Richmond Town Square

Last updated
Richmond Town Square
Richmond Town Square Food Court.jpg
The mall's food court in February 2013
Richmond Town Square
Location Richmond Heights, Ohio
Coordinates 41°32′29.4″N81°29′39.3″W / 41.541500°N 81.494250°W / 41.541500; -81.494250
Address691 Richmond Road
Opening dateSeptember 22, 1966
Closing dateMay 6, 2021
DeveloperEdward J. DeBartolo
OwnerDealPoint Merrill [1]
No. of stores and services75+ at peak
No. of anchor tenants 3 at peak
Total retail floor area 1,017,000
No. of floors1 (2 in Anchors)
Public transit access Bus-logo.svg RTA
Website shoprichmondtownsquare.com

Richmond Town Square was a super regional shopping mall known locally as 'Richmond' or 'Richmond Mall', located in Richmond Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, at the intersection of Richmond Road and Wilson Mills Road. [2] Opening September 22, 1966 as Richmond Mall, developed by famous mall developer Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. [2] Original anchors were Sears and JCPenney, alongside a Loews Theater and Woolworths. The mall included in-line tenants such as Richman Brothers, and Winkelman's.

Contents

Mall features

The Richmond Town Square Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library opened in the mall in 1988. [3] Originally housed in a freestanding boutique kiosk, the branch showed significant circulation growth. The kiosk was forced to close in August 1998 due to a major renovation of the mall, but the branch library reopened in September 1999 in a 1,200-square-foot (110 m2) location by the northeast mall entrance, next to Sears. [3]

History

The Richmond Town Square opened in September 1966 as Richmond Mall. In 1997, Woolworths closed their store at the mall. In 1998, Kaufmann's was added to the mall as an anchor, originally located at the Euclid Square Mall in Euclid, Ohio, the anchor changes included the expansion of the Loews Theater from a 10-screen theater to a 20-screen theater, and the addition a junior-anchor, Barnes & Noble. [4] Also in 1998, DeBartolo Realty Corp. merged with Simon Property Group, and in the same year Simon remodeled the mall, expanded it, and renamed it. This renovation took advantage of new and emerging technologies "in materials, as well as architectural and decorative innovations" [5] The total cost of the renovation was reported as US$100 million. [6]

In 2006, Kaufmann's was rebranded to Macy's as a part of the Federated–May merger. Also in 2006, the Loews Theater was rebranded to Regal Cinemas. In 2010, the Barnes & Noble store at the mall closed as a round of closures by the company. In 2012, Planet Fitness opened a fitness center in the building. On May 28, 2014, it was revealed that Richmond Town Square was one of two malls along with Great Lakes Mall in northeast Ohio that would have its ownership transferred from Simon Property Group to its spin-off Washington Prime Group (which is now known as WP Glimcher). [7] In January 2015, Macy's announced the store at the mall would be closing as part of a plan to close 14 of its stores nationwide. [8] As of mid March 2015, the Macy's store was shuttered, with all exterior signage removed. The mall was sold to the Kohan Retail Investment Group for $7.25 million in November 2016. [9]

On January 4, 2017, Sears announced that its store would be closing in March 2017. [10] On March 17, 2017, JCPenney announced they would close their location on July 31, 2017. [11] On August 31, 2020, Kohan Retail Investment Group announced that the mall would close permanently to allow for redevelopment to take place. The only remaining anchors at the mall are a 20-screen Regal Cinemas theater [12] LifeStorage, of which is in the former Macy's building (former Kaufmann's), and Planet Fitness of which occupies the former Barnes & Noble building, while the two other anchors spaces, Sears, and JCPenney remain vacant and have since their 2017 closures.

Revitalization

On July 2, 2018, DealPoint Merrill announced they would spend $69 million to bring apartments, a hotel, and a park to the north end of the mall where the vacant Sears building and parking lot are located. [13] On May 1, 2019, DealPoint Merrill revealed early site plans for their proposed luxury apartments. The development is named Belle Oaks at Richmond. [14] Richmond Town Square was planned to be demolished in fall 2020. However, the mall remained open throughout the rest of 2020 and until May 6, 2021 when it finally closed for good. [15] In June 2021, an event was held in the parking lot of the former Sears showing locals the plans of Belle Oaks. The mall was planned to be demolished in the fall of 2021. [16] The remaining portion of the mall was sold to DealPoint Merrill in July 2021. [1] Demolition began on September 18, 2023. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Park Mall</span> Shopping mall in Boardman, Ohio, U.S.

