custom Tailors, Oxmoor Smoke Shop and the Blue Boar Cafeteria.

The Mid-States Theatres Oxmoor Twin Cinemas showed its first features on February 16, 1971. This in-mall venue was joined by a second complex, which was installed on the second floor of the shopping center.

After this new 3-plex opened, on August 30, 1974, both venues were promoted as the Mid-States Theatres Oxmoor Center Cinemas 1-2-3-4-5. The new Upper Level movie complex was adjacent to the Putter's Park indoor golf course and a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour.

Shopping malls in the vicinity of OXMOOR CENTER included THE MALL / MALL ST. MATTHEWS (1962) {.8 of a mile west, in St. Matthews}, GREEN TREE MALL (1968) {9.3 miles northwest, in Clarksville, Indiana}, BASHFORD MANOR MALL (1973-2004) {4.1 miles southwest, in West Beuchel}, RACELAND MALL (1975) {4.3 miles southwest, in Jefferson County} and MIDDLETOWN STATION (1990-2008) {4.9 miles east, also in Jefferson County}.

The first expansion of OXMOOR CENTER developed the southern half of the mall site, bridging the Middle Fork of Beargrass Creek with a 201,600 square foot South Wing. Anchored by a 1-level (139,800 square foot) Sears "Store of the Future", the South Wing was christened July 31, 1984. It enlarged the tenant roster to one hundred and twenty-six stores and services.

Work on a subsequent renovation commenced in June 1989. The project included an interior face lift and installation of the 10-bay Oxmoor Gardens Food Court in Upper Level space. Center Court was also reconfigured with a glass elevator and new escalators and skylights were added to mallway ceilings. The remodeled retail hub was re-dedicated November 15, 1989.

Anchor rebrandings commenced with the conversion of Shillito's to a Shillito Rikes, in June 1982. This morphed into a Lazarus on March 16, 1986, Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and bona fide Macy's on March 12, 2005. At some point in time, the store had a third level added, which increased its size to 271,300 square feet.

The Stewart's store's first nameplate change was completed November 1, 1985, when Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres assumed the space. The 1986 merger of Associated Dry Goods with May Department stores resulted in a deal to sell the Louisville Ayres stores the Ben Snyder's chain (another Louisville-based retailer).

Ben Snyder's was acquired by Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Hess's the day before the deal was to close. Amazingly enough, the Louisville Ayres stores were rebranded, with Ben Snyder's nameplates, on September 3, 1987. Only 5 months later, on February 1, 1988, ANOTHER nameplate was put up; that of Hess's. This store was in operation until August 1, 1993.

Stewart's old store at OXMOOR CENTER was rebranded again in November 1994, when Jackson, Michigan-based Jacobson's moved in. This store lasted until September 2002. The most recent rebranding was done by Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur, who renovated the building and opened for business September 20, 2003.

The mall had been given a major renovation between November 1997 and November 1998. The 15 million dollar project revamped the north-facing front of the shopping hub, creating an exterior-entranced Streetscape out of a windowless concrete wall.

A new, tree-lined entry from Shelbyville Road was installed, which converged on a 3-story, octagonal atrium mall entrance. Common areas inside OXMOOR CENTER were also revamped, with new flooring installed throughout. Center Court was completely reconfigured, with a new fountain and escalator. This ascended to a remodeled Food Court.

The cinema spaces on the Upper and Lower Levels, by now vacant, were repurposed. The Upper Level space became inline stores and offices. The Lower Level area became part of a new Old Navy store.

Meanwhile, a new lifestyle-type complex had come on the Derby City scene. THE SUMMIT LOUISVILLE {4.3 miles northeast, in Jefferson County} held its grand opening in November 2001. As a competitive measure, a second expansion of OXMOOR CENTER had been done.

Dedicated October 29, 2001, it added a 2-level (80,000 square foot), Galyan's Trading Company to the north-facing facade. Stores in the Galyan's chain (an Indiana-based athletic equipment retailer) were rebranded by Pennsylvania's Dick's Sporting Goods in October 2004.

