Montgomery Ward announced plans for a new $10 million store and 700,000 square feet (65,000 m2) adjacent shopping mall in the town of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin in 1969, which would replace their downtown Green Bay store.[1] The mall was originally intended to open in 1971. Montgomery Ward hired E.D. Pehrson Associates of Chicago as developer.[1] After delays, the Montgomery Ward store opened in 1972.[2]
After the project stalled again in the mid-1970s, the Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. was brought in by Montgomery Ward as the new developer.[3] By this time, the mall project was increased to 786,000 square feet (73,000 m2).[3] In 1979, Shopko was announced as the second anchor store of the new mall.[3] Construction on the mall began in 1979, and the mall opened in 1980.
In 1981, the mall was expanded, adding an east wing and a Kohl's Department Store. The project added 94,000 square feet (8,700 m2) of space to the mall.[4]
In 1995, the mall underwent a major renovation, remodeling much of the interior of the mall.[5] A new west wing was added, which included a food court taking up the former Marcus Theatres space and a new 75,000 square feet (7,000 m2) Elder-Beerman department store as the fourth anchor, which replaced the mall's main entrance. The mall then added two new angled entrances, one that went through to the new food court, and another that went through to the mall walkway running parallel to the side of the new Elder-Beerman department store.[5] Marcus Theatres built a new 16-screen movie theater on an outlot of the mall behind ShopKo.[5] A 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) addition was made to the Kohl's store at the same time.[5]
Simon Property Group acquired Bay Park Square when they merged with the mall's owners, the DeBartolo Corporation.[6]
Montgomery Ward closed in 2001. In 2003, the south wing was expanded and a new Younkers department store was built. Elder-Beerman closed in 2007 following their acquisition by Younkers' parent company, The Bon-Ton. A Younkers Furniture Gallery later replaced the Elder-Beerman store. Both stores closed in mid-2018 due to Bon-Ton's bankruptcy and the entire chain going out of business.[7] Shopko would meet the same fate on June 16, 2019, when the last of its stores, including the Bay Park Square store, closed (its corporate headquarters was located directly across from the mall and remains vacant).[8]
In 2019, a plan was announced to have Dave & Buster's occupy the former Younkers Furniture space. Panda Express, Blaze Pizza and Mission BBQ also announced plans to build in outlets on the mall property.[9]
The front entrance to Hy-Vee, which does not have a secondary access entrance within the mall
Dave & Buster's opened in January 2021 after a delayed opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Panda Express opened in late 2020 in the parking lot of Dave & Buster's. Waukesha-based Steinhafels Furniture opened in the former Younkers space in early April 2022, with a portion of its southeast side subdivided into a future store space. Chick-fil-A opened its first northeastern Wisconsin location in the front of the mall near Dave & Busters in March 2022.[10] Supermarket chain Hy-Vee opened its largest store in the former Shopko space on November 8, 2022; it does not have an entrance in the actual mall. [11]
Bay Park Square anchors timeline
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
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Montgomery Ward
(1972)
Montgomery Ward closes (2001)
vacant
Younkers
(2003)
Younkers closes (2018)
vacant
Steinhafels Furniture (opening 2021)
ShopKo
(1979)
ShopKo closes (2019)
vacant
Hy-Vee
Kohl's
(1981)
Elder-Beerman
(1995)
Elder-Beerman closes,
Younkers Furniture Gallery opens
(2007)
Younkers Furniture Gallery closes (2018)
Dave & Buster's planned opening in 2019. Opening delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dave & Buster's
(2021)
References
^ abHarry Maier (December 18, 1969). "Ward plans $10 Million Mall in Ashwaubenon". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 1.
^Harry Maier (March 26, 1972). "New Ward store will anchor major retail complex". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 42.
^ abcKaril Van Boxel (March 6, 1979). "New Mall, Shopko Near Agreement". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 1.
^"Cold doesn't stop commercial construction". Green Bay Press-Gazette. December 13, 1981. p. 52.
^ abcdTom Murphy (October 14, 1994). "Mall anchor announced". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 3.