Southern Park is a shopping mall in Boardman, Ohio, United States, serving the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. It was developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in 1970, and is now owned by Washington Prime Group. The mall, which is the largest shopping destination in Mahoning County, has approximately 1,018,400 square feet (94,610 m2) of space. Its anchor stores are JCPenney and Macy's, with junior anchors H&M, Shoe Dept. Encore, and Planet Fitness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmoreland Mall</span> Shopping mall in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Westmoreland Mall is a two-level, enclosed super-regional shopping and casino complex in the municipality of Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, and owned and operated by CBL Properties. It was completed in 1977 and was extensively renovated and expanded in 1993–1994. The mall features retailers JCPenney, Macy's, and Macy's Home, in addition to Live! Casino Pittsburgh and a future Dick's House of Sport store in the space formerly occupied by Sears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeside Mall</span> Shopping mall in Michigan, United States

Lakeside Mall is a defunct super-regional shopping mall in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Located on the M-59 commercial corridor, the mall is currently anchored by JCPenney and Macy's via exterior entrances, with two vacant anchor stores previously occupied by Lord & Taylor and Sears. With 1,550,000 square feet of retail space spanning two floors, Lakeside was the largest mall in Michigan by leasable square footage at the time of its closing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial City Mall</span> Shopping mall in Texas, United States

Memorial City Mall is a large shopping mall in Houston, Texas, United States. It is approximately 11 miles (18 km) west of downtown Houston at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Gessner Road. The mall is in the Memorial City Management District, whose official legal name is the "Harris County Municipal Management District No. 1" under Chapter 3810 of the Texas Special District Local Laws Code. The mall is adjacent to the large Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. Constructed in the mid-1960s, the mall was renovated extensively in the early 2000s. It has since become one of the city's most popular malls. The mall features Target, JCPenney, Macy's, and Dillard's in addition to Cinemark.

Southglenn Mall was a mid-size shopping center located on South University Boulevard in Centennial, Colorado, at the southwest corner of Arapahoe Road and University Boulevard. The center opened in 1974 and was closed from 2006 to August 2009 to make way for The Streets at SouthGlenn, a mixed-use redevelopment project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lafayette Square Mall</span> Shopping mall in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Lafayette Square Mall is a defunct shopping mall in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Developed in 1968 by Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., the mall is locally-owned by Sojos Capital Group. The anchor store is Shoppers World. There are three vacant anchor stores that were once Sears, L. S. Ayres, and Burlington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling Acres Mall</span> Demolished mall in Akron, Ohio, United States

Rolling Acres Mall was a shopping mall located in the Rolling Acres area of Akron, Ohio, United States. Built in 1975, it originally included approximately 21 stores, with Sears as the main anchor store. Later expansions added several more stores including anchor stores JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, and O'Neil's, along with a movie theater and food court. Montgomery Ward was converted to Higbee's in 1986, and then to Dillard's in 1992, while O'Neil's became May Company Ohio, Kaufmann's, and then finally Macy's. The fifth anchor store was Target, added in 1995. At its peak, the mall had over 150 stores. It underwent a sharp decline in tenancy throughout the 1990s and into the first decade of the 21st century, resulting in the relocation of Target and closure of Dillard's. Macy's and the mall itself both shuttered in 2008, although Sears remained operational until 2011, and JCPenney as an outlet store until 2013. Rolling Acres Mall was publicized after its closure as an example of a dead mall, and non-retail ventures operated out of the former locations of Target, Sears, and Dillard's. The mall was finally demolished in stages between 2017 and 2019, with Amazon building a distribution facility on the former site soon after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Park Mall</span> Demolished mall in North Randall, Ohio

Randall Park Mall was a shopping mall located in the village of North Randall, Ohio, United States. It opened on August 11, 1976 on the site of what used to be the Randall Park Race Track. After over a decade of decline, it closed on March 12, 2009. The former Dillard's store and interior of the mall were demolished in 2015 to make way for an industrial park, and the remaining anchor tenants were demolished in 2017 after they all closed down. Amazon built a new distribution center on the site in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SouthPark Mall (Ohio)</span> Shopping mall in Strongsville, Ohio, U.S.

SouthPark Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Strongsville, Ohio, United States, a Greater Cleveland suburb. Its anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, and a 14-screen Cinemark movie theater. Kohl's is also an anchor, though located on the outskirts of the plaza. Being one of the largest shopping centers in Ohio at 1,677,272 square feet (155,823.7 m2), SouthPark Mall is also ranked as one of the largest shopping malls in the United States. The mall features over 170 specialty shops and restaurants, and is the largest retail destination in Northern Ohio.

Great Northern Mall, is a single-level enclosed shopping mall in North Olmsted, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Its anchor stores are Dick's, Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, and a 10 screen movie cinema. A former anchor store, Sears, closed in 2020. The store still sits vacant as of 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairlane Town Center</span> Regional shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan

Fairlane Town Center is a super-regional shopping mall in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan. The mall is adjacent to The Henry Hotel, The Fairlane Club, the University of Michigan–Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College, The Henry Ford, and the Ford Motor Company headquarters. The anchor stores are Macy's and JCPenney, with vacant anchor spaces last occupied by AMC Theatres, Sears, and Ford Motor Company offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euclid Square Mall</span> Former shopping mall in Euclid, Ohio

Euclid Square Mall was a shopping mall in Euclid, Ohio, United States. It was opened in 1977 as a regional mall with two anchor stores: local chains Higbee's, and May Co. It was demolished from 2017 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midway Mall</span> Shopping mall in Elyria, Ohio

