Cincinnati's Swifton Center  

The Queen City's first mall-type shopping center opened its doors in October 1956. A target trademark was used to promote the original SWIFTON CENTER, which was situated at the geographic center of Greater Cincinnati.
Graphic from Sun Construction Company

The mall was in planning stages for several years, going under the provisional name of "Woodner Center." A circa-1951 rendering shows an early conception, with the adjacent Swifton Village Apartments seen on the left. The residential complex (but not the shopping center) was once owned by Donald Trump. 
Drawing from the Jonathan Woodner Company Proposal, 1951 / Varady's Research Archive

A plan for the Mall (or Upper) Level. Two Professional Office Buildings were to be part of the facility. This layout would be substantially altered for the project that was eventually built.
Drawing from the Jonathan Woodner Company Proposal, 1951 / Varady's Research Archive

Here we see the 6-story medical center building that would have been incorporated into the mall proper. A second office tower, located across Langdon Farm Road, was to be connected to the mall via elevated walkway.
Drawing from the Jonathan Woodner Company Proposal, 1951 / Varady's Research Archive

In this rendering, we see a storefront in the prospective shopping center.
Drawing from the Jonathan Woodner Company Proposal, 1951 / Varady's Research Archive

In its original state, SWIFTON CENTER was anchored by a Rollman's department store, which stood at the south end of the Washington Plaza concourse.
Photo from Allied Stores Corporation Annual Report 1956

There were two supermarkets in the original mall. Dayton's Liberal chain extended operations into the Cincinnati market with a 19,300 square foot store. A SWIFTON CENTER Kroger was exactly the same size.
Drawing from Liberal Markets, Incorporated 

The Washington Plaza concourse at SWIFTON CENTER was appointed with landscaping, fountains and seating areas. This open mall, and six connecting entry lanes, were named after United States Presidents.
Photo from The Cincinnati Enquirer [See Media Fair Use Rationale at end of article]

At its October 1956 inauguration, SWIFTON CENTER was hailed as a shopper's dream world. The retail hub spanned approximately 486,000 leasable square feet and was comprised of two floors; the Mall Level and Langdon Level. By the time of the circa-1957 plan, there were fifty-eight stores and services and free parking for 3,500 autos.

SWIFTON CENTER TENANTS 1957:

MALL LEVEL
ROLLMAN'S (with Beauty Salon, Children's Barber & Beauty Salon, Garden Restaurant and Malt Bar) / KROGER supermarket / LIBERAL supermarket / G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Allstate Insurance / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Big Tree Fruit Market & Obermeyer Meats / Eastern Hills Camera Shop / Fenton-Wuerdeman-Thayer Cleaners / Fifth Third Union Trust Company / Franklin Simon family apparel / Frisco's Hardware & Appliance / Fun Spots kiddie rides / Goldsmith's, Incorporated ladies' & children's apparel / Graeter's Confections / Household Finance Corporation / Klosterman's Bake Shop / Lillian's ladies' wear / Loft's Candies / Ludwig's Shoes / Maternity Modes / Maude Muller Candies / Max's Gentry Shops men's wear / Murray's Beauty Salon / My Shop of Swifton ladies' wear / National Shirt Shops / Neumark Melody Shop records / Normandie Hats / One Hour Valet cleaners / Pennington's Cafeteria / Queen Optical Company / Richman Brothers men's wear / Rogers Toy Shop / Schiff's Shoes / Sohio service station {Langdon Farm Road} (outparcel) / Sohio service station {Seymour Avenue} (outpacel) / Squires, Incorporated men's wear / Swifton Camera Centre / Tasty Bird Farms poultry / The Colony restaurant / The Cotton Shop ladies' wear / Thom McAn Shoes / Urmetz Jewelers & Gifts / Walgreen Drug (with luncheonette) / Walsh Shoe Repair / Wilbur-Rogers, Incorporated ladie's wear / Wilson Paint Company / Wizard Weavers / Young Ages children's wear

LANGDON LEVEL
Hills Barber Shop / Juvenile Furniture Company / Leo's Home & Auto Supply / Pasquale's Pizza Carry Out / Slenderama Figure Salon / Swifton Laundermatic

The SWIFTON Rollman's was short-lived. It closed in April 1960 and re-opened, as a Mabley & Carew (or "Mabley's"), in November of the same year. Grand opening festivities included appearances by Glen "Skipper" Ryle, of WKRC-TV, and Marian Spelman, popular WLWT-TV vocalist.
Drawing from the Allied Stores Corporation

The 10th anniversary of SWIFTON CENTER was celebrated in October 1966. During 4 days of festivities, there was a sock hop dance, appearances by several WLWT stars, concerts, prize giveaways and a 1967 car show on the mall.
Graphic from the General Development Corporation

By the mid-1970s, SWIFTON CENTER was in decline. The mall had housed over sixty stores in 1966. In 10 years, this number had dropped to fifty-six. A 3 million dollar renovation, to enclose and upgrade the complex, was announced in December 1976. Work was plotted to commence in the summer of 1977.
Drawing from the General Development Corporation

As it turned out, the renovation did not get underway until October 1984. The shopping hub, which had less that ten operational stores, would not be enclosed as originally planned. It would be rebuilt as an open-air venue. The rendering above is a depiction of a new and improved SWIFTON COMMONS mall.

