The mall was sold to Mills Corporation in 2002, and renamed as Cincinnati Mills. This group was actually headed by the same banks that had given LJ Hooker his $250 million loan for construction. [22] Liquidation sales began in August 1990 at Forest Fair's locations of all three department stores. [15] A 1989 article in The Cincinnati Enquirer described the mall as "entering uncharted waters" due to Sakowitz, B. Altman, Parisian, and Bonwit Teller all being not only new to the Cincinnati market, but also due to the higher-priced merchandise available at those stores, in comparison to the area's more blue collar demographics. By this time, Guitar Center had also closed, and a studio was proposed for its space, while a hotel was slated for the former Elder-Beerman/Steve & Barry's space. When it was built, Forest Fair Mall became the region's largest shopping center, based on leasable space. [25] Although Phillips Edison & Company had placed a bid for the property,[29] that company was outbid by Miami, Florida-based Gator Investments, whose purchase of the property was brokered in January 1996. Were they even thinking? We need to be proactive and make the most of this opportunity. County Official. Continuing into one of the other neighborhoods provides a different approach to Forest Fair Villages signature pastels and gargantuan suspended objects. [15] Another major tenant present at opening day was a 100,000-square-foot (9,300m2) entertainment complex called Time Out, featuring a carousel and miniature golf course. It still says Cincinnati Mall, the facilitys official name from 2009 until around 2013. Take a look at that expansive, demoralizing exterior. Its unclear exactly how much longer this mall has, but its sad to see such an incredible place on its way out. Is it a non-profit? Is Forest Fair Mall Still Open Yet it never was a real success. whatever the name, the mall has seen success and failure over its history. Elsewhere in the mall, at the convergence of several of the neighborhood themed corridors, is the old movie theater (at the upper level) and the food court (lower), with an unusual underwater motif that may have helped divert attention from the comparatively low levels of natural light, compared to other parts of the mall.Its rare to see a food court with such low ceilings.The atrium above features aquatic creatures suspended by wires.Apparently the giant fish are inflatable?This area also features one of Forest Fair Villages two surviving inline tenants: Arcade Legacy, seen in the space below.It boggles the mind how this business can continue operatingone of three locations in metro Cincinnati, and it apparently keeps chugging along until midnight on the weekends, long after Forest Fair Village would have remained open when functional (movie theater notwithstanding). Numerous ideas for reuse were walked about, including the idea of opening ice skating rinks in the former Biggs store, but none of the plans were ever put into action. The proximity to both Northgate Mall and Tri-County Mall was also cited as a factor in the mall's struggles, particularly due to the latter undergoing an expansion not long after Forest Fair opened. Forest Fair Mall, Cincinnati Mills, Forest Fair Village . The property was renamed Cincinnati Mall in April 2009. Is Forest Fair Mall Still Open | Denver Mart Sure, Id imagine virtually everyone in greater Cincy had heard of it, and probably half of all households had someone who had visited it. Chief Jones says they found several issues. Most of the retailers were being stolen blind. What an experience. Kohl's in Forest Fair Village opening hours (mall hours) Monday: 10:00am-9:00pm Tuesday: 10:00am-9:00pm Wednesday: 10:00am-9:00pm Thursday: 10:00am-9:00pm Friday: 10:00am-9:00pm Saturday: 10:00am-9:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm-6:00pm Forest Fair Village location and map Directions to Forest Fair Village Kohl's in Forest Fair Village - store location plan It was doomed from the start. The property is zoned retail in both communities, but a developer will need to submit rezoning requests to Fairfield and Forest Park, then present them to the respective planning commissions, achieve recommendations to their city councils, and receive approval from those councils. [45] Renovations began in January, which included new paint, floors, and signage throughout, along with differently-themed decor for each wing of the mall, typical of properties developed by Mills at the time. It is situated on the border between Forest Park and Fairfield, at the junction of Interstate 275 and Winton Road (Exit 39). Forest Fair Village / Forest Fair Mall / Cincinnati Mills / Cincinnati Antique/Flea Markets. How does Forest Fair Village fit within the broader commercial context of the Cincinnati suburbs, and is there a counter-example? Great cliff-hanger at the end. Cincinnati may be one of these cities, and it certainly seems like Forest Fair was unnaturally close to the others, even if it had a different target demographic (a demographic thatyou probably know better than I dois not all that prevalent on the northern Cincy suburbs compared to the eastern ones). The problems with Forest Fair Village Mall greet the visitor from the outset, as manifest by the sign visible from Interstate 275, presiding over a massive, mostly empty parking lot. Forest Fair Village - Outlet Mall Details - Outlet Shoppers Way to go.