Westgate Mall (Fairview Park)
Encyclopedia
Westgate Mall has existed as a Greater Cleveland
suburban shopping center in some form since the mid-1950s. Located at the intersection of Center Ridge Road and West 210th Street Fairview Park, Ohio
at the boundary of Rocky River, Ohio
. Westgate mall is now known as "Westgate",
and now has reformed into an outdoor shopping center.
, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from Downtown's Public Square, and the first suburban shopping mall in Ohio
, as one of the first post-war suburban retail centers with department store anchors in the United States, situated on a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) parcel. The original anchors of what was then an open-air plaza of separate stores and outdoor walkways were a 3-level Halle Bros. Co., 3-level Higbee's
, a Kroger
Supermarket, and a Federal Department Store.
Many early suburban Greater Cleveland
shopping centers or malls were named "Gate": Eastgate, GoldenGate, Shoregate, Westgate, ...; referring to being "gateways" between the suburban and urban areas.
Eventually, Higbee's also took over the Federal Department Store space; while the center was roofed over in the late 1960s to compete with neighboring newer Parmatown Mall
8 miles (12.9 km) southeast and Great Northern Mall 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southwest of Westgate Mall.
1972 saw the construction of a four-screen movie house operated by General Cinema Corporation.
Halle's closed in 1982 when the chain went out of business.
In 1984, the Richard E. Jacobs Group, a Cleveland-based real estate developer, took ownership of the fading complex and began renovations and remerchandising to aim for the upper-income buyers surrounding the mall. The year saw the addition of Pittsburgh-based Joseph Horne Co. in the former Halle space and the Promenade Food Court, which was added to replace the original movie theatres. A new six-screen cineplex was built behind the mall in a satellite building, near the Higbee's Home Store.
in nearby and far-flung suburbs, a revitalized Downtown Cleveland
and a recession-battered economy took its toll. Higbee's was taken over by Dillard's
in 1992, which then bought out the Horne's store, creating a unique three-unit operation with ladies apparel in the north store, men's & children's items and housewares in the south wing and furniture & electronics in the outlying Home Store. Eventually, the Home Store was closed when Dillard's discontinued electronics and furniture in their Cleveland area locations. In 1996, Kohl's
built a two-level store adjacent to the Promenade, which temporarily boosted the struggling mall's fortunes, but eventually the aging mall continued its downward trend. Many stores followed their customers to other locations or simply vanished due to their own corporate problems.
Dillard's eliminated non-apparel items in early 2004 and consolidated into the north store, which it eventually closed at the end of March 2005. Almost immediately, the remaining mall stores began leaving, and the cineplex, now owned by AMC, was closed as well.
Dillard's
, the interior of the mall, & plaza in front were demolished to make way.
The new Westgate (dropping "mall" from the name) was opened in Fall of 2007. Westgate is an outdoor center with retailers such as Target
, Ulta
, Kay Jewelers, Petco
, Lowe's
, Marshall's, Justice
, Famous Footwear
, Starbucks
, Chick-fil-A
, The Original Pancake House
, Books-A-Million
, and more coming/opening soon. Kohl's remained open during the redevelopment. Only some areas are completed as of now, while
other areas are still under construction.
41.4600798°N 81.8498182°W
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
suburban shopping center in some form since the mid-1950s. Located at the intersection of Center Ridge Road and West 210th Street Fairview Park, Ohio
Fairview Park, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 420,690 people, 7,856 households, and 4,713 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,742.2 people per square mile . There were 8,152 housing units at an average density of 1,736.1 per square mile...
at the boundary of Rocky River, Ohio
Rocky River, Ohio
Rocky River is an affluent western suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, United States located in Cuyahoga County approximately nine miles west of Public Square in downtown Cleveland. The city is named for the river that forms its eastern border...
. Westgate mall is now known as "Westgate",
and now has reformed into an outdoor shopping center.
Beginning
Built several years after the close of World War II, the original Westgate Center opened in 1954. The first such shopping mall in Greater ClevelandGreater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from Downtown's Public Square, and the first suburban shopping mall in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, as one of the first post-war suburban retail centers with department store anchors in the United States, situated on a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) parcel. The original anchors of what was then an open-air plaza of separate stores and outdoor walkways were a 3-level Halle Bros. Co., 3-level Higbee's
Higbee's
Higbee's was a department store founded 1860 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1992, Higbee's stores were re-branded as part of Dillard's.-History:Higbee's was founded by Edwin Converse Higbee and John G. Hower on September 10, 1860 as Higbee & Hower Dry Goods. The first day of business saw $100 in sales. ...