For most of its history, OXMOOR CENTER was owned and operated by the Bullitt Family Trust-Beargrass Corporation and Seattle's SafeCo-Winmar conglomerate. In 1999, Owensboro, Kentucky's David Hocker & Associates attempted, unsuccessfully, to buy SafeCo's fifty-percent share.

After the failed transaction, the Beargass Corporation established full ownership of the mall and installed Hocker & Associates as the property manager and leasing agent. The owner of Hocker & Associates succeeded in buying the mall structure (but not the land) in May 2003 and sold the property to Maryland's Rouse Company, in October 2004.

In November of the same year, the holdings of the Rouse Company, including OXMOOR CENTER, were acquired by Chicago's General Growth Properties, who also assumed ownership of the neighboring MALL ST. MATTHEWS. Hence an ongoing 30-year rivalry between the two malls was finally laid to rest.

Today, OXMOOR CENTER encompasses 960,000 leasable square feet and one hundred and ten stores and services. An interior face lift got underway in February 2013 and was finished in November of the same year.

This entailed demolition of the mall's Upper Level / Food Court area and another reconstruction of Center Court. Food vending tenants were relocated throughout the main level of the mall, with new casual dining restaurants joining the tenant list. 

Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, OXMOOR CENTER became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.

Sources:

"Oxmoor Center" article on Wikipedia
http://pastperfectvintage.com/louisvillestores.htm
http://www.oxmoorcenter.com
www.bizjournals.com
The Courier-Journal
www.scribd.com "Eastern Kentucky Movie Theaters"
www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
https://spectrumnews1.com

Louisville's Bashford Manor Mall

A horseshoe logo was created to promote a new Derby City shopping hub. It reflected the equestrian theme and decor of the mall.

Graphic from http://www.bashfordmanormall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

A rendering of the Bacon's department store. Its upper level included regional offices for the Louisville-based chain. The store morphed into  a Dillard's in October 1998, as a result of Dillard's acquisition of the Mercantile Stores conglomerate.

The original mall spanned 560,000 leasable square feet and housed forty-eight stores and services. It was one of a select few to be anchored by Indy's Ayr-Way discount chain; other examples being MARKLAND MALL and SCOTTSDALE MALL (both in the Hoosier State). 

At its zenith, Ayr-Way operated forty-seven stores in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio. These locations, including the BASHFORD MANOR store depicted here, were acquired by Minneapolis' Dayton-Hudson Corporation in November 1980. They were rebranded as Target operations in 1981.

The complex was given a thorough refurbishment in 1989. New flooring, skylights and landscaping were installed in the interior. New exterior entrances were also built. The one seen above accessed the mall's Bacon's / Dillard's Court.
Photo from WBLO's Bashford Manor Photostream 

By 1999, all of the anchors at BASHFORD MANOR MALL have been rebranded. Bacon's (on the right) became a Dillard's in October 1998. Ben Snyder's (at the center of the center) operated as a Hess's and Bacon's For The Home before its Dillard's conversion.

BASHFORD MANOR MALL
Bardstown Road / US 31E and 150 and Bashford Manor Lane
West Buechel, Kentucky

Plans for Greater Louisville's fourth major shopping mall were announced in 1970. Developed on a 58 acre parcel located 5.6 miles southeast of the city's urban core, BASHFORD MANOR MALL was built by a joint venture of the Long and Bashford Manor corporations.

The predominantly enclosed shopping center, which encompassed 560,000 leasable square feet, was designed by Curtis & Davis Architects and was officially dedicated October 8, 1973. The land on which the mall was built was the site of Bashford Manor, a circa-1870 French Second Empire country home.

A thoroughbred horse farm operated on the property between 1888 and 1922 that produced three Kentucky Derby champions. The mansion eventually fell into decay and was demolished in June 1973, as the mall built on its southern flank was preparing to open.

