| Jefferson Mall | |
| Coordinates: | 38.1407°N -85.6713°W |
| Opening Date: | August 2, 1978 |
| Developer: | Richard E. Jacobs Group |
| Number Of Stores: | 73 |
| Number Of Anchors: | 3 |
| Floor Area: | 950350square feet |
| Floors: | 1 (2 in anchors with freight elevator access to second level of Round One) |
Jefferson Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Louisville, Kentucky, the largest city in Kentucky. The mall is located near the intersection of Interstate 65 and Outer Loop in southern Louisville. Jefferson Mall is the only major mall in southern Jefferson County, and the only of Louisville's six regional shopping centers (400,000+ square feet) serving the south and west county; the others are located in the east county.[1]
Jefferson Mall opened in August 1978, named for the county in which it is located.[2] The mall was developed by Richard E. Jacobs Group of Cleveland, Ohio and included 936000square feet of space.[3] Jefferson Mall's original anchor stores included JCPenney, Sears, and Stewart Dry Goods. Shillito's opened a store in the mall in October 1979.[4]
The mall was sold in 2000 to CBL & Associates Properties of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Louisville's daily newspaper, The Courier-Journal, described the mall as "overlooked" in the Louisville retail scene, not as popular as Oxmoor Center and Mall St. Matthews in eastern Jefferson County. At the time, Jefferson Mall had not been updated substantially since its opening except for the addition of a food court in 1999.[5] The mall's first major renovation was completed in 2003 and included new entrances.
The mall's current anchor stores are Dillard's and JCPenney. Round One Entertainment was the most recent occupant of the mall's third anchor space. There are 95 permanent stores and 990452square feet of leased space.[6]
In March 2005 Macy's assumed operation of the former Shillito's, then closed in April 2017 as part of a company-wide downsizing.[7] The former Macy's became Round One Entertainment in December 2018.[8]
Sears closed its store at the mall in January 2019 as part of a plan to close 142 locations nationwide, leaving Dillard's and JCPenney as the only traditional anchors left.[9] In March 2024, demolition on the former Sears wing began, with plans to open a BJ's Wholesale Club on the site.[10]