The year was 1976 and the retail boom of building enclosed malls was near its peak.  Cleveland was no exception; even during a period of economic despair they joined the rest of America’s retail building boom, and embarked upon building behemoth retail centers across the metropolitan area.  The largest of these ever to be built, even as of 2007, was the Randall Park Mall in the tiny southeast suburban village of North Randall. 

Randall Park Mall’s location in the village was strategically planned.  The mall is located on Route 8/Northfield Rd but also adjacent to the intersection of two interstates: I-271 and I-471, which together make a rough southern belt around the city of Cleveland.  Its location is also one of the most centrally located malls in northeast Ohio, between Cleveland, Youngstown, and Akron.

When it opened, Randall Park Mall’s anchors included  Sears, JC Penney, May Company, Higbee’s of Cleveland, and Horne’s from Pittsburgh.  Another Cleveland-based department store chain called Halle’s had an option to build at the mall but went broke before they got a chance to exercise it in the early 1980s.  No matter, though, because Randall Park Mall’s fortunes fell flat during the same time period.  In 1978, only two years after Randall Park opened, an upscale mall called Beachwood Place opened nearby which stole many upscale shoppers from Randall Park.  Beachwood Place is successful even today.  Also, a few high profile crimes in the late 1970s and early 1980s including a murder and a well-publicized race riot kept shoppers away.  The mall continued to spiral downward and by the late 1980s most of the original top-tier retailers had egressed the mall for warmer economic climes in nearby centers.  Higbee’s became Kaufmann’s (Now Macy’s as of 2006) and Horne’s closed up shop.

By the late 1990s, Randall Park Mall was in perilous decline.  JCPenney’s 200,000 square-foot mammoth of a store converted to a JCPenney Outlet, and closed just three years later in 2001.  Dillard’s also closed, and many of the mall’s in-line stores changed from national chains to mom-and-pop stores, or worse yet became completely vacant.  The north end of the mall, where JCPenney and Dillards once sat, became especially vacant, and looks and sounds more like a cave than a shopping center.  The Horne’s location eventually became a Burlington Coat Factory on the upper level and a local furniture store flavor-of-the-year on the bottom level.  Also, a Magic Johnson theatres opened in the mall. Other nonstandard mall tenants such as a Church and a Jeepers entertainment-based restaurant for children opened in vacant store slots as well. 

But why did Randall Park, Cleveland’s largest mall, fail?  It is strategically located in northeast Ohio at the intersection of two major interstates, and has five anchor spaces as well as spots for many national retailers.  The answers are most likely in the changing demographics of the area immediately surrounding the mall, and also in the normal evolutionary cycle of retail.  As urban sprawl extended away from the core of Cleveland, it brought new retail with it farther and farther out.  Because metro Cleveland’s population on the whole is relatively stagnant, the inner-core retail like Randall Park and Euclid Square Malls suffer while newer retail lifestyle centers like Legacy Village and Crocker Park. 

So what’s next for Randall Park Mall?  I predict a slow, protracted continuation of its demise, followed by an attempt at mixed-use, and then either complete renovation and repurposing or blight.  It’s rather sad to see it fallen from its glory and in such a state as it is today, but such is the nature of retail.  In 2007 the Ohio Technical College announced plans to tenant the entirety of the 200,000 square-foot vacant former Penney’s space.

The pictures here were taken in June 2005.  Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what the largely abandoned huge building is near the entrance to the mall; it’s really scary.   

Tucked away on the west side of Columbus on the corner of Broad Street/U.S. 40 and the I-270 belt, Westland Mall has without a doubt seen better days.  Opened in 1969 as an outdoor mall, Westland was enclosed in 1982 and has not been renovated since.  As such, it has fallen victim to the flight of many-a-store in recent years, especially considering the tight retail competition in the Columbus market.

When it opened, Westland was anchored by Sears, Columbus-based Lazarus, and JCPenney.  Only Sears has held its ground; JCPenney closed in 1997 for new digs several miles up the road at The Mall at Tuttle Crossing and Lazarus, which became Macy’s recently, closed earlier this year citing underperforming sales.  Other national chain stores have departed in recent years as well, such as The Limited and Express.  In addition, the Woolworth’s mini-anchor which closed in 1997 with the rest of the chain was replaced by a Staples which denied mall access.  Whoops.  Since 2000, many more stores have departed, and on a Columbus Dispatch reporter’s recent visit to the mall the Dollar store was the busiest retailer in the whole place.  Whoops again. 

