American Mall; Lima, Ohio
American Mall opened in 1965 along West Elm Street on the west side of Lima, Ohio. Anchored by northwest Ohio-based full-service department store The Andersons and Value City, American Mall is listed as having about 450,000 square feet according to the International Council of Shopping Centers directory.
The design of the indoor portion of the mall is a straight shot from the western anchor The Andersons to Value City. Until 2003, a Phar-Mor location anchored near the middle of the mall but it closed when the entire chain folded. According to deadmalls.com, there are also a handful of other stores and a Regal Cinemas.
American Mall’s decor is rather spartan with some interesting features. First, the floor is an M.C. Escher-like black and white checkered design throughout the mall. Second, the ceiling is encircled by an inlay of lights that emanates this green orb-like glow onto the ceiling and the sides of the mall. It’s really unique and kind of creepy, like you’re inside the set from some extra-terrestrial themed movie or something. The seating and decorations are also very old, and there are small plants and trees throughout the length of the mall. Another truly unique feature of the mall are the Television kiosks. There were two of them when I visited in the Summer of 2005; one featured CNN and another featured WLIO-TV 35, the local NBC affiliate. Kind of neat, huh?
As of recent, there is speculation that the Cafaro company who owns and manages the mall is going to shutter the mall and convert it into a lifestyle-type center, much like Easton Town Center in Columbus on a smaller scale. The mall has been on relatively hard times in recent years, with a large rate of vacancy. The stores actually in the mall number relatively few and of them, even fewer are national chains. One of them is actually called Butterfly Love and appears to sell T-shirts and knick-knacks, and has a very homemade-looking sign. Competition from nearby Lima Mall, which has all the traditional mall stores and department store anchors Macys, JCPenney, and Sears, has taken a great deal from American Mall. More simply put, Lima, with a population of 40,000, cannot support two enclosed malls. Perhaps the original developers thought Lima would be able to support two of them because of its distance from larger cities. Lima is a little over an hour from Toledo, Dayton, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Too bad it didn’t work.
The pictures below were taken in June 2005. As always, any and all comments are appreciated.
on September 7th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
The Phar-Mor space was later briefly occupied by a “Super Goodwill”. Yes, even Goodwill got bit by the supercenter bug.
I can’t really imagine Value City and Andersons both being the original anchors.
Also note that the mall is rather far from the freeway; looking at maps it doesn’t look easy to access.
on September 8th, 2006 at 12:17 am
I don’t think those anchors are original to the mall either. Perhaps they were originally, and it also looks like the ‘Anderson’s’ space was redone within the past 10 years or so. The Value City space looks like it wasn’t ever touched, save for the signage. Hopefully someone else who caught this post and lived in the area long ago, may know.
I can just see that eerie green tint in the pics here. That was one of those faults with the old lighting fixtures malls used to use. (Nowadays, new lighting is halogen or those kinds that give off that ‘natural daylight’ glow). Mercury-vapor always gave that eerie blue or blue-green hue to a mall interior.
I went to Carefour’s website, and found a map of this mall also. Literally empty. I wouldn’t be suprised if they do tear this down and box it up, as you hinted at. I’m not the biggest fan of boxes, but there’s not much other use, retail-wise, since all the major chains jumped ship to the bigger, newer mall.
on September 8th, 2006 at 12:19 am
Ah shoot. I meant to say that, perhaps the anchors were orginally two that have since moved to the newer mall you hinted at in your post. My bad. My fingers got ahead of my mind.
on September 8th, 2006 at 6:42 pm
The Andersons store was a Burlington Coat Factory until 1989; apparently it was another store before that.
on September 8th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
I couldn’t imagine anyone ever shopping at this mall, but apparently it and Lima Mall were built around the same time and complemented each other for quite a while before Lima Mall expanded (it goes through a department store anchor, but we’ll save that for another post) and became dominant.
Also, neither of Lima’s malls are convenient to I-75, which is strange. I’m guessing I-75 came after the malls or right about the same time, as planning now would certainly dictate them being on that side. Both malls are on the west side, as is the major strip, along Elida Rd. The street American Mall is on, Elm, is actually a major street despite what the maps indicate. It becomes more important downtown and is actually OH routes 65/117 for a bit.
on September 15th, 2006 at 2:58 am
I was born in Lima and grew up in NW Ohio. Much of our shopping was done in Lima. I am told by a Limaland native (oldtimer) that I-75 went through the Lima area beginning in 1957, which would have made it one of the early Interstates under construction. That’s understandable, coming through Detroit, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, and on through to Atlanta and Florida. This, of course, doesn’t answer the question as to why both of Lima’s malls were built on the west side in ‘64/’65.
I’ve lived in Illinois for over 20 years now, but it wouldn’t be the Christmas season if I didn’t return to my roots and drag my wife and kids out to shop where so many childhood memories lie… the Lima Mall, and yes, we usually make a token appearance at the not-so-illustrious American Mall.
