Randall Park Mall
Encyclopedia
Randall Park Mall is an enclosed shopping mall
, located in the small village of North Randall, Ohio
(part of the Cleveland metropolitan area) at 20801 Miles Road. The mall's importance to the town is reflected in the two shopping bags appearing in the municipal seal. The mall was scheduled to close its doors on June 12, 2008, prompting most remaining tenants to leave. The closure finally happened in March, 2009 with entrance still possible on occasion for religious services in rented spaces.
was to build a shopping/apartment/office complex nearby, so Garfield Mall was scaled down and the proposed department stores signed with DeBartolo.
Randall Park Mall was built on the site of Randall Race Track, a horse racing park immediately south of Thistledown Race Track
. During construction, DeBartolo was very flamboyant; he would arrive at the construction site in a helicopter. During tours, he entertained the media with lavish Italian dinners of pizza and pasta from top chefs. DeBartolo envisioned Randall Park as a "City within a City," with the mall, boasting 200 shops, three 14-story apartments, two 20-story office buildings and a performing arts center (intended to compete with the Front Row Theater). At the time of its opening, it was the "world's largest shopping center," although the title was short-lived. The mall's architect, Frank DeBartolo (Edward's younger brother), opened the mall with actress Dina Merrill
in 1976. At the time of its opening, North Randall's population was 1,500 and the mall's employee population was 5,000. The original department store
anchors were Sears
, JCPenney, May Company
, Higbee's
, and Horne's
. Halle's maintained an option to build a store, but went out of business in 1982.
Westfield Great Northern
(formerly Great Northern Mall), in the west side suburb of North Olmsted
, opened at about the same time as Randall Park. Nearby Euclid Square Mall
is also a product of the mid-1970s mall building boom.
The theater's "lobby" was one store front wide, with steep steps leading to the concession stand, then more steps to the screens themselves. From the exterior, it looks as though a separate building had been grafted onto the mall.
The cinema became a second run theater in 1991, and closed in 1993. After that, and until the mall's closure, it was used as storage for Diamond's Men's Store (its next door neighbor in the mall). By the 2000s, Diamond's had extended their display window in front of the theater's entrance, and the cinema's steep blue steps could still be seen by looking through a door in the display.
In 1999, Loew's opened a 12-screen Magic Johnson cinema in the space originally designated for the never-built Halle's anchor (on the opposite side of the mall from the original 3-screen, which remained a storage area). The theater was sold by Loew's in 2007, becoming "O Theater" (with the slogan "O what a bargain!"). O Theater offered first run movies at matinee prices, but their website and phone number were offline by late 2008 and the theater closed at some point after that.
and JCPenney. In June 2007, it was announced that Cleveland-based trade school Ohio Technical College would acquire more than 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) of space at the mall. The school's Power Sports Institute would occupy the former JCPenney and Firestone Complete Auto Care areas.
Macy's
shuttered its Randall Park Mall store in February 2008 due to poor sales.
On May 21, 2008, North Randall mayor David Smith announced that Whichard Real Estate had decided to close the mall by June 12, 2008. The few dozen small stores inside the sprawling, mostly empty mall had until June 12 to close or move into empty storefronts on nearby roads. Burlington Coat Factory and Sears, which could be accessed from outside the mall, would stay open, as would the movie theater and Ohio Technical College's PowerSport Institute.
County records showed the company owed more than $200,000 in unpaid property taxes and had taken out multiple mortgages on the mall. On June 5, 2008, it was announced that Randall Park Mall was being sold for an undisclosed sum to United Church Builders. The deal was expected to be finalized in the next 30 to 90 days. Ken Geis, CEO of UCB, felt it could be best suited for housing, education, research, and medical operations. As of May, 2009, UCB had not finalized the deal for the mall.
On February 26, 2009, Sears announced that it would close its Randall Park location, as part of an effort to close 24 underperfoming Sears and Kmart locations across the country. This would be the last traditional anchor store to shutter its location at Randall Park. The store's last day of business was Sunday, June 14, 2009.
The last of the remaining small inside stores closed or moved out in March, 2009, leaving the mall empty aside from Burlington Coat Factory, Ohio Technical College's satellite campus, and Furniture Mattress Liquidators, all of which have direct external access. All power to the mall was turned off in May, 2009.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, located in the small village of North Randall, Ohio
North Randall, Ohio
North Randall is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1027 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Randall is located at ....
