Cincinnati's Westerns

Western Hills Plaza 

The first regional shopping center in -or around- The Queen City was built in its western environs.
Graphic from Brune-Harpnau Builders, Incorporated

Stores in WESTERN HILLS PLAZA opened for business between October 1954 and September 1955.
Drawing from Brune-Harpnau Builders, Incorporated

The McAlpin Company built Cincinnati's first suburban department store at WESTERN HILLS PLAZA. McAlpin's opened in November 1954 and was expanded in 1955, 1957 and 1963. The store was in business for over 43 years.

This ultra-modern Mabley & Carew fashion store was completed as a second phase of the shopping complex. "Mabley's" opened its doors in September 1955 and operated at WESTERN HILLS PLAZA for over 32 years.
Drawing from the Allied Stores Corporation

The 5 million dollar PLAZA was a two-anchor shopping center; built in a day when just one was the norm. In late 1955, the shopping hub covered approximately 320,000 leasable square feet and contained thirty-eight stores and services. There was free parking for 2,700 autos.

WESTERN HILLS PLAZA TENANTS 1955:

McALPIN'S (with Beauty Salon and Kopper Kettle Restaurant) / MABLEY & CAREW (with Beauty Salon) / F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / KROGER supermarket / ALBERS supermarket / Adeline Shop ladies' wear / Beck TV / Brockfield Jewelers / Carpet Specialists / Carter's Restaurant / Dutch Pride Poultry / Eagle Savings & Loan / Fabric Center / Fanny Farmer Candies / Fifth Third Union Trust Company / Goldsmith's / Gus Wagner Cocktail Lounge / Hemsath Hardware / House Of Chairs / Household Finance Corporation / Jack & Jill Children's wear / Jeanne's Cards & Gifts / Jontom Sporting Goods / Klein Optical Center / Klosterman's Bake Shop / Kwik-Way Cleaning & Laundry / Marmer's Shoes / Murray's Beauty Salon / Neumode Hosiery / Nobil Shoes / Orlik's Men's Shop / Plaza Barber Shop / Plaza Music Shop / Potter Shoe Company / Richman Brothers men's wear / Robert A. Cline, Incorporated / Sherwin-Williams Paints / Singer Sewing Center / The Cotton Shop ladies' wear / The Treasure Chest infant's wear / Walgreen Drug (with luncheonette) / Western Glass & China / Western Plaza Shoe Repair 

By 1979, three stores in WESTERN HILLS PLAZA have been enlarged (dark gray). Moreover, Mabley & Carew is sporting a new nameplate; that of Dayton's Elder-Beerman chain. A new section of inline stores (medium gray) has also been attached to the west end of the complex.

Between 2004 and 2009, the PLAZA was given a thorough overhaul by it's Oz-based owner. Vacant Media Play and Kroger stores were surgically extracted and a new Target joined the fold. The complex, now tenanted by several big box-type stores, encompasses approximately 322,000 leasable square feet.

Mass-based T.J. Maxx set up shop in the Woolworth space soon after that store's 1997 demise. Bed, Bath & Beyond took the place of the open-air Mall section in 2004.
Photo from http://brixmor.propertycapsule.com / Brixmor Property Group, Incorporated

Sears assumed the McAlpin's spot in October of 1999 and was in business at WESTERN HILLS PLAZA  for over 18 years.
Photo from http://urbanohi.com

The WESTERN HILLS PLAZA Target opened its doors in March 2009. It took the place of Media Play (nee' Elder-Beerman) and Kroger.
Photo from http://brixmor.propertycapsule.com / Brixmor Property Group, Incorporated

Michaels moved into the PLAZA when Old Navy moved out. The arts & crafts store opened for business in August 2011.
Photo from http://brixmor.propertycapsule.com / Brixmor Property Group, Incorporated

WESTERN HILLS PLAZA
Glenway Avenue and Werk Road
Cincinnati, Ohio

Ground was broken for Greater Cincinnati's first post-war shopping center in August 1953. Situated on 36 acres, located 6.7 miles northwest of downtown's Fountain Square, WESTERN HILLS PLAZA was designed by Raymond Loewy Associates, of New York City. The complex was developed by Cincinnati's Brune-Harpnau Builders, Incorporated.