Midway Mall was a 940,174 sq ft (87,345 m2) square foot regional shopping mall in Elyria, Ohio. Lorain County's only enclosed regional mall, it sits on Ohio State Route 57, about 1/8 mile from Interstate 80 and Interstate 90.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alderwood Mall</span> Shopping mall in Lynnwood, Washington

Alderwood, formerly Alderwood Mall, is a regional shopping mall in Lynnwood, Washington. It is anchored by JCPenney, Macy's and Nordstrom and comprises both a traditional enclosed mall and two open-air areas known as The Village and The Terraces. Brookfield Properties manages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral Square</span> Shopping mall in Florida, United States

Coral Square, often referred to as Coral Square Mall, is a regional enclosed shopping mall located northwest of Fort Lauderdale in Coral Springs, Florida, on the northeast corner of Atlantic Boulevard and University Drive; it opened in 1984. The mall features 120 retailers, including JCPenney, Kohl's and 2 Macy's locations as its anchors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regency Mall (Richmond, Virginia)</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Regency Mall is an enclosed shopping mall outside of Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia, United States. Opened in 1975 as Regency Square, the mall features a food court and more than 60 tenants, currently with no anchors. Macy's, which had two locations at Regency Square, closed in spring 2016, Sears closed in summer 2017, and JCPenney closed in fall 2020. Forever 21 closed in early 2020 as part of that brand's restructuring plan.

Treasure Coast Square is a shopping mall in Martin County, Florida, United States. It comprises 115 stores, including anchor stores Dillard's, JCPenney, and Macy's, Elev8 Fun, as well as a food court and Regal 16-screen movie theater. The mall is managed by Simon Property Group, and opened in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nittany Mall</span> Shopping mall in Pennsylvania, United States

Nittany Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall in College Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, serving the State College area. It is located at the intersections of Route 150 and Route 26, one mile off the I-99 corridor. It is uniquely situated within four miles of the Pennsylvania State University, allowing the mall to attract both area residents as well as college students. Current anchor stores are Dunham's Sports, Gabe's and Rural King. A casino is set to open in the former Macy’s building at a future date. It is currently under construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake Square</span> Shopping mall in Chesapeake, Virginia

Chesapeake Square is a 717,282 square feet (66,637.7 m2) regional mall in Chesapeake, Virginia, in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The mall has approximately 70 stores, two anchors Cinemark Theatres and Target), several eateries at the mall's food court including 2 restaurants: Big Woody's and Twisted Crab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeSoto Square Mall</span> Shopping mall in Florida, United States

DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall serving Bradenton, Florida, United States. It was built in 1973 and permanently closed on April 30, 2021. One lone anchor store, Hudson's Furniture, remains open.

References

  1. 1 2 Piorkowski, Jeff (26 July 2021). "Belle Oaks developer acquires Richmond Town Square mall". cleveland.com. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Richmond plans don't affect Mall". The Mansfield News-Herald. 1963-11-02. DeBartolo Mall developer Leahy says the new store in Richmond Heights will be built at the northeast corner of Richmond and Wilson Mills roads. A 70-acre (280,000 m2) shopping center to be known as the Richmond Mall is planned for that corner.
  3. 1 2 "About Richmond Town Square Branch". Cuyahoga County Public Library. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
  4. ↑ Dorn, Sara; clevel; .com (2015-06-15). "Magnificent to dead mall: Timeline of Richmond Town Square". cleveland. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  5. ↑ "Innovations slash cost of renovations". Shopping Centers Today. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  6. ↑ Hardin, Angela Y. (31 May 2005). "Randall Park revived, Optimism returns to mall now near full occupancy". Crain's Cleveland Business. Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  7. ↑ Northeast Ohio Malls Transfer Ownership.
  8. ↑ Strauss, Gary (January 8, 2015). "J.C. Penney, Macy's to shut stores, lay off scores". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ "New York firm buys Richmond Town Square for $7.25 million". Crain's Cleveland Business. November 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Sears to close Richmond Mall and Chapel Hill stores by April". WKYC.
  11. ↑ Cho, Janet H. (March 17, 2017). "JCPenney closing Richmond Town Square store, 137 more nationwide". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  12. ↑ O'Connor, Clint (2008-01-24). "Regal Cinemas Mayfield Heights 10 is closing". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  13. ↑ Piorkowski, Jeff (2018-07-02). "Developer proposes $69 million hotel, apartment, retail plan for Richmond Town Square". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  14. ↑ Piorkowski, Jeff (2019-05-01). "Early plans revealed for luxury apartments at Richmond Heights mall". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  15. ↑ Piorkowski, Jeff (2020-07-22). "Richmond Town Square expected to be demolished by late fall or winter". The Plain Dealer . Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  16. ↑ clevel, Jeff Piorkowski/special to; .com (2021-06-06). "Belle Oaks developers meet with residents at Richmond Town Square". cleveland. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  17. ↑ Piorkowski, Jeff (18 September 2023). "The mall comes tumbling down to make way for Belle Oaks Marketplace". cleveland. Retrieved 19 September 2023.

41°32′27″N81°29′45″W / 41.54071°N 81.49572°W / 41.54071; -81.49572

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.