Beechmont Mall

The original Beechmont Mall, showcasing Shillito's.

Constructed in 1969 as an enclosed shopping mall in eastern Cincinnati, the mall flourished as the suburbs blossomed towards Interstate 275. The center stagnated in the late 1980s and 1990s due to increased competition from other malls, and was demolished in 2003. It has been replaced with Anderson Towne Center, an open-air shopping center.

Featuring 56 stores and several anchors, the 600,000 square-foot Beechmont Mall opened in 1969.(11)(12)(15) It was anchored with a Shillito’s and a H and S Pogue, and also featured a F.W. Woolworth’s, The Gap, and a Thriftway Food and Drug.(23)

The initial owners, however, were under-capitalized and filed for bankruptcy not long after the center opened.(12)

The mall was expanded in 1980 with a northern addition that included a 94,700-square-foot Hills Department Store,(22) and additional retail space.(23) One year later, Pogue was replaced with Elder-Beerman, and in 1982, Shillito’s became Shillito-Rike’s, which became Lazarus in 1986.

The Hills Department Store on the northern end of the mall later became a K-Mart.(23) In 1992, Elder-Beerman vacated and was replaced by Parisian.

The mall languished in the late 1980s and 1990s due to increased competition from Eastgate Mall, and later Newport on the Levee and Norwood’s Rookwood Commons.(12) In 1997, Anderson Township officials began pursuing mall revitalization,(11) although that did little to help the shopping center.

On July 31, 1999,(21) the Parisian department store closed its Beechwood Mall location.(12) Within a year, only a handful of stores remained and the food court was entirely deserted. Only Lazarus, K-Mart, CVS Pharmacy and a handful of stores and restaurants remained. The managing company of the center since 1997,(17) Zamias Center, discussed redeveloping the mall into an open-air center. Zamias was owned by Whitehall Real Estate Fund.

In January 2001, Zamias prepared to tear down the aging retail center and replace it with a lifestyle center.(18) The new center was 85% pre-leased.(20) Several stores were shuttled into converted mobile homes in anticipation of the construction, which was slated for completion by fall. The redevelopment of the mall, to be called Anderson Towne Center, was put on hold in March due to a slumping retail economy.(19)

In December, Victory Investments purchased the deteriorating Beechmont Mall.(8)(13) One year later, on July 31, Anderson Township purchased a small gully behind the mall for $1 million.(11)(16) The gully had become a dump, although the township envisioned that it would provide for flash flood and erosion control, and for a possible park.

On January 7, 2003, bids were opened for demolition of the shopping center.(14) Two months later, on March 10, tear-down began of most of the blighted shopping center.(8)Twenty-five residents won a raffle for the chance to sit in a backhoe to help maneuver a wrecking ball.(9) Demolition was completed in June (10) for $1.6 million.(9) Lazarus and K-Mart were spared, as they became free-standing structures.(14)

On August 12, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority’s board of trustees approved spending $350,000 to help fund a park-and-ride facility at Anderson Towne Center.(7) The hub was designed to relieve congestion on the current park-and-ride lot near the township’s administrative building, and was part of the MetroMoves plan that included light rail and streetcars for the region.

The new 21-acre Anderson Towne Center opened in October 2004.(4) Patterned after a 1950s ‘town square’, the lifestyle center featured the nation’s largest Kroger store, a remodeled Lazarus (now Macy’s) and K-Mart Department Store.(2)(5)(6)(8)

In 2005, construction of two office structures were completed on the former mall site that contained medical and general office space.(2)(3)

In the fall of 2007, the township two-story administration offices and performing arts auditorium opened at a cost of $6 million.(2)(6) It included a 15-acre park (13) with small man-made lake with a waterfall, and a two-mile long hike and bike path. A $2.5 million Metro bus park-and-ride station opened with 200-spots.(1)(6)

Anderson Towne Center cost $21.1 million,(1) although the developer invested more than $30 million into the project.(3)

The redevelopment effort attracted national attention.(1) On July 28, 2006, 25 government and civic leaders from Indianapolis visited Anderson in search of ideas on how to revive a deteriorating mall in the northwestern part of the city. This was followed by government leaders and professionals from Maikop, Russia that came with an interest in local economic development.