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'architecturalafterlife_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_2',142,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-architecturalafterlife_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); By 2007, things werent looking too great for Cincinnati Mills. Longstanding U.S. Shopping Mall Approved For Demolition Date Here is the only photo I found, in Bass Pro watching the huge aquarium tank. Most bizarre of all: why is the website B Adventurous a .org and not a .com? The mall was renamed Forest Fair Village but faced challenges, including the closure of Burlington Coat Factory and Danbarry Dollar Saver. The mall was opened in August 1974, and was the largest shopping mall in the Cincinnati area at the time. But all you have to do is drive south on Winton road and see there area has become blighted. Well Cincinnati is 10-20 years behind the times. You could hang out with the mallwalkersthough something tells me your ambitions are a big higher than that Nice to hear from you! We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The mall was closed in 2009, and was demolished in 2014. These locations, both in Upstate New York, were sold to The Pyramid Companies. What you revealed that I didnt know before was the interiors age. But at Forest Fair Village, we avoided eye contact. However, the mall struggled with high vacancy rates and changing retail trends. Its demise is usually attributed to its close proximity to both Tri-County and Northgate malls, as well as being kind of out-of-the-way in a non-favored quarter of the region with weak demographics. The best part? Forest Fair Village info: address, gps, map, location, direction planner, store list, opening hours, phone number. Anyway, the newly renovated mall had occupancy back above 90%, but by 2007 it had fallen to barely half, and the Mills Corporation was itself mired in legal trouble from accounting fraud. Make no mistake: these photos capture the most economically healthy portion of the mall. Thanks for reading! This mega-mall (1.5 million square feet) has two viable anchors of national repute: Kohls and Bass Pro Shops, while a local gym seems to have leased one of the former secondary anchors.Beyond that, a small portion of the parking lot seems to serve as staging and storage for Amazon Prime.And its probable that all those cargo vans belong to a separate logistical operation. [26][25] Also, Lexington, Kentucky-based clothing store [space, while Subway and Hot Dog on a Stick joined the food court. Contact&Address: 600 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio - OH 45240, US . Ill be completely corny and say I feel like my life is richer for having seen Forest Fair Village, all the more so because I suspect its days are numbered. When it comes to antique shops and flea markets in Michigan, a day shopping feels more like a treasure hunt. Yet, despite the challenges faced over the years, it remains a beloved part of the local communitys history. FFM introduced a new concept in 1992 called The Shops at Forest Fair to revive the mall. FOREST FAIR VILLAGE MALL - EULOGY FOR A MALL - YouTube Heres what to know about their accomplishments. [48] As part of Mills' development, Babies "R" Us replaced Stein Mart, and Johnny's Toys had opened in the upper level of the former Elder-Beerman,[49] while the older Super Saver theater was sold to the local theater chain Danbarry and renamed the Dollar Saver. [40] Furthering this reconceptualization was the addition of new entertainment venues, including a nightclub called Metropolis,[43] a new Showcase Cinemas theater complex with stadium seating,[35] and a new children's playplace called Wonderpark. [9] Immediately after the Bigg's wing of the mall opened, Elder-Beerman was confirmed for the vacated anchor left behind by B. Altman's relocation. With the mall changing hands numerous times throughout the 1990s and a couple of design refreshes and expansions, the Mills Corporation finally got their hands on it and spent tens of millions of dollars renovating it in 2003, at which point is was renamed Cincinnati Mills. Forest Fair Village - 600 Cincinnati Mills Dr - Foursquare Forest Fair Village, formerly Forest Fair Mall, The Shops at Forest Fair, Cincinnati Mills and Cincinnati Mall was a two-level shopping mall 25.1 miles (40.4 km) southeast