Malls · Louisiana
Cortana Mall
Opened 1976. Closed 2021. Redeveloped in 2021.
Status nowRetrofit builtextracted, unreviewed
documented
In December 2021, the site underwent redevelopment into a distribution center for Amazon.
What it becamelogisticsextracted, unreviewed reported
Last sale$6.0M · 2013public reporting
Retrofit year2021extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability9 of 20 · 15-minute 4 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mYesOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/la/baton-rouge-cortana-mall/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile19 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Former anchors
Dillard's
This site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with thisJCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with thisMervyn's
This site: Mervyn's wikipedia · all sites with thisSears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisFinance and pipeline
Listed for sale
This site: …scope: property research-deals · all sites with thisWebsite dead or redirecting
This site: overture / http check · all sites with thisPlace
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road
This site: 39,333 on US 61 fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 1 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh heat wave risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh hurricane risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh natural hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
This site: Relatively High; hurricane, tornado, heat wave, cold wave, lightning fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.95 cdc-svi · all sites with thisHigh tornado risk
This site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $41,402 census-acs · all sites with thisRail within 800 m
This site: Cortana Transit Center openstreetmap · all sites with thisTract income flat or down since 2013
This site: -6% census-acs · all sites with thisScale
Building footprint 50,000+ m²
This site: 64,184 m² overture · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: Amazon distribution center extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Logistics and industrial
This site: Amazon distribution center extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Retrofit builtextracted, unreviewed documentedIn December 2021, the site underwent redevelopment into a distribution center for Amazon. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documentedIn December 2021, the site underwent redevelopment into a distribution center for Amazon. |
| New uses | logisticsextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | Amazon distribution centerextracted, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2021extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Redeveloper | Amazonextracted, unreviewed reported |
Deals and debt
| Date | Event | Price | Parties | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Listed | $4.0M closed | ← Moonbeam Equities | Wikipedia |
| 2013 | Sold | $6.0M closed | Moonbeam Equities ← Mall Properties | Wikipedia |
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Cortana Mall” and “Baton Rouge” (27 hits, first 27 sampled, 8 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (weak) | DEVELOPERS DIVERSIFIED REALTY CORP (SITC, SITC-PA) | 8 | 2003-03-12 to 2010-02-26 | 10-K 8 |
Site context
| Transit within 800 m | Cortana Transit Center (rail)OpenStreetMap |
|---|---|
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 15: AMAZON.COM SERVICES INC - BTR1; AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC - AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC - BTR1; BIG LOTS 5232; COLOR TEC IMAGING; FIRESTONE CORTANA 016519EPA FRS |
| Census tract 22033003601 | 3,240 people, 1,448 per sq mi; median household income $41,402; median gross rent $895; 47% renters; 13.9% vacant units; 1.7% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 9 of 20; 56 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.8; 92,465 jobs within 45 min by car; 8% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 4 of 6 daily needs: 1 grocers, 1 schools, 0 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 1 civic, 6 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 17 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, East Baton Rouge Parish (LA), 2024 | 446 units in 5+ unit buildings, 89 in 2–4, 1,770 single-family; 2023: 0 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.95; socioeconomic 0.86; housing and transport 0.78; 34% below 150% of poverty; 10% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 2 within 10 km, 2 within 25 km: Bon Marché Mall (2.0 km); Catfish Town (9.0 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | place Cortana Mall (shopping_mall, confidence 0.97, from Microsoft, Overture); building footprint 64,184 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Website and social | (down or redirecting, status None)Overture / Internet Archive |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 73,004 since 2015; 4,340 in the last 12 months (-8% vs the prior 12); peak 2019-09 with 1,700Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -6% (3,442 → 3,240); median income -6% ($44,211 → $41,402); renters 30% → 47%; median home value +31% ($150,700 → $197,800)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively high overall (score 85.5); expected annual loss $2.1M; high: hurricane, tornado, heat wave, cold wave, lightning; community resilience relatively moderateFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | noneHUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 24,256 jobs in 2,074 establishments; average annual pay $39,570; employment location quotient 0.91; employment -1.1% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 5,376 jobs; 1,845 in retail trade, 291 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 22033003601)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 41th income percentile as adults; 3.1% incarcerated at the 2010 count (365 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 7.8%; median family income $66,344; 144 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | East Baton Rouge Parish School District (PK-12); 2 public schools within 1 mile: IDEA Bridge; BASIS Baton Rouge Primary Mid CityNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 47 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 236 county-logged events: 98 thunderstorm wind, 78 flash flood, 34 hail, 10 lightning; $2,408,664,500 property damage reported; 8 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 70815, 2026-09 | median list price $239,950 (-3.6% on the year); 92 active listings; median 89 days on market; 21% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 1,695 establishments (-10%); 25,471 jobs (-9%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $231,673 (+2% 1 yr, +12% 5 yr); typical rent $1,307/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 241 (2000 = 100), +9% 5 yr, +23% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 39,333 vehicles a day on US 61 (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 4,877 trucks; 23 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Cortana Mall opened in 1976 as an enclosed shopping center with a peak of 140 stores and underwent renovations and rebranding over the decades. Ownership shifted from Mall Properties to lenders in 2012, then to Moonbeam Equities in 2013, and the mall was demolished in 2021. An Amazon distribution center was built on the site and opened in 2024.
