DEAD MALL - Richmond Mall - Richmond, IN

Name: DEAD MALL - Richmond Mall - Richmond, IN
Uploaded: 2026-10-22T13:52:07.363Z
Duration: 10 min 15 s
Channel: lyd wetzel

lyd wetzel

Oct 22, 2026 #mall #deadmall #indiana

#mall #deadmall #indiana #retail #shopping #shop

The history of the enclosed shopping center in Richmond, Indiana—originally known as Richmond Square Mall and later renamed Richmond Mall—reflects the classic rise, peak, and mid-to-late-life struggles of mid-sized American retail centers.
1. Origins and Grand Opening (1965–1966)
* The Developer: The mall was developed by the legendary Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation (led by Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr.). At the time, DeBartolo representatives noted that Richmond was one of the smallest communities in which they had ever attempted to build an enclosed shopping center.
* The Launch: Montgomery Ward was the first store to open on March 3, 1966, with the rest of the mall officially opening on May 12, 1966.
* Initial Lineup: Positioned as Richmond's premier modern shopping destination, it drew numerous retailers away from the traditional downtown business district. The original anchors and major tenants included Montgomery Ward and JCPenney, alongside popular early tenants like Woolworth (which featured a 94-seat diner), Thrift Drug (its very first location in Indiana), Kroger, JoAnn Fabrics, Thom McAn, and Paul Harris.
2. The Heyday (1970s–1990s)
* For several decades, Richmond Square served as the primary retail and social hub for Wayne County and surrounding areas.
* Expansions and Changes: The mall experienced steady operations through the 1970s and 1980s. A significant shift happened in the late 1990s. The mall underwent a major remodel in 1997, which welcomed Dillard's as a new anchor.
* Around this time, classic junior anchors like Woolworth closed, and spaces were reconfigured (such as OfficeMax taking up part of the former Woolworth footprint). Montgomery Ward also closed its doors around the turn of the century, and that space eventually transitioned to Sears.
3. Decline and Shift in Ownership (2000s–2010s)
* Like many enclosed malls across the country, Richmond Square began facing steep declines in the 2000s due to shifting consumer habits, online shopping, and the departure of major national retail brands.
* Anchor Departures: JCPenney, Sears, and other inline stores gradually closed down. Sears shut its doors in 2013, leaving a large vacancy on the eastern end.
* Hull Property Group Acquisition: In 2015, the property was acquired by Hull Property Group (who continues to manage it today). Seeking to revitalize the center, they invested in renovations—updating lighting, flooring, and interior drywalling over vacant storefronts—and officially rebranded the property as Richmond Mall in 2018.
4. Recent Years and Disasters (2019–Present)
* The 2019 Tornado: In 2019, a severe tornado struck Richmond, causing significant structural damage to parts of the mall property, including businesses like OfficeMax. The mall managed to repair the damage and reopen.
* New Additions: Efforts to pivot the mall toward a mixed-use or alternative retail model brought in tenants like Dunham’s Sports, which took over a portion of the former Sears anchor space in late 2019.
* Recent Challenges: Additional blows followed, including the closure of JCPenney in 2020 amid corporate restructuring.
Today, Richmond Mall operates with a mix of local and regional inline tenants alongside core anchors like Dillard's and Dunham's Sports, mirroring the nationwide evolution of traditional enclosed malls into smaller-footprint community retail centers.

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Hey guys I'm at the Richmond Mall in Richmond, Indiana. They opened in 1966. The original anchors were JCPenney, Woolworth, Kroger, and Montgomery Ward. The current anchor stores are Dillard's and Dunham's Sports. Actually I see an Ashley Furniture. I don't know if that counts. I think this is considered a dead mall. I think they have made it kind of dry wall-y in there I guess you would say I don't think that's what we're gonna find in there but yeah should be interesting let's go walk around and see what we find well they want you to know there's a Dillard's right there right on the side Dillard's Richmond Mall that's probably the best thing that they really have going for them is that Dillard's cuz Dunham sports is a very that's just a very bland just a very boring store well I don't know Dunham's is okay, but it's just a very typical sporting goods store that you would see in a rural dead mall. Yeah, this is owned by Hull, which they also own the Charleston Town Center. If you guys remember how they had kind of like did like a drywall motif throughout the mall where the stores were, wherever there was a closed storefront, they would put up like drywall and they would put pictures see this exactly what i'm talking about this is exactly what i'm talking about right here they're gonna put like history lessons up where where there would have been a store and a clever little way to kind of kind of i don't know you know it doesn't look that bad right from where i'm at to be honest with you like but in Charleston Town Center when you see like so much of this going on like it gets very repetitive and very like i don't want to say like um it's like dystopian kind of wow this is bland oh man is this a bland place no i mean the atmosphere in here don't feel it feels nice in here you know there's so many dead journeys This place probably looked a lot neat, more neat back in the day when, um, whenever, wow. Um, look at this, oh, look at this long hallway of thorns. Probably before this crap came along. That is like an affordable version of Dick's Sporting Goods, I would say. There's a Bath and Body. That's just, I just, it smells really good. there's not a lot of open stores in here creative eyebrows nirvana pretzel Twister no I guess they're not open they look kind of cool let's look around the Dillard's looks like a lot of Dillard's I've seen Wow upscale there's the Maurice's elite nails that's pretty much it might have been the JCPenney entrance let me know if it was if you are from here or anything because it says they closed in 2020 um but yeah this is the whole mall it's a it's a small little place not a lot going on in here but it doesn't feel it feels kind of like um i don't know how to describe it it feels uh cozy i guess you'd say but that's probably because they have carpet and i don't really mind the drywall stuff i mean i wish obviously that the stores were more popping and you know but it doesn't feel that bad in here i mean i hope they get something going if they can get more stores in i think they'll just knock down you know i'm glad i'm glad the mall is still here um let me know what you guys think and i'll see you on the next video