Cincinnati Mills
Encyclopedia
Cincinnati Mall is a shopping mall
in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio
, United States
, at the junction of Interstate 275
and Gilmore Road (Exit 39). Currently, Cincinnati Mall is a two-story enclosed mall comprising more than than 40 stores and services, as well as a food court and a movie theater; anchor store
s include Bass Pro Shops
, Burlington Coat Factory
, Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas, Kohl's
, and Metropolis Nightclub.
Developed by Australia
-based real estate franchise L. J. Hooker, the mall opened as Forest Fair Mall in phases between 1988 and 1989. At first, it featured three upscale department store
chains which had not previously operated in the Cincinnati area: Parisian, B. Altman, and Bonwit Teller
. By 1990, the latter two declared bankruptcy and closed. Hooker sold the mall in 1991, and it passed through several changes in ownership and anchor tenants; by the late 1990s, Forest Fair Mall was a dead mall
, with fewer than thirty-five inline tenants remaining.
Maryland
-based management firm Mills Corporation
purchased the mall in 2002, forcing out the few remaining non-anchor tenants before closing off the entire mall for renovations. In 2004, the property was re-opened as Cincinnati Mills, a discount-oriented mall. North Star Realty of Georgia purchased the mall in 2009.
; these plans were later changed to include primarily upscale merchants. Three high-end department store chains—B. Altman, Bonwit Teller
, and Sakowitz
, only one of which had ever operated in Ohio before—were proposed as anchor stores. The three chains were uninterested, so in 1987, Herscu bought controlling interest in the three chains. In addition to these three department stores, discount retailer bigg's and Elder-Beerman
, a mid-range department store, were signed on as anchors.
Construction began on Forest Fair Mall in 1986. The east wing opened in July 1988, but due to leasing complications, the rest of the mall did not open until March of the next year. The mall featured an ornate design, including skylights, arched copper roofs, and a spacious center court. Entertainment venues at the mall comprised a movie theater
, and an indoor amusement park
called Time Out on the Court, which included a ferris wheel
and indoor carousel.
Downfall
Despite a strong start, the mall started to falter less than a year after opening. In September 1989, L.J. Hooker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The B. Altman, Bonwit Teller, and Sakowitz chains proved to be too upscale for the market, and by 1990 all three had closed at the mall, B. Altman and Sakowitz also closing all other stores.
In January 1991, Hooker sold the mall to seven lenders, who then formed a partnership called FFM Limited Partnership, which hired veterans of the retail industry to run Forest Fair Mall. At the time, the mall was nearly half vacant, and attracting new tenants proved difficult. Nearby centers, most notably Tri-County Mall
, were expanding and adding new tenants, thus cutting further into Forest Fair's market.
A "Malls at Forest Fair" concept was introduced in 1992. This concept divided the mall into four retail themes: fashion, lifestyle, and value. An $8 million expansion was completed in August 1993, adding an entertainment complex called Festival at Forest Fair in the former Bonwit Teller space. This new section featured nightclubs and entertainment venues, and featured green slate tiles from India
to invoke an "outdoor experience". Kohl's
replaced the former B. Altman in September 1994, helping to bring the mall's occupancy up over 75%.
Berean Christian Stores
was signed on as a junior anchor in October 1997. Parisian closed in 1998, with Bass Pro Shops
taking its place within a year. The CompUSA
store announced in May 1998 that it would move its store in Forest Fair to a new development in Tri-County called Tri-County Marketplace. Several big box tenants were also added to Forest Fair Mall's roster over the next two years, including Guitar Center
(which took the vacated CompUSA space), Burlington Coat Factory
, Off 5th and Media Play
. Time Out closed and cleared out for theaters but was functionally replaced with a smaller family entertainment center called Namco Wonderpark.
(which had re-located from the spot later occupied by Urban Behavior).
After a $70 million renovation by the Mills Corporation, the former Forest Fair Mall reopened on August 19, 2004 as Cincinnati Mills. Media Play closed in 2005, and has been vacant since. In April 2007, the entire Mills portfolio was acquired by Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, Indiana
. Cincinnati Mills suddenly started to decline again, just like its former incarnation: Wonderpark closed in March 2008 after word broke out the manager was paying employees and others to make sex videos. Bigg's, the largest and oldest tenant in the mall closed next by the end of June. Then Simon finally sold the 40% vacant mall to North Star Port Authority. By now, Steve and Barry's had closed too.