(part of the Cleveland metropolitan area) at 20801 Miles Road. The mall's importance to the town is reflected in the two shopping bags appearing in the municipal seal. The mall was scheduled to close its doors on June 12, 2008, prompting most remaining tenants to leave. The closure finally happened in March, 2009 with entrance still possible on occasion for religious services in rented spaces.
Beginnings
In 1966, Dominic Visconsi proposed building Garfield Mall in nearby Garfield Heights. In 1968, voters gave their blessing to the project, and the next year a proposal was revealed. Garfield Mall was to have heated underground parking and elevator/escalator access to stores such as JCPenney, Sears, Higbees, and Halles. In 1971, there were rumblings that Youngstown developer Edward J. DeBartoloEdward J. DeBartolo
Edward John DeBartolo Jr. is an American businessman, perhaps best known as the former owner of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.- Career :...
was to build a shopping/apartment/office complex nearby, so Garfield Mall was scaled down and the proposed department stores signed with DeBartolo.
Randall Park Mall was built on the site of Randall Race Track, a horse racing park immediately south of Thistledown Race Track
Thistledown (racecourse)
Thistledown is a thoroughbred race track in North Randall, Ohio at the outskirts of the city of Cleveland. It is owned by Harrah's Entertainment.-History and Information:...
. During construction, DeBartolo was very flamboyant; he would arrive at the construction site in a helicopter. During tours, he entertained the media with lavish Italian dinners of pizza and pasta from top chefs. DeBartolo envisioned Randall Park as a "City within a City," with the mall, boasting 200 shops, three 14-story apartments, two 20-story office buildings and a performing arts center (intended to compete with the Front Row Theater). At the time of its opening, it was the "world's largest shopping center," although the title was short-lived. The mall's architect, Frank DeBartolo (Edward's younger brother), opened the mall with actress Dina Merrill
Dina Merrill
-Early life:Merrill was born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton in New York City, New York, the only child of Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her second husband, Wall Street stockbroker Edward Francis Hutton...
in 1976. At the time of its opening, North Randall's population was 1,500 and the mall's employee population was 5,000. The original department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
anchors were Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, JCPenney, May Company
May Company Ohio
The May Company Ohio is a defunct chain of department stores that was based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.-History:In 1899, David May, the founder of May Department Stores, acquired E. R. Hull & Dutton Co. of Cleveland on Ontario Street, renaming it May Company, Cleveland...
, Higbee's
Higbee's
Higbee's was a department store founded 1860 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1992, Higbee's stores were re-branded as part of Dillard's.-History:Higbee's was founded by Edwin Converse Higbee and John G. Hower on September 10, 1860 as Higbee & Hower Dry Goods. The first day of business saw $100 in sales. ...
, and Horne's
Horne's
The Joseph Horne Company, often referred to simply as Joseph Horne's or Horne's, was an iconic, regional department store chain based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The store was one of the oldest in the country being founded on February 22, 1849 but due to its regional presence in the country, it...
. Halle's maintained an option to build a store, but went out of business in 1982.
Westfield Great Northern
Westfield Great Northern
Westfield Great Northern, formerly Great Northern Mall, is a single-level enclosed shopping mall in North Olmsted, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Its anchor stores are Macy's, Dillard's, Sears, J. C. Penney and Dick's Sporting Goods.-History:...
(formerly Great Northern Mall), in the west side suburb of North Olmsted
North Olmsted, Ohio
-Business:Moen Incorporated, a fixture and faucet company, is headquartered in North Olmsted. CommutAir, a regional airline, has its operations center in North Olmsted....
, opened at about the same time as Randall Park. Nearby Euclid Square Mall
Euclid Square Mall
Euclid Square Mall is 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. Over time, it has lost many of its inline tenants to other nearby malls...
is also a product of the mid-1970s mall building boom.
Movie Theaters
When opened in 1976, Randall Park had a unique 3-screen cinema run by General Cinemas. GCC operated this cinema in tandem with its two screens at nearby Southgate Plaza (which eventually also became a 3-screen theater prior to closing), effectively booking them as a 5-plex.The theater's "lobby" was one store front wide, with steep steps leading to the concession stand, then more steps to the screens themselves. From the exterior, it looks as though a separate building had been grafted onto the mall.
The cinema became a second run theater in 1991, and closed in 1993. After that, and until the mall's closure, it was used as storage for Diamond's Men's Store (its next door neighbor in the mall). By the 2000s, Diamond's had extended their display window in front of the theater's entrance, and the cinema's steep blue steps could still be seen by looking through a door in the display.
