INDIANAPOLIS — A once crown jewel of shopping and dining is hoping to reclaim its title.
Lafayette Square Mall has a new owner, Fabio De La Cruz, who has plans for big changes in the works.
"My goal is to make the mall a landmark of Indianapolis," De La Cruz said.
After earning his real estate license, De La Cruz bought multiple homes and commercial properties around the Mall before buying the mall itself.
"These spaces can be rented and they are going to be successful," he told WRTV. "The biggest challenge that the mall has right now are the big [box] stores ... I don't think that they're going to come back.
Mall tenant Christopher Mitchell quit his job to start a business, Just Like Sunday, inside the mall.
"It's uplifting. It feels good," Mitchell said. "I've been told a lot of things here with the last owners that they could do for me and nothing ever happened."
The project will include a sports park, hotel and apartments. The project should be completed by December 2023.
Mitchell is watching, waiting, and willing to give this proposed comeback a chance.
"I'm ready for new growth and a new look. You have to look good to be good," he said.
Renovations inside the mall will begin as soon as the roof is repaired.
-
Second U.S. warplane reported downed in Middle East
Two U.S. military planes were shot down in separate incidents on Friday, and while one crew member was rescued in Iran, the whereabouts of at least one other was unknown. (Scripps News)
Family challenges IMPD's account of fatal downtown shooting
The family of a man killed in a downtown shooting, and another now held in jail is challenging the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s account of the incident.
Journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq and is now held for ransom
Supporters of an American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad say she risked her life reporting from some of the world's most dangerous places. Now she's the one in danger.
American journalist kidnapped in Iraq
Supporters of an American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad say she risked her life reporting from some of the world's most dangerous places. Now she's the one in danger. (Scripps News)