Wasn’t there a Montgomery Wards where the Anderson’s is today?
on September 16th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Montgomery Wards was the first store but what was at the other end. I think it was Kings
on September 19th, 2006 at 3:36 am
Mike Luchini is correct those were the anchors to the American Mall
on October 7th, 2006 at 1:16 am
Reminds me of another Cafaro Mall i’ve visited-The Sandusky Mall in Sandusky,Ohio. While there is a Macy’s,Elder-Beerman,
T.J Maxx,JCPenny,and Sears,the mall is still small & not very well lit just as the American Mall isn’t either.
on November 27th, 2006 at 2:33 am
as a child of the 80’s i modeled in anamerican mall fashion show for burlington coat factory. complete with a dance troup lipsynching ‘cool it now’ by new edition. i wish i was making this up. this mall was already dead in the 80’s.
on December 15th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
The original anchors were Montgomery Ward (with “You’ll like Ward’s” imprinted into the outside entrance doors and the other store was Well’s. Well’s was a discount store and was bought out or replaced by King’s about 1980 or so. As kids we liked to say “Well’s smells and Rink’s stinks,” Rink’s being another discount store. There was also a Kroger or a Pangle’s supermarket in the mall…certainly unusual to see a grocery story in a mall today. Recently the mall entrace to The Anderson’s was closed. The American Mall has always been the second cousin to the American Mall…whoever owns it must be losing tons of money as it is as dead as it can be. Too bad.
on January 7th, 2007 at 11:16 am
This mall went to seed . The parent company is a disgrace to honest business. The mall manager was a total a-hole to everybody he could be, was fired and then rehired out of desperation. His brothers work with the local sheriff’s dept and the local pd. Wouldnt surprise me if something very illegal was going on at the good ol american mall..take it from an ex employee!
on January 23rd, 2007 at 2:08 pm
As a Lima native I can say that the mall has always been Lima’s “dirt mall”. I don’t think it has been worth much of anything since the 70s. Really the only reason the mall hasn’t folded already is due to the popularity of Value City, The Andersons and the Buffolo Wild Wings that are located there. They recently built a huge Regal Cinemas movie theater right next to the mall. It is very modern looking and very strange in contrast to the old look of the American Mall exterior. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did eventually demolish the mall.
on April 19th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Definitely agreeing with the “dirt mall” label. I only go out to the American Mall now when I wanna see a movie, it’s too depressing to actually go in. Although I really wonder what should go there instead, I haven’t been through there in a long time, and I’m not much of a Lima-goer anyway, but I definitely think the American Mall has outlived its purpose.
Also, while neither mall is very conveniently located, the American Mall is definitely more out of the way, only people with jobs on Elm go down Elm.
on April 20th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Wow, if a mall can’t even hold on to Burlington Coat Factory, I dunno how this one stayed alive for a decade and a half plus!!
I also love how 2 stores in this mall are called ‘Butterfly Love’ and ‘Wig City’. For some reason, that really cracks me up a lot! (and of course, lmao) Anyway, from the very little I’ve read up on Lima, OH(which isn’t a lot), I safely can definately guess(and it seems to me) its a very small market that never really was meant to support more than 1 mall.
BTW, is the movie theater at this mall a seperate building and outlot from the mall, or is it actually attached to the mall. I somehow have a hunch that it isn’t attached to this mall, but maybe I’m wrong for guessing that, since there are no pics of the theater that was built in/or near this mall.
on April 20th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
The television kiosks too also remind me, very strangely enough, of some of the older(and unrenovated) Greyhound stations from I guess the ’70s and ’80s, where you put quarters(I believe) into the TVs, so you can watch TV for a few minutes(though I know the ones in the mall aren’t coin-operated). Not to mention I’ve seen pics online that definately confirm there are some Greyhound stations to this day that actually still have the coin-operated TVs!
And don’t ask me why it reminds me of those Greyhound stations I’ve read about, it just strangely does remind me of them, somehow.
on May 8th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Allan: It’s a separate building, it’s within the same vicinity, and you think the theater traffic would draw over to the mall, but it absolutely does not. While the Regal 12 is always full, the mall parking lot is sparse and depressing.
on May 12th, 2007 at 2:05 am
Update as of Today: Roger’s Jewelers is no longer there, Butterfly Love has moved, one of the urban stores has turned into Matis Mart or something similarly named, Wig City and GNC are still holding strong, and then there’s a place called Treasure Chest. Some kind of sunroom sales place, too. That’s pretty much it, though. The arcade is still there but I saw no sign of the barbershop. Also, The Andersons closed off their mall entrance. I imagine the task of guarding that entrance from quick thefts was outweighing the benefits.
So basically, the American Mall continues to atrophy. I have photos, here’s a few:
http://www.casting-call.cc/junk/american-mall1.jpg
http://www.casting-call.cc/junk/american-mall2.jpg
I was scared to take more since the owner of Matis Mart didn’t seem too happy with my girlfriend coming into his store to make fun of his merchandise, so after those two I basically hightailed it to Value City. A fun adventure, nonetheless.
on May 12th, 2007 at 2:06 am
Oh and I almost forgot, the Watch TV kiosks, along with all of the other kiosks except for a lone ATM, are gone. 90% of the remaining businesses are gravitated around the entrance to Value City, and who can blame them?
on May 18th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I was born and raised in Lima and remember Monty Wards and Wells as the anchors. Also there was BOTH a Pangle grocery store and A Kroger at the same time back in the 70s. My mom always hit both and we would drive the car to both locations to pick up the groceries outside.
on June 4th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Some of you have said the American Mall was a mistake because the population of Lima cannot support two malls. Not true. According to Wikipedia, “Since the 1970s, Lima has become a prominent retail center in the State of Ohio. In October 1992, The Lima News reported that Lima and Allen County were number one in Ohio in retail sales and purchases. Moreover, a 1992 Survey of Buying Power revealed that Lima ranked first in the state in retail sales per household.”
on June 5th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I’ve never seen a city of 40,000 (that wasn’t a suburb of a larger city) which could support two enclosed malls. I’m also skeptical of how that statistic is worded; clearly, Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, Hamilton County, and others would have more “retail sales and purchases” than the county Lima is in because of sheer population. And, isn’t “retail sales and purchases” a redundant thing to say? I tend to take anything Wikipedia says with a grain of salt.
However, if the gist of what it’s trying to say is true, it’s interesting albeit 15 years outdated. But I still stand by my claim. In comparison to nearby larger cities, Fort Wayne can only support one mall, and Toledo at ten times larger than Lima only has one successful mall (Franklin Park). So I guess I’ll have to disagree on that one.
A more telling overview lies in overall demographics of the area. The population has receded by over 10,000 since the 1970s due to Rust Belt decline, and median income of the city is only $27,000 with 23% below the poverty line. That doesn’t really scream purchasing power to me.
on June 5th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I’d like to see the numbers. Virtually any county with or near a major city in Ohio would have greater levels of discrentionary income than Lima/Allen County. As a shopping destination, Lima probably does better than most cities its size because places with really big malls like Ft. Wayne, Toledo, Dayton & Columbus are relatively far away and a sizable proportion of the population in Lima’s hinterland would find those places off-putting. the agricultural economy in that part of the state is relatively strong so that , despoite population losses, the economic base is fairly stable outside the city (which has had a long decline). It’s also not far from Findlay, which is quite prosperous, although I’d guess more oriented to Toledo. Still, it’s not like a city of 40,000 that you’d find in a truly isolated place like the Great Plains and two malls would be a stretch.
on June 5th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
BTW, most Ohioans of a certain age mostly know Lima as home to the state hospital for the criminally insane.
on June 15th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
The American Mall is by far not the more popular mall but I would have to say that its not dead my wife and I go there about once a week and the main reason fr putting the regal theater there they say was to revitalize the mall and most of the stores their are local which has a kind of quaint quality also butterfly love has a bigger customer base han you may think being a store that sells hemp clothing incense old rock and roll memorabilia considering that within the last year 3 “Tobacco Accessory” shops have opened in Lima
on June 16th, 2007 at 12:00 am
So funny to see the American mall being discussed by people around the world! The American mall was not always as bad as what it is now…There used to be a dollar movie in there in which went out of biz. There was Pharmor in which was popular it folded and that’s when this mall really became a joke!
Soon after Pharmor lost it’s huge space in moved a “Super Goodwill” Ridiculous imagine fold out tables covered in cloth’s.But in a huge space that housed a grocery,video rental,Pharmacy, 1hr photo, and your ever day retail products…
There was a Baskin and robins A pizza parlor a Ashley’s home gallery. Now the only real business is Mainly Value city which has been the same since I was a baby and I am now 21. Andersons which joined the mall in the early 90’s and wig city which is a popular hair store…
I know people who have rented space there and they say the rent is horrible! It is more than actually renting space in the popular Lima Mall.
Shoe Carnival recently skipped town and moved close to a strip by the lima mall… Recently Regal Cinema’s built a huge theater near by in which the mall hopes to attract new business. But um, who goes to Value city or wig city before a movie? Seems the mall is hopeless without better direction.
on August 11th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
American Mall needs a new twist before it can become a new second-tier mall. Needs big box stores and a new name.
on August 12th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
I grew up in Lima and moved away for college a few yesrs back. I remember going to the movie theater inside the mall when I was a kid mid 80’s early 90’s with my sister and mom. It was great because the mall would be closed except the theater. So I thought I was a big guy since I got to go into the mall “after hours”. We went shopping at Phar Mor all the time. It was still in business when my wife and I moved away, we were both surprised to find it closed coming back to town to visit. Also there was a great arcade in one wing of the mall called Superman (anyone correct me if the name is wrong but I believe it is correct). I loved Burlington Coat Factory and was shocked when that went out. Value City always seemed dirty even when the mall actually had stores to shop in. I actually took drum lessons in a music shop in the early 90’s. Also those green lights in the ceiling are not original. They are rather new to the mall. We moved in 2003 and they were not up yet. The mall now is mainly used for older people to walk around. I was also surprised when two of the three newest movie theaters closed down and merged into the huge theater next to the mall. Very stupid placement (they raised ticket pricing up to 9 bucks a person) unless they know something the public doesn’t.
