In the late 1980s, SUMMIT MALL was being eclipsed by Greater Akron's ROLLING ACRES MALL and was in a downward spiral. A 20 million dollar renovation got underway in March 1996. This project installed a Food Court, with the rest of the mall given a floor-to-ceiling face lift. By the time of this 1998 plan, SUMMIT MALL was experiencing a retail resurgence and was fully-leased for the first time in several years.