So what really happened at Westland?  Several sources suggest that tight competition was a major factor in Westland’s demise.  Between 1997 and 2001, Columbus saw more large retail destinations open than in any other market, with the opening of two large enclosed malls, The Mall at Tuttle Crossing and Polaris Fashion Place, and one large outdoor center, Easton Town Center.  Malls like Westland, and others which have recently failed like Columbus City Center and Northland Mall, all fell victim to this shiny new competition at an alarming rate. 

The opening of all three of these new centers also signified a greater shift geographically in the economic prosperity of Columbus, pressing greater emphasis on the large sprawling swath of suburbia north of downtown and leaving the other parts of town struggling.  Just by looking at a map of Columbus, it’s easy to see the recent growth has pressed northward at a rate two to three times the rate of other directions.  This is where much of the money is in Columbus, and also has much to do with the location of OSU in this direction.

Today, Westland Mall is a ghost town, a retail relic and a living history museum to the ‘dead mall’ phenomenon visible across the entire country.  The Broad Street retail strip around it is dated and functional, but the mall has definitely outlived its original stay as the anchor for this side of the trade area.  A massive renovation and repurposing will have to take place before it is viable again.  The mall’s website indicates they are courting ‘value’ tenants to make Westland into a ‘value-oriented’ mall, and while this may solve the immediate vacancy issue it is really only a stopgap solution as the center continues to age rather ungracefully. 

But for now, enjoy the photos and if you’re in the area take a visit to one of the area’s best-preserved dead mall museums while it lasts.  It won’t be long before they give up the ghost and try again.  The pictures here were taken in March 2004.

The only mall on the east side of the Toledo area, the 800,000 square-foot Woodville Mall opened in 1969 as a result of a population boom in the area. Located about a mile east of I-280 off Woodville Road in Northville, Woodville Mall is anchored by The Andersons, Elder Beerman and Sears.  In addition to the anchors, there is space for about 100 stores; however, presently less than 20 stores are open for business.

What went wrong?  Just as with Southwyck Mall across town, Woodville fell victim to poor management, changing demographics, and competition.  The main retail area in the Toledo area is currently clustered across town surrounding Franklin Park Mall on the northwest side.  In addition, two outdoor centers with retail space totalling over 1.5 million square-feet are emerging in southwest suburban Perrysburg and Maumee.  The area surrounding Woodville mall is holding its own, but is not currently experiencing major growth.  Many of the retail areas surrounding the mall are over 20 years old and are not aging gracefully.  This includes Woodville Mall itself. 

Considering Woodville’s last renovation was in 1987 by then-owner and mall giant Simon Property Group, the mall is almost 20 years out of date and it shows.  The floor throughout the mall consists of relatively well-kept yet out of date tiles in the center of each relatively wide hallway.  However, along the edges of each hallway on either side of the tile is a horrendously tattered, faded dark green carpet.  In many areas, the carpet is worn completely bare or ripped.  This can’t be enticing shoppers, and is probably indicative of the current owners lack of commitment to keep the enclosed mall viable.  Other design features of the mall including dead storefronts of wildly varying conditions (including a very old wooden facade with a Orange Julius labelscar!) and sparsely decorated interior spaces.  There are a few planters and palm trees, but much of the open area of the mall feels too empty and almost deserted, especially with the lack of kiosks that most malls seem to have in spades these days.  Toward the west end of the mall, the Food Court is also interesting with its bright 80s decor, yet it too is sadly mostly empty these days.  In many ways the condition of Woodville could be considered comparable with that of Southwyck; however, Woodville has retained all 3 of its anchors while space in the mall has suffered, and somewhat of the opposite is true for Southwyck.

The absolute best design feature of Woodville Mall is its center court.  The walls surrounding the warehouse-style high ceilings have been painted in shades of periwinkle and light blue with a stippling technique to mimic the sky.  Furthering the sky illusion, several large “clouds” hang from the ceiling suspended in mid air.  Back on the ground, there are all these rows of inappropriate-looking, tall, purple bars with white latticework on top.  I have no idea what they are.  There is also an elevated gazebo made with the same purple bars and it has a white latticework roof.  At least I could figure out what that was.  In addition to all that, there are all these random white tables and chairs strewn about on the ground that don’t seem to be used, but I suppose it’s better than having nothing there at all. 

