Shoppers rested on benches at Lexington Mall on May 12, 1999. When the shopping center at New Circle and Richmond roads opened in September 1975, it was after years of on-and-off construction, complicated by bankruptcy by the mall’s original owners, John W. Waites Associates. Saul Subsidiary I, the chief lender on the project, bought the mall in bankruptcy proceedings, finished the construction and opened the mall. At least two stores — Shoppers Choice Supermarket and McAlpin’s — had already been open for four years. When the mall opened, its 48 stores drew crowds of shoppers. A fountain occupied the center court. Despite its rocky beginning, the mall prospered for years, but the expansion of Fayette Mall in 1993 hurt the shopping center. Over the next several years, many stores either closed or moved as attendance declined. Among them: Schwab’s Pipes & Such; Phillip Gall’s Outdoor & Ski; Bookland; Knott Shoes; For Friends and gift shop For Friends Too; women’s clothing store Marshae’s; Dawahare’s; Home Accents; The County Market; two screens at Sony Theaters; and Consolidated Sales Co. At the time of this photo, Dillard’s was the mall’s biggest tenant and the only anchor store. In 2005, Dillard’s was  the last tenant to leave. Southland Christian Church bought the property in 2010, and it opened a satellite church in 2013. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff