Nonetheless, Im going to call this one a montage, because the photographs will dominate throughout this article, and I havent created a montage post in ages. New Albany, IN used to have two malls right next to one anotherafter about a decade, the newer and glitzier of the two failed. Nobody wants to go shopping where lots of fools use the place to harass, assault and rob paying customers. And these are just two guys; there are many more doing great work. Obviously not a priority location for the corporate headquarters. [40] Furthering this reconceptualization was the addition of new entertainment venues, including a nightclub called Metropolis,[43] a new Showcase Cinemas theater complex with stadium seating,[35] and a new children's playplace called Wonderpark. At this point, only 65 percent of the inline mall space was occupied,[11] and the mall was described as "struggling" due to the large number of vacancies, primarily in the B. Altman wing. Forest Fair Village info: address, gps, map, location, direction planner, store list, opening hours, phone number. But yes, thats a toddler on the playground equipment. Meanwhile, Northgate Mall is still open, but has no tenants; the City of Northgate is making similar discussions, suggesting that its headed the same direction as Tri-County but is a few years behind. B Adventurous may never need huge attendance to generate revenue; the owners are undoubtedly getting their lease for a song. Perhaps B Adventurous offers access from Forest Fair Villages massive covered garage nearbyif the garage is safe to use (from both a structural and security standpoint); neglected parking garages are usually a bad sign. (In some cases, the aging photos chronicle a mall in its sunset years that has since closed completely.) They are seeking funds from the state to complete the demolition and rid the area of the mall. Forest Fair Village crosses Butler and Hamilton county lines, sitting partly in Fairfield and partly in Forest Park. [15] A 1989 article in The Cincinnati Enquirer described the mall as "entering uncharted waters" due to Sakowitz, B. Altman, Parisian, and Bonwit Teller all being not only new to the Cincinnati market, but also due to the higher-priced merchandise available at those stores, in comparison to the area's more blue collar demographics. After all, Amazon Prime shows no evidence of leasing space in the mall itself. I can try and remember more stuff about it if youre interested. Biggs was a store similar to a modern Super Walmart of today. While it wasnt crowded, it wasnt empty either, though perhaps one might have expected a gloomy winter afternoon during the holidays to be peak business. Meanwhile, Steve and Barrys, the college-themed sports gear store, hasnt been in business since 2009, serving as a clear indicator of how long much of Forest Fair Village has sat vacant. Unless the mall has changed significantly in the last yearand the economic conditions of 2020 would make it hard for real estate has depressed as Forest Fair Village to either improve or to decline even furtherId imagine it looks about the same. Location, location, Location . My lengthy article touches on this, but I think the biggest factors are the following: a) too close to other malls that were already successful (now theyre dying too); b) it targeted an upscale client base in a very middle class part of the Cincy suburbs; c) the Australian-based developer had little real experience in malls or even American real estate, which probably further explains a) and b). And the directory hasnt been updated for at least a few years; it still shows such long-departed tenants as Burlington Coat Factory and the cinemas. I was a kid when it opened. . But inside, with all this space, its inevitable that a few darkened corners would just get treated as disposable. I grew up in the early 2000s and saw the downfall of this mall at a pretty fast pace. Developed by Australian retail developer LJ Hooker, it was located at the junction of Interstate 275 and Winton Road (Exit 39) and boasted a total retail floor area of 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2). But how did the second biggest mall in the state of Ohio have such a negative history attached to it? Its almost as though the vacancy and the absence of some basic building services lead people to keep their guard on. It's such a cool looking place that deserves to be repurposed and made into a multi-use entertainment and shopping complex. (If they keep the lights on. You could hang out with the mallwalkersthough something tells me your ambitions are a big higher than that Nice to hear from you! Shopping mall has over 21 stores and address is: 600 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio - OH 45240. 