Randall Park Mall; North Randall, Ohio
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.
on August 16th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
What’s with those funky window things in the center court? Maybe that’s what scared the stores away. lol
But seriously I think sprawl did this mall in; it’s done alot of malls in so it’s no surprise. That and the area looks blighted and uninviting.
However I never got the reasoning that demographics cause malls to fall under. Do national chains really think that minorities don’t have money to spend? I mean yeah the economy today is bad, but at the same time I feel it’s more or a race/class issue that causes these chains to think that every minority is poor and can’t afford their products. Am I the only one that thinks that?
on August 16th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
That big abandoned building is definitely an abandoned hotel. http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/abandoned_hotel_in_ohio.htm has some pictures of it. Not sure of what brand it was, if any.
on August 16th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
More specifically, it was a Days Inn.
on August 16th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
The Church N’ The Mall is very….uh….blue.
on August 16th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
This briefly was the largest mall in the country with about 2.2 million sf. It was built on the site of Randall race track, a thoroughbred horse racing venue that was a second string counterpart to Thistledown, across the street. The mall was originally planned in 1960, when DeBartolo bought the property, but there were numerous hurdles (no pun intended), mostly involving the management of the track’s effort to keep the Randall race days (in most of the country hore race tracks can only operate a certain number of days/year) and transfer them to Thistledown. This dragged on through the 1960s. The immediate area, N & E of the track underwent rapid racial change from White to Black during the mid-60s, but remained solidly middle class. Areas to the South changed in the early 70s, but more slowly. The immediate area has a lot of warehouses, light industry, and odd kinds of retail (a long running Harley dealer, flooring places, etc.) which kept the area from being perceived in the same way as an inner city neighborhood and gained freeway access a few years after it opened when I-480 was completed.. There were not-so-credible stories about crime at the mall from the time it opened, but it wasn’t until the mid-80s that it lost evening shoppers and later daytimers, as more credible stories surfaced. The mall continued to do well after Beachwood Place opened. Beachwood Place principally hurt Severance Center, which had been the main upscale mall for the East Side and the Cleveland area’s first indoor mall..
Halle was never interested in locating at Randall Mall and they forced DeBartolo to take down a sign for an unused anchor slot with Halle’s name. The mall had the wrong demographics for Halle (too middle income). Halle did build new stores in other locations (outside of Cleveland) during the 70s.Halle was owned by Marshall Field which merged it with a Columbus chain (The Union) and was liquidated once it was sold to Scottenstein (Value City) shortly after the Christmas ‘81 holidays. One Halle store (at Westgate) briefly continued after the liquidation of everything else. Halle also spurned efforts to locate a store outside DeBartolo’s Great Lakes Mall in Mentor on property owned by a local developer.
on August 16th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
To be as dead as it is,.it’s still a reasonably attractive mall.
on August 16th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
The abandoned building began as a Holiday Inn and opened at appoximately the same time as the mall.
I meant to say that the areas N & W of the mall changed in the mid-60s. there actually isn’t much residential E of the mall. Those areas remain pretty middle class to this day.
Some more trivia: Randall Park Mall was a mile or so away from Southgate USA, which, a large strip complex that began in ‘54 or ‘55 and had a series of expansions into the early 60s. It had over 100 stores and a several office buildings. The anchors included May Co. (originally Wm Taylor, a moderately upscale store acquired by May), JC Penney (a dry goods store that expanded its selection to be a dept store), and Sears. Sears & Penney’s moved to Randall Park–K-Mart took the Sears space, which was arare two-level K-Mart. I don’t know what became of JC Penney. May continued for quite some time. May also had a huge freestanding store several miles north in University Heights. That 340K sf store was their first Cleveland branch and already was losing steam as they opened other eastsde branches; part of it was a clearance center by the time Randall opened. In the 90s, The University Heights store was demolished and replaced with a small mall with May’s successor brand (Kaufmann’s, now Macy’s), Target and a few other stores. Southgate initially tried to focus on service oriented stores, but continued to lose businesses, including secondary anchors like Woolworth’s, as various chains eliminated overlap with Randall or, otherwise closed. Southgate has been somewhat haphazardly converted into a big bix center attached to some of the old strip. The whole complex and its footprint of land seems much smaller than it used to be.
Perhaps in anticipation of Randall Park, a number of chains built stores near it on Northfield Road: Zayre (one of their original 3 stores in Cleveland), the local Uncle Bill’s discount chain (a step up from Zayre, but more hard goods oriented), the local Giant Tiger Chain (a lot like Zayre), and several furniture stores. All of those stores are longgone and their spaces are either empty or underutilized. The Uncle Bill’s was #1 or #2 in volume for the chain during the 70s. The auto dealers, which pioneered Northfield as a commercial area in the 50s, largely remain.
Like most DeBartolo malls, it struck me as lacking imagination in its architecture and materials. It’s main appeal was its size and its inclusion of stores and restaurants that didn’t have other locations in Cleveland or, at least, not on the east side. It’s a big white elephant that will be difficult to redevelop. It’s near a “new town” development in th recently incoportaed village of Highland Hills and is not that competitive a space for redevelopment. Someone would probably need to get some subsidies or tax breaks to demolish it and turn it into something else. Becuse of the freeways and light industry around trhe site, it probably would be a good location for labs, logistics, or backoffice operations for other Cleveland businesses, or expansion for one or more major employers in the area. It probably has no future as major retail, although it might be a nice place for a Lowe’s (Home Depot is at Southgate).
on August 17th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Wow! This is truly a gem of a mall. It’s got a lot of 1970s flair and you could tell this mall had clout at one point. Specifically, the mothership-esque ceilings, and bizarre terrazzo pillars almost remind me of something Taubman. It does, in fact, look warn ‘n torn.
I love that “warning sign” as I’ve never seen anything quite like it… leaves me unsettled. I’ll bet you gasped in relief of the absence of a “Take pictures ….you will be arrested!”
on August 17th, 2007 at 2:37 am
I don’t mean to be racist, but shoe stores tend to be the last to leave dead malls. Finish Line was still open at Bannister Mall in Kansas City on its closing day. Remember the Christ Rock joke about malls?
on August 17th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Another case for suburban sprawl killing a mall. I braught this up before, it is very problematic for malls of this size to adapt when demegraphic trends work against you. Look at landmark & springfield malls in VA suburbs on this site.
on August 17th, 2007 at 11:04 am
I remember the Chris Rock joke, and I know of a lot of areas where that applies true to. Funny enough, he performed multiple times at a comedy club at Scottsdale Mall in South Bend, IN, in the mid 90s, which was certainly a mall that “white people used to go to”. And that mall also had a Finish Line open till it got torn down in ‘04.