The single-level strip center included an open breezeway of inward-facing stores, known as The Mall. A covered walkway also extended across the entirety of the complex. The first operational WESTERN HILLS PLAZA tenants were Potter Shoe Company, Fifth Third Union Trust Company, a (20,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and (18,000 square foot) Kroger. These stores made their debut on September 30, 1954.

Anchoring the first phase PLAZA was a 3-level (75,000 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. This store began business, as part of the mall's official grand opening, on November 17, 1954. A subsequent construction phase added three stores to the west end of the complex. Among these was a 1-level (41,000 square foot), Cincinnati-based Mabley & Carew. It was dedicated on September 15, 1955.

When fully-leased, WESTERN HILLS PLAZA encompassed approximately 320,000 leasable square feet and housed thirty-eight stores and services. Among these were Richman Brothers men's wear, Dutch Pride Poultry, Hemseth Hardware, Marmer's Shoes, Walgreen Drug, Sherwin-Williams Paints, an F. W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and Kroger and Albers supermarkets.

The Kroger and Woolworth stores were expanded in the early-to-mid 1960s. Likewise, McAlpin's was enlarged three times, eventually encompassing 147,000 square feet. Mabley & Carew became the first anchor to be rebranded. The store was refitted with the nameplate of Dayton-based Elder-Beerman on August 10, 1978.

By the late 1980s, the shopping center proper had also been expanded. A 44,500 square foot addition was built on the west end of the complex. Two freestanding restaurants, Gold Star Chili and Shell's, had also been added to the front parking area.

Elder-Beerman was shuttered on March 12, 1994. Its space was taken by Media Play. Woolworth closed in July 1997. Its space became a T.J. Maxx. McAlpin's (which was in the process of being absorbed by Dillard's) moved into a vacant Shillito's structure at the adjacent WESTERN WOODS MALL in July 1998. Its old store in WESTERN HILLS PLAZA re-opened -as a Sears- October 23, 1999.

Walgreen Drug and two adjacent storefronts became part of a new (25,000 square foot) Old Navy, which opened for business August 30, 2000. In April 2004, the breezeway Mall area and adjacent stores were demolished. A (25,000 square foot) Bed, Bath & Beyond was built.

Australia's Centro Property Group purchased WESTERN HILLS PLAZA in November 2005. They initiated a 6.4 million dollar overhaul of the aging retail center in 2008. Vacant Media Play and Kroger stores were knocked down.

A 1-level (135,500 square foot) Target was built, which opened March 4, 2009. With this renovation, the shopping hub encompassed 322,000 leasable square feet and contained twenty-seven retail spaces. The latest store opening involved a vacated Old Navy space. It was retananted by Michaels, which welcomed its first shoppers on August 21, 2011.

The United States holdings of the Centro Property Group were acquired by New York City-based Blackstone Realty Partners in June 2011. An entity known as the Brixmor Property Group was created in September 2011 to manage the company's retail real estate.

Sources:

The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Post
https://www.cincinnati.com
https://www.urbanohio.com
http://www.communitypress.cincinnati.com
https://www.brixmor.com / Brixmor Property Group, Incorporated

Western Woods Mall

One of Greater Cincinnati's earliest air-conditioned malls, WESTERN WOODS was built in two stages. These opened between August 1963 and December 1966.
Graphic from Federated Department Stores

The original WESTERN WOODS MALL was anchored by Cincinnati-based Shillito's. The store was similar in appearance to branches at the KENWOOD and TRI-COUNTY malls. All three stores had stunning blue glass tile accents.

With such close proximity -and with such similar names- it's no wonder that the Western Hills hubs were often confused with one another. WESTERN HILLS PLAZA opened in 1954 and is still in existence. The strip center is often referred to as WESTERN HILLS MALL. WESTERN WOODS MALL (which actually was a mall) opened in 1963. It had a destiny date with a wrecking ball in 1998.

The first phase of WESTERN WOODS MALL (in black) consisted of Shillito's, Gallaher (later Gray) Drug and a Thriftway supermarket. These were completed in 1963. A 120,000 square foot second phase (dark gray) was dedicated in December 1966. Fully-realized, the mall now housed approximately 320,000 leasable square feet and contained twenty stores and services. Free parking was provided for 1,400 autos.

