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.
-
1984: Luxury taxi cabs come to Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Yellow Cab Company added 50 luxury taxi cabs to its fleet in 1984 as part of a test program from General Motors.
Youth group focuses on grief after 17-year-old member was shot, killed
17-year-old Dashawn Gilbert was shot and killed on Halloween on the far east side. A local mentoring group met to talk about grief and gun violence.
School bus crashes into building, injuring 3 students and bus driver
Police are investigating after a school bus crashed into a building, injuring three students and their bus driver on Wednesday in Union City.
Governor-Elect Mike Braun announces his transition team, future vision
On Wednesday, Braun answered questions from the press for nearly an hour. It’s one of the longest press conferences he has held since announcing his run for governor.