On March 4, 2009, the owners of the mall notified tenants that the Mills name did not confer with the transfer of the property, and the shopping center is to be known as "Cincinnati Mall."
In March 2010, the shopping center changed hands again. By this time, the Showcase Cinemas was on its way out, with Off 5th having been gone to an outlet mall. In January 2011, a plan was unveiled to have a new ice rink, Candlewood Suites
, entertainment, and dining.. There will also be an agricultural museum and an indoor bike-mountain range..
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at the junction of Interstate 275
Interstate 275 (Ohio)
Interstate 275 is an loop in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky that forms a complete beltway around the Cincinnati, Ohio area. It is the only auxiliary interstate that enters three states, including one state that the parent route does not enter . It is the longest loop interstate highway in the United...
and Gilmore Road (Exit 39). Currently, Cincinnati Mall is a two-story enclosed mall comprising more than than 40 stores and services, as well as a food court and a movie theater; anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s include Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
, Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, and Metropolis Nightclub.
Developed by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-based real estate franchise L. J. Hooker, the mall opened as Forest Fair Mall in phases between 1988 and 1989. At first, it featured three upscale department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chains which had not previously operated in the Cincinnati area: Parisian, B. Altman, and Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller was a department store in New York City founded by Paul Bonwit in 1895 at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street. In 1897 Edmund D. Teller was admitted to the partnership and the store moved to 23rd Street, East of Sixth Avenue...
. By 1990, the latter two declared bankruptcy and closed. Hooker sold the mall in 1991, and it passed through several changes in ownership and anchor tenants; by the late 1990s, Forest Fair Mall was a dead mall
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
, with fewer than thirty-five inline tenants remaining.
Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
-based management firm Mills Corporation
Mills Corporation
The Mills Corporation was a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States, acquired on April 3, 2007 by an investment group composed of Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management. The company developed, owned, and operated major...
purchased the mall in 2002, forcing out the few remaining non-anchor tenants before closing off the entire mall for renovations. In 2004, the property was re-opened as Cincinnati Mills, a discount-oriented mall. North Star Realty of Georgia purchased the mall in 2009.
Beginnings
Developer George Herscu, head of the Australian-based real estate firm L. J. Hooker, first proposed to build a mall in Cincinnati, Ohio in the mid-1980s. Originally, his mall plans called for discount department stores such as TJ Maxx and MarshallsMarshalls
Marshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
; these plans were later changed to include primarily upscale merchants. Three high-end department store chains—B. Altman, Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller was a department store in New York City founded by Paul Bonwit in 1895 at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street. In 1897 Edmund D. Teller was admitted to the partnership and the store moved to 23rd Street, East of Sixth Avenue...
, and Sakowitz
Sakowitz
Sakowitz was a chain of family-owned department stores based in Houston, Texas, United States. The store was founded by two brothers, Tobias and Simon Sakowitz, in Galveston, Texas in 1902. Other family members were working in the cotton mills in Galveston...
, only one of which had ever operated in Ohio before—were proposed as anchor stores. The three chains were uninterested, so in 1987, Herscu bought controlling interest in the three chains. In addition to these three department stores, discount retailer bigg's and Elder-Beerman
Elder-Beerman
Elder-Beerman is a U.S. chain of department stores founded in 1883 and owned by The Bon-Ton. The chain is based primarily in the United States' Midwest region...
, a mid-range department store, were signed on as anchors.
Construction began on Forest Fair Mall in 1986. The east wing opened in July 1988, but due to leasing complications, the rest of the mall did not open until March of the next year. The mall featured an ornate design, including skylights, arched copper roofs, and a spacious center court. Entertainment venues at the mall comprised a movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, and an indoor amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
called Time Out on the Court, which included a ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
and indoor carousel.
DownfallDownfall (film)Downfall is a 2004 German/Italian/Austrian epic war film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's life in his Berlin bunker and Nazi Germany in 1945....
Despite a strong start, the mall started to falter less than a year after opening. In September 1989, L.J. Hooker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The B. Altman, Bonwit Teller, and Sakowitz chains proved to be too upscale for the market, and by 1990 all three had closed at the mall, B. Altman and Sakowitz also closing all other stores.In January 1991, Hooker sold the mall to seven lenders, who then formed a partnership called FFM Limited Partnership, which hired veterans of the retail industry to run Forest Fair Mall. At the time, the mall was nearly half vacant, and attracting new tenants proved difficult. Nearby centers, most notably Tri-County Mall
Tri-County Mall
Tri-County Mall is located at the interchange of Ohio Route 747 and Interstate 275 in the city of Springdale, Ohio, a northern suburb of Cincinnati...