The decor and graphic design of BASHFORD MANOR MALL used an equestrian theme that reflected its heritage. The interior had a large mural in one of its court areas and the sign at its main roadway entry featured three horseshoes. Original flooring consisted of earth tone-shade carpeting. There were also recessed seating areas, with televisions, and two large court area fountains.

A 1-level (85,500 square foot), Indianapolis-based Ayr-Way discount mart became the first operational BASHFORD MANOR MALL store in August 1972. At the shopping hub's October 1973 dedication, a 2-level (182,300 square foot), Louisville-based Bacon's and 1-level (63,900 square foot), Louisville-based Ben Snyder's opened their doors.

Among the forty-eight charter tenants were Byck's, Levy Brothers, Hickory Farms of Ohio, Karmelkorn, Kinney Shoes, Musicland, National Shirt Shops, Waldenbooks, Walgreen Drug, Cassano's Pizza King, Marianne Shops, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Regal Shoes, a Blue Boar Cafeteria, Thrift-T-Mart supermarket and freestanding Liberty National Bank.

Rival shopping centers included THE MALL / MALL ST. MATTHEWS (1962) {4 miles northeast, in St. Matthews}, OXMOOR CENTER (1971) {4.1 miles northeast, in Louisville}, WESTLAND MALL (1975) {11.5 miles southwest, in Jefferson County}, RACELAND MALL (1975) {1.6 miles southeast, in Jefferson County} and JEFFERSON MALL (1978) {3.9 miles south, also in Jefferson County}.

The first renovation of BASHFORD MANOR MALL got underway in July 1989. New flooring, landscaping and skylights were installed, with all fountains being removed. A clock tower and new mall entrances were built on the north-facing facade. The 4 million dollar project was completed and dedicated on November 10, 1989.

Ayr-Way was the first anchor to change nameplates. Minneapolis' Dayton-Hudson Corporation rebranded the store, as a Target, on July 26, 1981. Ben Snyder's was converted to an Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Hess's on February 1, 1988. This mercantile was shuttered on August 1, 1993 and soon re-opened, as a Bacon's For The Home Store. The mall's two Bacon's were rebranded by Dillard's, on October 17, 1998.

Hoffman Estates, Illinois' Rubloff Development Group bought BASHFORD MANOR MALL in November 1999. They proposed a 3 million dollar remodeling in January 2000, with work finally commencing in February 2002. New ceilings, lighting and landscaping were to be installed, along with other improvements. However, midway through the project, work stopped.

Target announced that they were vacating their anchor space and building a new store on an adjoining parcel to the west. This new location opened October 13, 2002. Next came Dillard's defection. Both BASHFORD MANOR MALL stores went dark in January 2003.

Alas, the 30-year-old retail hub was now anchor-less, with only twenty stores in operation. Chi-Chi's restaurant closed in March 2003. By mid-summer, only a handful of tenants remained and the beleaguered mall closed for good soon after. A wrecking ball began knocking down the structure in December 2003, but work was halted in January 2004.

A lawsuit had been filed by an electrical contractor who had not been paid for work that they had completed. The matter was settled and demolition commenced in March 2004. When all was said and done, only the main Dillard's store remained standing. It was to be renovated and retenanted by a "national big box retailer". This never came to fruition.

Meanwhile, a 1-level (196,000 square foot) WalMart SuperCenter was built on the west end of the mall site, which opened January 26, 2005. It was joined by a 1-level (116,000 square foot) Lowe's, at the east end of the parcel, which opened in 2006.

In 2008, the decaying Dillard's was bulldozed and replaced by a 1-level (80,000 square foot) Burlington Coat Factory. This store began business in March 2009.

Sources:

The Courier-Journal
http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2006/11/retro-louisville-malls.html
http://pastperfectvintage.com/louisvillestores.htm
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bashfordmanormall.com
"Bashford Manor Mall" article on Wikipedia