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 addition, the president of Bigg's reported that their store in the mall had constantly struggled in sales due to it being located at the back of the property. Originally the greenhouse was solely used as a place to grow plants to landscape the citys many parks and gardens. Guitar Center was closed, and Bass Pro Shops announced they were planning to relocate in 2013. Not as many lurid photos in part 2, but more of an analysis of what went wrongand another attraction nearby where they clearly got things right. Location, tenants, architecture, too many competitors maybe? Manage Settings [60] In addition, the property owners had fallen delinquent on property taxes. Former Forest Fair Mall plans include Kohl's refresh - Yahoo News The most central node, where all three wings of this triangular structure converge, is truly the stuff of childrens books.Not only is it inordinately largethis was the second biggest mall in Ohio after all (and the biggest mall is even more defunct)but the developer clearly devoted more time and energy to interior design than Ive ever seen, at least outside of Dubai. I think it closed because the manager was paying teens from the nearby Fairfield high school to make sex tapes, but Im not positive. Furthermore, that part of the metro was over-malled. The company also worked to rebrand the modern shopping mall as a value retail center with new-to-the-market merchants. During this time, the mall included a nightclub named Metropolis, and a brand new movie theater with stadium seating. The malls full opening was delayed until March 1, 1989.However, things werent all bad. The mall was then purchased by Miami-based company Gator Investments in January 1996. As recently as the previous year, Forest Fair Village had HVAC according to some online references; and heres a photo that suggests that in December of 2018, they offered some half-hearted Christmas decorations (none that I saw in 2019). But inside, with all this space, its inevitable that a few darkened corners would just get treated as disposable. [27] Although a home furnishings store called HOME had been proposed for the former B. Altman store as part of the 1992 renovations,[26] the space ultimately remained vacant until late 1994 when Kohl's opened there. In 1996, Gator Investments purchased the mall and initiated a series of renovations, attracting new tenants like Burlington Coat Factory, Kohls, and Bass Pro Shops. The food court appeared intact to me, so if it caught fire, it either wasnt major or happened a long time ago and was completely refurbished. What happened that nearly shut down this mall almost right after it opened? There were talks of putting an ice rink/sports complex in there around 2012 but nothing came of it. Upvote 3 Downvote Jack Kauffman February 18, 2020 Beautiful, unique architecture. That place holds a special place in my childhood heart! Most of the former mall's property, just more than 75%, is in the Hamilton County/Forest Park jurisdiction with the remainder inside Butler County and Fairfield. Thanks for reading! Shopping mall has over 21 stores and address is: 600 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio - OH 45240. Forest Fair Village, a dead mall outside Cincinnati, may be the most visually spectacular mall I've seen. Less than a year after opening, the malls owner LJ Hooker filed for bankruptcy after losing three anchor stores B. Altman and Company, Bonwit Teller, and Sakowitz. Which Forest Fair Village still is: 98% of it was accessible to visitors. But another is the gang violence that occured and still occurs in the area as a while ago someone was severly injured because of this. It was always a great day out, with so many stores to explore and the excitement of finding something new. Jane, former mall visitor, Its sad to see the mall in this state. 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 only one that fell short was the Lifestyle wing, remaining at only 25% leased. Still looked dated even back then! We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. This is the ugly, uninviting entrance, which the signs recognize as being dowdy (an awning is on the way), but its still better business for the gym than providing an entrance through the malls corridor itself. 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. This begs the question: did the developers think retail was the tail that wags the dog? We need to be proactive and make the most of this opportunity. County Official. Again, I found it unusual that B Adventurous would even offer access via the malls lonely, unheated interior, since punching a hole in the exterior wall would make more sense from a visibility and safety standpoint. Initially, the site at the northeast corner of the Interstate 275 beltway's interchange with Winton Road was to consist solely of Bigg's, a local hypermarket chain. It just wasnt the place for any mall, let alone a super-regional one. Michael D. Pitman, Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio. One of the largest malls in Greater Cincinnati is under contract, with plans to demolish it to make way for a $150 million development. Over the next few years, the mall would see the closure of Dawahares in 1996, but the addition of Guitar Center, which replaced CompUSA in 1998. These two Oshkosh West students have earned Herb Kohl Educational Foundation awards. This was the first Kohls store to open in the Cincinnati market.