Randall Park Mall - 30+ Years Ago

After more than 30 years, Randall Park Mall will close in mid-June.

David Smith, mayor of North Randall, said Wednesday that mall owner Whichard Real Estate has decided to shut down the property.

The few dozen small stores inside the sprawling, mostly empty mall have until June 12 to close or move into empty storefronts on nearby roads. Burlington Coat Factory and Sears, which can be accessed from outside the mall, will stay open, as will the movie theater and Ohio Technical College’s PowerSport Institute.

I have heard stories from my folks, who lived in the area when Randall Park Mall opened, about the traffic jams stretching as far as the eye could see. Although there were other small malls in the area, Randall was the largest. Today, Beachwood Place is the big kid on the block, but back then, Randall Park Mall was the place to be.

Back in the day, I remember going to Randall Park Mall on a regular basis. Going to JCPenny, Electronics Boutique and Pretzel Time, in addition to stores in the area like Children’s Palace and then Toys ‘R Us and Circuit City. That was a whole different lifetime ago.

In the 90s, when I went to JCPenny I wasn’t looking for Lacoste and Polo, I was hunting for Arizona Republic khakis in the husky size. (Back then, for some reason, I avoided jeans like the plague. A phase.) Then I was your typical short, hefty, dorky looking Jew, complete with glasses and poofy hair just searching for clothes that actually fit. Luckily, I grew out of that phase…or did I?

I can picture exactly where the young adults clothes were, in addition to the shoes/athletic-wear; 2 of my favorite places in the store. Where I went to try on all the clothes that were either too large or too small. Remember, have to get husky! Where the escalators were that took us to other parts of the store that never really meant much to me, and other parts of the mall.

As mentioned, also located at Randall Park Mall was Electronics Boutique, my favorite video game store. There I was able to purchase my Game Boy Color because I turned in my Sega Game Gear. How nice of them, don’t you agree? On the way to Electronics Boutique I always had to stop at Pretzel Time, a pre-cursor to Auntie Anne’s. Boy, they definitely made yummy soft pretzels at a nice price.

However, somewhere in between then and now, Randall Park Mall lost its luster and I stopped visiting, along with many other people. Main tenants started to leave and the area started to go downhill. Beachwood Place expanded, Legacy Village was created and Eton Collection was reinvigorated. Randall Park Mall was no longer the big man on campus, instead it turned into the ugly step-child that was ignored. Even with the AMC/Magic Johnson movie theatre, now called O Theatre, and at one point an indoor Chuck-E-Cheese type attraction, Randall Park Mall just couldn’t cut it in this changing world.

People like the outdoor and/or upscale shopping centers and Randall Park Mall has been far from upscale for years. So, it looks like the future ends in June for Randall Park Mall. However, the end may be the beginning. Hopefully the new tenant of the land will actually put some work into the property, allowing the area to once again prosper…just like it did over 30 years ago

Update:

Buyer signs contract for Randall Park Mall

A Cincinnati company has signed a contract to buy Randall Park Mall and keep the blighted shopping center from closing later this month.

Cincinnati United Contractors Inc., through its subsidiary United Church Builders LLC, signed a contract Wednesday to buy the sprawling enclosed mall in North Randall. The deal could close within 30 to 90 days, said Ken Geis, chief operating officer and vice president for Cincinnati United Contractors.

…

“The project is going to consist of mixed-use, a portion of retail, a portion of manufacturing, a portion of education, technology, restaurants,” Smith said during a phone interview. “It is not going to be a mega-church on that site. We’re hoping to have a convention hall, a conference center, and things of that sort.”

Where I Found It:
Randall Park Mall to close by June 12
Buyer signs contract for Randall Park Mall
Randall Park Mall (site down)
Beachwood Place
Legacy Village
Eton Collection