Forest Fair Mall/Cincinnati Mills questions (Dayton, Burlington: 2009, tenant, theatre)

[Texan Guy]

Hello. I'm doing a bit of personal research on the late great Forest Fair/Cincinnati Mills. I looked on DeadMalls.com and Wikipedia, so don't suggest those.
Not from here, but...

1) When did CompUSA open? (it closed in 1998, and was replaced with what?)
2) Where was the original food court? (it apparently burned down, says DeadMalls.com)
3) What was "O-2"? (near Guitar Center)
4) What replaced Time Out on the Court and what is there now?
5) Did rival gangs really move into the Mall in the mid-1990s?
6) Did Parisian replace Sakowitz?
7) What was the Festivals at Forest Fair like? When did it become Bourban Street? (there is something here: http://www.southlandstone.com/docs/9...ir_Mall_1_.pdf and here: http://www.southlandstone.com/docs/9...ir_Mall_2_.pdf)

8) Does anyone have any vintage mall directories/list of stores in 1989 they can share with me?

9) Any miscellaneous memories/tidbits?

Thanks!

[Daytonnatian]

Originally Posted by Texan Guy

Hello. I'm doing a bit of personal research on the late great Forest Fair/Cincinnati Mills. I looked on DeadMalls.com and Wikipedia, so don't suggest those.
Not from here, but...

1) When did CompUSA open? (it closed in 1998, and was replaced with what?)
2) Where was the original food court? (it apparently burned down, says DeadMalls.com)
3) What was "O-2"? (near Guitar Center)
4) What replaced Time Out on the Court and what is there now?
5) Did rival gangs really move into the Mall in the mid-1990s?
6) Did Parisian replace Sakowitz?
7) What was the Festivals at Forest Fair like? When did it become Bourban Street? (there is something here: http://www.southlandstone.com/docs/9...ir_Mall_1_.pdf and here: http://www.southlandstone.com/docs/9...ir_Mall_2_.pdf)

8) Does anyone have any vintage mall directories/list of stores in 1989 they can share with me?

9) Any miscellaneous memories/tidbits?

Thanks!

Hope this helps:

1. Don't really know. My guess is Media Play.
2. It was on the first floor where the Morris Fitness was, directly below its current location
3. Again, don't really know. Maybe Saks Off Fifth Avenue or Burlington Coat Factory?
4. Wonderpark replaced Time Out. Ithink the site is now vacant.
5. Sadly, I think they really did. This was a huge problem at the Former Salen Mall, northwest of Dayton, if this info is confused.
6. Sorry, don't know. Either that or Kohl's.
7-9. The Dead Malls site should have that info or look through Cincinnati Mills

[Ohioan58]

CompUSA probably opened there in the very early 90s. I purchased an HP Laserjet 4P ($1100!!!!) at that location in 1993 that happens to still be going strong.

Media Play was inside the mall, and CompUSA was in an external row of stores along the access road that came off of Gilmour Rd. (maybe CompUsa had back door access to the mall but I don't remember.)

[JaymeNCincy]

I used to love forest fair mall before they changed it.. ahh the memories..

1) CompUSA opended in 95 and guitar center is there now.
2) the food court was upstairs on the top floor and it didn't burn down.
3)0-2 was a shirt printing place.
4) time out was replaced with namco wonderpark which was a knock off chuck e cheese.. it closed a little while ago.
5) I never heard about gang activity at the mall..ever
6) No Parisian did not replace sakowitz.. they were seperate.. bass pro shop is where parisian was.
7) August of 93 Following an $8 million expansion, a restaurant and bar complex called the Festival at Forest Fair open as the entertainment segment in former Bonwit Teller. (found that online for ya) *NOW METROPLOIS*
8) No vintage.. sorry
9) I just remember being there when I was little.. going put-puting was fun.. the late 90's they had the dollar movies and the laser tag and the ferris wheel.. always a lot to do for teens.. not many stores. They used to have a giant sand box there that was always fun as well.. and there was this Machine they had in there.. and it was right when you walked into the door.. too hard to explain.. strictly there for entertainment.. that mall has been through its ups and downs.. if it wasn't for the movie theatre, bass pro shop and kohls that mall would be gone.

[Joe 4520832257]

It's not even Cincinnati Mills anymore. Didn't they change the name to Cincinnati Mall? I think the new owner bought the mall, but Simon retained the rights to the "Mills" name

[Hartwell Girl]

I'm pretty sure the name change annoucement just came recently and even though the OP is not that old, I think I remember seeing it on here before the new name was announced.

[buckeyenative01]

I always thought Tri-County was the better mall.

[soozycue520]

Originally Posted by Hartwell Girl

I'm pretty sure the name change annoucement just came recently and even though the OP is not that old, I think I remember seeing it on here before the new name was announced.

I'm pretty sure i just heard about the name change last week.

Confirmed: Cincinnati Mall drops Mills name

[Crew Chief]

Maybe things would get better if they put up a big water tower and lettered it: "Cincinnati Y'all"...

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by Texan Guy

Hello. I'm doing a bit of personal research on the late great Forest Fair/Cincinnati Mills. I looked on DeadMalls.com and Wikipedia, so don't suggest those.
Not from here, but...

1) When did CompUSA open? (it closed in 1998, and was replaced with what?)
2) Where was the original food court? (it apparently burned down, says DeadMalls.com)
3) What was "O-2"? (near Guitar Center)
4) What replaced Time Out on the Court and what is there now?
5) Did rival gangs really move into the Mall in the mid-1990s?
6) Did Parisian replace Sakowitz?
7) What was the Festivals at Forest Fair like? When did it become Bourban Street? (there is something here: http://www.southlandstone.com/docs/9...ir_Mall_1_.pdf and here: http://www.southlandstone.com/docs/9...ir_Mall_2_.pdf)

8) Does anyone have any vintage mall directories/list of stores in 1989 they can share with me?

9) Any miscellaneous memories/tidbits?

Thanks!

IIRC, Comp USA was an original tenant. Opened after Biggs

Food court was always down stairs in area where it is (was) I haven't been there in ages even though I live 2 miles away

O-2??? Oxygen bar??? I dont know

Do not remember the rest