As with many enclosed malls which have rapidly gone downhill, it wasn’t this bad until recently.  In September 2005, Simon Property Group of Indianapolis sold the failing mall to two California businessmen, Jack Kashani and Sammy Kahen for $2.5 million.  The pair also purchased the beleagured, large North Towne Square/Lakeside Center on Toledo’s north side, which was, if you can even imagine, the worst of them all in terms of occupancy with only a few stores open.  Not surprisingly, they shuttered that mall in February 2005. 

So, what’s next for Woodville Mall?  In October 2005, the Toledo Blade reported the new owners hired Krone Group LLC, a retail consultant from Cleveland, to hammer out plans for revitalization.  The plans initially included some lofty goals, and a long-range plan to retenant the existing mall while bringing in additional new office space, an indoor ice rink, a new movie theatre, residential units, and even constructing new access roads to the north.  Not surprisingly, none of this materialized, and in June 2006 the owners released a more vague, scaled-back plan to the Northwood town council.  They said they were studying several options, but most likely would be tearing down the nearly empty mall except for the three anchor spaces which remain economically viable.  As of November 2006, several months have gone by with more stagnant inaction on the project, leaving us to wonder what - if anything - will actually take place on the site.  

When the annoucement was made that the owners were likely razing the mall, many locals expressed their opposition.  Most of the people interviewed by both the Toledo Blade and on the blog Toledotalk.com preferred the enclosed mall to an outdoor development, especially considering 2 outdoor centers are emerging in Maumee and Perrysburg as well as the eventual redevelopment of Southwyck.  Holy Toledo, what a mess.  I took all the pictures featured here in July 2006.  As usual, comments are appreciated.

There are many reasons enclosed malls fail.  Competition, changing demographics, poor management, anchor woes, and strategic location are all reasons for a downward swing.  Southwyck Mall in Toledo, Ohio is a rather unique tale of failure in that all of these devices contributed to its eventual demise, one after another.  What began as a popular hub of retail activity eventually became, through these devices of failure, a dead mall museum.  Still open for business as of the date of this article (November 2006), Southwyck’s days as a viable enclosed mall have definitely passed and its days of being open for business at all are numbered as well.   

Opening in 1972 to immediate success, Southwyck was one of four major enclosed malls in Toledo.  Once a thriving mecca for shoppers from the surrounding areas of Toledo and beyond, Southwyck has lately fallen into disrepair.  The decor of the center is very dated, yet it seems at least one renovation has taken place since the 1972 opening; however, it was not recent.  The grand center court is flanked by a beautiful carousel, under a very 1970s looking bubble ceiling which extends very high, yet has several dirty or discolored tiles.  Decorative light fixtures throughout the center are an attempt to recreate an old English, perhaps Victorian, feel to Southwyck.  Many of the storefronts, including the closed ones, are extremely dated.  Beautiful fountains are still in operation throughout the mall but repairs seem necessary.  The Montgomery Ward anchor, which was abandoned in 2001 with the chain’s closure, remains fully signed on the inside and out.  Another interesting decor element of Southwyck was the haphazard, somewhat random placement of very colorful kites, some with very long streamers, placed throughout the mall along the ceiling. However, the most interesting feature of Southwyck to me were the directories.  Each directory is a kiosk made up of at least one television, displaying one of two things.  Some displayed early 1980s-looking computer graphics listing the store directory and mall happenings directly on the TV, while other televisions were broadcasting CNN live or Channel 24, the local NBC affiliate for Toledo. 