WESTERN WOODS MALL TENANTS 1967:

SHILLITO'S (with Patio Grill restaurant and attached Tire Center) / GRAY DRUG (with luncheonette) / THRIFTWAY supermarket / W.T. GRANT (with The Skillet restaurant) / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Barracini Candy / Dolly Madison Beauty Salon / Economy Savings & Loan / First Ohio Savings Association / Getz Jewelers / Hershel York, Optometrist / Mall Realtors / Mary Lester Fabrics / Paul Harris ladies' wear / Richman Brothers men's wear / Stuarts ladies' ready-to-wear / The Gift House / Thom McAn Shoes / Western Woods Barber Shop / Western Woods Cinema (single-screen)   

The complex was expanded twice. The first project brought a new Thriftway. The second enlarged the old Grants-Penney's space to accommodate a Zayre discount mart (and -eventually- a HomeGoods). WESTERN WOODS was facing competition from newer and larger retail centers. By 1996, the 30-year-old mall was in a downward spiral from which it would never escape.

The moribund mall was demolished in 1998. A new Home Depot was built, with the redeveloped complex renamed WEST TOWN CENTER. Dillard's, left standing during demolition, had been built as a Shillito's. It had a brief stint as a McAlpin's before receiving its Dillard's nameplate in 1999. The store, converted to a Dillard's Clearance Center in 2013, was shuttered in 2019.
Photo from www.loopnet.com


WESTERN WOODS MALL
Glenway Avenue and Parkcrest Lane
Hamilton County and Cincinnati, Ohio

During the year 1966, two fully-enclosed shopping hubs were completed in Greater Cincinnati. KENWOOD MALL, formally opened in August, was established as the Queen City's first enclosed mall. WESTERN WOODS, completed in December, assumed the second-place position.

The single-level center was built on a 15-acre site. This was located 6.7 miles northwest of Downtown Cincinnati's Fountain Square. The land parcel, predominantly in an unincorporated section of Hamilton County known as Green Township, straddled the corporate limits of Cincinnati and Cheviot.

WESTERN WOODS MALL was developed by Stamford, Connecticut's Ralph Biernbaum and Cincinnati-based Federated Stores. The first-phase center was designed by Cincinnati's Baxter, Hodell, Donnelly & Preston. A 3-level (165,000 square foot), Cincinnati-based Shillito's ["shil-uh-towz"] opened for business on August 12, 1963.

A (20,000 square foot) Thriftway supermarket and (10,100 square foot) Gallaher Drug were also dedicated on August 12th. Construction commenced, on a second stage mall, in February 1965. This was designed by New York City's Robert W. Kahn Associates and Krei, Zepf, Freitag & Associates, of Cincinnati.

At the official dedication, held on December 23, 1966, twenty stores opened their doors. These included Stuarts Ready-to-Wear For Ladies,  Getz Jewelers, Baker's Qualicraft Shoes, Barricini Candy, Paul Harris apparel, Mary Lester Fabrics, Western Woods Barber Shop and a 1-level (51,000 square foot) W.T. Grant.

By early 1967, WESTERN WOODS MALL encompassed approximately 320,000 leasable square feet and housed twenty-three stores and services. The General Cinema Corporation Western Woods Cinema had been dedicated on December 23, 1966. This single-screen venue was part of the mall structure, but did not have a connection with the air-conditioned shopping concourse.

The Grants space was vacated as a result of the chain's bankruptcy, in 1976. The store re-opened, as a J.C. Penney Catalog Store, in July 1978. At the same time, the cinema structure was gutted and rebuilt as an expanded Thriftway Food & Drug. The old Thriftway space was sectioned into inline stores.

Major shopping centers in the WESTERN WOODS MALL trade area included SWIFTON CENTER (1956) {9 miles east, in Cincinnati}, TRI-COUNTY CENTER (1960) {12.9 miles northeast, in Springdale} and NORTHGATE MALL (1972) {6.6 miles northeast, in Hamilton County}.

