Washington Square Mall has served the Evansville area since the 1960s. When it opened, it was among the first enclosed malls in the state, located adjacent to a noted shopping center, Washington Lawndale Commons, which has been operating since the 1950s.
Washington Square Mall's initial anchor department stores were Sears at the north end and Stewart's Dry Goods at the south. During the 1970s and 1980s, when the mall was operating at its peak, its major retailers were joined by 90 other outlets, including L.S. Ayres, Harry Levinson's, The Baby Shoppe, Woolsey's Toys, Burger Farm, and Chess King, to name a few.
The mall's history has been punctuated by a number of disappointments. L. S. Ayres closed in 1992 to be replaced Elder-Beerman, which in turn closed in 2002. One of the more recent failures was the 2007 closing of Values Unlimited, a homegrown multi-merchandise retailer that began operating in a portion of the former 140,000-square-foot Elder-Beerman store building in 2004.
Competition has been a major cause behind the mall's struggles. The opening of Eastland Mall in 1981 drew many customers and some businesses away. As neighboring Lawndale Commons also lost tenants in the 1990s, the Washington retail corridor became even less of a shopping destination.
The Hahn Property Group has managed to keep Sears as the primary attraction here. It occupies 192,000 square feet, ranking it among the largest Sears outlets in the Midwest. It features a gift registry, portrait studio, optical center, and a special Lands' End home shop, along with its own drop-off location and store pick up service.
However, recent efforts by Hahn to supplement Sears with another anchor have not been successful. Today, the vacancy rate at Washington Square Mall remains high, despite leasing and licensing offers for as little as $8.00 per square foot.
Current businesses operating at Washington Square Mall include retailers, medical offices, and services, such as Dean Webster Insurance and R.L. Voight CPA. The local shops are Brian Smith Photography, Deb, Designs4U, Fast Lane Raceway, Just Cookies, Marion's Hallmark, Old US Coins, Salon 3, and Treasures. Healthcare providers are Evansville Primary Care, Freedom Medical, St. Mary's Senior Health, and St. Mary's Lab and X-Ray.
Customers still appreciate the cleanliness and safety of the mall. Many have commented on its centerpiece atrium and water fountain. There is also a food court with limited selections, the most popular choice being Noble Romans for pizza and subs, along with The Potato Place, whose signature menu features fully-loaded baked potatoes and a variety of mouth-watering toppings.
Gene Hahn and Paul Kite, the mall owners, have indicated that they have plans to attract new tenants and deliver additional foot traffic to Washington Square. According to their prospectus, "We are in the process of bringing an average of 1,500 new customers per day to the mall.''
Operating hours at Washington Square Mall are from 10am to 9pm weekdays, 7am to 9pm on Saturdays and noon to 6pm on Sundays. The address is 1138 Washington Square, Evansville, Indiana 47715.
