In a not-so-small town with a population of over 800,000, Indianapolis, Indiana has attractions that draw in visitors from all over the country. One of these attractions is the Circle Centre Mall. Opening in 1995, the tradition of visiting for many families has continued for 30 years. Visiting the top stores at the time. Just recently, on New Year’s Eve, the mall closed its doors for the very last time. The decision was hard for many common visitors, although the future of the space seems to be appealing to the city’s opinions. 

      In the past 30 years, the mall has been booming with stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, and more. These stores were harder to find around the big city of Indianapolis. Authors from Fox 59 stated that the mall had a notable decline in business in the past decade. The old four-story building holds many memories for those people who were teenagers when the doors first opened. The stores the mall held slowly lost their popularity as fashion trends changed, leading many shoppers to direct their attention to the other great malls in downtown Indianapolis. Few people will miss the mall, while most are optimistic about the upcoming changes.

       The Circle Centre Mall, soon to be known as “Traction Yards,” is grabbing the attention of many. The stretch of building is planned to become 400,000 square feet of retail space, restaurants, and entertainment space. Around 200,000 more square feet is becoming office space, an apartment building, and an outdoor public space. The plan is scheduled to begin in 2026, with major demolition and rebuilding, and hopes that the new place will be publicly ready by 2030-2033. This land plan looks like something people might see in the movies.  A square set of buildings with a middle courtyard, somewhere that will attract people from all over, whether they want to shop, eat, or just spend time outdoors with their family. This is a $600 million project. With that being said, many people are optimistic about the outcome. Many people, when interviewed by Fox 59, reported that towards the end of Circle Centre Mall’s thirty-year run, the stores started to look old, run down, and there was not as much business as most recall. Most say that when they were teens, this mall was the place to be, but now, for most Indianapolis teens, Castleton, The Fashion Mall, and Clay Terrace are the way to go. Circle Centre became the forgotten stepsister. 

      When people think of malls, maybe Circle Centre ass not the first one that comes to mind. Whether people choose to mourn this mall and the changes that are going to be brought, or rejoice in the upcoming exciting changes, Indianapolis believes this renovation will be something everyone in the community can enjoy. The outdoor scenery, the stores, the apartments, and the office spaces are something people with all different backgrounds can enjoy. Indianapolis welcomes people from all over to enjoy the newest addition  to the big city, “Traction Yards.”