on August 22nd, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I work at a popular retail store in the Lima Mall and I have seen how customers will wait for an item to go dirt cheap for weeks until they will buy it. Once in awhile we will get people that will pay full price, but most of the people in Lima with money drive to Columbus or Ft. Wayne to shop. People complain about not having good stores, but they are the ones that want a pair of jeans for $2. Its hard to attract stores when people’s income is low. Its a tough one.
on August 24th, 2007 at 10:42 am
What the mall needs is some new management - with new and innovative thinking. I personally contacted the mall office (several times) wanting to rent one of the empty stores but no one has ever gotten back to me - and it has been several months.
Cafaro has said they are not longer considering revamping the mall - but that could change if the anchor store they are after reconsiders.
I too have lived in Lima all my life. I remember the mall being built (used to be a cow pasture!). I would really like to see some new life breathed into the mall - but I think that may requre a change of managment.
on August 25th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I have always refered to The American Mall as the “Black Mall” ever since I saw a comedy routine by Chris Rock that went something like this You notice every town has 2 malls the white mall and the mall that white people used to go to. The only thing in the Black mall is baby clothes and sneakers….. With Value City and its wide selection of baby clothes and the fact that it used to house shoe carnival and urban world I think its pretty apropriate. Remember Paraisans that place was great. My mom could get loaded and go shoping at the same time. Bw 3s just isnt the same its a bit too upscale for my tastes and not to mentin that ever since the smoking ban I dont go out to eat. Hopefuly the state of ohio will get the idea and change this asanine law. I remember when you could smoke anywhare on the concourse. Walmart is also killing small malls like this one. I dont go to the mall much anymore I can get just about anything I need there.
on August 25th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Might be a bit off topic, but someone mentioned Sandusky Mall. I made a visit there a few days ago, and it certainly is interesting. It’s mostly national chains, many that seem to be up to date for storefronts for the most part, a few vacancies, all anchor spots are there, some food options, but no food court, a TJMaxx and soon-to-be Borders is coming, in that whole “we can’t find smaller chains, let’s fill up 5 spots with a junior anchor” thing. A few spots to check out:
-A vacant Foot Locker storefront, which was the old wooden one. Right in center court.
-A still-operating Finish Line that keeps the original logo (w/the “balloon” lettering).
-An odd FYE signage, which appears normal, but has a blue neon backdrop to it, making me wonder what was there before.
-A vacant storefront with filmstrips on the doors, possibly a suncoast.
I probably should find a forum/message board rather than a blog to post about this.
on August 26th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Speaking of Suncoast, I saw one mall near where I live(Lincolnwood Town Center in Lincolnwood, IL) where a store had reopened in the space of a former Suncoast store, and barely any conversions had been made in terms of the paint scheme of the interior!
And at another mall too that I visit from time to time, Golf Mill in Niles, IL, a similar thing was done in the deader north wing of the mall(north of the Sears, and by where Target and Kohl’s both are in the mall, for anyone who’s somewhat or vaguely familiar w/how that mall is layed out), and a Value City Furniture Store was placed in the space of about 3-4 storefronts several years ago. However, the mall is currently under renovation, so I’ve been busy trying to get pics of the older + unrenovated parts of Golf Mill that are left. They’ve surprisingly renovated it at such a fast rate, that I sadly was unable to get pics of how the old center court area of the mall used to look like(though luckily, I was able to find some old pics of that, after doing a ‘lil internet searching). At least from doing this mini-project, that I have some decent pics that I might try to email to labelscar at some point(though not as many either as I would’ve liked, due to the fact that I try to keep my interior picture taking on the d/l, as to not get caught by security). Much easier to do exterior pics, without question…
on August 30th, 2007 at 11:45 am
I grew up in Lima (born in 74) and remember this place when it actually did a good business. In fact, we’d visit this mall because it was a) closer to home, b) the traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as over by the Lima mall, c) the stores tended to be national but budget-conscious.
I remember there being a 2-screen theater. I don’t believe anything ever went in there after it closed. The last movie I remember seeing there was Return of the Jedi.
It also used to house a musicland, which is what the shuttered store with the large green signage background above the gate used to be.
They’ have two televisions in the hallways for years, but the lighting is new. I seem to recall a “seating upgrade” they did in the late 70’s early 80’s involving a brown tile structure in the middle of the mall.
Anderson’s (a lawn/garden type store with some hardware leanings…sort of a mini/discount Lowe’s of sourts) used to be a Burlington Coat Factory, and a Montgomery Wards before that.
I know a grocery store was in there at one point (local chain Pangle’s? Or maybe it was an A&P). I do remember they had a conveyor belt that you could use to send groceries out to your car.