And in dying/lower-class malls, it is still common for them to have chain athletic shoe stores. There probably are some demographic reasons for it, but the Foot Locker stores are fairly low-frill, not large, basic setup and such. Finish Line is usually far more elaborate, but business is good for them, so they don’t have to close many stores.
As for the mall in question, what a shame, it still looks pretty nice.
on August 17th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Yeah, that warning sign was strangely contentious - moreso than the standard rules boilerplate they put up everywhere else. They must have had specific problems with the things listed, but gambling? Wow, okay.
I think this mall needs to be repurposed because Clevelanders have clearly rejected it. Strangely, and I didn’t mention this on the article, there’s an older outdoor shopping center called Southgate just up the road from this which is doing fine. It’s a boring big-box strip thing now but it’s doing well. I really don’t think this mall could be saved in its current state, at least a portion would have to be big-boxed and the entire thing would need a huge overhaul to re-convince shoppers that it’s worth a visit after all these years. That said, it’s really sad that a few negative events and some competition can ruin such a behemoth like this. It sort of appends to the “If you build it, they will come.” mantra regarding large retail.
And yes, the Chris Rock joke really does rather simply sum up a lot of malls across the entire country - this one included.
on August 17th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
I was going to guess Holiday Inn, but someone beat me to it. I can tell an Edward De Bartolo mall a mile away. He used the same road signs, metal sign holders, and floor tiles in most of his malls.
on August 17th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
The rust belt IE Pittsburgh, Cleveland Detroit… are tough places to opperate malls thesre days. Flat population growth, unessessary suburban sprawl and other factors lead some of these malls to flounder and die.
When berlington coat moves in watch out-danger will robinson! the mall is on it’s way down.
on August 17th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I liked your article on Randall Park Mall a lot. Yet I saw that it said that Higbee’s became Kaufmann’s. In actuality, Higbee’s changed to Dillards and May Company changed to Kaufmann’s. Since I am from around the Cleveland area, I have personally witnessed these changes.
If you have any questions or need more information, please email me.
on August 18th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Very different set of problems from Springfield or Landmark (I’m a native Clevelander who returns regularly & a current DCer), which are much smaller and have more long-term options. A mall on this scale is difficult to repurpose and a good example of why malls are a problematic way to develop property over the long haul–strips, whether they be oldies or “lifestyle centers” are more easily adapated to new niches or new land uses. Southgate is mentioned in a previous post–it’s size has made it less adapatable than other strips in Cleveland, some of which still do well after 50+ years, like Eastgate. Cedar Center which dates back tothe 30s is being completely redeveloped in stages, still as a shopping center.
There are a number of healthy, long running malls in Cleveland, et al. You can find plenty of dead and struggling malls in places doing well economically. Atlanta is a good, if somewhat extreme, example. Simply too much retail has been built, relative to population growth since the 70s. Malls used to have lots of affordable stores like Peteris, Thom McAn, Richman Bros. Those gradually died off and were replaced with more upscale stores. Their niche is now filled by retailers that generally are off mall.
Having a large proportion of stores devoted to shoes, regardless of niche (or race of customers), has been considered a sign of a weak mall for decades.
on August 18th, 2007 at 7:20 am
In the late 1990’s a friend and I took a Saturday and decided to road trip to Cleveland for some Christmas shopping. We live in Youngstown, but are from Pittsburgh originally. We stumbled upon the Randall Park Mall and to this day laugh about our Christmas shopping experience.
It was a very bleak mall, even at Christmas time.
My friend insists that she was the target of a racial comment from a group of youths. I didn’t hear it and was right next to her.
We got little (no shopping) done there and it was only later when we were back home that we found out we were close to nice malls such as Beechwood Place.
on August 18th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Are chain shoe stores, jewelry stores, video game stores the last to leave dying malls? I see Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Kay Jewelers, EB Games in those pics.
on August 18th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I went to this mall last year and it was disgusting and I ALMOST WRECKED MY CAR DUE TO HOW BADLY PAVED THE LOT WAS. the whole shopping area is dead with CIrcuit CIty and TOys r us vacant!
on August 18th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Pet stores leave last as well.
on August 19th, 2007 at 6:13 am
Don’t forget GNC!! (what I’d call THE premier dead-mall anchor, especially since it was one of the last that pulled out of Wonderland Mall in suburban Detroit, and out of other similar dead malls) There’s probably one of those at Randall Park, too.
on August 19th, 2007 at 11:13 am
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96emono.phtml
Chris Rock was right. This mall has lots of chain shoe stores (embarrassing) and a Burlington Coat Factory (Big selection of baby clothes). What are the demographics of the surrounding area? Is there a big concentration of section 8 housing? Are shoe stores cheap to run?
on August 19th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
And Bath & Body Works. Allan, GNC is far from an anchor.
on August 23rd, 2007 at 7:07 am
Radio Shack must be the ultimate chain store. When the St. Charles, IL mall was dying around 95 I asked the guy working at Radio Shack when the store was going to close and he said “oh, it’s not going to close.”
on August 28th, 2007 at 2:34 am
I was just there in April. Went to see it one last time before it might die.
Yes, the parking lot is very bad, especially on the part of the lot where Peney’s and Higbee’s once were - no one goes over there, and the lot really sucks.
When my husband and I first started dating, we spent a lot of time there just walking around - we had no money. The first gift he bought me came from there, at the long gone Things Remembered.
It broke my heart to see it like that. When I left in the early 1990’s, it still wasn’t too bad. Lots of stores, and restaurants. I was living in Youngstown, and this mall’s sister mall - Southern Park - is alive and well. It was a treat to run to Randall Park, and we did so frequently.
We bought some shirts at Footaction USA. At that time, the girl in the store told us that their lease was up at the end of the month, and they wre out of there.
My friend took some nice pictures. It’s even more desolate now, and the escalators in the mall are all “walled” off. The only ones working are in the anchors. The only way to get upstairs is by stairs, or the funky ramp system in the center.
We also bought a belt at Burlington Coat Factory, and some pretzel bites from the pretzel guy.