Drawing from F.W. Pressler & Associates

A 12 million dollar face lift was completed, with an official grand re-opening held in September 1985. SWIFTON COMMONS still encompassed its original 486,000 leasable square feet. However, there were now forty-five stores and restaurants. 
Graphic from the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation

SWIFTON COMMONS TENANTS 1986:

ELDER-BEERMAN (with Hair World Beauty Salon) / J.J. Newberry 5 & 10 / 7th Avenue ladies' wear / Added Touch / CPI Photo Finish / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Cincy Shops / Circus World Toys / Doctor Frankel, Doctor of Dental Science / Dragon Inn chinese restaurant / El-Bee Shoe Outlets / Essence Hair Products / Famous Footwear / Fifth Third Bank / Fun & Games / Gussing Shoes / Hancock Fabrics / Kinney Shoes / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Lerners New York ladies' wear / Margo's / Merry Go Round ladies' wear / Morrow's Nut House / National Record Mart / Osterman Jewelers / Ran's Shoe Repair / Regis Hairstylists / Richman Brothers men's wear / Royal Optical / Shapes Active Wear / Soul Train of New York / Spare Change / SupeRx Drugs / The Card Cage / The Finish Line / Waldenbooks / Zales Jewelers

TREATS FOOD COURT:
Favorite Recipe / GNC / Gold Star Chili / Greek Isle / Original Cookie Company / Osogud Nuts, Cards & Gifts / Sbarro the Italian Eatery

Promoted with the slogan Much More Than Stores, the repurposed retail center fared well in the early years. By 1989, there were forty-eight tenants. Unfortunately, the newness soon wore off. In 1993, there were forty-three tenants. This number had dropped to twenty-nine by 1996, when the struggling shopping center was sold at a sheriff's auction. 
Photo from The Cincinnati Enquirer [See Media Fair Use Rationale at end of article]

In 2001, a religious congregation acquired the property. Their new sanctuary, the Allen Temple AME Church, was built in the mall's northeast parking area and was dedicated in May 2004.
Photo from http://www.moodynolan.com

The SWIFTON mall was renamed JORDAN CROSSING CENTER in November 2002. . In this circa-2009 layout, the AME Church is shown in light gray. The anchor store on the south end, abandoned by Elder-Beerman in January 1996, was substantially renovated by the Hamilton County Community Action Agency in 2004-2005.

One of the promotions used to increase foot traffic was a a series of summer concerts, Jazz At Jordan Crossing, which were held in the mall's central courtyard. These performances were discontinued just before the historic shopping facility was demolished, in August 2013. The Elder-Beerman building was the only mall structure left standing.  
Photo from www.jordancrossingcenter.com

Redevelopment plans for the mall site have been on the drawing board since 2013. A proposed MIDPOINTE CROSSING complex would include retail and office space and -possibly- residential and hospitality components...if it is built. 

Graphic from http://midpointecrossing.com

SWIFTON CENTER
Reading Road / US 42 and 25 and Seymour Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 

Plans for Cincinnati's first shopping mall were announced in February 1951. A prospectus was presented to the City Planning Commission by the Jonathan Woodner Company, of Washington, DC. In March, the Woodner Company held a groundbreaking at a 41-acre site, located 6.7 miles northeast of Fountain Square, in the Bond Hill district of the city. 

The 1,200-unit Swifton Village apartment complex was being built as a first phase of a combination retail and residential development. The first 116 Swifton Village units were completed by May 1952. Construction of the SWIFTON CENTER shopping mall was scheduled to commence after completion of the apartment complex, but would be delayed for several years.

An initial design for SWIFTON CENTER was envisaged by Morris Ketcham of New York City's Ketcham, Gina & Sharp firm. The open-air mall would include a 3-level department store, 5-level medical center and 11-story office building. A bomb shelter would also be built on the lower level of the mall.

Progress was delayed by controversy and government red tape. A citizens group protested encroachment of a commercial facility in a residential area. There were also zoning issues. The original plan had to be revised several times. In November 1953, the Woodner Company tried, unsuccessfully, to get the local Zoning Board of Appeals to issue a building permit. In the meantime, Cincinnati's Rollman & Son's department store agreed to anchor the shopping hub with their first branch location.

The Woodner Company threw in the proverbial towel in December 1954. They sold their interest in SWIFTON CENTER to New York City's Stahl Development Company. In January 1955, Knoxville, Tennessee's Guilford Glazer emerged as a joint venture partner. Glazer established full ownership of the project in September 1955, forming the General Development Corporation to own and manage the property. 