I believe where Value City is used to be a discount chain…King’s perhaps. I don’t remember. I know Lima had a Rink’s, but I think that was closer to the Lima mall, in the plaza where Toys R Us is now.
A Radio Shack store closed (Lima used to have 3 or 4) and became a software store for a while.
I rode my bike there often as a kid to visit the Aladin’s Castle arcade. This mall also housed a great italian restaurant (now a BW3 I think).
The funny thing is they’ve just built a movie theater next door to the mall…seems interesting that we say how a city of 40,000 can’t support this or that. The mall had 2 screens which closed, then years later a new theater opens next door! Value City does a decent business as does Anderson’s, but the sad truth is there’s virtually nothing in the middle. What few stores there are generate little interest. A shame, since this mall once compared well with the “big” mall (Lima mall).
on September 4th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
I grew up in the Limaland area, born 1960. There was a movie theater in the middle of the mall. Christmas time both the American Mall and Lima Mall would be packed with people from all over Ohio and Indiana.
The Phar Mor location is now a Sports Clinic. They help Students get into shape for school sport and do some physical therapy.
The did have a report on Lima News that the Mall was going to be remodeled. The owners are in talks with new stores to come in once the remodeling has been done. This was last summer. So far I have not seen any activity in the mall to confirm this.
on September 10th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
The word on the street is that as long as all goes as planned, at the beginning of the year Penney’s will start drawing up plans to build behind the mall and the present Penney’s location will be turned into a food court!
on October 13th, 2007 at 11:03 am
I was born in Lima (1973), and moved away about 8 years ago. For as long as I can remember, this mall has never been “bustling” per se. However, I do remember it being a little more lively.
The eighties/early nineties weren’t too bad a time for this mall, though it was never deemed the crown jewel (the Lima Mall), it had its fair share of activity.
Back then the draw was Value City, Phar Mor, Shoe Carnival, the movie theater, and the legendary Parasson’s Italian Restaurant (located in what is now occupied by Buffalo Wild Wings, on the Value City side). This restaurant was there from (I believe) the early 80s-mid 90s. Back then, people would go to a movie (in the mall, at the supposedly haunted 2 screen theater) and then catch dinner here. Anyone who lived in Lima during this era most likely has fond memories of the savory bread laden with foamy garlic butter…mmm. I worked there for about 2 years in the late 80s, by then, it had already started down its path to decline…but people would still line up out the door to get in on weekends. Many would list their name for the wait, and cruise next door to the arcade, a place where I spent more than a few lunch breaks. Those were the days when you might actually have to circle ’round the parking lot a couple times to find a good spot on a cold, rainy day.
As for the mentioning of Lima not being able to support two malls, I’m not so certain I agree. I’ve always seen Lima as the “Northwest Bargain Capital of Ohio”. Most of the industrial businesses, which Lima was built on, packed up long ago, leaving it a retail/medical hub which serves many of the surrounding counties. The maps are speckled with many little cities/townships which don’t have enough people to support even one mall…so they make the pilgrimage to Lima for a day trip.
I think the biggest problem is the poorer demographics can’t afford to spend much (keeping few others than just bargain stores alive), and the wealthier prefer to travel to Columbus/Ft Wayne/Toledo/etc. Because of this, Lima is probably not the most attractive market for big boxes, or a lot of major chains. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Lima even has a Starbucks yet, which says a lot about its reputation in the eyes of the retail industry. Hopefully someday some balance will be found.
It’s been a few years since my last stroll around the mall, perhaps I’ll make a point of revisiting the ghosts that once haunted the corridors.
on November 15th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Talk about funny. We had just moved to Lima in 2003 and around Christmas stopped at the “other mall” in the American Shopping Center it was wierd they had a “take your picture with Santa” area set up. My youngest was 5 and he went to see Santa reluctantly. After he went through they gave him a package of Hostess Snack Cakes like you get at the Hostess Bargain Store. They had a big basket of different snack cakes. Go figure kids that was the high point of the trip for my son. They also had a paintball place to play paintball that has long gone.A while later one of the larger stores was taken over by a Physical Therapy/ Training Center that has recently vacated. Talk about some bizarre things going on in just a sdhort time.
on November 18th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
It’s too bad they don’t turn both malls into business/housing developments and focus on making an outdoor/mixed use mall in downtown Lima similar to Crocker Park by Cleveland. I remember the good ol’ days when City Center in Columbus was the hip place to go. That mall never really worked very well because the only reason you want to go downtown, is to see all the pretty buildings and walk along sidewalks with people eating outside, etc. City Center was all indoors so most poeple just switched to Tuttle Mall since they had free parking. Too bad, really.
on November 26th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Has anyone been to this mall lately? The mall is blocked off near where the theater used to be. There is no access to the mall from the Andersons to the place where they have boarded the mall. The barricade is made of sheets of drywall that run from floor to ceiling, you can tell that it is a temporary barrier by the craftsmanship (I hope that’s what it is)
One store employee said they heard that area was going to bulldozed. Another employee said that there was a major retailer going in that area.