of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, between Cincinnati Mills Drive, Forest Fair Drive, South Gilmore Road and Interstate 275 in Fairfield, a suburb of Cincinnati. That place holds a special place in my childhood heart! As recently as the previous year, Forest Fair Village had HVAC according to some online references; and heres a photo that suggests that in December of 2018, they offered some half-hearted Christmas decorations (none that I saw in 2019). Usually the surviving anchor tenants partition themselves from a dead mall. Forest Fair Village. The mall currently has two open anchors which are Bass Pro Shops . Kohl's in Forest Fair Village - Cincinnati, Ohio (hours, location) But yes, thats a toddler on the playground equipment. In addition, the president of Bigg's reported that their store in the mall had constantly struggled in sales due to it being located at the back of the property. [18] Despite the mall's troubles, the owners of Parisian noted that the store's sales were strong enough for the company to consider expansion in the Cincinnati market. It's nearly 60% larger than the region's second-largest shopping center,. The attention to interior design detail in this mall is already remarkable from more generalized photos I have provided up to this point; even more noteworthy is the fact that each neighborhood applies an unquestionably distinctive scheme, but they all still reveal enough similar artistic gestures to instill unity throughout. This generally well-run company, weathering the paradigm shift in retail better than most, usually seems impeccably maintained, but a quick glance into this location revealed heaps of disheveled clothes strewn about. Meanwhile, Steve and Barrys, the college-themed sports gear store, hasnt been in business since 2009, serving as a clear indicator of how long much of Forest Fair Village has sat vacant. Only four things remained by 2017 Kohls, Bass Pro Shops, an arcade, and a childrens entertainment complex. Over the next few years, the mall would see the closure of Dawahares in 1996, but the addition of Guitar Center, which replaced CompUSA in 1998. The easternmost corridor adopts a sort of rural Americana theme. It also received a number of proposals for renovation, none of which were realized. Michael D. Pitman, Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio. Welcome to Downtown Farmington MI Between 1988 and 1989, it was built as a three- phase mall, which has made it well known for its troubled history. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Elsewhere in the mall, at the convergence of several of the neighborhood themed corridors, is the old movie theater (at the upper level) and the food court (lower), with an unusual underwater motif that may have helped divert attention from the comparatively low levels of natural light, compared to other parts of the mall. [39] Also joining the mall between 2000 and 2001 were Media Play,[40] Off 5th (an outlet division of Saks Fifth Avenue),[41] and the first Steve & Barry's sports clothing store in Ohio. [54], Bigg's closed in June 2008, shortly after both Berean Christian Stores and Wonderpark closed. In that previous paragraph I demurred before using the word austerean unlikely adjective for such a meretricious and kitschy place. Monday: 10:00am-9:00pm Tuesday: 10:00am-9:00pm Wednesday: 10:00am-9:00pm Thursday: 10:00am-9:00pm Friday: 10:00am-9:00pm Saturday: 10:00am-9:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm-6:00pm I've traveled worldwide, from Europe to Asia and Africa to South America. [42], Mills Corporation bought the mall from Gator Investments in September 2002 and announced that the mall would undergo further redevelopment, along with a name change to Cincinnati Mills. And what a sightnot pretty, per se, and probably not most peoples definition of classy, but absolutely distinctive. Hope they at least manage to auction off the flying pigs. And they wont have the bragging rights of a 90s funhouse interior. I believe that the enterance to Kohls from the mall is now closed and they have released that they have made the move to demolish the building as it now is just too damaged to salvage. which did not appear to be serviced with HVAC. Having concealed faces makes it far too easy to steal and get away with it. Interestingly, this business has one of the most elaborate ornamentations Ive ever seen to a mall store entrance, let alone a mom-and-pop, whose entrances tend to be visibly economical.While it wasnt crowded, it wasnt empty either, though perhaps one might have expected a gloomy winter afternoon during the holidays to be peak business. [59], Three local businessmen announced plans in 2011 to open ice skating rinks in the vacated Bigg's. Monday - Saturday : 10:00 am - 9:00 pm,Sunday : 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Vibrant colors compliment unique architectural elements decorated by playful