Meanwhile, ground had been broken for SWIFTON CENTER on June 10, 1955. New plans had been drawn by Knoxville's David B. Liberman, who had designed Eastern Tennessee's OAK RIDGE BUSINESS DISTRICT. After over 5 years of planning and construction, SWIFTON CENTER was formally dedicated on October 24, 1956. A ceremonial ribbon was cut by Mrs. Charles P. Taft, wife of the Mayor of Cincinnati. 

The new mall covered approximately 486,000 leasable square feet and housed forty-seven stores and services. A 3-level (150,000 square foot) Rollman's anchored the south end of the facility. Charter stores included Max's Gentry Shops, Franklin Simon, Lillian's, The Cotton Shops, National Shirt Shops, Loft's Candies, Pennington's Cafeteria, Rogers Toy Shop and Squires, Incorporated.

Major inline stores at SWIFTON CENTER were a (19,300 square foot) Kroger supermarket, (19,300 square foot) Liberal supermarket, (8,000 square foot) Walgreen Drug, (27,000 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 and 2-level (47,800 square foot) G.C. Murphy 5 & 10. The Mall Level included a kiddie amusement area that had a mini-merry-go-round, mini ferris wheel, boat ride and teeter-copter. The main shopping concourse, and six entry halls, were named after United States presidents.

On the Langdon Level (or Lower Floor) were a Pasquale's Pizza Carry-Out, Hill's Barber Shop, Juvenile Furniture and Slenderama Salon. A fallout shelter could accommodate 10,000 people. Eventually, there were a State (liquor) Store, Social Security Administration office and practices for several dentists and physicians.

Rollman's SWIFTON CENTER store was shuttered after only 4 years in business. Cincinnati-based Mabley & Carew renovated the building and opened, on November 21, 1960, as that chain's second branch. This store was rebranded by Dayton-based Elder-Beerman on August 10, 1978.

By the early 1970s, SWIFTON CENTER had been outpositioned by newer and larger shopping centers in its vicinity. These included TRI-COUNTY CENTER (1960) {6.9 miles north, in Springdale}, KENWOOD MALL (1966) {4.5 miles northeast, in Hamilton County} and WESTERN WOODS MALL (1966) {9 miles west, in Hamilton County and Cincinnati}.

At one point, there were only five tenants in business at SWIFTON CENTER, which had space for nearly seventy. The complex sat practically vacant for several years. Then, a 12 million dollar renovation was undertaken by a joint venture of the Youngstown-based Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and Jerome Glazer of New Orleans. A newly-remodeled -and renamed- SWIFTON COMMONS was dedicated on September 4, 1985.

New stores included Lane Bryant, Kinney Shoes, SupeRx Drugs, Hancock Fabrics, National Record Mart, Regis Hairstylists, Waldenbooks, Zales Jewelers and J.J. Newberry. One of the features of the complex was its enclosed Treats Food Court, which featured vendors such as Gold Star Chili, Favorite Recipe, Sbarro the Italian Eatery and Greek Isle.

This effort to reinvigorate the shopping venue was modestly successful for a time. However, by the late 1980s, the mall's marketing focus had changed to that of an "off price", "outlet store" -type facility. New tenants included Everything's $1, the $5 and $10 Store and Play Outlet sporting goods. Unfortunately, this marketing shift failed to revitalize the struggling shopping center. 

By the mid-1990s, SWIFTON COMMONS was in foreclosure. Elder-Beerman was demoted to an Outlet Store in March 1993 and shuttered in January 1996. The mall was sold in 1996, again in 1997 and -for a third time- in 2001. The final purchase was made by the Allen Temple AME Church, who attempted to remarket the former SWIFTON COMMONS as an "informational and community service mall of the 21st century."

The complex, which was renamed JORDAN CROSSING CENTER, included a branch of Wilberforce University and offices for the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency. These occupied the extensively-renovated shell of the old Rollman's-Elder-Beerman anchor store. A freestanding sanctuary, the Allen Temple AME Church, was built on a 4.5-acre section of the mall's northwest parking area. The new house of worship was dedicated in May 2004. Further renovations to the circa-1956 open-air mall were proposed but never carried out.

In its final years, JORDAN CROSSING CENTER housed retail tenants such as Derrick Allen's Beauty Salon, Deveroes Clothing, Family Printing & Design Center, Image Makers Barber Shop and Ike's Bar-B-Que. There were also offices for three non-profit organizations and five church sanctuaries.

By 2010, there was public concern about the partially vacant -and rapidly deteriorating- shopping mall. The plan was to demolish it and repurpose the property. 23 acres of the site were acquired by The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority in February 2013. The MKSK firm was enlisted to design a mixed-use facility.

A vacant Burger King, on the north end of the property, was knocked down in April 2013. Demolition of the mall proper began in August of the same year. The Allen Temple AME Church and Hamilton County Community Action Agency structures were left standing.

