Foot Locker taking Flagstar space

September 24, 2007
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Flagstar BankFoot Locker has filed plans to open a 3,300-square-foot store at the corner of Meridian and Washington streets downtown. The space currently is home to Flagstar Bank, which plans to move to the former Bearno's space a few blocks away. Several restaurants, including Panera, Chipotle, McAlister's and McDonald's, had considered the high-visibility space in the building owned by local businessman John Goodman. The store would be the first downtown for New York-based Foot Locker Inc., which lost a bidding war with Indianapolis-based rival Finish Line to buy Genesco Inc. Finish Line now is trying to wiggle out of the $1.5-billion deal. Foot Locker already has stores at several area malls.
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  • DanielSeptember 24, 2007 3:10 PM
    this is a surprise
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  • ShaneSeptember 24, 2007 3:40 PM
    I wonder if this will help spur more street level retail in the area.....
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  • CorrNDSeptember 24, 2007 4:08 PM
    Street-level retail?! Ok, so it's Foot Locker, but this is still great news. How many street-front spots in downtown AREN'T restaurants (or bail bondsman)?
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  • LarrySeptember 24, 2007 6:43 PM
    Doesn't foot lock already have a store in Circle Center Mall?
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  • Da HooeySeptember 24, 2007 7:39 PM
    Maybe this will spur some of the big people to put down their bigmacs and start running at lunch.
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  • SaraSeptember 24, 2007 8:57 PM
    This is wonderful news. Downtown needs more street level retail like this. I wish we could get a Crate & Barrel or Bed Bath & Beyond downtown.
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  • Indiana JonesSeptember 25, 2007 8:05 AM
    Retail is nice.

    Fair is fair; still, this looks like a case of Foot Locker thumbing their nose at Finish Line!
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  • DRTSeptember 25, 2007 8:22 AM
    I love the idea. I never shop there but I assume other people do :) Anyway like the previous posters said, more street level retail is awesome. The more we can make Indianapolis a destination whether it be shopping, dining, etc is ok in my book.

    On Finishline: Didn't pretty much every investor tell Finishline that the buyout was a horrible idea? Smooth move.
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  • crankySeptember 25, 2007 8:54 AM
    The Finish Line inside Circle Center mall is one of their best locations, especially if you are shopping for the urban trends. So, this seems like a win for consumers.
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  • ablerockSeptember 25, 2007 9:08 AM
    I think this is a great location for them. The Cultural Trail will most likely pass right by their front door. Since their game is fitness apparel, I assume that will be a good thing. :-)
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  • Jim BSeptember 25, 2007 9:50 AM
    Street level retail is great. Wish we could have more. What about the first block of East Washington Street? Circle Centre is great, but we also need street level stores. Glad to see this happening.
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  • FlackSeptember 25, 2007 9:57 AM
    That should be a great location, hopefully it'll spur more activity on the block to the east.

    Interesting, though, that Finish Line's first store in 1976 was on the Circle (albeit on the north side)...now it's big rival is setting up shop there.
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  • Jimmy ChitwoodSeptember 25, 2007 10:14 AM
    This is one of the prime corners in all of Indianapolis. A Footlocker? They have locations at 38th and Illinois, . Wash Square, and Lafayette Square. It's not like they search out A+ locations. Maybe it was a tough space.

    I'm happy to see street level retail, but this seems one notch better than a T-Mobil store. I'd rather have Panera.
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  • CoryWSeptember 25, 2007 1:50 PM
    I wanted a Dunkin Doughnuts at this site!
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  • HMPPeaceHouseSeptember 25, 2007 1:56 PM
    I swear, if I hear about Foot Locker from IBJ one more time, I'm going to EXPLODE!!!!!
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  • MarshallSeptember 25, 2007 8:53 PM
    I think the fact that a Foot Locker is going in that space is great news. Stores featuring apparel/accessories are very rare downtown, outside of the mall. The idea that this type of retail is willing to risk going outside of their traditional forte (indoor shopping malls) should say something about te confidence in the downtown retail scene. Hopefully this will be followed by other retailers who will probably be watching to see how successful Foot Locker is. The earlier suggestions of Crate and Barrel or Bed, Bath, Beyond would be fabulous options. Considering the growing downtown residential population and the ongoing development of the south side of downtown, I don't think it will be long before we DO start to see more retail outside of the mall.
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  • Indiana JonesSeptember 26, 2007 8:50 AM
    HMPPeaceHouse, judging from your remark, I wonder how much peace there is at your house.
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  • DustinSeptember 26, 2007 4:07 PM
    Explode already HMPPeaceHouse you muppet
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  • CoryWSeptember 27, 2007 8:07 AM
    I agree with the notion that our downtown retail is basically nonexistent on the street level. This is due to Circle Centre, obvioulsy. I think that this is a good sign. Too bad the most recent plans for Pan Am Plaza fell through as that would have added more street level retail.
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