INDIANAPOLIS — The Circle Centre Mall is in its final days. Business owners have until the end of the year to clear out their storefronts.
“We’re a part of the mall. We’re a part of downtown. We really hate to go. We didn’t want to leave. People rely on us being here," SkyMart One owner James Williams said.
A decade of Williams' life has been spent running the downtown convenience store. SkyMart is located in three malls: Circle Centre, Castleton Square and Greenwood Park. That was until recently.
“Getting ten years of stuff moved out of this store. Split between our other stores at the moment," he said.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
Tenants currently located inside Circle Centre Mall must be vacated by December 31.
As Circle Centre ends, Traction Yards begins. The $600 million redevelopment project will feature retail, dining, entertainment, residential units, office space and public plazas.
“We wanted to see the ending. We saw the beginning. We wanna see the ending," Daren Short said.
Short and his brother David came to reminisce on their old stomping grounds and capture its final moments.
“Just really sad. I’m always a sentimental person. I look back on the memories and how fast time goes, and it’s sad to see it start the way it did and then end this way," he said.
As construction is underway, folks can still visit. All existing ground-floor tenants will remain open at this time.
The redevelopment will be completed in multiple phases, with the first major phase expected to be complete in 2029.
“We are hoping that once it’s rebuilt and they start putting tenants back in for the retail spots, we’re hoping to be back. It’d be awesome because it would be a long time to be here to just abandon it," Williams said.
—
Nico Pennisi is the In Your Community reporter for Downtown Indy. He joined WRTV in October 2022. His passion has always been telling the stories of people who often get overlooked. Share your story ideas and important issues with Nico by emailing him at nico.pennisi@wrtv.com.