A cycle of nameplate changes got underway at WESTERN WOODS MALL in June 1982. Shillito's was rebranded as Shillito-Rike's. In March 1986, the store was rebranded as a Lazarus. J.C. Penney pulled up stakes on July 31, 1986. The vacant Grants-Penney's space was expanded by 26,700 square feet. A 1-level (59,000 square foot) Zayre discount store opened on October 23, 1987. In October 1989, stores in the Zayre's chain were rebranded by Rocky Hill, Connecticut-based Ames.

The store operated under that nameplate until 1991, when Ames pulled out of the mall. The next tenant for the space, Massachusetts-based HomeGoods, set up shop on November 17, 1992 and closed for good on October 13, 1997.

By this time, WESTERN WOODS MALL was well past its prime. Vacancy problems were exacerbated when Lazarus shuttered their anchor store, in January 1997. In early 1998, a demalling plan was implemented by the owner of the property, the Pittsburgh-based J.J. Gumberg Company. The vacant Shillito's-Lazarus was left standing, along with the Thriftway Food & Drug.

McAlpin's relocated their WESTERN HILLS PLAZA store, re-opening in the old WESTERN WOODS Shillito's on July 29, 1998. A 1-level (112,000 square foot) Home Depot, built on the site of the demolished WESTERN WOODS MALL, opened for business on December 3, 1998. The shopping complex, dubbed WEST TOWN CENTER, housed only four stores and services. 

Sources:

The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati Post
"A Phoenix at Western Woods" / http://www.cincypost.com / January 21, 1998 / Cliff Peale, staff reporter
https://www.cinematreasures.org
https://wedge.hcauditor.org / Hamilton County, Ohio

Cincinnati's Kenwoods

Kenwood Plaza

 

The first of Greater Cincinnati's Kenwood shopping complexes opened in September 1956. "Beautiful, Tremendous and Convenient," KENWOOD PLAZA housed thirty-two stores and services. The strip center was an early Edward J. DeBartolo development.

Advert from the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation

 

KENWOOD PLAZA was originally anchored by this 87,100 square foot McAlpin's. Over the years, the store would be expanded four times.
Drawing from Mercantile Stores Company, Incorporated

Albers, a division of Atlanta's Colonial Stores, dedicated a KENWOOD PLAZA location as part of the September 1956 grand opening.
Drawing from Colonial Stores, Incorporated

The H & S Pogue Company dedicated a KENWOOD PLAZA location in April 1959. Encompassing 65,000 square feet, it would be expanded on one occasion, when it was more than tripled in size!

 

 

The original KENWOOD PLAZA strip center encompassed approximately 250,000 leasable square feet and housed thirty-one stores and services. Its vast parking area could accommodate 3,500 autos. This circa-1959 layout includes the newly-built Pogue's department store and recently-enlarged McAlpin's.

KENWOOD PLAZA TENANTS 1959:

McALPIN'S (with Beauty Salon and Kopper Kettle Restaurant) / H & S POGUE / ALBERS supermarket / KROGER supermarket / Big Tree Farmer's Market / Burkhart's Men's Store / Carlson Hardware & Appliance / Doctor Manny Comisar / Eagle Savings & Loan / Eastern Hills Camera Shop / Edgewood Bakery / Fannie Farmer Candies / Forget-Me-Not Gift Shop / Gray Drug / H. Yager Wallpaper Company / Hair Fashion Studio / Hansel & Gretel Shop children's wear / Herschede Jewelers / Howard Johnson's restaurant (outparcel) / Jean Frock's, Incorporated / Kenwood Fabric Center / Kinney Shoes / Kwik Way Laundry & Dry Cleaning / Lee's Apparel Shop / Marae's ladies' wear / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Nobil Shoes / Plaza Barber Shop / Plaza Shoe Repair / Potter Shoe Company / Richman Brothers men's wear / Ruhl Meats / S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Schiff Shoes / Socony Mobil service station (outparcel) / Tasty Bird restaurant / The Cotton Shop ladies' wear / Toy House / Tune Time Records / W.T. Grant (with luncheonette) / Western Industries, Incorporated / Williamson's Men's Shop

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.

