Romig and Harlem Roads
Akron, Ohio
Conceived as the first mega mall in northeastern Ohio, ROLLING ACRES was designed by Cleveland's Keeva J. Kekst Architects and developed by a joint venture of Akron's Richard Buchholzer and Cleveland's Forest City Enterprises, Incorporated. The super-sized center was built on 86.7-acres, located 6 miles southwest of downtown Akron.
Construction of the 70 million dollar mall commenced in August 1973. With the completion of its first phase, the shopping complex would encompass approximately 450,000 leasable square feet; all on a single level. An official dedication was held on August 6, 1975. At this time, the fully-enclosed center was anchored by a 1-level (151,700 square foot) Sears.
There were initially twenty-one inline stores. These included Foxmoor Casuals, Recordland, The Limited and Jo-Ann Fabrics. A 2-level (179,200 square foot) J.C. Penney was dedicated on January 6, 1976. By this time, there were fifty stores and services. The General Cinema Corporation Rolling Acres Mall Cinema I-II-III showed its first features August 27, 1976.
A second mall phase included a 1-level (125,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, which opened for business October 20, 1977. New stores, such as Rivet Jeans and Pizza Star, were added to the tenant list. All were centered on the Court of Aquarius, which featured a large aquarium and seating area.
A third phase, dedicated on July 26, 1978, added a 2-level (89,500 square foot), Akron-based O'Neil's. The mall's lower retail floor, underneath its southern half, was also opened to the public. Known as the Promenade Level, it included "Prom & Eat," the region's first shopping mall food court.
With its basic footprint now established, ROLLING ACRES MALL encompassed approximately 1,035,900 leasable square feet. It was the second-largest shopping venue in northeast Ohio and would soon be established as the preeminent shopping mall in Greater Akron.
Suburban shopping hubs in the vicinity were SUMMIT MALL (1965) {5.7 miles northwest, in Fairlawn} and CHAPEL HILL MALL (1967) {7.2 miles northeast, in Cuyahoga Falls}.
By 1984, there were 140 stores in operation at ROLLING ACRES MALL. The retail venue underwent a face lift renovation in 1985. Its color palette was muted from dark, 1970s earth tones to bright 1980s pastels. The food court became "Picnic Place."
Anchor rebrandings began with the shuttering of Montgomery Ward in April 1986. The store re-opened, as a Cleveland-based Higbee's, on August 27, 1986. It was rebranded by Dillard's in late 1992. O'Neil's was the next department store to change hands. Cleveland-based May Company of Ohio took over January 27, 1989. This was followed by Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's, on January 31, 1993, and Macy's, on September 9, 2006.
Meanwhile, mall management had made a major blunder in 1991 by letting the staff of off-duty police officers go in favor of a cheaper, in-house security force. The mall quickly become a haven for juvenile delinquents and other petty criminals. Nevertheless, an expansion was built on the southwest corner, which was dedicated in late 1995. This was anchored by a 1-level (96,500 square foot) Target. At around the same time, J.C. Penney demoted their location to an Outlet Store. A similar fate awaited the mall's Dillard's.
The final nail in the coffin was driven in 1997, with the completion of a renovation at SUMMIT MALL. ROLLING ACRES was, by now, a dying retail center. A renovation in the year 2000 brought a new logo, stores and a refurbished Main Entrance, but did not change the fortunes of the mall.
Two anchors pulled out in 2006; Target in February and the Dillard's Clearance Center in August. A new owner, Beverly Hills-based Invest Commercial, had taken over in July 2006. A third anchor store closed in February 2008, with Macy's going dark. This left the 1.3 million square foot complex with just Sears, a Penney's Outlet, Ohio Wholesale (in the old Target space) and eight operational inline stores.
Expenses began to pile up. The owners were saddled with an unpaid -$130,000- electric bill, with $269,000 also owed in property taxes. It was decided to close the shopping center in late October 2008. Only the exterior-entranced Sears and Penney's Outlet Store remained in business. Alas, Sears shut its doors on April 3, 2011.
J.C. Penney had announced a retreat from their Catalog and Outlet Store business in January 2011. Nineteen Outlet Stores were shuttered as a result. The ROLLING ACRES location was one of fifteen that began operating as JC's 5 Star Outlets in July 2013. This chain shut down on December 31 of the same year.
ROLLING ACRES MALL had been sold in December 2010. Premier Ventures of Irvine, California acquired the main mall structure and Dillard's store. Apparently, they had no future plans for the complex and stated that it was "in a holding pattern."
Meanwhile, Pinnacle Paper Recycling set up shop in the vacant Sears. Storage of America moved into the old Target, with Old Main Storage occupying the former Montgomery Ward / Dillard's. By late 2013, Summit County had foreclosed on the property, as an attempt to recoup the 1.1 million dollars owed in back taxes. Sheriff's auctions were scheduled for October 2014, March 2015 and June 2015; all of these were cancelled due to legal glitches. In February 2015, a photo of a snow-covered escalator inside the decaying ROLLING ACRES MALL went viral.