There were originally three anchors to Southwyck.  From the south to north, they were: Montgomery Ward, LaSalle, and Lion.  LaSalle and Lion were Toledo-area department stores and as was the case for many malls across America, they made the trek from downtown to the enclosed malls when they opened to try to get a piece of the action.  LaSalle folded in the early 1980s and Southwyck’s middle anchor became Lion’s Store for the Home.  Lion, Southwyck’s northern anchor, held on under the helm of Mercantile Stores until 1998 when it was sold and converted to Dillard’s along with the middle anchor Home Store.  In 2001, Southwyck experienced its first anchor closure as the Montgomery Ward chain folded.  In 2003, the middle anchor space also became empty as Dillard’s closed the Home Store.  Dillard’s does, however, continue to operate as the south anchor at Southwyck and owns a great deal of the mall itself; however, in 2007 Dillard’s plans to open a new location in a 1 million square-foot lifestyle center called Fallen Timbers only a few miles from their current location at Southwyck.  What will become of the embattled, beleagured Southwyck in the near future is anyone’s guess as the mall’s owners, developers, and the city of Toledo evolve their decisions. 

But it wasn’t always this way.  From when it opened until at least through the 1990s, Southwyck was a viable retail center with three full-sized anchors and one mllion square feet of retail space that was mostly full.  Within this decade, however, the bottom fell out as several devices of failure worked on Southwyck and hollowed it out to a shell of its former self.  First, the closure of Montgomery Ward in 2001 left a gaping hole at the south end of the mall.  This wasn’t the mall’s fault, per se, as Montgomery Ward closed all their stores at that time.  Although the mall initially held its own after the closure, just two years later in 2003 the middle anchor, Dillard’s for the Home, closed.  This left only Dillard’s, the north anchor, remaining.  In addition to suddenly losing anchors, the mall’s vacancy rate also increased rapidly since 2000.  Prior to 2000, the mall was basically holding its own and hopeful for a revival.

Such a revival was proposed in 2002.  As Montgomery Ward shut its doors in 2001 and stores started leaving with it, Toledo Councilman Rob Ludeman proposed giving Southwyck enterprise zone status in order to lure stores with loans and tax abatements.  In addition, Toledo mayor Jack Ford attempted to woo anchors and retailers away from the proposed Fallen Timbers development, specifically Sears in 2002.  Also, in 2003 Westfield America expressed interest in purchasing the mall and redeveloping it.  Unfortunately, as with all efforts to redevelop Southwyck, nothing came to fruition. 

What else went wrong?  Poor management has plagued a successful revival for the struggling Southwyck for at least the past several years and the owners can’t be spared some of the fault.  Southwyck is currently owned partly by Sherman Dreiseszun, a curious Kansas City businessman who currently owns stake in several beleagured shopping malls across the country, and partly by Dillard’s, the lone anchor left in the mall.  Both entities have allowed Southwyck to falter and have failed to provide updates or renovations of any kind to the mall in the past several years, causing shoppers and therefore stores to flee.  In early 2005, the city of Toledo set a deadline of March 1, 2005 for the owners of Southwyck to get their act together and secure a path to renovation or they would take further steps to intervene and do whatever it takes to make Southwyck viable, somehow.

In July 2005 the owners of Southwyck announced they had hired local developer Larry Dillin, responsible for opening nearby lifestyle center Levis Commons, to head up the redevelopment for Southwyck.  By November, Dillin announced his plans.  In a massive renovation, the current enclosed mall would be demolished and in its place, a lifestyle center would essentially be put in place with 2 anchor stores, 4 box stores, a number of smaller retail pads and restaurants, office space, and luxury apartments.  In September of 2006, Dillin held a town meeting outlining progress since he announced his plans.  He essentially said nothing had happened in terms of progress, but did reveal that Dillard’s is committed to retaining a full-service store at Southwyck and will not leave for the new Fallen Timbers development. 

As of November 2006, another roadblock has presented itself in terms of funding from the city of Toledo, which is necessary for redevelopment to occur.  The mayor of Toledo has redirected the funds marked for Southwyck redevelopment toward a different redevelopment in downtown Toledo.  However, current mayor Carty Finkbeiner promised the money would be back in the budget in 2007.