According to plan, the shopping center was to be replaced by MIDPOINTE CROSSING, a mixed-use facility including 141,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of retail. Extended plans called for a 100-room hotel and several residential units. Unfortunately, the redevelopment progressed at a snail's pace. After 10 years, details were still being worked out. 

 
Sources:

The Cincinnati Post

The Cincinnati Enquirer
"Swifton Mall Orphaned Giant Searching For Market, Future" / Cliff Peale, Cincinnati Post staff reporter)

"Allen Temple To Build Impressive New Church At Swifton Mall, Evolves As Community Focus" / Allen Howard, Cincinnati Enquirer staff reporter)

Varady's Research Archive, Bond Hill / Album: Swifton Commons / Jonathan Woodner Company Proposal (1951)

"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth

http://www.best-of-cincinnati.com
http://www.pfbarchitects.com / "Swifton Commons - 1994 Renovation, Cincinnati, Ohio" / PFB Architects, Incorporated

http://jordancrossingcenter.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine) 
http://www.multihousingnews.com
http://www.bizjournals.com
"Swifton Center" article on Wikipedia

FAIR USE OF SWIFTON CENTER AND SWIFTON COMMONS IMAGES:

The photos from The Cincinnati Enquirer illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are of lower resolution than the originals (copies made would be of inferior quality). The images are not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the images does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute them in any way. The images are being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.

Cincinnati's Tri-County Center

 

Greater Cincinnati's second mall-type shopping complex was named for its proximity to three southwestern Ohio counties; Hamilton, Butler and Warren.

Graphic from Tri-County Center, Incorporated

 

 

The Shopping Showplace of Ohio! The open-air TRI-COUNTY mall was built in the northern environs of Hamilton County, adjacent to an initial section of the Interstate 275 "Circle Freeway." The thoroughfare may be seen in the background of this image.
Drawing from Plastichrome by Colour Picture Publishers

Our first TRI-COUNTY layout is a high-definition Complete Plan. It shows the location of each of the mall's fifty-one stores. In September 1960, Cincinnati's second shopping mall encompassed 500,000 leasable square feet, with free parking provided for 4,000 autos.

TRI-COUNTY CENTER TENANTS 1960:

SHILLITO'S (with The Captain's Table restaurant and Community Room) / POGUE'S (with Camargo Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor) / KROGER supermarket / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Bankhardt's Luggage Shop / Bond Clothes / Brendamour's Sporting Goods / Buddy Dale men's wear / Burkhardt's men's wear / Carlson's Hardware & Appliance / Central Trust Bank / Chandler's Shoes / Charles of the Ritz beauty salon / Children's Corner / Economy Savings & Loan / Fabric Center / Fanny Farmer Candies / Federal Bake Shop / Freidman's Furniture / Getz Jewelers / Goldcraft Studios / Graeter's Confections / Gray Drug (with luncheonette) / Herschede's Jewelers / Kathman Shoe Repair / Maternity Modes / Martin's Town & Country Fashions / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Monte's Restaurant / National Shirt Shops / Neumark Melody Shop records / Northtown Stationers / Queen Optical / People's Building & Loan / Potter Shoe Company / Prestige Cleaners / Sapadin's ladies' wear / Schiff Shoes / Size 5-7-9 Shops / State (Liquor) Store / Steinberg's TV & Appliance / Tall Fashions / The Lamp Post home lighting center / Three Sister's ladies' wear / Tresler Comet service station (outparcel) / Tri-County Camera / Tri-County Barber Shop / Welfit Corset Shop / Wilson Paint / World Wide Gifts / Young World 

Two Queen City-based retail chains anchored the circa-'60 center. On its north end was Shillito's, which was the chain's first branch. The store was dedicated in September 1960 and featured The Captain's Table, a sit-down restaurant.
Drawing from the John Shillito Company

On the south end of TRI-COUNTY CENTER was H & S Pogue. The second branch in the Pogue's chain, it also commenced operation in September 1960. The store's main feature was its Camargo Restaurant.
Drawing from the H & S Pogue Company

A third anchor department store was added to TRI-COUNTY CENTER in the late '60s. Sears opened in May 1967. Stores in an adjacent "enclosed wing" were dedicated in August of the same year.
Photo from Sears, Roebuck & Company Annual Report 1967

Following the completion of Sears and the Enclosed Wing (medium gray), the circa-1960 mall was enclosed and climate-controlled. This renovation project was finished in April 1968. TRI-COUNTY CENTER was now Greater Cincinnati's third enclosed shopping facility. It encompassed approximately 925,000 leasable square feet and housed sixty-nine stores.

