By 1969, the shopping center's anchor stores have been enlarged and its center of the center Arcade is enclosed. Construction is moving right along on the adjacent I-71 expressway. It will open to traffic in 1970.

Over the years, the KENWOOD PLAZA McAlpin's was expanded four times. In this vintage view, we see the recently-renovated Lingerie Department, which has been refurbished as part of the second enlargement of the store.
Photo from Mercantile Stores Company, Incorporated Annual Report 1966

KENWOOD PLAZA
Montgomery and Kenwood Roads
Hamilton County (Sycamore Township), Ohio

Greater Cincinnati's second post-war shopping center was designed and developed by Plaza Builders, Incorporated, a subsidiary of Youngstown, Ohio's Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. KENWOOD PLAZA was built on a 34-acre site. This was located 12 miles north of Downtown Cincinnati's Fountain Square, in an unincorporated section of Hamilton County known as Sycamore Township.

A (19,200 square foot) Kroger supermarket became the first operational KENWOOD PLAZA store on May 22, 1956. A PLAZA-wide dedication was held on September 20th. Anchoring the complex was a 1-level (87,100 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's.

There were thirty-two stores and services. These included Gray Drug, Herschede Jewelers, Tune Time Record Shop, Forget-Me-Not Gifts, Kenwood Fabric Center and Carlson Hardware & Appliance. The major inline stores were a (28,800 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10, (30,000 square foot) W.T. Grant variety store and (18,700 square foot) Albers supermarket. At the center of the center was an open breezeway of inward-facing stores known as The Arcade.

Cincinnati's H & S Pogue Company built a 1-level (65,000 square foot) location on the southwest corner of the complex. This freestanding store, which was Pogue's first branch, was dedicated on April 13, 1959. The gala grand opening celebration included an appearance by singer Tony Bennett. The KENWOOD PLAZA McAlpins had just completed the first of many additions. That store now covered 118,900 square feet.

Shopping hubs in the vicinity of KENWOOD PLAZA included TRI-COUNTY CENTER (1960) {7.3 miles northwest, in Springdale},  KENWOOD MALL (1966) {.5 mile southeast, in Hamilton County}, BEECHMONT MALL (1969) {8.7 miles south, in Hamilton County}, SURREY SQUARE MALL (1975-2009) {4.9 miles southwest, in Norwood}, and, eventually, EASTGATE MALL (1980) {8.4 miles southeast, in Clermont County}.

In October 1966, the two KENWOOD PLAZA anchor stores completed expansions. Pogue's was enlarged into a 2-level (193,000 square foot) store. It now included the Camargo Buffet restaurant and a beauty salon. McAlpin's opened a second addition, which increased its floor area to approximately 162,000 square feet. The store's existing Kopper Kettle Restaurant and beauty salon were doubled in size.