 In April 1979, Mayor William Hudnut and Melvin Simon & Associates announced the completion of a study that envisioned a two- or three-story mall between Meridian Street and Capital Avenue.It would connect the L. S. Ayres store at Washington and Meridian streets and the William H. Block store at Illinois and Market streets, and could potentially include other department stores new to the city.The $100 million mall would be located north of Washington Street and have an entrance on the southwest quadrant of Monument Circle

Negotiations to purchase the real estate on the north side of Washington Street proved to be difficult.