Read time: 6 min.

Back in July, I wrote that a large slice of Muncie’s retail past was on its way out- the former JCPenney at Muncie Mall was marked for demolition. Yesterday, the story grew: nearly 255,000 square feet of space, including the former JCPenney, the old Sears, and the long-closed Movies at Muncie Mall, are now set to come down! The mall’s new owners, Hull Property Group, say the sweeping teardown is key to breathing new life into the property.

As it stands now, Muncie Mall is slowly slipping into memory. Still, like so many regional shopping centers across America, it was once a vibrant gathering place. Construction began in May 1969, and the doors swung open the following year. A 50-department, 129,000-square-foot Sears led the way as the first of forty-five stores¹, soon joined by anchors like Britt’s² and W.T. Grant³. The lineup quickly shifted, though: Britt’s was replaced by L.S. Ayres in 1977⁴, while W.T. Grant gave way to JCPenney that same year⁵.

Stores may have cycled in and out over the years, but by 1996 Muncie Mall was on top of its game. That’s the year a $21 million expansion unveiled a sprawling new L.S. Ayres wing on the northwest side⁶. Elder-Beerman took over the former Ayres store and moved out of its smaller spot that once housed Ball Stores. Local millennials like me might remember “Mount Muncie” (the massive dirt pile left from the new Ayres wing) but what really stood out is the buzz in the air. The Muncie Mall felt unstoppable! 

As happened to so many shopping centers across the country, though, the momentum didn’t last. Through the 2000s, shifting shopping habits, the rise of online retail, and wave after wave of national closures chipped away at the mall’s strength. Old Navy, which debuted when Elder-Beerman moved, eventually gave way to Shoe Dept. Encore. One by one, the anchors disappeared. With them went the crowds.

Elder-Beerman became Carson’s in 2012. Sears closed six years later, then Macy’s -which replaced L.S. Ayres- closed in early 2020. JCPenney followed later that year⁷. Aside from Buyer’s Market, an off-price retailer that opened in the old Macy’s space in 2021⁸, the mall has gone without an anchor for the past five years. After a series of ownership changes, Hull Property Group of Augusta, Georgia, acquired the center in 2024. 

It’s a nice mall, still, but it’s mostly empty. Back in 2020, the Muncie mayor said the property was assessed at $30 million⁹. Today, that number has plummeted to just $5 million¹⁰. Fortunately, Hull Property Group has completed its due diligence on the property. Removing the 105,000 square foot JCPenney anchor block will create three outparcel spots facing McGalliard, perhaps including a 7,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant and another, three-tenant building¹¹. Hull identified a total of seven opportunities for new businesses¹².

Removing the 129,000-square-foot Sears and the movie theater, as well, is expected to create even more attractive space for new tenants on the north and west sides of the property, even if it costs Hull Property Group an estimated $2.5 million¹³. Abatement work on the property will begin around October first, then demolition will follow soon thereafter. 

Given all the memories, It’s hard not to feel a pang of loss knowing that these “perfectly good” buildings, as Hull’s John Mulherin put it¹², have to come down to give the mall a fighting chance. But that’s the sobering reality of today’s retail landscape: finding anyone willing or able to fill vast anchor spaces like JCPenney and Sears is next to impossible! Their sheer scale, paired with the shift to online shopping and smaller-format stores, makes reuse a daunting puzzle to piece together. Apparently, demolition is the best path toward breathing new life into the property.

The Muncie Mall may wind up dramatically different, but every era makes room for the next. As the mall’s newest owner clears away empty shells, they’re betting on a future that can make use of the mall’s bones in new ways. Whether the site thrives again or simply shifts into another chapter, the story of Muncie Mall remains a reminder of how our community spaces rise, evolve, sometimes fade, and hopefully, come back to life in new ways. I wish Hull Property Group the best!

Sources Cited
1 Sears’ Huge New Store in Mall to Open (1970, August 5). The Muncie Star. p. 24. 
2 Britts, New Department Store in Mall, Will Feature Grand Opening Thursday (1970, October 14). The Muncie Star. p. 13. 
3 Nearly 2 1/2 Miles Of Counter in the New Grants (1970, September 9). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 32.
4 7-Year-Old Mall Dons New Colors (1977, April 21). The Muncie Star. p. 36. 
5 New Penney’s Store Unveiled at Fashion Show (1977, January 16). The Muncie Star. p. 9. 
6 Yencer, R. (1996, August 15). Bids opened for new mall road. The Muncie Star Press. p. 3. 
7 Slabaugh, S. (2020, October 3). Muncie Mall is current on taxes but seeks cut. The Muncie Star Press. p. 1. 
8 Ohlenkamp, C. (2021, June 17). Buyer’s Market to open at Muncie Mall this Friday. The Muncie Star Press. p. 1.
9 Wiechmann, S. (2020, March 7). Muncie State of the City 2020: Financials, Muncie Mall, And City Parks. Indiana Public Radio. Web. Retrieved July 2, 2025. 
10 Wiechmann, S. (2025, June 30). Muncie commission approves money to begin demolishing part of Muncie Mall. Indiana Public Radio. Web. Retrieved July 2, 2025. 
11 Kramer, R. (2025, September 21). The Muncie Mall is about to change in a big way! Hull Property Group, a Georgia developer that owns 27 [Facebook]. Video.
12 (See footnote 11).
13 (See footnote 11).