A 350,000 square foot mini mall was built directly across Kemper Road from TRI-COUNTY. The fully-enclosed CASSINELLI SQUARE opened for business in August 1976. This value-oriented venue, which contained eighteen stores and services, was anchored by Service Merchandise and a Gold Circle discount mart.
Graphic from Joseph J. Freed & Associates

A major renovation and expansion was done at TRI-COUNTY MALL between 1989 and 1992. Shopping concourses were double-decked, two parking garages built and a new McAlpin's added. The shopping facility now encompassed 1,281,700 leasable square feet and had a directory of over 200 stores and services. Expanded parking facilities now accommodated 6,300 autos at one time.

Above and below are views of the TRI-COUNTY Center Court Atrium and Fountain.
Photo from "FTN 65"

These features were installed during the 1989-1992 renovation and expansion.
Photo from "FTN 65"

By 2008, three of the mall's four anchors have been rebranded. McAlpin's morphed into Dillard's in the late 1990s. The shuttering of J.C. Penney (in the old Pogue's place) created a vacancy in 2005 that was filled by a rebuild of the store structure. It now houses Ethan Allen, Krazy City and seven inline store and restaurant spaces. A Lazarus on the north end of the mall has been "Macy-ated."

Dillard's acquired Mercantile Stores, based in nearby Fairfield, Ohio, in 1998. In 1999, the Arkansas-based chain rebranded the TRI-COUNTY McAlpin's. Demoted to a Clearance Center in 2013, the store would be permanently shuttered in 2015.
Photo from www.ddr.com / Developers Diversified Realty

The mall's Krazy City indoor theme park opened in December 2007...but closed in late 2009.
Photo from Kings Island Central Forums / "CoasterRZ"

Competition from KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE and several new lifestyle complexes had sent TRI-COUNTY MALL into a downward spiral by the 2010s. A Singapore-based company bought the complex in 2013 and envisaged a massive renovation and repositioning. The 27 million dollar project was to create an enclosed and open-air "power mall."
Drawing from https://www.tricountymall.com 

Eventually, the Singapore company gave up. They sold the virtually 
vacant property. A new plan, for ARTISAN VILLAGE, was announced. 
TRI-COUNTY MALL closed for good in May 2022, ending over 61 years 
of commerce. By 2024, the potential mixed-use redevelopment had 
been renamed. It would now be known as CITY CENTER SPRINGDALE. 
Drawing from MarketSpace Capital 

TRI-COUNTY CENTER
Princeton Pike and Kemper Road
Springdale, Ohio

Greater Cincinnati's second shopping mall was developed by a joint venture of Federated Department Stores and Baltimore's Joseph Meyerhoff. The single-level, open-air complex was designed by Baltimore's Kenneth Cameron Miller, Cincinnati's Cyrus L. Baxter and Raymond Loewy, of New York City. The mall was built on a 77-acre site, located 13 miles north of downtown Cincinnati's Fountain Square, in suburban Springdale.

A "Shillito Shopping Center" had been proposed in December 1955 by Jeffrey Lazarus, Chairman of the Board at Cincinnati-based Shillito's ["shil-uh-towz"]. Ground was broken for the 25 million dollar project on July 22, 1959. By this time, the prospective shopping hub was known as TRI-COUNTY CENTER.

The ultra-modern shopper's mall encompassed approximately 500,000 leasable square feet, with a tenant list of fifty-one stores and services. A 3-level (170,000 square foot) Shillito's stood on the north end, with a 2-level (110,000 square foot), Cincinnati-based H & S Pogue presiding over the south.

A formal grand opening was held on September 26, 1960. In attendance were Jeffrey Lazarus, Fred Lazarus III (President of Shillito's), James W. Petty (President of H & S Pogue), Joseph Meyerhoff and Gustave Neuss (Mayor of Springdale). Marian Spelman, popular WLWT vocalist, sang the "Star Spangled Banner." Music was provided by the Princeton High School Band.

Charter TRI-COUNTY stores included Chandler's Shoes, Brendamour's Sporting Goods, Friedman's Home Furnishings, Three Sisters ladies' wear, Carlson's Hardware & Appliance, Fanny Farmer Candies, Federal Bake Shop and Northtown Stationers. The larger inline stores were a (26,000 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10, (28,000 square foot) Kroger supermarket and (9,000 square foot) Gray Drug.

Major retail centers in the TRI-COUNTY trade area included KENWOOD PLAZA (1956) and KENWOOD MALL (1966) {7.3 miles southeast, in Hamilton County}, as well as NORTHGATE MALL (1972) {7.6 miles southwest, also in Hamilton County}. CASSINELLI SQUARE (1976) {.9 mile south, in Springdale} was a small, barely regional-class, "value-oriented" complex. It provided no sizable competition to the larger mall across Kemper Road. 

The mall proper at TRI-COUNTY CENTER was given its first renovation in the mid-1960s. A 2-level (285,000 square foot) Sears was built on the southeast corner of the mall site. This store opened for business on May 4, 1967. An "enclosed wing" was added, connecting Pogue's and Sears. Sixteen inline stores were dedicated on August 21, 1967. Among these were Casual Corner, Friedman's Early American Store, Hickory Farms of Ohio and The Matador cocktail lounge. 

