Mall construction began in 1976 and Sandusky Mall opened on March 16, 1977.[citation needed] The Mall opened with about 50 stores including 2 anchors Montgomery Ward and JCPenney. May Co. and Cohn Co. opened soon after the official grand opening.[3]Sears took over the former Montgomery Ward in 1986.[citation needed] In the outdoor section, Child World closed in 1992 and was later converted to OfficeMax in 1994.[citation needed] The May Co. rebranded their store at the Sandusky Mall as Kaufmann's in the mid-1990s.[citation needed]
On November 7, 2003, a Best Buy store opened outside the mall.[4] In 2006, the Kaufmann's was converted to Macy's, when May Department Stores Company and Federated Department Stores merged into Macy's.[citation needed]Borders opened in 2005.[citation needed]TJ Maxx was added in 2009.[citation needed] Borders closed in 2011 being replaced a few months later by BAM! Books.[5]
On April 7, 2016, Sears announced that its store would be closing in June 2016.[6][7] On January 4, 2017, Macy's announced that its store would also be closing as part of a plan to close 100 stores nationwide over the next several years. The store closed in March 2017.[7] In December 2017, Charming Charlie, located between the former Macy's and Sears, closed due to their bankruptcy filing.[citation needed] In March 2018, the Ruby Tuesday restaurant at the front of the mall shuttered its location.[8] On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Elder-Beerman would be closing all of their stores after the parent company, Bon-Ton, filed for bankruptcy.[citation needed] The store closed late August 2018.[citation needed]
In December 2018, Cafaro Company announced that they had a redevelopment plan set in place for the mall with changes on the horizon coming within the next year.[citation needed] On June 30, 2019, it was announced that Hobby Lobby, a crafts and home decor store, would be coming to the Sandusky Mall.[citation needed] It replaced roughly half of the former Sears store.[citation needed] It opened March 23, 2020.[citation needed]
The mall complex is being transformed into a mixed-used property to feature retail, residential, entertainment, and office space.[citation needed] Changes are currently underway.[when?][citation needed] Stores that relocated to other portions of the mall from the Sears wing included Spencer's, Nail World, and Ritaz Parlor to make way for the new mall redevelopment.[citation needed] In October 2020, Shoe Dept. Encore moved into a newly renovated space in Center Court from its old location adjacent to American Eagle.[citation needed]
It was announced on December 17, 2020, that T.J. Maxx would open in their new location, inside the mall, sometime in 2021.[citation needed] Five Below will also open near Hobby Lobby in 2021 in a portion of the former Macy's.[citation needed] Another Broken Egg Cafe would open at the mall in 2021 near Cheers Sports Bar and Grill.[citation needed] More changes will be coming as well. The mall will also get a new entrance in the south corridor near American Eagle.[citation needed] The remaining space left in the former Elder Beerman will be transformed into a mixed use area for business.[citation needed]
On May 30, 2021, Five Below held its soft opening and opened to the public for its grand opening on June 4, 2021.[citation needed] On October 21, 2021, T.J. Maxx opened its new store at Sandusky Mall, adding to the department store lineup at Sandusky Mall.[citation needed] On October 30, 2022, Ross Dress for Less opened a new store at the Sandusky Mall.[citation needed] In February 2024, it was announced that Tilt Studios would open in the former Elder Beerman.[9] The opening date was delayed, with Tilt Studio eventually opened on December 7, 2024.[citation needed]
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Sandusky Transit System