Edward J. DeBartolo, Senior (1909-1994) was the most prolific shopping mall developer in the nation. By mid-1992, he owned and operated seventy complexes.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Twelsht"

Edward J. Paonessa was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in May 1909. While in high school, he adopted the surname of his Italian immigrant stepfather and soon went to work at his construction business.

As Edward J. DeBartolo, he earned a degree in civil engineering from Notre Dame University. Following this, he returned to work at the Micheal DeBartolo Construction Company. At the outbreak of World War II, DeBartolo was commissioned into the Army Corps of Engineers.

POST-WAR PLAZA

DeBartolo returned to Youngstown after the war, married and got back into to the construction business. He formed the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. A Post-War building boom was soon underway, with scores of families relocating from the inner city to newly-created, outlying suburbs.

This urban exodus created the need for scores of new homes. DeBartolo was quick to take advantage of this. Soon, his prefabricated dwellings were springing up around Greater Youngstown. With these new neighborhoods came the need for more localized shopping options. DeBartolo's first shopping center, the BOARDMAN SHOPPING PLAZA, was dedicated in 1951.

The first stores in the BOARDMAN SHOPPING PLAZA opened on June 21, 1951. When fully realized, the strip center spanned approximately 121,800 square feet, housed twenty-eight stores, and had parking provisions for 1,200 autos. The complex was built in the southern hinterlands of Youngstown. Short-sighted observers opined that such a remote shopping center would go bust within 6 months. It is still going strong 70 years later!
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