Kenwood Towne Centre

KENWOOD PLAZA was totally reconfigured in the late 1980s. Most of the strip plaza was demolished, with only the west store block and anchor stores left standing. A dual-level, fully enclosed mall was built. Phase One of the new KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE was formally dedicated in October 1987.
Graphic from Western Development Corporation 

 

Phase Two of the TOWNE CENTRE was dedicated in October 1988. In a circa-1989 layout, the original 1956 structure is in shown in black. A freestanding Kroger, relocated from an original PLAZA store, appears in dark gray. In medium gray is late '80s construction. The mall now encompasses a tad over 1 million leasable square feet. Its expanded parking facilities now accommodate 5,600 autos.

A 1980s view of the new 2-level shopping concourse.
Photo from http://www.danis100.com / Danis Building & Construction Company

 

The Streetscape, an open-air lifestyle center, was attached to the south facade of the TOWNE CENTRE in 2003-2004.
Photo from http://www.frch.com / FRCH Design

Said Streetscape housed stores and restaurants such as Maggiano's Little Italy, The Cheesecake Factory and Restoration Hardware.
Photo from http://www.frch.com / FRCH Design

 

The west end of the mall was rebuilt between 2007 and 2009. A new wing, anchored by Nordstrom, replaced an abandoned Pogue's-Penney's-Parisian store.
Photo from http://www.frch.com / FRCH Design

21st century renovations are shown in a circa-2010 physical layout. The south side Streetscape is indicated in medium gray. The new Nordstrom Wing appears in light gray. The north anchor store has also been enlarged and a second parking deck built. With these modifications, KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE spans approximately 1,161,500 leasable square feet and contains 168 stores under its roof.

During 2012 and 2013, the mall was given an interior makeover to cement its position as preeminent retail venue in Greater Cincinnati. New flooring and skylights were installed and a new Main Entrance built. The existing Food Court (seen above) was also refurbished.
Drawing from www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties

 

KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE
Montgomery and Kenwood Roads
Hamilton County, Ohio
                             
In 1985, the Washington, DC-based Western Development Corporation acquired KENWOOD PLAZA. They formed a joint venture with the Queen City's Towne Centre Properties and, within 2 years, a major renovation was underway.

The eastern half of the shopping center was razed. The western portion, and two anchor stores, were incorporated into the Phase One stage of the project. This consisted of a forty-store (400,000 square foot) enclosed mall. Christened KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE, it was officially inaugurated on October 29, 1987. An elaborate grand opening celebration included a parade, ribbon cutting, fashion shows, clown and mime performances and concerts. Music was provided by several local high school bands and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra.

Phase Two involved construction of a 727,400 square foot, 2-level, enclosed shopping concourse. This would house 140 stores and services and be anchored by a new, 2-level (219,200 square foot) Lazarus. This portion of the shopping hub was dedicated on October 20, 1988.

With these additions, the circa-1956 strip center had morphed into a 1.1 million square foot mega mall. It surpassed Kentucky's FLORENCE MALL in size, becoming Greater Cincinnati's largest shopping center. This title was held for only 6 months. In March 1989, FOREST FAIR MALL {10 miles northwest, in Forest Park and Fairfield} debuted with an astounding 1,420,000 leasable square feet.

KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE had been conceived as an upscale retail complex. Toney tenants included Panache, Laura Ashley, Carroll Reed, T. Edwards and Jaegar. On the Lower Level was a 13-bay Food Court and the Loews Kenwood Towne Centre 5. This megaplex opened for business on May 6, 1989. It would be in operation until June 2009.

The first KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE anchor rebranding had occurred on October 29, 1984. New York City-based Associated Dry Goods merged Pogue's with its Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres division. The Ayres store was rebranded by J.C. Penney on November 7, 1988 and Birmingham-based Parisian on September 8, 1993. It closed for good in February 2007.

McAlpin's, which now encompassed 240,000 square feet, was rebranded as a Little Rock-based Dillard's in July 1999. Lazarus was rebannered, as a Lazarus-Macy's, on August 1, 2003 and was rebranded by Macy's on March 6, 2005. The Teachers Retirement System of Ohio had purchased KENWOOD TOWNE  CENTRE in December 1998. Chicago-based General Growth Properties bought a share of the retail facility in August 2002.