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'architecturalafterlife_com-banner-1','ezslot_1',136,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-architecturalafterlife_com-banner-1-0'); In 1995, FFM put the mall up for sale after ownership of only five years. In late 2022, the Mills Corporation announced it bought the mall and would continue the redevelopment and reinvention, which included a name change to Cincinnati Mills. 26The city of Fairfield discussed plans this week for what it wants to happen with the former Forest Fair Mall, known currently as Forest Fair Village. At its construction, it was the second-largest mall in Ohio, only behind the now-defunct Randall Park Mall in a suburb of Cleveland. Did they think that packing a new mall with high-end retailers would convince Cincys affluent to drive from Indian Hill to a lower-middle class area on a regular basis to do their shopping? In September 2002, Mills Corporation acquired the mall from Gator Investments, revealing plans for redevelopment and renaming it Cincinnati Mills. 7101 Forest Hill Ave, The Shops at Stratford Hills, Richmond 7043 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Hanover Village, Mechanicsville 8371 Sudley Road, Manaport Plaza, Manassas [57] Under North Star's ownership, Steve & Barry's vacated due to the chain going out of business,[56] while Off 5th, Guess, Lane Bryant, and Dress Barn relocated to a newly built outlet mall in Monroe. [42], Mills Corporation bought the mall from Gator Investments in September 2002 and announced that the mall would undergo further redevelopment, along with a name change to Cincinnati Mills. The business isnt on the edge of the mall; one has to walk through these creepily vacant corridors to get here. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. And by the 80s, malls were still king but other shopping topologies (festival marketplaces, downtown malls, power centers, factory outlets) were getting tested to varying degrees of success. Forest Fair Village - Outlet Mall Details - Outlet Shoppers Usually the surviving anchor tenants partition themselves from a dead mall. Each wing offered a different theme of shopping. Bass Pro move to further slow Forest Fair mall development Home decor and sporting goods could be found in the former B. Altman wing, which had been renamed The Lifestyles at Forest Fair. The eastern wing, which formerly was home to Biggs, had become The Markets at Forest Fair, which focused on general services and convenience. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. Contact Us - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy, Evolution of Westgate Mall in Bethlehem, PA: From Beginnings to Today's Redevelopment, From Boom to Bust: The History of Valley View Center Mall in Dallas, TX, Bridgeport Village Mall in Tigard, OR - Where Shopping Meets Luxury, A Storied Past: Evolution of Midland Commons Mall in Warwick, RI, Grand Central Mall in Vienna, WV - Nostalgic Look Back and a Glimpse into the Future, Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, IA - Navigating the Mall's Past, Present, and Exciting Future, Guaranteed things to do in South Carolina, First phase of the mall opens with Biggs and 20 other stores, LJ Hooker files for bankruptcy, putting the mall up for sale, The mall is sold to FFM Limited, a partnership led by a group of banks, The mall is rebranded as The Shops at Forest Fair with themed shopping wings, Gator Investments purchases the mall and begins a series of renovations, The Mills Corporation acquires the mall, renaming it Cincinnati Mills, Simon Property Group acquires the Mills portfolio, Biggs, Berean Christian Stores, and Wonderpark close, North Star Realty acquires the mall, renaming it Cincinnati Mall, Cincinnati Holding Company purchases the mall; Showcase Cinemas closes, Local businessmen announce plans for ice-skating rinks, Mall renamed Forest Fair Village; Burlington Coat Factory closes, Danbarry Dollar Saver closes; redevelopment plans with Prudential fall through, Demolition plans announced; mall closes on December 2, Many small independent businesses were forced out of the property, A $70 million renovation project began in January 2003, with new paint, floors, and signage, The themed decor was introduced for each wing of the mall, Elder-Beerman closed in 2003, making way for new tenants like Babies R Us and Johnnys Toys, Biggs, Berean Christian Stores, and Wonderpark closed in 2008, Steve & Barrys, Off 5th, Guess, Lane Bryant, and Dress Barn left the mall. With Forest Fair Village, an almost completely dead mall straddling two mature northern suburbs of Cincinnati (Forest Park and Fairfield, hence the name), we have a mega-facility that, from all Ive read, after a slow rollout in 1988, never achieved roaring success and therefore underwent numerous rebranding efforts over the years in an attempt to resuscitate it, concomitant with all the name changes. FAIRFIELD, Ohio (WXIX) - Forest Fair Mall has been shut down due to possible safety hazards, according to Forest Park Fire Chief Alfie