It’s the only mall I’ve ever been in with a fierce competetion between stores offering gold teeth, and the only time I’ve ever seen a store in a mall that sells blinged out rims.
I will also say that we may have been in the minority there, but we never ever felt unsafe, or had people mistreat us. Go see it while you still can - it’s still 1976 in there.
It was once a beautiful place.
And if you make the trip, check out Euclid Square down the road. That one is just creepy!
on August 29th, 2007 at 8:55 am
As if the mall wasn’t doomed enough, the mall’s Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Park_Mall) states that Whichard Real Estate is the current owner/manager of the mall. It’s a goner.
It’s a shame to see such a large mall so dead. And the abandoned hotel next door… wow.
on August 30th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Railyn said: “Go see it while you still can - it’s still 1976 in there.”
Judging from the pics I have to see I agree. I’ve been to deader malls such as Bannister Mall and it looked much newer simply because it IS newer. This place looks much more dated.
I’ve got tickets to the Sox/Indians game this weekend; I’ll have to hit this mall too while I’m in town.
on September 4th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Well… I was there on September 1. This mall is dreadful! If obscure, mom&pop and/or urban shops are the hallmarks of a dying mall, this one sure has them. The blinged out rim store was mentioned in an earlier post. The discount furniture store below the Burlington store looks like a fly by night operation. The entire mall looks, well, shabby. The inoperative escalators, worn carpeting and plain old worn out tiles and furnishings are everywhere. Most of the fountains are shut off and look like they’ve been off for years, although strangely one was still running.
The parking lot is a disaster zone. I found it interesting that the Cleveland RTA bus stop is in a far corner of the parking lot, far away from the mall building itself. Being late summer, the weeds are really taking over the abandoned hotel property. Its a real eyesore.
I took a few pictures. I’ve inadvertently duplicated the Church ‘n’ The Mall pic but this way at least we see what it looks like when its closed. Who knows, maybe its closed for good. Security was everywhere so I had to be very stealthy taking pictures; that’s why they seem to be concentrated in areas where there are no people (i.e. - no open stores).
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1282/1320798290_82ae33e01d_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1341/1320798628_af2c3145da_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1190/1320799074_d5a6fc4eaf_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1366/1319912967_3cb9c5e1bc_o.jpg
on September 4th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I would not say Church ‘N The Mall is closed…if you look through, you can see a bulletin board. My theory is it simply is having church. After all, does your church or whatever have services every day?
on September 4th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Yeah, if I had time I would have come back Sunday and it probably would have been open. I was there on a Saturday afternoon.
on September 17th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
On Saturday, September 22, 2007 the Mall will be buzzing with people for the American Heart Associaitons African American Family Wellness Walk, approximately 5,000 people attend this event at the mall every year. This is our 10th year Celebration.
I worked my first job at the Mall at Fanny Farmer Candies and have always enjoyed the mall it was extremely sad for me to see the stores close. Because of my background with the mall I know that like me alot of people don’t go there often but they come out to the walk with their children and grandchildren to talk about what the mall once meant to them and to see what is happening now.
on September 17th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
The big building used to be a Holiday Inn.
on September 17th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Are you sure it wasn’t a Days Inn? The site I found (see my post near the top) said it was a Days Inn. It could have been both; motels swap brands all the time.
on September 17th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
It opened with the mall as a Holiday Inn. It had other franchises before it died.
on September 19th, 2007 at 8:24 am
There’s a little bit of a Days Inn labelscar remaining on the top of the hotel, on what is probably the stairway/elevator core. It doesn’t show in the pics here, so it must be on the other side of the building.
on September 21st, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I worked at JC Penney from 1980 to 1997. This mall used to be a gem. What a shame. Seeing these pictures though, brings back memories. Too bad!
on September 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I have a Days Inn 2002 directory and it doesn’t list the North Randall hotel. It was worth a try, tho.
on September 22nd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Abandoned in 1991? No wonder. Ooops.
on September 23rd, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Jonah, I like your line of thinking! Luckily I DO have a 1988 Days Inn directory, and sure enough, there’s the North Randall location listed there. 192 rooms, indoor pool, banquet facilities for 800, exercise room, etc. Located on the grounds of Randall Park Mall! (yeah some attraction!) And just for you insane trivia buffs, here is their phone number: 216-663-4100.
on September 25th, 2007 at 4:13 am
The Days Inn that keeps being mentioned is across the street from the mall itself. It is amongst a strip of other motels.
The abandoned hotel in question is indeed a old Holiday Inn.
I attended many banquets and events there during the late 80’s.
There is now a Wendy’s restaurant at that corner.
on September 25th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
The current Days Inn is across the street and a little further north along Northfield Road. But couldn’t Days Inn have been in the abandoned property too, if even for a short time? Maybe we are being confused by the “DAYS” lettering on the top of the building, which is visible in the photo I’ve attached below. But regardless, the abandoned building is clearly “on the grounds of Randall Park Mall” which is how my old 1988 Day Inn directory described it. They wouldn’t describe the present-day Days Inn location that way.
My best guess is that the building was a Holiday Inn from 1976 or so until, say, 1987 or 1988 when it became Days Inn until it closed.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1161/1439062884_522ac1a065_o.jpg
on October 7th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Randall Park was a great mall to shop at.As a kid growing up (I was born eight months after the mall opended )it was alaways fun to see santa and the nice decorations at Christmas time. I use to go their on the weekends with my cousins and spend hours looking around their was so much to do. Out of all the other malls i ve shopped at this will alaways be my faviorate mall. All the bad publicity and crime made it run down. Funny to her to comments about South Gate I work over in that area today and that to is mostly vacant like Randall Mall. I rember the christmas parade their and Santa Claus comming their must have been a million people their.It was magaical. Randall Mall is a lot like Rolling Acres Mall in Akron their are both in the same condition on their death bed.
on October 13th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
The scoop on the Hotel and some thoughts on the mall:
The hotel (in the parking lot, not the one down the road on rt.
opened as the Holiday Inn North Randall in 1974 as part of the Randall Park plan orchestrated by developer and Holiday Inn franchiser Ed DeBartolo. It, along with the adjacent Randall Park Mall (finished 1976) were built on the grounds of the former Randall Park horse racetrack. The hotel had its low points in the 80s, including a melee in 1987 when a rap radio station booked the ballroom for a show, oversold it, and fights broke out. It was not long after those years that the property lost its Holiday Inn charter, operating as a Days Hotel (an odd designation from a company that is better-suited shying from full-service properties) from approximately 1988 until early 1992, when it closed after selling rooms for one last New Year’s profit. It has been abandoned ever since, despite efforts by the city to sell it (and brief ownership by the TM crowd). Seeing that no one legitimate would buy it, the city took it off the market in 2001 and a liquidator performed a sale, which is when everything was moved down and stacked up in the lobby and ballroom areas to rot. At this time, many windows were left open, and afterwards, the city turned off electricity and heat. It has been moving downhill ever since, costing too much to demolish.