Now that we’re up to date, let’s bring it all together.  Southwyck’s failure was originally caused by anchor woes and poor management.  Despite being in a strategic location amid other successful retail along a popular retail corridor in south Toledo, Southwyck has never renovated or repositioned itself to become attractive to shoppers as Toledo’s only successful mall Franklin Park has.  In addition, several failed attempts at renovation in the past few years were thwarted by competition from a nearby 1 million square foot outdoor mall opening next year, and a large lifestyle center which opened last year and continues to expand.  In 2005, the city of Toledo stepped in on official terms and demanded that redevelopment of the near-blighted property commence as soon as possible, coercing the owners to hire a local developer.  In an ironic twist, the developer is also the developer responsible for one of the lifestyle centers and part of Southwyck’s competition.  The developer drafted extensive plans for renovation, but the stimulus seems to be lacking for getting started on the project.  Some questions to consider:  Why are 2 new developments totalling 1.5 million square feet of retail space being built when Southwyck and 2 other Toledo-area malls have failed?  Why did the city step in to aid redevelopment, only to abandon ship and redistribute the funds for redevelopment to another project?  And lastly, will redevelopment ever occur, or will Southwyck simply die off and close up like so many other malls? 

Below are some photos of Southwyck taken during Summer 2005.  As usual, feel free to add your own thoughts on this complicated and contentious story.

UPDATE 11/28/07: Last month, the final anchor at Southwyck, Dillards, packed up and moved to newer digs in a “Lifestyle Center” called the Shops at Fallen Timbers in nearby Maumee.  Meanwhile, the city of Toledo is still attempting to purchase the entirety of Southwyck for re-development.  According to the Toledo Blade, the lag time for re-development is due to the odd way in which the mall is owned.  The city recently negotiated a purchase price for the recently vacated Dillards store, which is owned by a Texas firm, but because the rest of the mall is owned 50/50 by Dillards (ironically) and a Kansas City partnership, the city must negotiate with each party separately.  And, it seems Dillards, which never owned its original store at the mall to begin with, has been unwilling to agree on a purchase price with would-be redeveloper Larry Dillin.  Interesting stuff, and we’ll keep an eye on it.  But for now, without an anchor the mall will fast become a sinking ship.  How many stores are even operating inside? 

UPDATE 2/8/08: The following editorial appeared in the Toledo Blade, and I couldn’t agree more:

Article published Thursday, January 24, 2008Be involved in future of Southwyck 

    

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Toledo, Ohio, is the largest metropolitan area in northwest Ohio and the fourth largest city in the state of Ohio, with a 2005 estimated population at just over 300,000 residents. However, the extended metropolitan Toledo area has about 620,000 residents, drawing from nearby suburbs, Bowling Green, and the northern suburbs of Toledo up to Monroe, Michigan.

What moves Toledo? The manufacturing industry in Toledo has always been the driving focus of the economy and creates a blue-collar economic base for the region. Glass production has always been the most important industry in Toledo, so much so that Toledo has always been called the Glass City. In addition to glass, the other major industry is auto production. With close proximity to the world’s motor capital, Detroit, the three major automakers have a major manufacturing presence in the Toledo area.

Like other American manufacturing centers, Toledo has fallen on difficult times over the past few decades. The manufacturing base has been depleted as the global economy has taken these jobs out of Toledo and out of the country. Many people have left the Toledo area, evidenced by the stagnant population growth since the 1970s. Many who have stayed have moved outward from the older parts of the city and into suburbs, creating newer, sprawling developments farther and farther away from downtown while the areas around downtown become mired in decay. This is not unique to Toledo or an uncommon practice in America’s cities at all, but it helps set the stage for why the retail climate is the way it is.

Poised for significant change in the near future, Toledo’s retail landscape is worth a closer look. One large, enclosed regional mall located on Toledo’s northeast side has already bit the bullet, closing in early 2005 after years of rapid decline. Two beleagured, older malls in the east and southwest of the Toledo area are in a similar rapid decline while plans for redevelopment are sketchy at best. Meanwhile, two lifestyle centers, one of them over one million square feet, are opening in southwest suburban Maumee and Perrysburg. And to top it all off, a large, but very successful enclosed mall anchors the big-box melee of retail on the city’s northwest side. Further afield, there are also two retail centers in fringe areas of metro Toledo. The first is a small center in Bowling Green, about 20 miles south of downtown Toledo, and the other is in Monroe, Michigan, about 20 minutes northeast.