Who knows? Seems like a major waste to me.
on November 29th, 2007 at 1:51 am
Ok, the view from a person born in Allen Co. way back in 1944–yes, I’m OLD!
I was born and raised here, lived in a lg. metro area out of state for 8-ish years, and moved back, but not because I didn’t like it there, or because I missed Lima–I moved back due to circumstances, and due to family, etc. Now–get comfy–this is long!
I-75 was built in the mid-50’s, as someone stated before. The reason the 2 malls were built, according to local ‘legend’ , is that the Cafaro’s, owners of the American Mall, and the Debartolo’s, owners of the Lima Mall, originally were partners in the American Mall project, and expecting approval for Eastown Rd., north/south road near the mall(s), to be extended thru from W. Elm to St. Rt. 117, and all of it to be widened to make it a major thoroughfare/outer loop. The partners got in a major disagreement about something, (unrelated to the Eastown Rd. thing) and Debartolo’s pulled out and built the Lima Mall to ‘get even’. The Eastown Rd. project mysteriously got tabled by the county commissioners (again, according to ‘legend’) and in fact, is just now being completed!
As for the original anchors at the Amer. Mall, I know the W. end was Wards, and the person who said Welles was on the east end is probably right–at least I know they were there in the late 60’s. There was a local store called the Luggage Shop (high end merchandise), and 1 or 2 shoe stores, jewelry stores, Abrahms (regional women’s clothing chain) and the above mentioned theater, Baskin-Robbins, and more I can’t recall right now.
Elida Rd., where the Lima Mall is located, seemed to be the first area to ‘explode’ with a ‘burger row’ and assorted restaurants and retailers., and W. Elm St. at the American Mall apparently didn’t have that appeal/demographic/sheer numbers.
In 1970 Lazarus came in to the Lima Mall, and the concourse from Penney’s to Lazarus was built by the Lima Mall. However, the original lease signed by Elder-Beerman (which was the locally owned Leader Store when the mall opened) had stated that no other dept. store carrying their brands could lease at the mall. (Again, that is local ‘legend.’) However–and this IS factual–Lazarus (now Macy’s) OWNS the ground it stands on and the parking area around it, and is not a member of the mall association. So, Debartolo’s really DIDN”T lease to an Elder-Beerman competitor–they SOLD land to them!
As for Lima’s # 1 status in retail, we (and now sometimes Findlay/Hancock Co.), hold that position because we have the highest retail spending PER CAPITA in the state. We are, after all, the biggest thing in the middle of nowhere, and we serve 9 or 10 counties for retail, restaurant, medical needs, etc.
As for the American Mall’s future, in the last 1-2 years they’ve announced that they’re going to refurbish the mall and re-open as a ‘lifestyle’ mall. No leases are being renewed for stores who don’t fit in with that plan, and thus there’s been a larger than normal ‘exodus’ in recent months. F.A.S.T, the fitness center, renovated the former Orchard Hills Raquet Club, and moved there because they’d grown out of their space in the mall–so that’s a good news type of move, and apparently the location worked ok, although they said tonight on the news that they’re finding their access to 75 to be a big plus.
So….why aren’t the malls near I-75? No local legands about that, but my guess is that it just ‘happened’. Back in the 60’s there weren’t as many planners working on organizing retail growth, etc. And the bottom line was probably a big thing for the 2 families that originally acquired land for the 2 malls–they’re notoriously cheap! Both malls need refurbished and parking lots fixed, etc., but both charge very high rent, nonetheless!
Through my connections in the business world, I know that Target has been ’sniffing around’ Lima for at least 15 years, maybe 20! They look at land, say they’re coming in, then they’re gone–over and over. So apparently their market studies say they should be here, but they want cheaper land? With every passing year, land on the west end gets higher and higher–so I guess when it gets even higher, they’ll want in? LOL We also have occasional rumors about Best Buy, and some others, but so far no dirt has been moved. (Oh, by the way, we’ll be getting a Walmart Supercenter on the west side–on Allentown Rd.–in another year or so. They were supposed to start on it this fall, but delayed, probably due to the shaky economy and borrowing situation. But they own the land, so they’ll eventually have to do something or sell it! We’re getting a couple of new restaurants this year, but that’s a tricky situation, in an area that has SOOO many restaurants! However, if they operate right and have the right expectations, they do make money! Panera is one of the new ones coming in, and right now I can’t think of the other one.
I’m tired of typing, and you’re probably tired of reading, so thanks for wading though this!
on December 3rd, 2007 at 6:44 pm
If my early memories are correct, when the American Mall opened the original two achors were Montgomery Wards and “Baileys”. Baileys was a discount department store that did not last long. About a year later Wells opened in it’s space. WIMA used to advertise, “Market and Main lead to Wells”. A movie theater was also an original tenant.
on December 25th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Thanks to Jane for her lengthy but excellent post. Since I last posted (Sep. ‘06), I have returned to visit Lima at least 3 times. Sadly, I haven’t even bothered with the beleagured American Mall, even though we almost always find ourselves at a nearby Kewpie Burger enjoying another Limaland tradition.