A third renovation phase enclosed the open-air concourse between Shillito's and Pogue's. This project,  designed by the Baxter, Hodell, Donelly & Preston firm, was completed in April 1968. TRI-COUNTY MALL now spanned approximately 925,000 leasable square feet and contained seventy-one tenant spaces.

Shillito's TRI-COUNTY store expanded into a fourth level in the early 1960s. During this renovation, interior spaces were redecorated and a lower level Basement Store created. When construction dust settled, in September 1962, the store covered approximately 220,000 square feet. 

A second enlargement, completed in June 1973, added a 1-level section to Shillito's northwest-facing front. This increased its size to 235,000 square feet. Apparently, a freestanding Shillito's Tire Center was built at the same time in the mall's northwest parking area. In September 1976, Hader Hardware moved from inside the mall into the tire center building.  

Stores in the Shillito's chain were rebranded as Shillito Rikes units in June 1982. They were rebranded by Columbus-based Lazarus in March 1986 and became Lazarus-Macy's stores in August 2003. Macy's nameplates were installed on March 6, 2005. 

Pogue's renovated and expanded their store in the early 1970s. The interior was given a face lift, with a third level added. This new retail floor housed a Beauty Salon and home furnishings department. A re-grand opening was held in September 1971, with the store now covering 160,000 square feet.

The 9-bay A La Carte food court was installed in the TRI-COUNTY Entrance Mall court area. The culinary complex was dedicated on September 14, 1985. Some of its eateries were Ancient Wok, Baskin-Robbins ice cream, Chili Supreme, One Potato Two and Pizza Hut Express.

A second mall renovation commenced in May 1989; this done as a keeping up measure with the new FOREST FAIR MALL (1988) {2.8 miles northwest, in Forest Park and Fairfield}. At this time, the remaining, ultra-modern architecture at TRI-COUNTY was torn out and a second mall concourse added on top of the first.

This remodeling and expansion brought the 14-bay Cafe Express Food Court. This was located on the mall's new Upper Level, near Sears. A new Central Atrium included a 2-tiered, waterfall fountain. The revitalized TRI-COUNTY MALL was officially dedicated on October 25, 1990. New stores included Aerospostale, Carimar, Coda men's wear, Software Etcetera and The Disney Store.

Construction work continued. Two parking garages were built, along with a 3-level (236,000 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. This store was dedicated on August 6, 1992. With these -and other- improvements, the shopping hub encompassed around 1,281,700 leasable square feet. Its tenant roster now listed over 203 stores and services.

McAlpin's morphed into a Dillard's in June 1999. Meanwhile, Pogue's had been rebranded as an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on October 29, 1984. The store re-opened, as a J.C. Penney, on November 7, 1988 and was shuttered in July 2005. The vacant structure was gutted.

Its lower level was subdivided into a multi-story glass atrium, with Ethan Allen Furniture, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse and seven inline stores. These opened between late 2007 and early 2008. The upper levels were configured as a (50,000 square foot) Krazy City indoor theme park. This included carnival rides, a mini-golf driving range and go-kart track.

The shopping complex was acquired by the New York City-based Thor Equities Corporation in January 2005. In May 2006, a joint venture of Beachwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty and New York City-based Coventry Real Estate Advisors established majority ownership. Thor Equities retained a small percentage.

By this time, a proliferation of new lifestyle and power centers had begun to usurp TRI-COUNTY MALL. By 2012, the facility was in receivership, with several vacant store fronts lining its corridors. In May 2013, a foreclosure sale was ordered by a Hamilton County judge. The mall was sold at a sheriff's auction in July, with the buyer being the Singapore-based Sing Haiyi Group, Limited. They immediately announced plans to bring TRI-COUNTY "back to its former glory," with a renovation and repositioning of the property.

A remodeling project was underway by mid-2015, with freestanding Men's Wearhouse, Starbucks Coffee and Chipotle Mexican Grill stores under construction. These were built as the first phase of a west-facing Streetscape that would run along Princeton Pike and make TRI-COUNTY MALL "look like a lifestyle center."

Meanwhile, a formidable competitor was completed in October 2015. LIBERTY CENTER {7.4 miles northeast, in Butler County} was anchored by Dick's Sporting Goods and Dillard's. The TRI-COUNTY Dillard's, by now operating as a Clearance Store, was shuttered on October 8, 2015.

Starbucks became the first operational Streetscape tenant on November 6, 2015. Men's Wearhouse (relocating from inside the mall) made its debut soon after. Chipotle Mexican Grill welcomed first diners in March 2016. The grand openings of these stores were followed by the closings of others. Sears' 51-year-old unit shut down on August 5, 2018, with Macy's going dark in April 2021.

