Charlottesville Fashion Square

Construction of the mall by the Leonard L. Farber Company began in early 1979, with an opening date set for March 1980.^[2][3] By February 1980, Miller & Rhoads, J. C. Penney, Sears, and Leggett had been announced as anchors, with seventy-five other interior tenants already confirmed.^[4] The mall opened on March 5, 1980, drawing a crowd of four thousand.^[5] At opening, the mall had only two anchors, with Leggett not set to open until March 26, and J. C. Penney not expected to open until March 1981.^[5]

In January 1990, Miller & Rhoads closed its location at the mall, with merchandise being shipped to other stores recently purchased by The May Department Stores Company.^[6] The mall was renovated in 1990, coinciding with the opening of several new tenants such as Gap Kids, Victoria's Secret, and Express.^[7][8] In 1996, the mall was purchased by Shopping Center Associates from previous owners CFS Associates Limited.^[9]

The mall was renovated again, beginning in 1999 and finishing in 2002.^[10] The $8.5 million renovation improved lighting and seating within the mall, added decor intended to give the mall a more modern feel, and removed umbrella motifs dating to the mall's opening.^[10]

On December 28, 2018, Sears announced plans to close its Fashion Square anchor.^[11] The store closed in March 2019.^[11]

In February 2020, analysts reported that the mall was facing "imminent default" on $45.2 million of loans.^[12] This followed an increasing number of store closures in the mall, as well as the mall being downgraded to a "non-core" property by owners Washington Prime Group.^[12] On August 20, 2020, J. C. Penney announced plans to close its anchor that November, leaving the two Belk stores as the only anchors.^[13]

On June 13, 2021, Washington Prime filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason.^[14] The mall was auctioned to a local lending company that July for $20.2 million.^[15]

In August 2024, Home Depot acquired and began redeveloping the former Sears building,^[16] announcing plans that November to open July 24, 2025.^[17] On September 16, 2024, Belk announced the September 20 opening of a Belk Outlet in the former location of its Men's and Home Building.^[18] Three months later on December 16, they announced that the outlet would close in January 2025.^[19] The main Belk store was not affected, and the outlet was supposed to be replaced by a Hobby Lobby. As of 2026, both Belk stores are open.^[19]

In 2024, Albemarle County purchased the former JCPenney anchor building and converted the space into offices which are to act as a public relations center. Albemarle County Public Relations Center was eventually completed and opened in the former JCPenney sometime in 2024.

In January 2025, Fashion Square's management terminated the leases of the few remaining interior store owners and ordered them to leave by January 31, 2025.^[20][1] As of February 2025^[update], Belk continues to operate its anchors as the Belk Men and Belk Women.^[1] The Home Depot was delayed until it opened on August 28, 2025,^[17] and was launched with a grand opening consisting of vendor activities and giveaways.

• The Teeth of the Tiger, which caused a minor controversy over its depiction of the mall as the site of a terrorist attack.