I had almost forgotten about the grocery store(s) in the American Mall. There seemed to be a liitle uncertainty by those who posted as to how many or who they were. I can’t remember if there was a Pangle’s Master Market there, but I do seem to remember shopping at A & P there circa 1970 (I was 9). The Lima Mall did have a Pangle’s next to where The Leader store was, and that space is now part of Elder Beerman and the public restroom area (it always smelled like fresh cinnamon rolls in there and Mom would often buy some for the trip back to Paulding.)
As far as Lima’s ability to support two malls, I remember it as a bustling industrial town into the early 70’s. Although it lost several thousand people over that next decade, Allen County’s population is still around 107,000 I believe. It appears to me like a lot of people stayed close to home, but the upwardly mobile haved moved out of the city. I know Lima has annexed some adjacent areas (including my first home in Perry Township), but it will take more than that to ever get the city back above 50,000. Its refocus as a business/medical hub is step in the right direction. The point is, I think the buying power is there to support a good “second banana” mall when you factor in the adajcent counties that may not want to travel an hour or more to shop in a bigger city. Of course, though, you have to provide a good product.
Like others here, I remember the American Mall as a pretty happening place throughout the 70’s. I think I first began to notice its decline in the early 80’s. It seems to me that the needed ingredients are new management, a facelift, and an aggressive marketing plan. I’d hate to see this place demolished before its time. Even though the American Mall is dead (for now), the part of town its in certainly isn’t.
on February 17th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Value city is now announced that they are closing. Anyone remember the flower place by the arcade ? My grandma used to by her lottery tickets there!
on March 1st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
The Value City in American Mall is closing (maybe it already is closed).
So now I wonder: If part of the mall is being bulldozed, is it the part that includes the Value City on the end, or is the part between Anderson’s and the sheetrock wall near Value City? The exterior of the building shows deterioration everywhere so I can’t tell from that.
on April 21st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Value City has closed, they had a while back. I was there today and it appears the Butterfly Love, Wigg City are closing.. (appears). There is still GNC and one other store running. Also the icecream store is gone again. I go by the mall a lot, its not hard to get to really and people use to walk around it while waiting for there movie times to get close since they built the new theater right there. But now everyone just stands in the theater and waits or gets ice cream across the street.
on April 21st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Well, rereading the comments about this mall just now, I see I was definitely wrong in thinking the Lima, OH market was too small to support 2 malls. It obviously could at one time, although this mall has declined too much to be viable today.
Too bad to hear that a section of this mall has already been sealed off by drywall, and about what Andersons did w/their mall entrance. I see it’s inevitable this mall will very soon be ‘de-malled’, especially if there are hints that some big box chains are investigating the idea of opening stores near this mall.
I also wanna thank Jane for her post about the history of this mall, since that fills MANY questions I wondered about the history of both Lima malls.
on April 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Sad to hear that Value City has closed, and a little surprised, too. I hadn’t been there for a couple years, but it always seemed to be fairly busy. On the other hand, (now living out-of-state) I was usually just there during the Christmas shopping season. So I may have just been seeing the holiday surge.
As for the American Mall itself, maybe this signals the end.
on April 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Oh, and by the way… Jane, we need you to keep us out-of-towners up to date. Please post any new news or “legends” you might hear.
on April 30th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I remember the two theatres that were inside the mall. They were long and narrow like shooting galleries. But, on weekends they did business. They are just hollowed out shells today. They sold all of the equipment. I cannot understand why Regal theatres built at that location when they had two other theatre complexes in better locations. And downtown Lima, in the square, has room for a new theatre. All the hotels there are retirement homes and these people don’t have cars to get to the Regal theaters. There used to be many theaters downtown,. The Quilna, on Market, the Ohio on High Street, the Lyric later the Ranger, on Main near High Street. The Allen in the square, later Baker’s bar, the Sigma in the square, later Cinema 1 in 1972, and the old State Opera House behind the bank building. Down south Main Street at Kibby, was the Majestic. All gone exept the Ohio now a dance hall with all of the theatre seats removed. It was Lima’s largest and fancierst theatre. But, poor parking caused it to close as a theatre. The Square used to have parking for over 100 cars but now covered in concrete with a stupid flag pole in the center. They tear down houses for a better view of the stadium but cannot restore the downtown Square, which, like the mall, is DEAD!
on May 16th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I remember when the American Mall went up as well as the Lima Mall. Both were busy and yes, Lima is a big retailer community as stated earlier. We’ve lost a lot of industry, but we have great retail stores and medical facilities of which I recently retired from St. Rita’s. RE; the person who couldn’t believe we don’t have a Starbucks, Starbucks did open a shop inside St. Rita’s about a month or so ago and is doing a great business. Every time I would go by or occasionally stop in to get a coffee capuccino or frapuccino, there would always be a line of a couple of people ahead minimum!!! They expanded their hours in the first week of operation as well. So if you’re in the Lima area, go to 730 W. Market St. to St. Rita’s (just west of downtown Lima off of North St. and Market St.) to get your Starbucks!