Jones. [52] Also contributing to the decline were continued competition with Northgate and Tri-County malls, along with a newer outdoor mall called Bridgewater Falls in nearby Hamilton; lower-class demographics surrounding the mall; shopper unfamiliarity with the specialty tenants within; bankruptcy filings of key tenants; and complications from an accounting scandal in which the Mills corporation was involved. [48] By January 2005, the mall had a 90 percent occupancy. Forest Fair Village Website. It is sad that the mall is now basically abandoned but the development was doomed from the start as the project went $50 million over what the estimated budget was when it was built and the owner and developers almost immediately declared for bankruptcy. Though the mall I featured recently wasnt a high end area, it was much more successful than Forest Fair, and I noticed virtually every in-line store with two entrances had closed the gates on one of the two. Cant wait to share a bag with my Valentine! The mall sits in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. 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. Not far from the Kohls is the only other viable inline tenant: B Adventurous, a play area for very small children filed with inflatables, and featuring what look like simple concession-style foods. Its demise is usually attributed to its close proximity to both Tri-County and Northgate malls, as well as being kind of out-of-the-way in a non-favored quarter of the region with weak demographics. [7], The first phase of the mall, featuring Bigg's and approximately 20 other stores, opened on July 11, 1988. Why are some malls still attracting customers and others not? So I have to distinguish myself by any means necessaryand if the presentation is lagging, at least I hope to make up for it with the richness of my analysis. Since the two inline tenants clearly have heat, I guess they have functional restrooms as well? We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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.Its rare to see a food court with such low ceilings.The atrium above features aquatic creatures suspended by wires.Apparently the giant fish are inflatable?This area also features one of Forest Fair Villages two surviving inline tenants: Arcade Legacy, seen in the space below.It boggles the mind how this business can continue operatingone of three locations in metro Cincinnati, and it apparently keeps chugging along until midnight on the weekends, long after Forest Fair Village would have remained open when functional (movie theater notwithstanding). Regardless of the reason people continued to patronize this mostly dead mall, I would never expected to see children at play. Currently, the malls demolition plan is in progress as a component of State Governor Mike DeWines Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. A staple in the Cincinnati area for many years, the Forest Fair Village has been where locals and travelers go for when they need a bargain. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. FFM introduced a new concept in 1992 called The Shops at Forest Fair to revive the mall. Also, that playground used to be PBS Kids-themed, and the long stretch of drywall across from it was a Biggs supermarket. Its unfortunate that the mall was viewed as the other mall.. And in the 70s, malls wer the established safe place to shop, since old urban downtowns were warzones. Yet it never was a real success. And the last major tenant to depart, Babies R Us, still looks like it could open again tomorrow, at least judging from the signage. Not going strong exactly, but its completely open to the public. [72], Arcade Legacy, one of the last remaining tenants, moved out of the mall (and relocated to Sharonville, Ohio) in September 2022. The mall was closed in 2009, and was demolished in 2014. It was mostly gangs from forest park that harressed shoppers at the mall, and young teenage girls. [9] Immediately after the Bigg's wing of the mall opened, Elder-Beerman was confirmed for the vacated anchor left behind by B. Altman's relocation. But I suspect the ones that will were doing okay before will rebound fairly confidently at least for a few more years. As someone else reported (probably one of the commenters on Dan Bells or Sal Amadeos vlogs), it looks like an old Nickelodeon game show set. Forest Fair Village holds a special place in the hearts of many locals who have fond memories of visiting the mall. My dead mall postings have routinely become some of my most popular articles, and I still have quite a few great spectacles that I could share someday, stored a Bio Press City Albany Albuquerque Alexandria VA 27The old Forest Fair Mall property has been considered an eyesore for the cities of Fairfield and Forest Park for decades, despite several attempts by various developers to breathe. Almost directly after the wing of the mall where Biggs was located was completed and ready to open, Elder-Beerman took over the empty space. With the mall changing hands numerous times throughout the 1990s and a couple of