About the mall…I worked at one of the nicer remaining anchors there from 2000-2003 during college on breaks, partly due to my odd attachment to the place, growing up in a suburb east of there. Randomly, I remember chats with the security personnel, one original member who was at the end of her career at the time, and her great stories over the entire span of the hotel, track, and mall, including surprise visits from DeBartolo, who would land his Lear jet on Thistledown and walk over with prospective tenants from the nationals. Once he had her open Horne’s to let him pick some coats, which he instructed her to pay for later in the day with the bills he handed her, keeping the change. She was a true professional, trained from when the three facilities shared armed officers who had deputy badges from North Randall PD. I also remember walking through the miles (no hyperbole) of labyrinthine service corridors behind all specialty stores and their host of service courts, compactors, transformer rooms, freight elevators, fire stairwells, roof access, old General Cinema, and the occasional open back door to a long-unleased unit. It was never hard to remember what things were, since the original unit names are hand-painted on the back doors to the specialties. The mall is a gem, though, if not an albatross. DeBartolo’s engineers got it right with Randall Park, and their system of terrazzo tile (from a supplier in Mexico), proprietary parking lot lighting, and chutzpah made it possible to build these centers quicky, and with professional touches such as no exterior dumpsters or delivery (six service courts at RP handle all input and output, and electric doors close when not in use). The mall tanked after DeBartolo’s death (and the coincidental closing of Horne’s) in 1992, losing its last first-tier specialties in 1998 when Beachwood added Nordstrom and its repositioning allowed more middle-level specialty stores who moved there instead of renovating their 70s and 80s RP spaces. The guard I mentioned always thought RP was DeBartolo’s favorite, and the family feud subsequent to his death meant that RP missed out on its chance at repositioning in the mid-90s, which turns out to have been its only chance, with retail thoroughly ensconced in maxed-out Beachwood/Lyndhurst and elsewhere.
A bit of a shame, considering how well-planned the mall itself is. The bemoaned Rolling Acres and recently-renovated Parmatown are both rat mazes, paling in the (ephemeral) glitz of RPM.
on October 17th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Has anyone seen the DeadMalls.com summary?
http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/randall_park_mall.html
on October 27th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
hi, i’m doing a project on randall park mall and why it fell apart, etc. right now i’m trying to research on the history of the mall, such as why it started, how it was developed, who was involved, and pretty much what it was like before it started its decline. since i’ve just started going to school here in ohio, i wasn’t around for the beginning of when it was developing and when it was a more popular place. its been hard finding information online about the place and its history so i was wondering if there was anybody that i could talk to that grew up around the mall and knows it pretty well. also, if anybody has pictures or could give me a site with pictures when randall park was active, that would be great, too. if someone could email me at theinnocent3@yahoo.com, it would help me out so much, thanks!!
on October 27th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Does anybody have a list of stores? The ones that I could see were
Diamonds Ruby’s (is that the full name?)
Rave
Foot Locker
Kim’s Jewelry
Cleveland Home Care
Church ‘N The Mall
EB Games
Kids Foot Locker
Sensation
???ma’s (name unknown)
M???no
Kay Jewelry
Robinson Jewelers
Taj Leather
EyeMasters
on October 30th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
In my pics, there is a place called “Fit Quick” which is closed, and a Rainbow which was open. I also noticed a place called “Copasetic Thang” but unfortunately I didn’t notice what kind of store it was. Yes, they spelled “Thang” with an “a”.
on November 2nd, 2007 at 8:27 pm
The last time I was at Randall Park was about 1980. We were living in Strongsville at the time, so the mall was across the metro area. It would take a special trip to go out there (usually a trip to Shaker Heights because it was the only place in Cleveland to find bagels in the 70’s). We normally went to Great Northern in North Olmstead or Paramtown. I do remember the JC Penney’s at Southland (also in Parma, do know it is doing) burning down, in 1980 I think. We would move to Canton in 1981 and later to Chicago, so never saw Randall Park again. It is sad to see it die. The big building was a Holiday Inn, it fits thier pattern of the late 70’s.
on November 10th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Demographics and the success of malls have a convoluted relationship with each other. When I was in Randall in the early 90s there must have been about 50 stores catering to the urban, African-American youth at that time. All selling all manner of jeans at various price points, so it is not at though Randall didn’t try to keep up with the changing demographics; it’s worked for some malls, The Gallery at Military Circle in Norfolk, Va is the same way, almost exclusively “urban” stores with 3 anchor stores and is quite successful. There is nothing suburban about that mall at all, and it works. So to suggest that the only tenants that will be successful in a mall, are those that sell goods that wouldn’t work for everyone that shops at the mall in which it may happen to be predominately African-Americans is rather naive. Randall failed for any number of reasons; metro Cleveland was a lot smaller at the time, so there was a need for a Randall Park Mark, but today it runs all the way up to metro Akron. It was also a rather ambitious project at the time, as most malls were; bottom line, the concept of a metro area having an economic center is an old, outdated one; most suburbia has it’s own sprawl, and most shopping centers have sprawled as well.
on November 16th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
The current Days Inn on Northfield Road (near Bass Chevrolet) used to be called the “Turfside Motel”, which later became a Days Inn franchise.
As mentioned earlier, the Holiday Inn in North Randall later became a Days Inn, then closed around 1990 or so. A group led by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (of Transcedental Meditation fame) wanted to buy the hotel and turn it into a TM-themed retreat center, but those plans were later scrapped mainly due to opposition by North Randall authorities. The former hotel building currently sits abandoned and vandalized.
on November 26th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Why in the world is this mall still open? Who would keep this mall going?
on December 28th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Macys just announced the closing of the Randall Park Mall Store.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/retail/article/macys-close-stores_420029_7.html
I wonder what going to happen to the mall now.
on January 6th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Randall Park Mall was in the news again over the weekend; Friday night (Jan. 4) there was a shooting across the street at the Knights Inn motel, which left 5 people injured and several arrested. Of course this really has nothing to do with the mall, but unfortunately every news broadcast I saw mentioned the site as being “across the street from Randall Park Mall”. Being tied to a shooting story which leads off the nightly news won’t do much to help a mall that’s trying to fight off its “unsafe” stigma.