Meanwhile, a new KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE competitor was being built in two stages. The first, ROOKWOOD PAVILION {4.9 miles southwest, in Norwood}, was open-air in format, middle-market in orientation and was completed in 1994. ROOKWOOD COMMONS, a more upscale counterpart built adjacent to the PAVILION, was dedicated in the year 2000.
  
By this time, KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE was established as Cincinnati's most upscale fashion mall. To retain this position, the construction of a trendy, open-air "lifestyle component" began in June 2003. This nine-tenant addition, known as The Streetscape, comprised 100,000 leasable square feet. It was built onto the south facade of the existing mall. The Cheesecake Factory debuted on February 16, 2004, with Maggiano's Little Italy welcoming first diners on September 16th.

A second renovation phase, completed in 2005, expanded Macy's to over 276,600 square feet and added a multilevel parking garage to the north side of the store. A third round of renovation, undertaken in early 2007, demolished the old Pogue's-Penney's-Parisian. It was replaced by a 2-level (138,000 square foot) Nordstrom, built over an existing, 2-level parking structure. The store held its grand opening on September 25, 2009.

With all renovation and expansion complete, KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE spanned approximately 1,161,500 leasable square feet. It was now Greater Cincinnati's third-largest shopping hub; this following FOREST FAIR MALL (with 1,436,000 square feet) and TRI-COUNTY MALL (with 1,349,000 square feet).

Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, KENWOOD TOWNE CENTER became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.

Sources:

The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Business Courier
Cincinnati Magazine
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
"Directory of Shopping Centers in the United States and Canada, 5th Edition" (1962)
https://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.kenwoodtownecentre.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.kenwoodtownecentre.com
https://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://westdev.com/project/kenwood-towne-centre / Western Development
"Brookfield Property Partners" article on Wikipedia

Kenwood Mall

A fully-enclosed shopping complex was built across Montgomery Road from KENWOOD PLAZA.
Graphic from Lindner Enterprises

KENWOOD MALL opened, as the Queen City's first enclosed shopping center, in August 1966. The single-level complex spanned approximately 370,000 leasable square feet.
Drawing from Lindner Enterprises 

As was the case with the Queen City's Westerns, its two Kenwoods were also confused with one another. This identity crisis only got worse when the original PLAZA was remade into an enclosed MALL and the old MALL was reconfigured as a PLAZA!

The focal point of the new KENWOOD MALL was its Center Court Rain Fountain. One of the water-less "Wonderfall" features of the 1960s, it extended 40 feet from floor-to-ceiling.

Drawing from Lindner Enterprises 

In 1967, KENWOOD MALL housed forty-one stores and services. Its split-level parking area had accommodations for 2,200 autos. At the time of this plan, the freestanding Kenwood Theatre had just been dedicated.

KENWOOD MALL TENANTS 1967:

SHILLITO'S (with Snack Bar, Public Meeting Room and attached Tire Center) / THRIFTWAY supermarket / Adam's Travel Bureau / Annette's Restaurant (outparcel) / Arnold Palmer Cleaners / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Barricini Candy / Citizen's State Bank / Dolly Madison Beauty Shop / Dorl & Fern Florist / Firestone Tire & Auto / Getz Jewelers / Golden Cage Cards & Gifts / Graeter's Confections / Hot Shoppes Restaurant / Hunter Savings & Loan / Kenwood Theatre (single screen outparcel) / Kichler's Superior Drapery Shop / Klein Optical Center / La Rue sidewalk cafe restaurant / Lillian's ladies' wear / Marmer's Shoes / Martin's Town & Country Fashions (with Beauty Salon) / Mary Lester Fabrics / Maternity Modes / National Uniform Shop / Nobil Shoes / Neumark Melody Shop records / Parklane Hosiery / Paula Lee Shoes / Roderick St. John apparel / Size 5-7-9 Shops / Spencer Gifts / The Fireplace Shop / Tony's Barber Shop / Unique Basket Shop wicker accessories / Waldenbooks / Walt's Hobby Shop / Wilson Paint

 

KENWOOD MALL

Montgomery and Kenwood Roads

Hamilton County, Ohio

Greater Cincinnati's first enclosed shopping center was built across the road from the KENWOOD PLAZA strip complex. KENWOOD MALL occupied a 30-acre parcel at the southeast corner of the intersection of Montgomery and Kenwood Roads. The shopping hub was developed by Cincinnati's Carl and Robert Lindner. The Baxter, Hodell, Donnelly & Preston firm, of Cincinnati, was the project architect.  