Left anchor-less, with just thirty-eight stores, TRI-COUNTY MALL entered a downward spiral. A second phase of Streetscape stores never came to fruition. Renovation plans were quietly abandoned. The moribund mall was sold to a joint venture of two Texas-based real estate firms in November 2021.

A new plan, for a mixed-use facility, was announced by MarketSpace Capital and Pearl Harbor Capital. The prospective complex would be built in five phases over a 10-year period. Phase 1 would include 450 upscale apartments, 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 110,000 square feet of green space and a (38,000 square foot) fitness center. 

The Springdale City Council unanimously approved the 1 billion dollar redevelopment plan in December 2021. In April 2022, it was announced that the new complex would be known as ARTISAN VILLAGE. It would feature two hotels, a medical office building and 1,500 square feet of retail and entertainment venues.   

On May 15, 2022, TRI-COUNTY MALL closed for good. Outparcel businesses, such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Rainbow, Starbucks and Men's Wearhouse, remained in operation. In November 2023, the project ground to a halt due to financial problems. These had been worked out by July 2024.

 

Houston-based MarketSpace Capital established full ownership of the mall. Its redevelopment would now be supervised by the AV Cincinnati Acquisition, Limited Liability Company, of Carmel New York. This entity was a subsidiary of MarketSpace Capital. If everything goes as planned, demolition of Greater Cincinnati's second shopping mall could be underway by September 2025.

 

Sources:
 

The Cincinnati Enquirer
Personal recollection of the author 

"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
http://www.thorequities.com / Thor Equities (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.ddr.com / Developers Diversified Realty (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.apicincus.com / American Pacific International Capital

https://local12.com / WKRC-TV

https://www.wlwt.com / WLWT-TV

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Dallas' Big Town Mall  
 


A vintage view of the first enclosed and air-conditioned shopping mall in Texas.
Photo from the Texas Post Card Company

A pre-construction rendering of the Sanger's Big Town store. Apparently, the original plan was to build an open-air shopping center.

Drawing from Federated Department Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1955

An aerial of BIG TOWN MALL, looking southward. The Sanger Brothers (a.k.a. "Sanger's") anchor store is in the foreground with a Montgomery Ward off in the distance.
Photo from Oscar Slotboom / www.dfwfreeways.info

Greater Dallas' BIG TOWN opened in February 1959 with much media fanfare. A fully-enclosed shopping mall was a big deal, as there were only two other regional-sized enclosed malls in the United States at the time. The original BIG TOWN spanned 600,000 leasable square feet, housed forty-five stores and services, and provided free parking for 4,000 autos.

BIG TOWN MALL TENANTS 1959:

SANGER BROTHERS / MONTGOMERY WARD (with freestanding Auto Center) / J.C. PENNEY / F.W. WOOLWORTH (with luncheonette) / WRIGLEY supermarket / Andes Candies / Big Town Beauty Salon / Big Town Barber Shop / Big Town Coffee Shop / Big Town Town Hall / Big Town Town Square / Bond Clothes / Butler Shoes / Dallas East Publishing Company / Federal Bake Shop / Gift Shack (kiosk) / Hallmark Cards (kiosk) / Hardy Shoes / Kinney Shoes / Lee Optical / Lerner Shops / Margo's La Mode / Mode O'Day Frock Shop / National Key (kiosk) / National Shirt Shops / Olan Mills Studio / Owen Shoes / Paris Hats / Phillipson's / Planters Peanuts (kiosk) / PPG Auto Glass / PPG Paints / Rexall Drug (with luncheonette) / Snack Shack (kiosk) / Tie Rak / Toy Fair / United Finance / Volk's / Wash -n- Dry Coin Laundry / Western Auto / Zale's Jewelers / Zinke's Shoe Repair / Zip Cleaners / Woolworth's Cafeteria

MEZZANINE (above Town Square):
Atlas Insurance / Big Town Mall Office

On hand at the February 1959 BIG TOWN MALL grand opening was none other than James Cash Penney (1875-1971). He personally opened his company's 38,000 square foot BIG TOWN store.
Photo from http://www.biography.com

Although BIG TOWN was Dallas' first enclosed mall, it wasn't the first in the Metroplex. This distinction goes to a nearly forgotten open-air complex in the city's Oak Cliff section. A. HARRIS OAK CLIFF CENTER was dedicated in February 1956. It was anchored by the first (and only) branch of A. Harris & Company. This chain was rebranded by Sanger-Harris in 1961.

Getting back to BIG TOWN, a freestanding Woolworth's Cafeteria stood on the northeast corner of the mall (it wasn't adjacent to the Woolworth variety store).

Photo from F.W. Woolworth Company Annual Report 1959

The single-screen Cinema At Big Town was added, as a freestanding structure, to BIG TOWN MALL. The motion picture venue opened for business in February 1964.

A mid-1980s view of the northwest corner of BIG TOWN MALL. Its north anchor store appears in the background. An updated J.C. Penney is seen on the right.