Anyway…. Why was I in Cleveland? I had to go to Ohio on business, and took the opportunity to visit every sick or dead mall in the northern half of the state that I knew of. Southwyck, Woodville, Westland in Columbus, Canton Centre, Rolling Acres, Euclid Square and Randall Park. Oh, and Southland in Marion but it wasn’t as dead as I expected it to be; it looked to be nearly full and was packed with shoppers. However the others are in varying stages of death and I have lots of pics which I’ll post to my Flickr page soon, so stay tuned for a link. I’ll post a few comments as well over the next few days.
on February 1st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I worked at the mall for several years back around 2001 - 2002. First a few updates, the movie theater has re-branded, Jeepers is gone. Now it was announced that Macy’s is closing. Not sure on the date, but as of mid-January they were in liquidation.
A note on the crime… it was real. Even worse, it was believed to be much worse, and in retail perception is truth. In response to other comments about the demographics being a killer of retail, well, it just isn’t so. It is all about the dollar. While demographics keep stores from moving into an area, it definitely does not close them. If the sales numbers hold, and the profitability holds up, then the store remains.
The old hotel on the corner, now has a sign about a medical office coming in 2009. Not sure what that is all about.
on February 10th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
This comment is destined to offend, but the reality is that Randall Park’s demise is a direct reflection of the large African American population in the area(s) surrounding the mall. The harsh reality, as much as no one wants to admit it, is that this particular “demographic” has a blatant lack of respect for virtually everything, and, generally speaking, does not have the money to shop anywhere other than discount department stores.
Harsh words? Perhaps. But, unfortunately, they are TRUE. And what’s also true is that I would like nothing more than to see this trend changed once and for all.
But culture and history has proven that to be highly unlikely.
on February 17th, 2008 at 1:24 am
As a black person living in Cleveland, I am not sure is Howard’s comment is all that racist. I was just at Beachwood Place this evening and I noticed that the mal has considerably more black shoppers which is good in terms boosting the economy with their tax return money. However the atmosphere is changing rapidly to bad. The noise level of teens, the sagging pants, strollers filled with screaming babies, small children running around stores and screaming at the top of their lungs, store employees asking small unattended children to refrain from climbing on displays (their mothers are too busy with searching the clearance racks to notice) and theft–need I say more? I wonder how long it will take for Beachwood to go the way of RP and more recently, Richmond Town Square. It angers me that while black people are not the only folks who misbehave in malls, we sure do a good job of pronouncing our disdain for civility no matter where we go. When will we learn?
on March 20th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I’m a member of Church N’ The Mall and Pastor Matthew’s vision of turing the Mall back into a thriving hub will come to pass. Please join us for service at 1:00pm and be apart of the vision.
on March 31st, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I used to work a couple of miles from Randal Park Mall in the late 80’s to the late 90’s. There’s a fast food heaven just down the street and that’s where I ate lunch. Afterwards, my friend and I would go to Randal Park to kill time, shop or play video games.
I’m sorry to see it in such bad shape, as I like the mall, and it’s decor. It was already going down hill then but was still pleasant.
I think the abandoned hotel didn’t do much to enhance the area either.
Most of the people that I know (I live in Lyndhurst) shifted to Beachwood Mall, La Place and recently Legacy Village… They didn’t like the “Race Track” crowd. I’ll leave it to you to “interpret” that classification.
I had many people tell me it was dangerous, but during lunch and after work, it didn’t see so to me in the late 80’s and 90’s.
Now, Euclid Square Mall that place used to scare me a lot… especially walking through the parking lots….
Retired in Cleveland….
on April 5th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Zoinks! A church n the mall?! I would love to be apart from that vision.
on April 8th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
To clarify:
It wasn’t a race riot in the early nineties it was a gang riot complete with ‘gunfire’! The gunfire later proved to be popped baloons…The mall was already dying at this point.
In 1983 or so, I remember seeing a kid lying on the floor, upstairs by Scotto’s pizza, bleeding from a knife wound in his back.
It’s a shame..that was MY mall. I grew up within walking distance. I remember seeing Santa & the Easter bunny there. I remember the fountains, the walking ramps, Toyco, the Hobby Shop, both arcades, The Tinder Box, Camelot, World Bazarr, Coney Island, the Original Cookie Company… that mall had just about every niche store you could imagine. And as a little kid it was like going to an amusement park. It was huge and packed with people…But this was when the music stores sold records!
on April 8th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Regarding the 1st pic:
I remember watching a 1950/60’s style rock band play on the stage. (at the bottom of the pic, blue carpet. It was red then)
The old General Cinema is located behind DIAMONDS MEN’S STORE. The lines used to stretch out and down the ramps. After buying your ticket you had to climb about 20 steps to reach the lobby/concession area. The bathrooms were another flight up but were connected to all 3 theaters. So with a little savvy and luck you could see 3 movies for the price of 1.
on April 8th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Here’a a link to pics of the theater:
http://otherworlds.homeip.net/Randall/
on April 8th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Here’a a link to video of an auto show from 1985:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxGnDob0420&eurl=http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2007/04/retro-mall-video-randall-park-mall.html
on April 13th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
The church’s mall plan may have struck out with the investors, so there the facility sits hemorrhaging units and looking more and more like an abandoned building. Muzak seems to be off, main fountain water level has evaporated below the filter intake and grows murky, and the redolent air of rot wafts from the open door to the former General Cinemas…that place must be the pits now since the whole upper level stinks of said theatre’s bad roof.
on April 15th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
that is definately a Holiday Inn Hotel that is abandoned and why did they change the name from Magic Johnson Theaters to the O theater???
on April 16th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Dee,
I think that AMC Theatres who owns both Loews & Magic Jonson theatres maybe pulling out of the Cleveland market. The theatre at Richmond Townsquare last year was baught buy Regal Cinemas, as they are the #1 circuit in greater Cleveland.
on April 16th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I paid my last respects to the Mall a couple of months back on a Saturday. It was virtually empty. I worked there in its heyday.
