Renovations
El Con Mall is still owned by the heirs of its original developer, Joseph Kivel. Following the elder Kivel's demise in 1995, his descendants began renovations on the mall. A multiplex movie theater and food court were both added behind J. C. Penney, although no restaurants were ever opened in the food court. Additional plans promised "a unique variety of retail stores", but competition from larger malls, most notably Park Place, caused El Con to lose more stores than it gained. Dillard's closed on May 9, 2000. It had decided to when Park Mall's Dillard's got a new building. Montgomery Ward was renamed Wards in 1997. In mid 1998 the entire northeast wing of the mall (including The Pavilion Food Court) was demolished.
In 2001, Montgomery Ward closed along with the company's bankruptcy. The Home Depot (2001) and Target (2003) were built on the east side of the mall, with the latter replacing Montgomery Ward, Don Juan's Tacos, Chinese Combo Express (formerly Docktor Pet Center), some mall space, as well as some parking space. The addition of these stores was considered controversial by local residents, many of whom did not want such big box retailers in the area. Neither Target nor The Home Depot is directly accessible from within the mall itself.
Although many retailers and restaurants opened on the mall's periphery in the 2000s, the enclosed mall itself continued to lose tenants. In 2005, May Department Stores (then owners of the Robinsons-May name) was acquired by Macy's, Inc., and most May Department Stores nameplates were converted to the Macy's name. The Macy's store in El Con Mall was deemed unprofitable, and was closed in 2008, shortly after the addition of a Ross Dress For Less store in the Macy's wing. Later in 2008, it was announced that Wal-Mart might move into the former Macy's, (plans have now been confirmed it will, but have a new building). In November 2009, Burlington Coat Factory announced it would open a new store at El Con Mall in the former Dillard's space. The store opened on March 5, 2010. As of September 21st, 2011 the mall building that once housed small stores was demolished and a path way was built for access.
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