A late '80s layout shows the mall's only expansion. A 39,000 square foot addition to Montgomery Ward (light gray) had been completed in 1975. Other than this, the basic footprint of the mall remained unchanged during all of its 42 years of commerce.

BIG TOWN MALL

US 80 East and Big Town Boulevard
Mesquite, Texas

Ground was broken for the first fully-enclosed shopping mall in the Southwest in August 1957. The complex-to-be was built on an 80-acre tract, located 7 miles east of center city Dallas, in suburban Mesquite.

BIG TOWN MALL was developed by Denver's Gerri Von Frellick ["Fray-lik"] and designed by the Tatum & Quade firm of Dallas. A grand opening was held on February 26, 1959. At this time, the shopping venue spanned approximately 600,000 leasable square feet and housed forty-nine tenant spaces.

A 3-level (104,000 square foot), Dallas-based Sanger Brothers anchored the north end of the complex, with a 2-level (124,500 square foot) Montgomery Ward on its south end. There was also a 1-level (38,000 square foot) J.C. Penney on the northwest corner. The shopping concourse facing the Sanger's store was known as Broadway, with the north-south corridor referred to as Main Street.

Charter tenants included Western Auto, Bond Clothes, Rexall Drug, an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10, Woolworth's Cafeteria, Wrigley's supermarket and Town Square (a 600-seat public auditorium). The General Cinema Corporation Cinema At Big Town showed a first feature on February 27, 1964. This venue, and the Big Town BowLanes, were added as southern outparcels of the mall proper. A (101,000 square foot) Woolco discount mart was built east of the mall and opened for business in the spring of 1967.

In later years, one of the features of BIG TOWN MALL was Lollipop Park, an enclosed children's amusement area. It included rides such as a mini-train, mini ferris wheel, Sky Fighter, roadway, Brownie tractors and helicopters. There was also a Magic Mountain Indian Village.

The malling of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex intensified after the completion of NORTHPARK CENTER {8 miles northwest, in Dallas}, in 1965. In 1971, TOWN EAST MALL {4 miles east, in Mesquite} opened for business. In order to compete with all of the malls that were being developed in its trade area, BIG TOWN underwent a renovation in 1975. Wards was expanded (to 164,200 square feet- with additions on the store's east and west sides. A face lift refurbishment was done in 1988.

Unfortunately, BIG TOWN was soon in decline. The Sanger Brothers store, now operating under the Sanger-Harris nameplate, was merged into the Houston-based Foley's chain in 1987. The store closed for good in 1989. Woolworth went dark in 1993, with Montgomery Ward shutting down in March 2001.

By the turn of the 20th century, BIG TOWN was a dilapidated, virtually vacant hulk. Only a few stores with exterior entrances were still in business. Demolition plans were finalized in early 2006. By September of the year, BIG TOWN, and most of its outparcels, were a pile of rubble.

A redevelopment plan, envisaged by Dallas' Kent Jones, proposed building a sports and entertainment complex on the site. This would have included baseball fields, soccer fields, an amphitheater and indoor training facility, with additional space for lodging, restaurants and retail. Unfortunately, The Great Recession caused this redevelopment project to be abandoned.

The vacant mall site was sold to an operative of the Dallas-based SLJ Company in August 2012. In April 2016, it was announced that Dallas' 42 Real Estate development company was building a (334,000 square foot) shipping hub for the FedEx Corporation. This facility was dedicated in August 2017.

Sources:

The Dallas Morning News
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
Dallas History Message Board / "Big Town Shopping Center" / September 28, 2003 / Don Davis
https://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.city-data.com / Dallas Forum / "Mesquite's Big Town Mall"/ Mike Cochran
http://www.bizjournals.com
"Sanger Brothers" article on Wikipedia

Phoenix's Chris-Town Center

The first fully-enclosed shopping center in Arizona was built in the northern environs of Phoenix. Although signage on the front of the complex plainly reads "Chris-Town Mall" in this 1963 postcard pic, the shopping hub was officially promoted as CHRIS-TOWN CENTER at the time.
Photos from Phoenix Public Library Collection / Petley Studios, Incorporated 

In this snapshot from May 1961, the retail hub is still in the throes of construction. Its Korrick's anchor store, yet to open for business, appears in the foreground.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / May 1961 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona

Meanwhile, Bob's Big Boy, a freestanding mall outparcel, was up and running. The restaurant had opened in February 1961.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / May 1961 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona 

Here we see an aerial view of CHRIS-TOWN CENTER, taken on its grand opening day, August 24, 1961. The complex was thronged with shoppers during its dedication, with over 130,000 in attendance. The resulting traffic tie up was considered the worst in the city's history.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / September 1961 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona

Another grand opening day snapshot. Montgomery Ward, the mall's second anchor, appears in the foreground. The shopping hub also housed a dry-goods-only J.C. Penney among its fifty-three store spaces.

Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / September 1961 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona