Back in July, I wrote about how the old JCPenney store at Muncie Mall was slated for demolition. Last month, news broke that two more chunks -the old Sears and the long-closed movie theater- are coming down as well! The mall’s new owners call the sweeping teardown a crucial step toward revitalizing the property, and the site is buzzing again for what seems like the first time in years: fences are up, change is on the horizon, and it’ll only be a matter of time before the wrecking crews assemble.
When I was a kid in the nineties, Muncie Mall was thriving. Back then, few vacancies, if any, surrounded anchor tenants Sears, JCPenney, Elder-Beerman, and L.S. Ayres1. Ayres became Macy’s in 20062, then Elder-Beerman rebranded as Carson’s six years later. To me, those name changes barely registered. The mall was still alive as the beating heart of Muncie’s retail scene.
Unfortunately, the unraveling began in 2018 when Carson’s went dark after its parent company declared bankruptcy3. From there, the collapse was swift. Sears shut down later that same year as part of a massive nationwide cutback4, Macy’s pulled out in early 20205, and JCPenney followed suit before the year was over6. In barely two and a half years, Muncie Mall lost every one of its anchors!
An entire era of Muncie’s retail history vanished seemingly overnight. Just when it seemed the mall’s anchors might go completely dark, though, a glimmer of life returned: in 2021, off-price retailer Buyer’s Market moved into the old L.S. Ayres/Macy’s space. The store dealt in secondary-market goods from major brands -everything from overstock and customer returns to liquidation and salvage items7– like a supersized mix between Big Lots and Ollie’s. Still, beyond Buyer’s Market, the mall’s once-proud anchor wings remained silent as reminders of a past that’s hard to rebuild.
After a series of ownership changes, Hull Property Group of Augusta, Georgia, acquired Muncie Mall last year. To their credit, the interior still looks surprisingly nice to my eye, with contemporary decor, bright walls, and airy concourses. Unfortunately, the emptiness is impossible to ignore. Just a few short years ago, in 2020, the mall was assessed at $30 million8. Today, that number’s plummeted to barely a sixth of that9. It’s a sobering snapshot of how far the retail hub has fallen.
Fortunately, Hull Property Group isn’t just sitting on the site; they’ve done their homework. The company recently wrapped up its due diligence and is ready to move forward with big changes. Demolishing the 105,000-square-foot JCPenney anchor will open up three new outparcel lots along McGalliard Road, one of which could feature a 7,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant and another multi-tenant building10. In all, Hull has pinpointed seven potential spots for new businesses11 in an ambitious plan to breathe fresh life into a property that’s been quiet for far too long. Now, the fencing is up.
It’ll be fascinating to see what the future holds for Muncie Mall once those big sections come down. For years, locals have swapped rumors about what might rise in their place- some hopeful, others downright far-fetched. A while back, word floated around that Burlington was eyeing a nearby space, but that plan appears to have fizzled12. Lately, the buzz on social media has shifted to something even wilder: talk that Costco might be moving in. I’d be first in line with a cart full of samples, but that one feels more like a Facebook fantasy than a real plan.
Still, it’s not completely out of character for the city. After all, Muncie almost landed a Sam’s Club back in the early nineties13, so maybe big-box dreams never really die around here. Whether or not they ever materialize, though, the story of Muncie Mall mirrors the rise and fall of countless retail landmarks across the country. What was once a symbol of modern prosperity has become a quiet shell of its former self.
Now, with demolition equipment rolling in and a new owner charting a path forward, Muncie Mall stands at a crossroads between nostalgia and reinvention. Whether the next chapter brings restaurants, retail, or something entirely unexpected, it’s clear that change is coming. Maybe, this transformation will let the site do what it’s always done best- bring people together, even if it looks a little different this time.
Sources Cited
1 Yencer, R. (1996, August 15). Bids opened for new mall road. The Muncie Star Press. p. 3.
2 McBride, M. (2005, July 30). Macy’s will take over L.S. Ayres in Muncie by fall ’06. The Muncie Star Press. p. 1.
3 Roysdon, K. (2018, April 21, 2018). Going-out-of-business sale begins at Carson’s. The Muncie Star Press. p. A2.
4 Roysdon, K. (2018, June 1). Muncie Sears to close by September. The Muncie Star Press. p. A1.
5 Stefanski, C. (2020, January 8). Macy’s to close at Muncie Mall; clearance planned. The Muncie Star Press. p. A1.
6 JCPenney to close stores in Muncie, Defiance; Glenbrook spared (2020, June 5). WANE15 [Fort Wayne]. Web. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
7 Ohlenkamp, C. (2021, June 17). Buer’s Market to open at Muncie Mall this Friday. The Muncie Star Press. p. A1.
8 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.
9 Wiechmann, S. (2025, June 30). Muncie commission approves money to begin demolishing part of Muncie Mall. Indiana Public Radio. Web. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
10 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.
11 (See footnote 10).
12 Ohlenkamp, C. (2021, June 16). Muncie Mall owner files for bankruptcy protection. The Muncie Star Press. p. A1.
13 Yencer, R. (1994, January 7). Sam’s Club makes a deal. The Muncie Star. p. 1.
It is strange to live long enough to have watched both the growth explosion and the eventual implosion of retail malls.