items like cards and wavy pianos that hang from the ceiling, or fish that float in one of the many atriums inside the mall. [36] The mall underwent a myriad of changes soon afterward, including three anchor stores that all opened in October 2000: Bass Pro Shops opened in the former Parisian,[37] Burlington Coat Factory (now known as just Burlington) replaced the former "Festival" wing,[35][38] and Stein Mart entered Ohio with a temporary outlet store in the space previously occupied by Dawahares. DeWine stated the city of Fairfield will demolish the former Forest Fair mall site on Cincinnati Mills Drive. This blog article clearly has gotten too long; stay tuned for part two to learn more. Your email address will not be published. Additionally, this is among the few portions of the mall that does not appear to be two stories. Got so many great liminal pictures. Apr. There was a move to renovate back around 2011 in which they would have put it ice skating rinks amoungst other things but this fell through after issues with the ceiling being too low I believe. Apparently it took a long, long time after it opened, suggesting that the management had to lower the price for rent and offer very, very generous leasing agreements. Thanks for the new observations, Maddi! Its not a horrible part of town but not a great one. FOREST FAIR VILLAGE MALL - EULOGY FOR A MALLMy part 2 walk thru of Forest Fair Village Mall in Forest Park, OhioSpecial Thanks to NAE -Janae Contag and her t. Meanwhile, all the entrances from the exterior appear unrestricted. It's such a cool looking place that deserves to be repurposed and made into a multi-use entertainment and shopping complex. It is one of the city's most profitable stores, said Hillwood Vice President of Marketing and Business Development Ben Davis. Under these plans, they worked with Glimcher Realty Trust as leasing agent. Forest Fair Village (formerly Cincinnati Mall, Cincinnati Mills, and Forest Fair Mall) was a shopping mall in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. That gave it a more bizarre feel, like you were walking around a mall that wasnt dead, just closed, during the daytime, with muzak playing. In other words, Forest Fair limped right from the starting line. In other words, its trail running but the wilderness is Willy Wonka. There simply wasnt a need for another mall when Tri-County and Northgate were both less than 15 minutes away in two separate direction. [18] In 1996, Meijer opened across the street from the mall. If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy checking out these other interesting places in Ohio.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'architecturalafterlife_com-leader-1','ezslot_11',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-architecturalafterlife_com-leader-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'architecturalafterlife_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',127,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-architecturalafterlife_com-leader-1-0_1'); .leader-1-multi-127{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. Lighting is patchy toonot completely dark (skylights help), but certainly less artificial light than one would expect from a commercial facility open to the public. Though the mall has closed and is slated for demolition, residents and visitors will remember it with nostalgia. The mall faced further challenges under new ownership, including the closure of significant tenants and delinquent property taxes. Forest Fair Village (formerly Cincinnati Mall, Cincinnati Mills, and Forest Fair Mall) is a shopping mall in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The mall also features a food court and a variety of stores and restaurants. But I suspect the ones that will were doing okay before will rebound fairly confidently at least for a few more years. Four different areas were sectioned off. But its proximity to two other malls should have been a dead giveaway. You have successfully signed up to receive emails from Odd World Studio about Architectural Afterlife. The pig gazebo and large Q/cards were kitschy ways to represent Cincinnati (Porkopolis and the Queen City). 