Here’s a bit more detail about the major shopping centers in Toledo. Look for more detailed articles about each individual mall to come. Each number below refers to the corresponding location with that number on the map above:

1. Westfield Franklin Park Mall - Opened in the mid-1970s, this is currently Toledo’s only successful enclosed mall. Franklin Park was recently acquired by Westfield America and is anchored by JCPenney, Macy’s, and Dillard’s. It is the ‘destination mall’ for the metropolitan area, and of many upmarket and trendy stores this is their only Toledo location. It was expanded and renovated in May 2005 to increase the total square-footage of the mall by 40% to over 1.2 million square feet of selling space. Franklin Park also has a new 16-screen Cinema De Lux movie theatre, Borders, and several destination chain restaurants.

2. North Towne Square/Lakeside Centre - This is the one that bit the dust in February 2005, after years of declining sales. North Towne Square opened in 1980 and was Toledo’s newest enclosed mall. Located in northeast Toledo, its trade area was usurped by the dominant and nearby Franklin Park and the declining economy of the immediate area. Near the end, the moribund mall only had about 20 retailers, most of them local, and no anchors because the last one fled in 2002. During its final year, North Towne Square was renamed Lakeside Centre in a last-ditch effort to promote its proximity to Lake Erie, but it had no positive result.

3. Woodville Mall - The only mall on the east side of the Toledo area, this is one of the enclosed centers that is currently open yet failing. Opening in 1969, it was successful until at least the 1990s when its age began to show and it received very little updates or renovations. However, unlike North Towne Square, the anchors have remained open at Woodville Mall and are vital to its continued success. Despite them, though, stores have emptied out of Woodville Mall at an alarming rate and as of 2006 there were sketchy plans for renovation which would demolish some or all of the mall.

4. Southwyck Mall - Deadmalls.com calls Southwyck a “dead mall museum” and I think that’s an appropriate summation of this one. Its current lone anchor is Dillard’s, who also interestingly owns a majority stake in the mall itself. The dated decor of this beleagured center hasn’t been fashionable for years, but some local stores and a few national chains have held on. Recently, plans call for the remaking of Southwyck into an open air urban village with a residential component, a college campus, and some retail. This would, of course, require demolishing the dead mall museum that’s currently there, and is supposed to take place sometime in 2007.

5. The Shops at Fallen Timbers - Holy Toledo, this has been a contentious project from the start. Originally planned to be built as a gigantic enclosed mall around 2000 or 2001, this contentious and hotly debated development has stalled multiple times and changed architectural forms several times. It will, however, finally open in 2007 as a 1-million-square-foot open-air lifestyle center anchored by Dillard’s and other destination chains and restaurants.

6. The Town Center at Levis Commons - Just across the river from the Fallen Timbers site in Perrysburg, this 350,000 square-foot lifestyle center also contains upscale destination stores, but intentionally markets to women. Think AnnTaylor, Coldwater Creek, and J. Jill, for starters. It is opening in phases, and the first one opened in 2004. The next phase will expand the retail and add residential units to the center and double its size.

There are also two malls in the Toledo area off the map above. They are:

7. Woodland Mall - Located in Bowling Green, about 10 minutes south of Perrysburg along I-75, this little enclosed mall is anchored by Elder Beerman, Dunhams Sports, and Sears. It opened in 1987 and has space for 60 mall stores, most of which are local, with 270,000 total square feet of retail space.

8. Frenchtown Square - This enclosed mall is located about 20 minutes northeast of downtown Toledo along I-75 in Monroe, Michigan. It opened in 1989 and is currently anchored by Elder Beerman, Sears, Steve & Barry’s, and Target and has about 75 smaller stores.

As you can see, metro Toledo is a victim of unchecked growth in the form of urban sprawl fueled by a poor economy. But why did this happen? The beleagured or closed malls fell victim to poor management decisions and shoddy upkeep. They aged to the point where they were no longer attractive to the average shopper, who decided to drive a little farther to spend his or her dollars. This is evident in the continued success of Franklin Park Mall, and the decisions to build two new lifestyle centers, totalling over 1.5 million square feet of new construction, before focusing on fixing the existing suffering enclosed malls. Why is Toledo choosing to build extensive new retail developments when one large enclosed mall is sitting shuttered and two more are on their way? This is especially relevant given light that Toledo is not experiencing any population growth. There are plans to redevelop two of the three malls that have failed as enclosed centers, but these plans came only after two new lifestyle centers were being constructed. Can an area with mostly stagnant growth support all of this new development while refurbishing the retail that has already failed? Time will tell.