Why. The record shows competition from the nearby Towne Center at Cedar Lodge opening in 2005 and multiple ownership changes, including a period under lenders, which suggest financial and market pressures leading to demolition.
Where it stands. The site is currently built and occupied by an Amazon distribution center, with Amazon listed as the developer controlling the property.
For a planner
- Precedent: conversion of a former mall to logistics use.
- Policy tools: not specified in the record; redevelopment appears private‑led.
- Open questions: long‑term traffic impacts, compatibility with local zoning, and community employment effects.
For a developer
- Site size: not provided in the record.
- Control: Amazon as developer; prior owner Moonbeam Equities held the property until 2021 demolition.
- Entitlement stage: status is 'built' and new use is logistics.
- Constraints: flood risk, transit access, and environmental factors are not described in the record.
- Market signals: tract‑level data (income, demographics, retail demand) are absent.
What we do not know yet
- Exact site acreage and building footprint are unknown.
- Details on anchor tenant losses or lease expirations are not recorded.
- Financial debt or loan specifics that may have influenced the 2012‑2013 ownership shifts are missing.
- Environmental constraints (floodplain, soil contamination) and transit proximity are not described.
- Zoning approvals, incentives, or public‑private agreements tied to the redevelopment are not specified.
- The record is marked as 'verified: draft', indicating some fields may be model‑extracted and unreviewed.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Former JCPenney building, Edina, MN · Malls · opened 1972; closed 2017; same strategy: redevelop
- Summit Park Mall, Wheatfield, NY · Malls · opened 1972; closed 2018; same strategy: redevelop
- Echelon Mall, Voorhees, NJ · Malls · opened 1970; closed 2024; same strategy: redevelop
- Spring Hill Mall, West Dundee, IL · Malls · opened 1980; closed 2024; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Cortana Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- From opening date to demolition, here’s the … theadvocate.com
- Aerial View Of High School Campus google.com
- Cortana Mall In Louisiana Historic & Defunct Cortana Mall YouTube fity.club
- MallsCenters - US Shopping Malls & Stores mallscenters.com
- Cortana Mall (br imgur.com
- Cortana Mall In Baton Rouge, LA, Took A Turn Nobody Predicted ... bestattractions.org
- Cortana Mall - Baton Rouge, LA | a dead mall nearly abrogated from torpid ownership | ExLog#39 youtube.com
- Cortana Mall – Former Shopping Center in Baton Rouge, LA | MCI moonbeamcapital.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1976Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2021extracted, unreviewed documentedOn January 11, 2021, it was announced that Dillard's Clearance Center would be closing on May 2, 2021, which would leave the mall completely vacant. |
| Stores at peak | 140extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Anchors | H. J. Wilson Co., Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Mervyn's, Goudchaux's/Maison Blanche |
| County | East Baton Rouge Parish |
| Census division | 7 · West South Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, original developer. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Cortana Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was at the intersection of Airline Highway and Florida Blvd. It was last owned by Moonbeam Equities of Las Vegas, Nevada. It opened in 1976 and was demolished in 2021. An Amazon distribution center now occupies the land.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1976 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1976 Mall opened
- 1977 Fifth anchor H. J. Wilson Co. opened
- 1987 Sixth anchor Mervyn's opened
- 1991 Interior renovation and security update
- 1997 Rebranded as Mall at Cortana
- 2005 Towne Center at Cedar Lodge opened nearby
- 2012 Mall Properties sold to lenders
- 2013 Moonbeam Equities purchased mall for $6 million
- 2021 Demolition began
- 2024 Amazon distribution center opened
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cortana Mall · supports: after notes, status, strategy, year closed
14 quoted sentences
On January 11, 2021, it was announced that Dillard's Clearance Center would be closing on May 2, 2021, which would leave the mall completely vacant.
An Amazon distribution center now occupies the land.
In December 2021, the site underwent redevelopment into a distribution center for Amazon.
In December 2021, the site underwent redevelopment into a distribution center for Amazon.
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