, were expanding and adding new tenants, thus cutting further into Forest Fair's market.
A "Malls at Forest Fair" concept was introduced in 1992. This concept divided the mall into four retail themes: fashion, lifestyle, and value. An $8 million expansion was completed in August 1993, adding an entertainment complex called Festival at Forest Fair in the former Bonwit Teller space. This new section featured nightclubs and entertainment venues, and featured green slate tiles from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to invoke an "outdoor experience". Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
replaced the former B. Altman in September 1994, helping to bring the mall's occupancy up over 75%.
Mid-1990s: Change to a discount mall
Despite the increase in occupancy brought on by the opening of Kohl's, Forest Fair Mall was sold in 1995. Gator Forest Park Partners, Ltd., of Miami bought the mall in 1996, pledging to invest $10 million in improvements by 1999. Glimcher Properties Trust acted as a leasing agent, helped shift the mall's focus to primarily discount-oriented tenants.Berean Christian Stores
Berean Christian Stores
Berean Christian Stores is a leading retailer of Christian materials in the United States. In addition to Bibles, the Berean stores sell Christian music, books, posters, gifts, clothing, church supplies and resources, and DVDs. In mid 2007, Berean has stores in seven states: Arizona, California, ...
was signed on as a junior anchor in October 1997. Parisian closed in 1998, with Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
taking its place within a year. The CompUSA
CompUSA
CompUSA is a retailer and reseller of consumer electronics, technology products and computer services. Its headquarters are in Miami, Florida.Until its reorganization, CompUSA, Inc. was a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Commercial Corp S.A.B...
store announced in May 1998 that it would move its store in Forest Fair to a new development in Tri-County called Tri-County Marketplace. Several big box tenants were also added to Forest Fair Mall's roster over the next two years, including Guitar Center
Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in the world with 223 locations throughout the United States. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California....
(which took the vacated CompUSA space), Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, Off 5th and Media Play
Media Play
Media Play was a chain of retail stores founded in 1992 by Musicland that sold movies on video, DVDs, music, Electronics, video games, books, and games in the United States. Each store essentially contained a book store, a movie store, a music store, and a video game store under one roof. At...
. Time Out closed and cleared out for theaters but was functionally replaced with a smaller family entertainment center called Namco Wonderpark.
Conversion to Cincinnati Mills
Despite the addition of several larger-format stores, the mall had seen many of its inline tenants close. In 2002, less than 50 stores remained open; that year The Mills Corporation purchased the property for $64 million, and further renovations were put on hold. Mills forced out all of the remaining tenants except for the anchor stores and theaters, and the concourses were closed off. Elder-Beerman also closed at this point; the top floor later became home to Johnny's Toys, which was later replaced with Steve & Barry'sSteve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
(which had re-located from the spot later occupied by Urban Behavior).
After a $70 million renovation by the Mills Corporation, the former Forest Fair Mall reopened on August 19, 2004 as Cincinnati Mills. Media Play closed in 2005, and has been vacant since. In April 2007, the entire Mills portfolio was acquired by Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Cincinnati Mills suddenly started to decline again, just like its former incarnation: Wonderpark closed in March 2008 after word broke out the manager was paying employees and others to make sex videos. Bigg's, the largest and oldest tenant in the mall closed next by the end of June. Then Simon finally sold the 40% vacant mall to North Star Port Authority. By now, Steve and Barry's had closed too.
On March 4, 2009, the owners of the mall notified tenants that the Mills name did not confer with the transfer of the property, and the shopping center is to be known as "Cincinnati Mall."
In March 2010, the shopping center changed hands again. By this time, the Showcase Cinemas was on its way out, with Off 5th having been gone to an outlet mall. In January 2011, a plan was unveiled to have a new ice rink, Candlewood Suites
Candlewood Suites
Candlewood Suites is a brand name applied to hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group .- History :The Candlewood Suites chain was started in 1995 by Jack Deboer, founder of the Residence Inn and co-founder of the Summerfield Suites chain. The first hotel was built on North Webb Road in...
, entertainment, and dining.. There will also be an agricultural museum and an indoor bike-mountain range..
External links
- Cincinnati Mall Official Website
- Cincinnati Mills at Abandoned
- Forest Fair Mall at DeadMalls.com