 In the original concept, the mall would have connected the existing downtown locations of the L. S. Ayres and the William H. Block department stores, and added one or more department stores that did not then have locations in Indianapolis.In January 1988, Saks Fifth Avenue announced that it would build a new store on the northeast corner of Washington and Illinois streets.However, in July 1990, amid a financial downturn, the new owners of Saks stated that no new stores, including the proposed Indianapolis one, would be built during the new three years.