design refreshes and expansions, the Mills Corporation finally got their hands on it and spent tens of millions of dollars renovating it in 2003, at which point is was renamed Cincinnati Mills. Contact&Address: 600 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio - OH 45240, US . The liminal space that a place once so alive imparts on you is unforgettable. And these are just two guys; there are many more doing great work. The company had planned to convert many areas of the mall for use as office space, and other non-retail operations. [22] Liquidation sales began in August 1990 at Forest Fair's locations of all three department stores. One can only imagine the sort of hullabaloo within the Cincinnati metro when this mail first had its soft opening: who isnt going to be willing to load the kids up in the minivan and drive them out to see a gazebo of flying pigs? Kansas City metro is notorious for being over-malled; it has probably had more dead malls even than Detroit or Chicago, despite their metros being much larger. Here is the only photo I found, in Bass Pro watching the huge aquarium tank. The Bomb Shelter located in Akron Ohio, is Northeast Ohios coolest retro antique superstore! As American malls go, it definitely is the one that stands out as making an effort to look like no other. [47] After a $70 million renovation project, the mall reopened officially as Cincinnati Mills in August 2004. Although its the end of an era for Forest Fair Village, the community eagerly awaits the transformation of the site and the opportunities it will bring. The mall, built in phases between 1988 and 1989 as Forest Fair Mall, has become noted for its troubled history . Potential plans for the property include converting it to light industrial use or creating new commercial spaces that better serve the communitys needs. During this same year, Meijer opened across the street from the mall. As far as many were concerned, this immediately spelled disaster for the future of the mall, and it quickly gained a negative reputation. [25] Although Phillips Edison & Company had placed a bid for the property,[29] that company was outbid by Miami, Florida-based Gator Investments, whose purchase of the property was brokered in January 1996. These locations, both in Upstate New York, were sold to The Pyramid Companies. The Cincinnati Mall at this point had already lost 35 percent of its stores, and was struggling to stay in business.Another factor that played quite heavily into the malls downfall was that it had been built so close to both Northgate Mall and Tri-County Mall. Forest Fair Village Mall In Ohio Is Abandoned But Eerily Well Preserved In addition, I will couch my exploration of Forest Fair Village (formerly Cincinnati Mall, as well as a couple other names) in terms of a broader understanding of the socioeconomic forces at work, particularly in light of developers increasingly desperate attempts to transform centers of commerce into major eventsanimated landmarks of regional significance. 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. [17] The company put Forest Fair up for sale in June 1989, with an asking price of $200 million. Ultimately, the mall closed its doors for good on December 2, 2022, with the city of Forest Park fire department shutting down all remaining businesses except for Bass Pro Shops and Kohls, citing fire code violations. You are not required to sign in. [69] In mid-2017, a Christian media company had expressed interest in using part of the mall property for a studio. But its proximity to two other malls should have been a dead giveaway. [74] The mall was finally closed on December 2, 2022 after city of Forest Park fire department closed all remaining businesses (except Bass Pro Shops and Kohl's) due to a number of fire code violations. Great job!! The mall was sold to Mills Corporation in 2002, and renamed as Cincinnati Mills. Tri-County and Northgate did have somewhat to do with the closure as both are a short distance away and they are a short drive from the highway. In the food court, both Subway and Hot Dog on a Stick joined around this same time. Meanwhile, all the entrances from the exterior appear unrestricted. It will also meet with Forest Park's leaders before submitting proposals. Antique/Flea Markets. I could hardly believe when you said it was completed in 2003. Oddly enough, this was the only WonderPark ever and it closed without warning around 2007 or so. However, Northgate and Tri-County are also in their death throws, and the fact that theyre all trying so desperately to hang on means that they may all end up falling to the wrecking ball, instead of one coming out the victor at the end to suck up what little market is left. By the playground was a biggs and by the doors of the playground was a Johnny Rockets. [15] Another major tenant present at opening day was a 100,000-square-foot (9,300m2) entertainment complex called Time Out, featuring a carousel and miniature golf course. Got to experience the colossal Forest Fair Village (Cincinnati Mall) in
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