, a Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
Supermarket, and a Federal Department Store.
Many early suburban Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
shopping centers or malls were named "Gate": Eastgate, GoldenGate, Shoregate, Westgate, ...; referring to being "gateways" between the suburban and urban areas.
Eventually, Higbee's also took over the Federal Department Store space; while the center was roofed over in the late 1960s to compete with neighboring newer Parmatown Mall
Parmatown Mall
Parmatown Mall is a shopping mall located in Parma, Ohio, approximately south of Cleveland. It is located at the southwest corner of State Route 3 and Ridgewood Drive in southern Cuyahoga County. It is anchored by J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Wal-Mart. The mall opened as a shopping plaza in 1956 and...
8 miles (12.9 km) southeast and Great Northern Mall 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southwest of Westgate Mall.
1972 saw the construction of a four-screen movie house operated by General Cinema Corporation.
Halle's closed in 1982 when the chain went out of business.
In 1984, the Richard E. Jacobs Group, a Cleveland-based real estate developer, took ownership of the fading complex and began renovations and remerchandising to aim for the upper-income buyers surrounding the mall. The year saw the addition of Pittsburgh-based Joseph Horne Co. in the former Halle space and the Promenade Food Court, which was added to replace the original movie theatres. A new six-screen cineplex was built behind the mall in a satellite building, near the Higbee's Home Store.
Decline
The 1990s saw another decline of the complex as newer facilities like Great Northern MallWestfield Great Northern
Westfield Great Northern, formerly Great Northern Mall, is a single-level enclosed shopping mall in North Olmsted, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Its anchor stores are Macy's, Dillard's, Sears, J. C. Penney and Dick's Sporting Goods.-History:...
in nearby and far-flung suburbs, a revitalized Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Reinvestment in the area in the mid-1990s spurred a rebirth that continues to this day, with over $2 billion in residential and commercial developments slated for the area over the next few years...
and a recession-battered economy took its toll. Higbee's was taken over by Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
in 1992, which then bought out the Horne's store, creating a unique three-unit operation with ladies apparel in the north store, men's & children's items and housewares in the south wing and furniture & electronics in the outlying Home Store. Eventually, the Home Store was closed when Dillard's discontinued electronics and furniture in their Cleveland area locations. In 1996, 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...
built a two-level store adjacent to the Promenade, which temporarily boosted the struggling mall's fortunes, but eventually the aging mall continued its downward trend. Many stores followed their customers to other locations or simply vanished due to their own corporate problems.
Dillard's eliminated non-apparel items in early 2004 and consolidated into the north store, which it eventually closed at the end of March 2005. Almost immediately, the remaining mall stores began leaving, and the cineplex, now owned by AMC, was closed as well.
Redevelopment
A major redevelopment was announced in late May, which planned to convert the center into a lifestyle open-air center. During this, both closedDillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
, the interior of the mall, & plaza in front were demolished to make way.
The new Westgate (dropping "mall" from the name) was opened in Fall of 2007. Westgate is an outdoor center with retailers such as Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Ulta
Ulta
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc is a chain of beauty superstores in the United States. Each store is outfitted with a full-service salon as well. Ulta carries a variety of cosmetics and skincare brands, men's and women's fragrances, and professionally licensed haircare products...
, Kay Jewelers, Petco
PETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
, Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, Marshall's, Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear is a nationwide chain of retail stores in the United States dealing in branded footwear, generally at prices discounted from manufacturer's suggested prices. Established in 1960 as a single store, "Famous" is regarded as both a forerunner and champion of the trend towards the...
, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
, The Original Pancake House
The Original Pancake House
The Original Pancake House is a chain of pancake houses across the United States. It follows traditional recipes and ingredients for their pancakes, but they have other breakfast items on their menu as well.-History:...
, Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million, Inc., also known as BAM!, is a company that owns the second largest U.S. bookstore chain and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company operates over 200 stores in the South, Midwest, Northeast...
, and more coming/opening soon. Kohl's remained open during the redevelopment. Only some areas are completed as of now, while
other areas are still under construction.
Anchor stores
- Kohl'sKohl'sKohl'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...
(94,500 SF.) - Lowe'sLowe'sLowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
(119,701 SF.) - Marshall's (32,760 SF.)
- PetcoPETCOPETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
(32,862 SF.) - TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
(126,842 SF.) - UltaUltaUlta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc is a chain of beauty superstores in the United States. Each store is outfitted with a full-service salon as well. Ulta carries a variety of cosmetics and skincare brands, men's and women's fragrances, and professionally licensed haircare products...
(15,070 SF)
External links
41.4600798°N 81.8498182°W