600 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio - OH 45240, Go to Mallsor specify State in the next step, Go to Mallsor specify City in the next step, Go to Mallsor specify Name in the next step. My dead mall postings have routinely become some of my most popular articles, and I still have quite a few great spectacles that I could share someday, stored away in my photo archives. Also, that playground used to be PBS Kids-themed, and the long stretch of drywall across from it was a Biggs supermarket. These two Oshkosh West students have earned Herb Kohl Educational Foundation awards. Outside of the eastern wing, the flag does not seem to appear anywhere else. [60] In addition, the property owners had fallen delinquent on property taxes. [63] Burlington Coat Factory moved out of the mall in 2013,[64] and Danbarry Dollar Saver closed in 2014. I used to go to this mall a lot when I was a kid in the early 2000s. Much to my surprise, these doors appeared to be unlocked, meaning people could access the department store from within the mallan atypical feature for malls this dead. Parts of it remind me of the garish Barry Levinson/Robin Williams movie Toys, from approximately the same time period. [44] As part of the redevelopment, Mills forced many small independent businesses out of the property. At the time of renovations, the mall was attracting some new stores such as Burlington Coat Factory, Bass Pro Shops, and the first Steve & Barrys store in the state of Ohio. The parking garage was closed by the Fairfield Fire Dept. [68] A brokerage team put the mall up for sale in 2017. Clearly it evokes Nickelodeons prime in the 80s and 90s (from what I gather, Nickelodeon no longer carries the perception of being a very good television network), but it reminds me of my own coming of agean era where pastels and Kandinsky abstractions and throwing as many hues together as possible constituted a design strategy. When I visited in 2019, the mall was sufficiently deteriorated that I cannot imagine the place ever securing any new tenants beyond a paintball arena. [75], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}391812N 843107W / 39.303262N 84.518603W / 39.303262; -84.518603. Its almost as though the vacancy and the absence of some basic building services lead people to keep their guard on. [26] By June 1993, further new tenants had opened, including a Sam Goody/Suncoast Motion Picture Company music and video superstore in the Lifestyle wing and a CompUSA electronics store in the Markets wing. The Cincinnati Mall was known for having some unique anchors, including Wallaby Bobs, which boasted that it was the first brewery-restaurant in the nation that operates in a suburban shopping mall. The mall also had Koala Klubhouse, which was the first daycare to be licensed to operate within an American shopping mall. A white elephant that stands, thirty years later, as a testament to both ego and a creative vision unrestrained by financial vagaries during conception, then clobbered by them after the execution. Although Cincinnati Holding Company bought the mall in 2010, it continued to face difficulties: Despite numerous attempts at redevelopment, Forest Fair Village faced insurmountable challenges, including code violations and a lack of funding for demolition. Thanks for reaching out. I think it closed because the manager was paying teens from the nearby Fairfield high school to make sex tapes, but Im not positive. [25][20], In 1992, the owners announced a new concept for the mall, known as The Shops at Forest Fair. There you will find so . Location, location, Location . Theres a couple of things I find fascinating about it. [1] Australian retail developer LJ Hooker acquired the property from original developer Amega in 1986 and chose to make Bigg's an anchor store to a large enclosed shopping mall, which would be named Forest Fair Mall. [62] Bass Pro Shops announced plans to relocate to West Chester Township in 2013. One last interesting thing is that its only very recently that the inline parts of the mall have been allowed to deteriorate in any appreciable way. The forest Fair Village website is a great place to find information about . If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. which did not appear to be serviced with HVAC. The mall pushed forward past the bankruptcy and loss of its anchors and was sold to a partnership called FFM Limited in October 1990. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. It was always a great day out, with so many stores to explore and the excitement of finding something new. Jane, former mall visitor, Its sad to see the mall in this state. [42] These stores were part of a reconceptualization of the mall as "a value retail center with new-to-the-market merchants". So Forest Fair Village was the direct manifestation of a massive error in judgmentperhaps two or three. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The next phase opened the following year. Regardless of the reason people continued to patronize this mostly dead mall, I would never expected to see children at play. [66] Further redevelopment plans through association with Prudential Commercial Real Estate fell through in 2014 when that company's listing agreement expired. Apr. A month prior to this, Higbee's withdrew from the project after being purchased by a joint venture of Dillard's and Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.[8] As a result, B. Altman was relocated from its originally planned store to the space vacated by Higbee's, thus leaving a vacant anchor store and causing delays in opening the rest of the mall.