Shadow of its former self.
on April 21st, 2008 at 3:06 pm
The mall was never really run correctly. Just by its neighborhood it got dangerous quick. And once it got dangerous, people stopped going. That’s really about all I can say about this place.
on May 10th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Randall ‘Park Mall use to be full of life but crime and violence is only one of the factors that plays into the mall demise. As a child, I went with my family to shop and dine inside and as a teen worked at Friendly’s Restaurant (1986-1990). In the early 90’s Tower City started thriving as a mall and RPM was getting competition from the Euclid Avenue strip. The concept of strip centers shopping is the lastest trend in the retail industry. As Greater Cleveland struggles with the decline in popluation and developers continuing to build new homes and retail without addresses the current economic state of the area Cleveland will continue to look like a ghost town.
The building in the picture is Days Inn (formerly, Holiday Inn) it has been abandoned now for about 15 years. Southgate is not thriving like it use to either. Within that shopping center there use to be a movie theater, women retail stores like, Lerners,Winkleman, Petries and Value City Furniture. The only real draw for Southgate is Giant Eagle and Home Depot (use to be the home of DIY). Randall Park Mall and Southgate have newer strip center with a 5 mile radius to contend with. Sears is one of the last original anchor tenants and probably will close its doors when its lease expires or the sales drop to the point they are taking a loss.
on May 10th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Story in today’s Plain Dealer…
http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/05/magic_is_gone_in_north_randall.html
on May 17th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I went to the Macy’s going out of business sale in March. What a sad state. I worked at another Ohio mall when Randall Park opened, and everyone knew about it - it was the biggest in the state at the time. I was really impressed the one time I visited it (I live about 80 miles west of Cleveland). Not much left, and yes, the parking lot is atrocious!
on May 18th, 2008 at 1:20 am
The mall is slated to close in early June. Get a visit in before it’s too late. Maybe there’ll be a salvage/demo sale afterwards.
on May 18th, 2008 at 8:11 am
i heard the mall was closeing soon. is that true?
on May 18th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Hmmm, I hope its not closing. I need to get back for more photos but if this is true that leaves little time. I didn’t get enough photos last time (I didn’t want to get spotted by security, at least not after an account I read on the internet where they were shooing away photographers from inside the mall).
on May 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I’ve been looking around on Switchboard.com, and trying to call stores in the mall to confirm its really closing. Trouble is, most of the stores seem to be gone already! I was able to speak to a lady at Burlington Coat Factory, who said its closing June 9, and another lady at Sears who just said “soon”. The anchors are staying open, they said.
Did the mall ever have a web site? If they did, it seems to be gone. ALSO, there’s no listing for “Randall Park Mall” on Switchboard.com. It seems to be dying without even a whimper.
on May 21st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I just learned about the closing of the mall in the next couple of weeks. I too like so many grew up and still reside in the area. I have wonderful memories of this mall. To say that the population that frequented the mall was the cause of it’s failure, is truly biased. I believe there were many factors to its demise. I only wish that the people who rescued the once failing Richmond Mall, would have done the same for Randall Park. There was so much potential and need. Richmond Mall is a ways from me and I don’t particularly care for Legacy or Beachwood Place. The newly open Walmart in Bedford Hts., is just that, Walmart, not a mall. The management at Randall Park should not have allowed so many of the “urban” stores to take residence, which only attracted the younger set. When I look at the buildings, it really breaks your heart. I believe the community of Randall Park, Warrensville Hts, and others should have really rallied together to save the mall. It’s an absolute shame what has happened.
on May 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
In the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Randall Park Mall will close around Mid-June. The few remaining stores will have to relocate by June 12. Burlington Coat Factory, Sears, the movie theater and Ohio Technical College will stay open, however.The owners haved talked with some people that may be interested in buying the rest of the property, either to convert it into a mixed use center or demolish the whole property, turning it into an industrial park.
on May 22nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
the hobby center (by jcpennys). toyco. roy rogers. the two level randall cienmas. york steak house. hot sams. hot dog-on-a-stick. fun n games(two of them one up, one down; downstairs was bigger) jeans west. the freeway-like walkway ramps w/the red carpet. i will always remember how much fun it was to go Randall Park Mall, from the time i saw stars wars there in 1977 when i was ten to the last tme i was there and it was still somewhat vibrant(my wedding day in 1995; i had to pick up something that morning at dillards). in between those years there was a lot of window shopping, ACTUAL shopping, and girl watching! never just “hung out” there or caused trouble like some in my age group in the mid 80s. the last time i was there was in 2005. after walking thru what was left of the mall i went to the bathroom.(you know the ones that were isolated and dimly lit; i swear a mugger or rapist must have suggested their location when the mall was designed!). anyway, as i exited the bathroom, i saw in faded letters on the back of a door: FAFLIK SHOES. very sad. anyway i will take one last walk thru the mall before it closes. RANDALL PARK MALL. 1976-2008 R.I.P
on May 23rd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
The mall’s location haunted it from the beginning. The very small town of North Randall initially had a police force more interested in catching speeders than car theives, so GTA became a serious problem at the mall. Perhaps more to the point, during the late 70s the burbs to the north and west were largely black, those to the immediate south and east were predominantly white and militant about staying that way. RPM was right on the fault line. White shoppers weren’t amused by aimless packs of black kids, showed it, and the kids responded with adorable tactics like aisle blockiing, spitting over railings, and plain ordinary thug-staring.
The fights between gangs later on made matters worse. Finally, an off duty cop working security apprehended a crackhead shoplifter who fought him. The cop threw him, the crackhead hit his head and later died. (btw, both cop and perp were black). The crackhead had an influential family, the cop ended up going to prison, and I think the mall and store got sued as well. So much for assertive security…..
on May 23rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
i went to school w/ that cop his name was jameel talley. its too bad the would be theif died. however maybe if the mall had tougher security earlier, it may not have scared away customers.
on May 25th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I would like to go say “goodbye” to RPM before it closes in a few weeks. I’m wondering from all of you who have been there lately - is it safe? I haven’t been in there in over 10 years and the last time I was there I did not feel welcome - being a young, white female. I got a few comments from people as I walked through and haven’t been back since. I remember going there with my Mom in the late 70s and walking around - the “plastic” couches and the stained glass lights along with the purple “marble” floor tiles fascinated me as a child. Anyhow, I wonder if the mall is basically abandoned and no one is around if a female going in there alone is such a good idea. Any thoughts on the subject from recent visitors who have been there would be appreciated. I would love to see it one more time. Thanks to those who have posted pics…it was nice to see it inside again, even if it’s empty and not how I remember it..
on May 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I don’t think safety is a huge issue; the mall has uniformed security personnel that keep a highly visible profile in the mall. That is, I’m assuming they haven’t been laid off! I’m more worried about trying to get pictures and getting hassled by security, although I suppose if the mall is within a couple weeks of closing for good they might not care anymore.
