[16], LJ Hooker filed for bankruptcy soon after the mall opened due to debt accrued by the company's expansion in the United States. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. What happened there is happening everywhere now days. The proximity to both Northgate Mall and Tri-County Mall was also cited as a factor in the mall's struggles, particularly due to the latter undergoing an expansion not long after Forest Fair opened. The second thing I find fascinating is how it had two promising starts, with 90+% occupancy, but in both cases the tenancy quickly crashed. In 2022, officials from Butler and Hamilton County submitted demolition plans to the state of Ohio, estimated to cost $9.5 million. Upvote 3 Downvote Jack Kauffman February 18, 2020 Beautiful, unique architecture. The mall sits in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. Four different areas were sectioned off. The property was renamed Cincinnati Mall in April 2009. Its really heartbreaking to see it die like this, but at least its still open (in a way). In other words, its trail running but the wilderness is Willy Wonka. I cant wait to read the sequel! Shop lifting is an expected part of doing business, however it was almost explosive from the very beginning. Housed in what used to be the local fire station, this cute popcorn shop is a fun addition to the Ashtabula Harbor area! Usually a number of a factors help contribute to a malls decline and demise. The mall was renamed Forest Fair Village but faced challenges, including the closure of Burlington Coat Factory and Danbarry Dollar Saver. [2] According to these plans, the mall would consist of 1,500,000 square feet (140,000m2) of retail space, with 70 percent of the building in Forest Park and 30 percent in Fairfield. If the deteriorated condition isnt obvious enough, the naming should be. But under the current ownership, the mall has fallen into further decline. [47] After a $70 million renovation project, the mall reopened officially as Cincinnati Mills in August 2004. 2020-2022 American Dirt. The mall was closed in 2009, and was demolished in 2014. Most were probably mall walkers. Renovations started almost immediately, with new floors, paint, and signage all throughout the mall. The new owners announced that by 1992, they would be rolling out a new concept for the mall, and renaming it as The Shops at Forest Fair. Got so many great liminal pictures. COVID masks arent widespread much of anywhere anymore, but people do still wear them occasionally in malls. Under these plans, they worked with Glimcher Realty Trust as leasing agent. And the parking lot, vast as it is, once had a clear internal structure, with specialized parking for moms-to-be, and differently labeled sectors so patrons didnt lose track of their vehicles.Ill conclude this exploration of the exterior by featuring entrance from which I approached the mall, adjacent to the apparently well-regarded Bee Fit Health Club, which has almost entirely sequestered itself from the mall. But then theres flying pigs! The mall came under more negativity from the city of Cincinnati, due to the higher priced stores like Sakowitz and B. Altman not matching the demographic of the area. Yeah it sounds like you caught it during its short-lived second wind. After almost two years, the renovation was complete and the mall reopened in August 2004. 2 killed, 4 wounded in Mississippi shooting; man arrested, 150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worst, Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to 'shut down the FBI' and replace it with something that sounds a lot like the FBI, Sanders: Biden could win in a landslide. And they are probably less favored because either the location is sub-par, the management isnt as astute (less good at updating amenities or securing good leases for tenants), or there are simply far more malls than there is demand, and many people are willing to travel 5 miles further to the better mall, rather than settle for the mediocre one closer to home. Its sad to see it go, but were focused on making the best use of the space for the future. The Cincinnati Mall, while not entirely vacant just yet, is hanging on by a thread. The business isnt on the edge of the mall; one has to walk through these creepily vacant corridors to get here. Forest Fair Village (MONTAGE): a 98% defunct mall, frozen in 1991, that remains a feast for the eyes. Under North Star's short ownership tenure, most of the businesses that left relocated to Cincinnati Premium Outlets in Monroe. The Bomb Shelter located in Akron Ohio, is Northeast Ohios coolest retro antique superstore! Pop-A-Razzi Gourmet Popcorn. That gave it a more bizarre feel, like you were walking around a mall that wasnt dead, just closed, during the daytime, with muzak playing. [13] Many of the tenants were unique at the time: Wallaby Bob's was "the first brewery-restaurant in the nation that operates in a suburban shopping mall",[14] while another tenant, Koala Klubhouse, was the first licensed day care to be located in an American shopping mall. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. And the entrance to Bass Pro Shops isnt as welcoming as Kohls. After nearly a decade since its decline, the Mills Group has recently acquired the mall and is successfully turning it into an outlet mall. I agree with you its pretty rare for a single mall to host two movie theaters, but it can work both if the mall is big enough (and Forest Fair Village definitely was) and if the theaters offer two non-competing typologies: e.g., one is mainstream films and the other is either art/indie films or second-run budget screenings. Thanks for your thoughts Charlie. At its construction, it was the second-largest mall in Ohio, only behind the now-defunct Randall Park Mall in a suburb of Cleveland. As one other contributor noted, it did achieve over 90% occupancytwicebut how did it get there? And the last major tenant to depart, Babies R Us, still looks like it could open again tomorrow, at least judging from the signage.And there was the occasional telltale sign of peeling paint or seepage (as in the ceiling in the photo above). [65] The proposed relocation of Bass Pro Shops, combined with the continued delinquent taxes, created delays in any further attempts at redevelopment. B Adventurous is now closed and how the exterior was decorated from the previous tenet called Wonderpark that had an arcade and some rides. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The treasure hunt is on. Elsewhere in the mall, at the convergence of several of the neighborhood themed corridors, is the old movie theater (at the upper level) and the food court (lower), with an unusual underwater motif that may have helped divert attention from the comparatively low levels of natural light, compared to other parts of the mall. All rights reserved. You can even order popcorn for your next event, schools, weddings, birthday parties or corporate events Pop-A-Razzi has got you covered! Meanwhile, all the entrances from the exterior appear unrestricted. Forest Fair Village (formerly Cincinnati Mall, Cincinnati Mills, and Forest Fair Mall) was a shopping mall in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. [45] Renovations began in January, which included new paint, floors, and signage throughout, along with differently-themed decor for each wing of the mall, typical of properties developed by Mills at the time. The Forest Fair Village mall is a mall in the northern Cincinnati suburbs that is also known as Cincinnati Mall, Cincinnati Mills, and Forest Fair Mall. I guess its also a testament to how little foot traffic it received after that mega-investment from the Mills Corporation and how ineffectual it was at ensuring a sustainable IRR. Lighting is patchy toonot completely dark (skylights help), but certainly less artificial light than one would expect from a commercial facility open to the public. The malls full opening was delayed until March 1, 1989.However, things werent all bad. Thank you for sharing your comment about Forest Fair Village Mall. Theres a couple of things I find fascinating about it. The mall, built in phases between 1988 and 1989 as Forest Fair Mall, has become noted for its troubled history . [28], The mall was put up for sale again in 1995, with FFM representatives noting that the partnership did not intend to maintain ownership for over five years. But yes, thats a toddler on the playground equipment. Which Forest Fair Village still is: 98% of it was accessible to visitors.And what a sightnot pretty, per se, and probably not most peoples definition of classy, but absolutely distinctive. The author, editor, and publisher of this website cannot accept liability for any damages resulting from the use of this information. So what were those errors? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. In that previous paragraph I demurred before using the word austerean unlikely adjective for such a meretricious and kitschy place. which did not appear to be serviced with HVAC. But the new paint, floors and signage didn't help the property as businesses closed or relocated during the company's five-year ownership. The mall was put up for sale in June 1989 for $200 million. [48] By January 2005, the mall had a 90 percent occupancy. As for the fast pace of the malls downfall, I dont think it helps that it never really achieved its peakthat is, it never sustained an occupancy rate that was high enough that it was much of a money-earner. This mega-mall (1.5 million square feet) has two viable anchors of national repute: Kohls and Bass Pro Shops, while a local gym seems to have leased one of the former secondary anchors.Beyond that, a small portion of the parking lot seems to serve as staging and storage for Amazon Prime.And its probable that all those cargo vans belong to a separate logistical operation. [34] A gym called Moore's Fitness also opened during this timespan. Since the two inline tenants clearly have heat, I guess they have functional restrooms as well? But within three years after opening, the mall was considered a failure for never achieving what one would consider full occupancy (over 90% tenanted), and this was in the early 1990sa time when the notion of a struggling mall was comparatively rare. Ive heard rumors that the food court used to be upstairs, and that it burned down, but I cant find any concrete evidence of this online.
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