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Residents react to announcement of Carson’s closing Circle Centre location

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — 24-Hour News 8 spoke with shoppers outside the Circle Centre Carson’s location Wednesday afternoon.

“I bought a $30 shirt for six bucks,” said Robert Cheaeem, explaining why he likes Carson’s.

However, shopping at Carson’s downtown will soon be obsolete.

On Wednesday, Bon-Ton announced it is closing Carson’s 47 locations in the country, including the store at Circle Centre mall.

Back in 2014, the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission struck a deal with Carson Pirie Scott to reduce rent for the store by $300,000 annually through Jan. 31, 2018.

Simon Property Group currently owns the mall; however, it has not released a statement on Carson’s or what could possibly fill its space.

24-Hour News 8, reached out to Visit Indy this afternoon about the loss of Carson’s. The welcoming center released the following statement from Chris Gahl:

We are confident in Simon’s ability to continue to reinvent what an urban mall looks like for our visitors and residents alike. Moreover, we are confident in their longstanding commitment to our community.”

This is not the first time Circle Centre has lost anchor. On July 31, 2011, Nordstrom, one of the mall’s first tenants closed its doors.

Circle Centre mall timeline

April 25, 1979 – Mall developer Melvin Simon & Associates announce start of a study to connect L.S. Ayers & Co. and William H. Block Co. in a multilevel, enclosed shopping mall.

Jan. 15, 1980 – Mayor William Hudnut urges the private sector to get involved in developing a downtown shopping mall.

May 18, 1983 – Metropolitan Development Commission accepts Melvin Simon & Associates as mall developer.

May 17, 1989 – After years of battling over property for the mall, the city receives only one proposal from Simon & Associates to develop the 9-acre site.

October 1991 – Construction on the first phase of the mall, the underground parking garage, begins. Designs were changed to replace plans for a skywalk over West Washington Street at Illinois Street with a glass-walled, circular “Wintergarden”

January 1992 – A new mayor, Steve Goldsmith, put the mall project on hold until September 1993 to reduce the cost to the city.

Oct. 5, 1994 – Groundbreaking for the Artsgarden occurs.

Sept. 8, 1995 – The $320 million Circle Centre officially opens with 800,000 square feet over four floors, 100 retail stores, 20 places to eat, nine movie theater screens and 12,000 parking spaces within one block.

Oct. 31, 2006 – Parisian, in the former L.S. Ayres store, is sold to The Bon-Ton Stores and rebranded as Carson Pirie Scott in 2007. The name later was changed to Carson’s.

July 31, 2011 – Nordstrom, one of the orignial tenants of Circle Centre, closes. The company also announces its location at The Fashion Mall at Keystone will remain open and a new Nordstrom rack will open at The Shops at Rivers Edge on the north side.

Dec. 3, 2014 – The city Metropolitan Development Commission strikes a deal with Carson Pirie Scott to reduce its rent by $300,000 annually through Jan. 31, 2018.

Sept. 29, 2014 – The Indianapolis Star opens offices in a portion of the former Nordstrom store.

Jan. 31, 2018 – Carson’s announces it will close the Circle Center mall store.