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.
-
Driver killed in US 31 fatal crash identified
The Hamilton County Coroner has identified the driver of the deadly crash that closed a part of US 31 for several hours on Wednesday.
Three shot, two in critical condition on eastside of Indianapolis
Two people are in critical condition, and another is in stable condition following a shooting on the east side Wednesday afternoon, said the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police.
Indiana State Police solve 53-year-old murder case
The Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit has identified the killer in the murder of the 1972 killing of 26-year-old Phyllis Bailer.
Juvenile sentenced to 15 years for fatally shooting intruder on family property
In a case highlighting the complexities of Indiana's self-defense laws, a17-year-old has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally shooting a man searching through his mother's vehicle.