Anyone know for sure what stores are still open at this time?
on May 27th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
acb1976 - go for it. The perception of crime in this mall and other malls like it is way overstated. I saw plenty of single females here, white, black, purple, brown, etc. and they were fine (ok maybe not purple, but you get the idea..). Keep your wits about you there as you would anywhere and you’ll be fine, ie. don’t walk into a dark, unlit area of the parking lot at night, don’t dress lavishly or try to attract unnecessary attention.
I do find one thing you wrote to be particularly interesting though, that you received “comments” from people passing through. What do they say? Is it racially derisive or cat calling? I almost never get comments, even in malls where I clearly stand out - I’m a young white male. In fact, the only comments I’ve ever gotten was at a mall near Detroit where a group of black teenage girls were coming out of the mall as I was going in and one of them went “What are YOU doing here?” and sneered at us. So it would be interesting to note if females have a different experience than I’ve had. I definitely get stares, but no comments to my face.
on May 27th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Prange….
My husband said that he will go with me and we can leave our son with a sitter. We will probably try to go in during the afternoon sometime.
As for the comments - I had two separate incidents which made me feel like I should not come back in. Two younger women (possibly teens or early 20s) and not of my race called me a “cracker bitch” as I walked past - not to my face necessarily but loud enough for me to hear. (I knew it was me they were talking about because no other white women were anywhere near me at the time I heard the comment). The other “incident” I guess you could call it was a situation where I was followed, then approached by a man in his 30s - also not of my race. He tried pretty hard to get me to leave the mall with him and I had to find a security person to help me out of the situation. So, between those 2 incidents, I didn’t feel like I should go back.
This was probably 95 or 96…at the time the mall was much more populated, storefronts were pretty populated, etc. I do not remember there being a lot of vacancy. Looking at these pictures, it appears that huge sections of the mall are totally empty - even a year ago. And who knows now. So I’m guessing it was a lot different back then. It seems like just nobody is in there at all now.
Anyhow, I feel like I want to go see it again, just to see the mall itself. I have a lot of memories from childhood there.
on May 27th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Charles, I tried clicking on your link to your flickr page, and it didn’t work. Can you repost the link to your flickr page, as I’d be interested in seeing your pics from your trip to northern Ohio dead malls, if you’ve ever gotten around to posting them.
To MT, thanks for posting the links to pics of the 3 screen theater(was it ran by General Cinema?) that used to operate in this mall, plus the video about a Corvette show that was held here in ‘85. Those both were interesting artifacts about how the mall once was.
Hopefully, the site of the mall will be turned into something useful, and not totally wasteful, if the future owners do decide to demolish the mall after its upcoming closing.
on May 28th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Allen, here is the link again. I only have four pics from Randall Park but the rest of it is Euclid Square, Southwyck and Rolling Acres. I also have about 25 pics from Randhurst here in IL but haven’t uploaded them yet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8474804@N05/sets/72157603655151348/
on May 28th, 2008 at 8:14 am
OK, thanks for reposting that here. Just looked through all pics of that set, it was very great and interesting to look through! Can’t believe either that Euclid Square Mall looks so much like a dead mall museum, and as if it was in mint shape from(theoretically) all stores closing yesterday. *sigh*
on June 4th, 2008 at 4:31 am
I live in Cleveland and first went to RPM back around 77 and 78. I know exactly what killed the Mall. High crime incidents from blacks and alot of racism from racist blacks toward whites in the Mall making them feel unwelcome. I stayed away after two black gangs started a riot in the Mall. Never went back. Alot of white people stopped going to this Mall. I know many people reading this arent going to like hearing this but it’s the truth.
on June 4th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Dudes: I went there last Sunday (6/1). By my count, there are about 12
stores open plus the anchors and theatre. Some of the final dozen:
-a nail salon
-a jewelry stores
-a kiosk selling rims
-a kiosk selling various gold items (might have been an outgrowth of the
rim stand; I only saw signs and they looked closed for the day)
-an electronics store (5th Avenue Electronics, I think)
-a Subway
-a “Nubian Jungle” clothing store
-a school uniform place
-The mall walker’s headquarters
-Finish Line
-Best Buy (just kidding)
The mall is so quiet and clean, it looks like it was just built and is
awaiting tenants! Circle of life, I suppose. I stopped into the
security office to get friendly with the guards, and I think it helped
since they saw me taking pics later and didn’t say anything. Or maybe
they don’t care anymore. When they learned I used to come to this mall
and was back (from Chicago) to say goodbye, they almost seemed flattered!
The only trace of neglect was fading carpet, and one trash can I walked
by which either hadn’t been emptied recently, or was the target of an
unsavory “deposit” by one of those adorable rapscallions that gave the
mall its nickname, Vandall Park.
I also saw the blue steps to the movie theater peeking through a door in
the former Diamond’s display window (it’s extended from the original
storefront to cover the front of the movie theater).
The fountains, escalators, muzak, and HVAC were all off. Usually, in
summer, you walk into a mall or store and it’s FREEZING! The Sears was
only lukewarm- comfortable, in fact- but they probably turned down the AC
knowing there’ll be little traffic. It was still jumping enough that
Sears is probably breaking even. The escalators in that store, though
running, looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a while, and probably
are the original units installed in 1976!
A huge window inside the mall overlooks the lobby of the newer movie
theater (O Theater, formerly Magic Johnson). It looks amazing, and it’s
sad that the theater is also struggling. I think I heard that their
management is almost glad the mall is closing, since so many people cut
through the theater to get to the mall. And the ushers get excited that
someone is coming to see a movie, but it turns out they were just passing
by. THAT is really sad, and sure enough the doors to the theater on the
first floor of the mall are always locked.
While walking, I saw one white couple, and walked up to them and said
“lemme guess- you came here when you were little and have returned to
take one last look around.” Not only was I right, but the woman had gone
to high school with me! I just didn’t recognize her. We chatted for a
bit and they left.
