malls? (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati: neighborhood, gated, live)

[workingman19]

Has there been a decline in shopping malls in ohio? Are malls being abandoned?

Everytime i go to a mall in NE Ohio, it seems like a ghost town, its mostly crowded by the food court but thats it. I feel sorry for people that work in malls cuz it seems like they are never bustling; I dont know, maybe it depends on the mall or the time of day or maybe the day of the week, I go mostly during the middle of the week in the afternoon

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by workingman19

Has there been a decline in shopping malls in ohio? Are malls being abandoned?

Everytime i go to a mall in NE Ohio, it seems like a ghost town, its mostly crowded by the food court but thats it. I feel sorry for people that work in malls cuz it seems like they are never bustling; I dont know, maybe it depends on the mall or the time of day or maybe the day of the week, I go mostly during the middle of the week in the afternoon

I think that what you are viewing is taking place a bit nationally too:

Malls: Death of an American icon - Jul. 24, 2003

Mall crawl palls: enclosed shopping malls may be losing market share to large, multi-anchor strip centers American Demographics - Find Articles

[boardmanite]

There are a few malls in NE Ohio that have really gone down hill. Randall Park comes to mind. I've never been there but people laugh when it is mentioned. But anyways, I think it's a good thing that malls are declining. Malls are boring and ugly! I'd much rather take a stroll in a lively neighborhood business district, even if it is raining!!! In Cleveland, places like Legacy Village and Crocker Park are becoming more popular, where you can enjoy the breeze while walking from one store to the next. Well, thats just my two cents worth...

[wrightflyer]

We have "business districts" and mixed-use developments in Dayton and they've done fairly well. The question rather is will these new developments be facing the same problem of some malls 40-50 years down the road. That seems to be the life span of most malls. Then a new product is built over renovations (too costly) or demographics shift (similar to Salem Mall's plight in NW Dayton). I personally think the large strip/power centers are ugly and am not to glad to be getting one here soon. But I guess business's follow their customers when they move and change demands so it should be expected.

[Pathwalker]

It's not just a NE Ohio thing. It has happened here in SW Ohio, too. It seems like some malls get a decent amount of foot traffic...for example, Kenwood Towne Center and maybe Northgate at times. I was recently at KTC, and it was hopping pretty good. They're going to be building a Nordstrom there, so that will probably kick it back into high gear. Tri-County mall is more or less dead. Not nearly as busy as it used to be. I think a big part of the decline is simply due to big box retailers and discounter stores like Wal-Mart, which basically offer people everything they want, and at lower prices. Along with that, you are finding a lot more open-air "lifestyle" centers popping up around here, and that is apparently due to the fact that people would rather be in an open environment, instead of in a dreary enclosed mall.

[pasharon]

i think most of the malls that are going downhill are around bigger cities? i think around smaller towns there still viable??

[wrightflyer]

Define a smaller town. Is Dayton, for example, a smaller town, especially compared to neighbor Cincinnati or Akron to Cleveland. Or are we talking Mansfield size towns with smaller regional shopping centers. I don't think those are hit as hard due to no direct competition for the one main shopping district. The only things that hurt them are the lack of upscale stores (more $$$) and if the local economy went south.

[LancasterNative]

Last month (Sept), I worked on assignment in downtown Columbus for about 3 weeks. I could walk to City Center, which I often did for lunch.

City Center, of course, is the humongous mega-mall that opened with great fanfare in 1989 and once contained Gucci, Waterford crystal, Henri Bendel, all of the The Limited divisions, and a whole bunch of other snooty stores—like 150 in all.

Today the place is a dreary, depressing dump!

It's really weird how the mall remains open, yet 80% of the storefronts are locked, gated or walled over. The ones you could see into were eerily dark and empty. As I told a friend one day when I met her there for lunch, this place is like a big "indoor ghetto!"

And when I heard the announcement that Macy's was pulling out, I almost had to wonder why it took 'em so long

So yeah, I'd say the trend you're seeing is occurring other places besides NE Ohio.

[pasharon]

wrightflyer basically thats what i meant. im in western pa. by the ohio border.shenango mall is small but doing ok around sharon pa.over the border southern park mall around youngstown is ok and so is eastwood mall in the warren-niles area. in fact there they have a minor league baseball stadium.

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by WCRob

you are finding a lot more open-air "lifestyle" centers popping up around here, and that is apparently due to the fact that people would rather be in an open environment, instead of in a dreary enclosed mall.

You just described Easton perfectly. Even as the "traditional" malls around here decline and die, that place is going like gangbusters!