An official dedication was held on August 15, 1966. Encompassing approximately 370,000 leasable square feet, KENWOOD MALL housed thirty-five stores and services (out of an eventual forty-one). Anchoring the single-level complex was a 2-level (160,000 square foot), Cincinnati-based Shillito's ["shil-uh-towz"]. 

Charter tenants included Martin's Town & Country Fashions, Lillian's ladies' wear, Paul Harris ladies' wear, Marmer's Shoes, Unique Basket Shop, Parklane Hosiery, Spencer Gifts, a Hot Shoppes Restaurant and Thriftway supermarket. 

The focal point of the original KENWOOD MALL was its 40-foot-high "Rain Fountain", which graced its Center Court. This water-less "Wonderfall" consisted of a circular network of nylon strings which conducted drops of glycerin from ceiling to floor. These faux fountains featured stunning colored light displays. 

The RKO-Stanley Warner Kenwood Theatre was built as a north parking area outparcel. The first feature at the venue was shown on February 15, 1967. The cinema was twinned in 1978 and shuttered in 1994.

KENWOOD MALL began to decline following the late 1980s renovation of KENWOOD PLAZA into the glitzy, superregional KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE. 

Shillito's at KENWOOD MALL had been rebranded as a Shillito Rikes in June 1982 and came under the Lazarus brand in March 1986. In October 1988, the store moved to a new location at KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE. The lower floor of the original Shillito's / Lazarus at KENWOOD MALL became a (69,400 square foot) Lazarus Furniture Gallery. 

Sycamore Plaza At Kenwood

After several years in a downward spiral, KENWOOD MALL was gutted, leaving only the floors, roof and some exterior walls standing. A power center of sixteen store spaces was created. Its name, SYCAMORE PLAZA AT KENWOOD, was derived from the location of the complex within Hamilton County's Sycamore Township.

Photo from www.loopnet.com

An official re-dedication was held in November 1994. The reconfigured retail venue featured Barnes & Noble, All About Sports, Linens 'n Things and Staples (a holdover from the old KENWOOD MALL). When fully-leased, SYCAMORE PLAZA spanned 345,000 leasable square feet.

SYCAMORE PLAZA had two enclosed Atriums; one on the west side, the other on the east. Here we see the 3-level East Atrium and its labyrinthine network of escalators.
Photo from Danis Building Construction Company

Above and below are two early 2000s-vintage snapshots of the "power mall." By this time, it was known as simply SYCAMORE PLAZA. In this image, we see the southeast corner of the complex.
Photo from www.showcase.com

This Ruby Tuesday restaurant moved from a circa-1988 store at the ritzy TOWNE CENTRE across the road. No doubt, the rent was much cheaper here!
Photo from www.showcase.com

By the time of this 2014 layout, a few stores have changed. All About Sports threw in the proverbial towel in 1997, followed by Linens 'n Things, in 2008. Barnes & Noble moved out in 2013. Vacancies were filled by Dick's Sporting Goods and T.J. Maxx.

4 years later, much of the interior has been reconfigured. Dicks Sporting Goods has shifted northward, taking the place of Old Navy and Staples. Center store space has been rebuilt as a combo Marshalls-HomeGoods and Michaels. The displaced Staples has established a new store in the southwest corner of the shopping center, which has just been renamed KENWOOD SQUARE.

SYCAMORE PLAZA AT KENWOOD
Montgomery and Kenwood Roads
Hamilton County, Ohio

Following the late 1980s reinvention of the KENWOOD PLAZA strip center, tenants in KENWOOD MALL began to relocate into the new KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE. At first, Atlanta-based ERE Yarmouth, who owned KENWOOD MALL, considered redeveloping the property as an upscale enclosed shopping center.

Eventually, it was decided to remake the faltering retail complex into a big box-based power center. Cincinnati's Baxter-Hodell-Donnelly-Preston firm (who had designed the original mall) was enlisted to conceptualize the transformation. An 18.7 million dollar renovation commenced in March 1994.