In 1999, Loew's opened a 12-screen Magic Johnson cinema in the space originally designated for the never-built Halle's anchor (on the opposite side of the mall from the original 3-screen, which remained a storage area). The theater was sold by Loew's in 2007, becoming "O Theater" (with the slogan "O what a bargain!"). O Theater offered first run movies at matinee prices, but their website and phone number were offline by late 2008 and the theater closed at some point after that.
Decline
The JCPenney, when open, was a 207000 square feet (19,230.9 m²), two-story store. JCPenney converted to an outlet store format in October 1998, but closed in January 2001 due to falling sales. Dillard's closed its Randall Park Mall Store in 2002, shortly after, but not related to an incident in which a suspected shoplifter died from injuries related to his apprehension within the store after being released from the hospital. During the incident, an off-duty police officer who was moonlighting as a security guard apprehended a suspected shoplifter and injured him. The suspected shoplifter was treated in a hospital for injuries from the incident and later died after he was released . By 2003, about half the mall remained vacant, including the former Dillard'sDillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
and JCPenney. In June 2007, it was announced that Cleveland-based trade school Ohio Technical College would acquire more than 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) of space at the mall. The school's Power Sports Institute would occupy the former JCPenney and Firestone Complete Auto Care areas.
Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
shuttered its Randall Park Mall store in February 2008 due to poor sales.
On May 21, 2008, North Randall mayor David Smith announced that Whichard Real Estate had decided to close the mall by June 12, 2008. The few dozen small stores inside the sprawling, mostly empty mall had until June 12 to close or move into empty storefronts on nearby roads. Burlington Coat Factory and Sears, which could be accessed from outside the mall, would stay open, as would the movie theater and Ohio Technical College's PowerSport Institute.
County records showed the company owed more than $200,000 in unpaid property taxes and had taken out multiple mortgages on the mall. On June 5, 2008, it was announced that Randall Park Mall was being sold for an undisclosed sum to United Church Builders. The deal was expected to be finalized in the next 30 to 90 days. Ken Geis, CEO of UCB, felt it could be best suited for housing, education, research, and medical operations. As of May, 2009, UCB had not finalized the deal for the mall.
On February 26, 2009, Sears announced that it would close its Randall Park location, as part of an effort to close 24 underperfoming Sears and Kmart locations across the country. This would be the last traditional anchor store to shutter its location at Randall Park. The store's last day of business was Sunday, June 14, 2009.
The last of the remaining small inside stores closed or moved out in March, 2009, leaving the mall empty aside from Burlington Coat Factory, Ohio Technical College's satellite campus, and Furniture Mattress Liquidators, all of which have direct external access. All power to the mall was turned off in May, 2009.
Former anchors
- Horne'sHorne'sThe Joseph Horne Company, often referred to simply as Joseph Horne's or Horne's, was an iconic, regional department store chain based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The store was one of the oldest in the country being founded on February 22, 1849 but due to its regional presence in the country, it...
(201,000 sq ft.) closed in 1992 - JCPenney (207,000 sq ft.) closed in 2001
- Dillard'sDillard'sDillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
(170,000 sq ft.) closed in 2003 - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(176,327 sq ft.) closed in 2008 - Sears (285,702 sq ft.) closed in 2009
- O Theater (? sq. ft.) closed in 2009
Current anchors
- Burlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
(163,486 sq ft.) - Ohio Furniture Mart (74,483 sq ft.)
External links
- Deadmalls.com entry on Randall Park Mall
- Randall Park Mall article on Labelscar.com
- A short Letter to the Editor of the New York Times concerning Randall Park Mall, December 29, 2003.
- Village of North Randall, Master Plan. Prepared by the Cuyahoga CountyCuyahoga County, OhioCuyahoga County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. It is the most populous county in Ohio; as of the 2010 census, the population was 1,280,122. Its county seat is Cleveland. Cuyahoga County is part of Greater Cleveland, a metropolitan area, and Northeast Ohio, a...
Planning Commission, January 1999. - "Magic Makeover" by Andrew Putz. Cleveland SceneCleveland SceneThe Cleveland Scene is an alternative weekly newspaper based in Cleveland, Ohio. The newspaper includes highlights of Cleveland-area arts, music, dining, and films, as well as classified advertising...
. December 16, 1999. - A Cinema Treasures page about Randall Park Cinema