Dillard's confirms relocation, expansion at Battlefield Mall
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Battlefield Mall has announced the relocation and expansion of its largest tenant.
A spokesperson for the Simon property confirms Dillard's will be combining its two mall stores into a combined larger store site formerly occupied by Sears. The project is currently underway and the new store should be open in a few months.
Ozarks First reported on the plan back in May of 2024 after Dillard's filed a construction permit request with the City of Springfield. In recent months, construction crews have been on-site working.
'We are thrilled to announce that Dillard's is expanding to provide its signature premium apparel and goods in an elevated and even more convenient space for shoppers at Battlefield Mall,' said Mark Silvestri, President of Simon Development. 'The expansion of Dillard's is yet another example of our commitment to the Springfield community. As Battlefield Mall continues to evolve, add new retailers and meet the changing needs of our shoppers, we remain dedicated to providing local families a best-in-class shopping destination.'
Dillard's says the new store will be in the former Sears store in the west wing of the shopping center and will include nearly 180,000 square feet of space. Currently, Dillards is split between two stores- one for men's apparel and home goods, and a second for women's apparel. The spaces would be closed as part of the consolidation.
'We are proud to announce the latest evolution of Dillard's at Battlefield Mall,' Dillard's Senior Vice President Chris Johnson said. 'We look forward to building on our longstanding relationship with Springfield-area shoppers by providing a brand-new, one-stop shopping experience and expanded product selection along with the signature style, quality and value our customers have always known.'
The shopping center's former Sears location has sat empty since it closed in 2020 following that retailer's bankruptcy.
Opening in the early 1980s, Sears was one of the mall's main tenants for decades. According to previous KOLR10 reporting, the company declared bankruptcy in 2018 and began shuttering locations nationwide. Its Springfield store was one of the last remaining stores in the Midwest when it finally shut down in 2020. Since then, the space has remained vacant except for temporary, pop-up seasonal Halloween costume and decor stores.
Dillard's has had a history of changing and adding locations in the mall over the decades. The retailer is the facility's oldest anchor tenant, and opened in conjunction with the shopping center in 1970 in the north wing. In the early 1980s, the retailer moved to a new, larger location closer to the food court when a major expansion of the mall was completed. The original Dillards became a Famous-Barr store and is now a Macy's. The 'new' Dillard's spot remained the company's sole Springfield store until 2001. That's when the retailer split its locations; the existing space became home to the men's, children's, and home goods departments; the women's departments were moved to the old Montgomery Ward space in the south wing. That move was made following Ward's bankruptcy, liquidation, and closure.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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