This entailed gutting the interior of the mall and creating an enclosed and open-air facility. This would be comprised of 345,000 leasable square feet and contain sixteen stores and services. KENWOOD MALL tenants, such as the Lazarus Furniture Gallery, Staples, Wilson's Paints, LensCrafters and Firestone, leased space in -or around- the renewed retail center.

Newly-signed stores included a (35,300 square foot) Linens 'n Things, (35,000 square foot) Barnes & Noble, (41,600 square foot) All About Sports and (25,700 square foot) Old Navy. The revitalized complex, now known as SYCAMORE PLAZA AT KENWOOD, was dedicated on November 22, 1994.

The Cincinnati-based All About Sports chain was liquidated, with its SYCAMORE PLAZA store closing on July 26, 1997. Pittsburgh's Dick's Sporting Goods assumed the space. On March 6, 2005, the Lazarus Furniture Gallery was rebannered as a Macy's Furniture Gallery.

The shopping hub was sold to Beverly Hills-based RPP Realty Partners in the summer of 2004. They flipped the property in April 2008, with Jacksonville's Regency Centers becoming its new proprietor. A third sale was made to Beachwood, Ohio's Developers Diversified Realty Corporation. They acquired the complex, now known as SYCAMORE PLAZA, in August 2013.

Barnes & Noble pulled out of the PLAZA on December 31, 2013. The space was taken by T.J. Maxx, which welcomed first shoppers in September 2014. Within a few years, Old Navy had pulled up stakes. An adjacent Staples store relocated within the complex. The two spaces were reconfigured as a new location for Dick's Sporting Goods. The new (82,600 square foot) store held its grand opening on October 15, 2016.

The center section of SYCAMORE PLAZA was also rebuilt. The vacant Dick's and adjacent Linens 'n Things spaces were refashioned into a combo (46,400 square foot) Marshalls-Home Goods. The remainder of the area became a (27,700 square foot) Michaels. Marshalls-HomeGoods began business on October 26, 2017.

By this time, the name of the shopping complex had been changed to KENWOOD SQUARE. Toys "R" Us closed, along with the entire chain, on June 29, 2018. The Developers Diversified Realty Corporation changed its name to SITE Centers Corporation in October 2018.

Sources:

The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati Business Courier

http://www.danisbuilding.com / Danis Building Construction Company
"New Retail Concepts" / www.thestrategicedge.com"
Sycamore Plaza Slated To Be Sold" / Cincinnati Post / 5-29-2004 / Greg Paeth
ULI Development Case Studies / Sycamore Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio / 1997
http://www.regencycenters.com / Regency Centers
https://www.sitecenters.com
http://www.wcpo.com / WCPO-TV
"Lazarus" article on Wikipedia

Cincinnati's Beechmont Mall

A depiction of the original BEECHMONT MALL trademark. 
Original graphic from Lindner Enterprises / Recreated by -and for- the Mall Hall of Fame

BEECHMONT opened for business in October 1969. It was the fourth interior mall in Greater Cincinnati; this following KENWOOD MALL (1966), WESTERN WOODS MALL (1966) and a fully-enclosed TRI-COUNTY CENTER (1968).

Drawing from Lindner Enterprises

Shillito's anchored the west end of BEECHMONT MALL. It was the fourth unit in the Cincinnati-based chain.
Photo from www.neyerconstruction.com / Al Neyer, Incorporated

Mabley & Carew, also based in Cincinnati, sat on the east end of the original shopping complex. This store was "Mabley's" sixth unit.
Drawing from the Allied Stores Corporation

Carl and Robert Lindner had developed Greater Cincinnati's KENWOOD MALL. Like KENWOOD, their BEECHMONT MALL featured a "Rain Fountain" as the focal point of its Center Court. 

Drawing from Lindner Enterprises

The Lindner Brothers also owned United Dairy Farmers, which operated a group of ice cream shops in the Tri-State area. One of these, the United Dairy Farmers Ice Cream Corner, was among the fifty-four original BEECHMONT MALL stores.
Drawing from Lindner Enterprises

A freestanding Provident Bank was an outparcel of the original mall.

Drawing from The Provident Bank