Carolina Place Mall: From Empty Land to a New Center of Charlotte's South
The land where Carolina Place Mall stands today was first purchased more than three decades before construction began, tied to early plans for SouthPark Mall.
Belk and Ivey's families paid $8.5 million for the Pineville property. Still, the location was considered too far from Charlotte's center, leading to SouthPark's relocation.
Ivey's later sold the land to Belk, which in the mid-1980s began planning for Carolina Place. The mall opened in 1991 with 1.2 million square feet and four anchors.
Belk had just closed its uptown Charlotte store after more than 75 years, while JCPenney left Park Road Shopping Center after 35 years to join the new project.
Dillard's entered through its purchase of Ivey's, and Sears completed the opening anchor group.
Two additional pads were held aside for Rich's and Miller & Rhoads, though those never materialized.
When doors opened in 1991, Carolina Place became Mecklenburg County's first new regional mall in 16 years.
Its curved two-level design included office space above Belk, giving the property a mix of retail and administration.
The debut coincided with an economic slowdown that softened early results. Still, the scale of the center ensured steady use as shoppers adjusted to the new anchor mix.
Positioned close to the South Carolina border, it quickly drew visitors from nearby towns as well as Charlotte residents, adding to its role as a regional hub.
The development marked a retail shift southward, setting Pineville on a path as a shopping corridor and making Carolina Place part of the area's list of things to do near Charlotte, North Carolina.
A Mall That Grew Past Its First Four Walls (1991–1996)
Belk and JCPenney had arrived at Carolina Place with long histories in Charlotte, but the new mall still had room left for more anchors.
Two empty pads stood in place for possible tenants, one meant for Rich's and another for Miller & Rhoads.
Neither company moved forward, leaving the spaces unused as the mall adjusted to its early years.
In 1993, Hecht's took one of those roles after acquiring Thalhimers. The arrival gave Carolina Place five department-store anchors, a rare setup in the region.
By 1996, development around the mall expanded further. Incredible Universe, a massive electronics retailer, opened nearby with a large-format concept store.
Garden Ridge opened that year, adding home décor and seasonal selections to the mix. Together, the stores broadened Pineville's retail profile and attracted more shoppers.
Anchors inside and large retailers outside pushed Carolina Place in the mid-1990s past its original structure.
"Carolina Place Mall - Pineville, NC" by MikeKalasnik is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Stores That Came and Went (1997–2005)
In 1997, Incredible Universe closed its Pineville store, just a year after opening.
The building, originally designed as a vast electronics showroom, was quickly converted into a Sam's Club, securing the site with a long-term tenant.
The shift showed how large spaces could be repurposed even after short-lived ventures.
Garden Ridge store specialized in furniture, crafts, and seasonal décor, drawing steady traffic through the early 2000s.
It remained under that name until much later, when it transitioned to At Home in 2014.
Still, during this period, it stood as part of the retail growth surrounding Carolina Place.
Inside the mall itself, the roster of anchors stayed unchanged during these years.
Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, and Hecht's continued to operate, with each store holding its corner of the curved concourse.
Smaller tenants filled the rest of the 1.2 million square feet, ranging from clothing shops to food outlets.
Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, the mall kept its anchor lineup intact even as the broader retail market saw waves of consolidation and rebranding.
New Names on the Facade (2006–2013)
In August 2006, construction wrapped on a sixth anchor pad, but this time the space was built as an outdoor section.
Barnes & Noble opened its large-format bookstore, REI launched its first Pineville store with outdoor equipment and clothing, and Harper's Restaurant added a dining option beside them.
The outdoor wing marked a structural change from the mall's original enclosed design.
That same year, the long-running Hecht's department store closed and was replaced by Macy's.
The conversion followed a nationwide rebranding after Federated Department Stores consolidated its regional divisions under the Macy's banner.
With the change, Carolina Place kept its lineup of five department-store anchors, though the branding on one façade shifted.
Shifts in Retail and New Attractions (2014–2017)
On February 27, 2014, H&M opened inside Carolina Place with its second store in the Charlotte market.
The fashion chain brought racks of quick-turn clothing into the concourse, adding an anchor-style tenant with a different pull than the established department stores.
Garden Ridge took on the At Home name that year. The name change updated the brand while maintaining the warehouse setup of furniture and seasonal goods.
In early 2017, Macy's shut down its Carolina Place location.
The company had outlined a wider plan to shrink its physical presence, and Pineville was included in the closures. The anchor space stayed empty until 2019.
On October 16, 2017, when Dave & Buster's opened in the outdoor wing.
With arcade games, a full bar, and dining in one space, it marked a shift from the traditional department stores model to an entertainment tenant.
Departures and Replacements (2018–2023)
On October 15, 2018, Sears announced it would close its Carolina Place location as part of a plan that affected 142 stores nationwide.
The Pineville store shut its doors in January 2019, leaving a large anchor space empty at the mall for the first time since Macy's had exited two years earlier.
By May 2019, that void was filled. Dick's Sporting Goods opened in the former Macy's building, pairing with Golf Galaxy in a dual-concept space.
The layout combined general sporting equipment with a specialized golf retailer, bringing a new category of anchor to the property.
Through the early 2020s, Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes & Noble, and Dave & Buster's held the anchor mix.
Smaller national retailers continued to rotate in and out of the interior concourses.
Still, the headline changes came from the replacement of long-standing department store brands with new tenants.
The mall adjusted by diversifying anchor uses, blending retail and entertainment in a way that differed from the department-store lineup of its early years.
A Mall in the Headlines (2024–2025)
On July 13, 2024, Southern Lion opened inside the former Sears anchor at Carolina Place. Its upper floor began operations in fall 2023, followed by a full launch in July 2024.
The marketplace brought together more than 150 vendors selling furniture, décor, and home goods, marking its first brick-and-mortar location.
The opening restored one of the mall's largest spaces to active use.
Just weeks later, on September 27, 2024, the mall shut down for a full day due to a power outage.
Management announced the closure through its official Facebook page, citing safety concerns for guests and staff until service was restored.
The disruption showed how quickly operations could be paused even outside of retail shifts.
On March 7, 2025, Dave & Buster's launched a redesigned location at Carolina Place Mall in Pineville.
The updated venue introduced The Arena, a 360-degree gaming space, private Game Suites, an immersive 40-foot screen, and a refreshed restaurant and bar layout.
Forever 21 once operated at Carolina Place Mall in Pineville, but in March 2025, the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again and began nationwide liquidation sales.
By mid-2025, the mall's Forever 21 store had closed permanently.
On July 11, 2025, a shooting took place in the parking lot near Barnes & Noble.
Police reported that the incident stemmed from a targeted robbery arranged through a meeting at the mall.
In August 2025, two teenagers were charged in connection with the crime. One was held on a secured bond of $50,000, while the other remained unnamed due to age restrictions.
The case tied Carolina Place to headlines once again, though this time for events outside its storefronts.