I remember Wells at one end and Montgomery Ward’s at the other. There also was John Newton’s that had the upper scale (for Lima) of children’s clothing.
I had heard several months ago that that the plans by some company was to leave Anderson’s (which by the way is a great store which I never understood why the smaller merchants didn’t locate near that end instead of the dirty Value City) and then start revamping the rest of the mall, first starting I thought with the stores between Anderson’s and Value City. Eventually it will be another Easton (Columbus), The Greene (Dayton), etc. but they are going to do it in stages.
Another great addition recently to Lima not mentioned is the opening of Panera Bread at exit 125 right off I-75 and SR 309 which is always packed. There are 2 other stores that were built with the new Panera building, but nobody knows how anyone will find a place to park as the lot is almost completely full with just Panera customers now. I was told that a Cold Stone Creamery was to go in next to Panera. If so, they better buy the old Frisch’s building next door for parking!!!! I was told that Cold Stone Creamery was supposed to go in the revamped American Mall, but I hope there is one next to Panera as I can’t think of anything better than to have a salad and bread at Panera and then go next door to Cold Stone for ice cream!!!!! They are also completing another Panera Bread basically in the parking lot of the Lima Mall. So while Lima has been hurting, we still have some good growth during these hard economical times. Hopefully the revamp of the American Mall is true and more jobs will be available in Lima. Plus maybe it will draw other businesses eventually… and maybe a new industry. Oh, we do have a new ethanol plant which you can see as you travel on I-75 around Lima’s east side. Hopefully Lima can regain some of what she lost over the last 20 years!!!! Including people!!!!!!!!!
on June 13th, 2008 at 4:12 am
UPDATE: It was May 19 and I was home to decorate graves prior to Memorial Day. I paid the American Mall a visit, but almost wished I hadn’t. It was worse than I thought.
As I believe was mentioned earlier here, the Anderson’s now stands alone at the west end with no access to it from inside the mall. What little else remains is at the opposite end, and it had the feel of a mausoleum on a slow day. I seriously doubt there more than 10 people in this end of the mall, total. Aside from the mall office, there were about six businesses open there and then the main corridor was sealed off with a large wall. In probably four of these places, no employees could even be seen, as I’m sure they were playing solitaire or catching a nap. The arcade featured a few ancient video games and some well worn carpet. After a quick trip to the restroom (which I don’t think has changed a bit in 30 years, except for looking older and being in need of some maintenance), I spoke to a very nice lady who was working at the GNC. After waiting for a customer to check out (the only customer I saw in the whole place), I quized her about the American Mall’s future. Her understanding was that plans are for it to become more like a traditional shopping center with the rear wall of future tenant stores being extended into the former center corridor and exterior entrances only. She thought that the concourse area at this end might remain. She did make it clear, though, that she had heard a lot of different things and could not be sure, but this was the latest buzz and she had heard it more and more recently.
We shared a couple memories from the mall’s glory days and I thanked her for her time, although she seemed to have plenty to spare. I have to admit that I left feeling a little sad, kind of like visiting a dying friend in the hospital when its too late for them to know you’re there or appreciate your visit.
For those former American Mall patrons who have followed this blog, I’ll wrap up this post with the one thing that made me smile that day. Although nobody was watching it, there was still a TV kiosk. On it, of course, WLIO 35, which I’m sure was being picked up by an antenna with an analog signal. Ironically, analog broadcast TV is in its last days, too.
on June 20th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Does anyone remember the name of the Shopping Center where the Christmas Parade alway started. My buddy and I were trying to remember something like Nothern Shopping Center. And is it still there?
on June 26th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
You mean where Market Street ended at the north end? I think it was called Norhtland.
on July 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
You’re right, Steve, it is called Northland Shopping Center and it is still open, none of the original stores are still there, and alot of the actual buildings have been torn down. Most recently, Rite Aid was as the west end, close to West St and then there are several empty lots and then there is a Dollar Store of some kind and Rays grocery store and then there are several more stores leading around to the bowling alley, Northland Lanes. It has been there from the beginning and really hasn’t changed that much.
I am headed out to do some shopping and plan on stopping in the American Mall to see if there are any stores at all open now, the last time I was in there, probably a month or so, GNC was, of course, still there but only a few small stores that looked like they could close any day now.
Will give you all an update.
on July 18th, 2008 at 12:12 am
wow! i stumbled onto this site, what memorys. i was born in 59 and grew up in lima,been living in the detroit area for almost 25 yrs now. i remember the american mall, mont. wards, and the wards auto care center in the parking lot. bought a couple of tires there when i was 17. wells, rinks, roosevelt school, lima senior, the kewpee. wil have to stop by lima sometime .