After more red tape and delays, Summit County transferred ownership of the moribund mall to the City of Akron, who initiated demolition of the mall proper in October 2016. The J.C. Penney building was razed in February 2017. The Sears, Wards and Target structures, which were occupied, were left standing.
Sources:
The Akron Beacon Journal
There were initially twenty-one inline stores. These included Foxmoor Casuals, Recordland, The Limited and Jo-Ann Fabrics. A 2-level (179,200 square foot) J.C. Penney was dedicated on January 6, 1976. By this time, there were fifty stores and services. The General Cinema Corporation Rolling Acres Mall Cinema I-II-III showed its first features August 27, 1976.
A second mall phase included a 1-level (125,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, which opened for business October 20, 1977. New stores, such as Rivet Jeans and Pizza Star, were added to the tenant list. All were centered on the Court of Aquarius, which featured a large aquarium and seating area.
A third phase, dedicated on July 26, 1978, added a 2-level (89,500 square foot), Akron-based O'Neil's. The mall's lower retail floor, underneath its southern half, was also opened to the public. Known as the Promenade Level, it included "Prom & Eat," the region's first shopping mall food court.
With its basic footprint now established, ROLLING ACRES MALL encompassed approximately 1,035,900 leasable square feet. It was the second-largest shopping venue in northeast Ohio and would soon be established as the preeminent shopping mall in Greater Akron.
Suburban shopping hubs in the vicinity were SUMMIT MALL (1965) {5.7 miles northwest, in Fairlawn} and CHAPEL HILL MALL (1967) {7.2 miles northeast, in Cuyahoga Falls}.
By 1984, there were 140 stores in operation at ROLLING ACRES MALL. The retail venue underwent a face lift renovation in 1985. Its color palette was muted from dark, 1970s earth tones to bright 1980s pastels. The food court became "Picnic Place."
Anchor rebrandings began with the shuttering of Montgomery Ward in April 1986. The store re-opened, as a Cleveland-based Higbee's, on August 27, 1986. It was rebranded by Dillard's in late 1992. O'Neil's was the next department store to change hands. Cleveland-based May Company of Ohio took over January 27, 1989. This was followed by Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's, on January 31, 1993, and Macy's, on September 9, 2006.
Meanwhile, mall management had made a major blunder in 1991 by letting the staff of off-duty police officers go in favor of a cheaper, in-house security force. The mall quickly become a haven for juvenile delinquents and other petty criminals. Nevertheless, an expansion was built on the southwest corner, which was dedicated in late 1995. This was anchored by a 1-level (96,500 square foot) Target. At around the same time, J.C. Penney demoted their location to an Outlet Store. A similar fate awaited the mall's Dillard's.
The final nail in the coffin was driven in 1997, with the completion of a renovation at SUMMIT MALL. ROLLING ACRES was, by now, a dying retail center. A renovation in the year 2000 brought a new logo, stores and a refurbished Main Entrance, but did not change the fortunes of the mall.
Two anchors pulled out in 2006; Target in February and the Dillard's Clearance Center in August. A new owner, Beverly Hills-based Invest Commercial, had taken over in July 2006. A third anchor store closed in February 2008, with Macy's going dark. This left the 1.3 million square foot complex with just Sears, a Penney's Outlet, Ohio Wholesale (in the old Target space) and eight operational inline stores.
Expenses began to pile up. The owners were saddled with an unpaid -$130,000- electric bill, with $269,000 also owed in property taxes. It was decided to close the shopping center in late October 2008. Only the exterior-entranced Sears and Penney's Outlet Store remained in business. Alas, Sears shut its doors on April 3, 2011.
J.C. Penney had announced a retreat from their Catalog and Outlet Store business in January 2011. Nineteen Outlet Stores were shuttered as a result. The ROLLING ACRES location was one of fifteen that began operating as JC's 5 Star Outlets in July 2013. This chain shut down on December 31 of the same year.
ROLLING ACRES MALL had been sold in December 2010. Premier Ventures of Irvine, California acquired the main mall structure and Dillard's store. Apparently, they had no future plans for the complex and stated that it was "in a holding pattern."
Meanwhile, Pinnacle Paper Recycling set up shop in the vacant Sears. Storage of America moved into the old Target, with Old Main Storage occupying the former Montgomery Ward / Dillard's. By late 2013, Summit County had foreclosed on the property, as an attempt to recoup the 1.1 million dollars owed in back taxes. Sheriff's auctions were scheduled for October 2014, March 2015 and June 2015; all of these were cancelled due to legal glitches. In February 2015, a photo of a snow-covered escalator inside the decaying ROLLING ACRES MALL went viral.
After more red tape and delays, Summit County transferred ownership of the moribund mall to the City of Akron, who initiated demolition of the mall proper in October 2016. The J.C. Penney building was razed in February 2017. The Sears, Wards and Target structures, which were occupied, were left standing.
Sources:
The Akron Beacon Journal
Summit County, Ohio tax assessor website
http://www.ohio.com
http://www.enjoyohio.com
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.ohio.com
http://www.ohio.com
http://www.enjoyohio.com
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.ohio.com
http://www.rollingacres.org (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
"Rolling Acres Mall" article on Wikipedia