I should point out that my family only came to the mall for about 16
months. My parents moved to Ohio from Maryland in 1979, and took a small
apartment in Bedford (since it was near my Father’s office) while our
house was being constructed in the ‘burbs. Little did they know what
kind of area it was, and we moved to the house 2 months early (the family
room wasn’t even done yet!) just to get out of there. There’s a couple
pictures of me running around on the ramps at Randall Park. And by the
way, while we lived in Bedford, sure enough, our car was stolen!
Speaking of cars, I drove around the entire mall and the parking lot is
pretty bad. But I live in Chicago now, and most of our roads and parking
lots are in equally bad shape, even in the ‘burbs. So it didn’t faze me
much.
Back inside the mall, there was one shop open in the food court- a
Subway. I’m sure many of you have seen the “$5 Footlong” commercials.
The RPM Subway has ‘em for $3.99! That’ll bring in the customers!
on June 4th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Allen M,
Yes it was a general cinema. Diamonds men store remodelled at some point but the entrance and the theaters are still there hidden behind the walls.
on June 5th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Looks like there is a buyer and RPM is staying open, at least for now.
http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/06/buyer_emerges_for_randall_park.html
on June 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
what a shame. that mall was huge. it couldn’t be in a worse area though. I remember going to the Friendly’s restaurant back when I was a kid….I vaguely remember that being near one of the department stores…
on June 9th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I can initially tell you that I ‘think’ the vacant building used to be a Holiday Inn Hotel.
I remember how awesome that mall was as a child. According to my Grandmother, she bought what would become my childhood Teddy Bear at a toy store in there called Circus World. I got it when i was 1 in 1979.
I remember the big wall down one of the aisles, according to my Mom was suppoesed to be where Halle’s was to go.
There was also a really cool hobby shop that looked like an old Passenger Train Car. here was also an unsual bok store called Cole’s
When my sister was born in the mid 80’s, I used to let her stroller coast down those infamous ramps. LOL, wasn’t I a nice brother?
I remember Horne’s was 3 floors. We always parked
at Higbees second level.
I would love to see this new buyer do something cool with the place, lots of childhood memories
on June 17th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
i had dream today that the mall came back. lets hope it comes true.
on June 18th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Has anyone been inside since last week when it was supposed to close but then didn’t? Is anyone left now? Or did all the tenants leave?
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I went to Randall Park Mall on Sunday, and it’s on life support. Sears and Burlington Coat Factory/LaSalle Furniture are the only anchors still operating, as well as maybe a handful of stores at most. Furthermore, all of those stores are congregated in the Sears wing. There’s absolutely nothing in the expansive northern half of the mall, except for a church and the theatres. The mall was also really dark, and all the escalators had been shut off so you have to either take the stairs or the labyrinth of walkways connecting the upper and lower levels. I overheard a conversation some of the cashiers at Sears were having with a customer as I was leaving, and they reiterated what some of the commenters here have said. They said the mall had originally planned to close on June 12, but someone bought it (the church group, I assume) and is keeping it open for now. So, that’s great news for anyone who wants to stop by and see a real live, er…dead mall museum.
on June 28th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I am planning a trip with my family to come to NE Ohio to visit Randall Park Mall as well as other dead malls in the area. Is RPM safe to walk? I will have my wife and my 5 yr old son with me. What can we expect when we get there? Is the mall just empty or is it empty+falling apart? Thanks for any help and info you can provide.
on June 30th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Todd, don’t even waste your time. It’s not safe and not worth it. I walked around on a Sunday morning and still didn’t feel safe. It’s a creepy and very sad place….nothing is open. If you have old memories of RPM during its hay-day in the 70-80’s then I suggest you stay away…..very depressing.
on June 30th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
So will Randall Park beat out the Mall of Memphis as the largest mall to fail?
on June 30th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I was there on June 1, when we thought the mall was closing. Brought along the little bracelet my husband bought me there (the first thing he ever bought me while we were dating).
I don’t know when other people go there, but I have never encountered any problems or threats, etc, from anyone there. Yeah, I’m usually in the minority, but I have NEVER not felt save.
And I don’t know how someone made friends with security. They’re always harsh, and they caught us taking pictures and grumbled at us. We just moved to the other end of the mall and continued.
My friend that I was with noticed that one of the letters burned out on the Sears logo, and it just now reads “Sars”. How fitting…….
on June 30th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
When you say that you didn’t feel safe, was it that the people in the mall are pretty much low-life material or is it in that bad of repair? Forgive me for sounding naive. It’s just that I don’t know much about NE Ohio in general. If the demographics in the area of RPM are that terrible, it is surely a horrible shame then to have such a huge shopping establishment go to waste like that. Any info. will be deeply appreciated! Thanks.
on July 1st, 2008 at 10:48 am
Todd:
If you really want to go, then go. The place has NEVER been remodeled (save from changing carpet - it used to be red and now it’s blue). The ceiling tiles are patterened, it has skylights around support columns - the architecture is great, and a lot of the service corridors were open, we found. Just watch out for security - they’re harsh.
I always follow a few simple rules when dead malling in unfamiliar territory:
1) Don’t go alone - there’s safety in numbers
2) Park near an entrance - easy in and out is best
3) Go during the day - less blatant crime in daylight
4) Avoid exploring service corridors, etc, alone - again, safety in numbers
5) Don’t dress flashy or wear a lot of jewelry - don’t want unneeded attention
6) Avoid flashing an expensive camera or camcorder - again, unneeded attention from security or otherwise - keep the camera hidden when not in use
7) Don’t look nervous - smile at people, say hello, etc. I ususally try to buy at least one thing from every dead mall I visit, if possible so I look like I’m there to shop
8) And most imporant - use common sense
I don’t think NE Ohio is that bad. Parts have actually improved. The city of Cleveland is rebounding, but some of the burbs are going downhill. Like I said, just keep your head on and follow some simple guidelines ,and you should be fine. I’ve NEVER had an issue with not feeling safe at any NE Ohio dead malls. I didn’t see any “thugs” or anything. I’ve only seen people and families shopping. Granted, very few were caucasian (there was a mix of other races), but I’ve never had anyone shout insults at me or threaten me, etc.
on July 1st, 2008 at 11:46 am
As for my above post:
***DISCLAIMER: Opinions are my own. Your opinions and experience may vary. No guarantees written or expressed. Prices and participation may vary; void where prohibited by law.
There. Now I feel better.