Former tenants

  • Hills Department Store (22)
  • Shillito’s (23)
  • H and S Pogue (23)
  • F.W. Woolworth’s (23)
  • Thriftway Food and Drug (23)
  • Shillito-Rike’s (23)
  • Elder-Beerman (23)
  • Lazarus (23)
  • Parisian (21)

Gallery

Links

  1. Beechmont Mall at Dead Malls, with photographs.
  2. Beechmont Mall at Mall Hall of Fame.

Sources

  1. Kemme, Steve. “Mall transformation getting noticed.” Cincinnati Enquirer 10 Aug. 2006. 5 Dec. 2008: 3C.
  2. Kemme, Steve. “Shopping center’s retail sites vacant.” Cincinnati Enquirer 30 May 2005. 5 Dec. 2008: 3B.
  3. Kemme, Steve. “Anderson Twp. waiting for site to be beautiful.” Cincinnati Enquirer 17 Feb. 2005. 5 Dec. 2008: 1B.
  4. McNutt, Randy. “Towne Center to give Anderson new heart.” Cincinnati Post 17 Feb. 2004. 5 Dec. 2008: 3G.
  5. Edwards, Jennifer. “Mall makeover poised to begin.” Cincinnati Post 6 Feb. 2004. 5 Dec. 2008: 1D.
  6. Edwards, Jennifer. “Anderson plan for town center has auditorium.” Cincinnati Post 17 Jan. 2004. 5 Dec. 2008: 8B.
  7. Osborne, Kevin. “Transit hub ok’d near Anderson Town Center.” Cincinnati Post 13 Aug. 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: A9.
  8. “Plans released for Anderson Towne Center.” Cincinnati Post 12 June 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: Z1.
  9. Luz, Lia. “25 to wield wrecking ball.” Cincinnati Post 7 March 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: A12.
  10. Hartong, Glenn. “Making way for new mall.” Cincinnati Enquirer 12 March 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: 1D.
  11. O’Neill, Tom. “Mall poised for transformation.” Cincinnati Enquirer 18 Feb. 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: 8E.
  12. Garretson, Craig. “Regional malls stole the show – Beechmont complex couldn’t compete.” Cincinnati Post 8 Jan. 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: A8.
  13. Garretson, Craig. “Last days of Beechmont Mall – Obsolete Anderson complex to be new town center, park.” Cincinnati Post 8 Jan. 2003. 5 Dec. 2008: A1.
  14. Paeth, Greg. “Complex nearing plans to demolish.” Cincinnati Post 13 Dec. 2002. 5 Dec. 2008: B8.
  15. Vance, Karen. “Mall will lose some walls.” Cincinnati Enquirer 1 Oct. 2002. 5 Dec. 2008: 5B.
  16. Moores, Lew. “Anderson moves on mall plan.” Cincinnati Enquirer 18 May 2002. 5 Dec. 2008: 1B.
  17. Moores, Lew. “Potential buyer of Beechmont Mall envisions revamp.” Cincinnati Enquirer 30 Nov. 2001. 5 Dec. 2008: 5C.
  18. Driehaus, Bob. “Beechmont Mall stores preparing for major makeover.” Cincinnati Post 8 Jan. 2001. 5 Dec. 2008: 7B.
  19. Driehaus, Bob. “Retail blues hit Beechmont Mall.” Cincinnati Post 17 April 2001. 5 Dec. 2008: 6C.
  20. Driehaus, Bob. “Beechmont Mall plans open-air face-lift.” Cincinnati Post 17 May 2000. 5 Dec. 2008: 6B.
  21. Fasig, Lisa Biank. “Store closing at mall.” Cincinnati Enquirer 9 April 1999. 5 Dec. 2008: 10D.
  22. “Beechmont Mall gets sixth threat.” Cincinnati Post 4 Dec. 1990. 5 Dec. 2008: 4A.
  23. “Cincinnati’s Beechmont Mall.” Mall Hall of Fame 1 July 2008. 12 Dec. 2008 Article.

6 Responses to “Beechmont Mall”

  1. charlie →
    December 3, 2010 at 11:40 am #

    I grew up in Milford in the 80′s and 90′s, and my family frequented Beechmont and Eastgate.

    Something to add- the K-mart/Hills originally started as Gold Circle, until the entire chain closed down in the late 80′s.

  2. Marky Mark →
    December 30, 2010 at 10:37 am #

    I am 100% sure that the former Elder-Beerman/Parisian anchor store was originally a Mabley & Carew branch and not a Pogues. Similar chains and lots of great history.

  3. Tara →
    January 13, 2011 at 6:58 pm #

    My parents met at the SuperX store there… My grandma fought crazy women to get Cabbage Patch Dolls at Gold Circle…. It was sad to see it go.

  4. Andy →
    July 23, 2011 at 4:26 pm #

    Glad to see some astute people are out there and pointed out that the Hills then Kmart location was originally a Gold Circle. GC was a Columbus, Ohio based upscale discount department store chain (ala Target) which was owned by Federated Department Stores. Sadly, the Gold Circle chain went out of business in late 1988.

  5. Erica →
    August 13, 2011 at 10:29 am #

    My friends and I used to frequent this mall quite a bit in the mid-80s when we were teenagers. It was THE place to hang out and meet up with other friends. Anyone remember Aladdin’s Castle? It was a video game arcade, very dark and always crowded. We’d hang out there, then go to Orange Julius, try on clothes at The Limited. They also had a toy store called The Hobby Shop and a Hallmark-like store called Paperphanalia. And don’t forget other clothing stores such as Hit-or-Miss, Lerners, Casual Corner, Shillitos, Elder Beerman, and The Family Tree. In the late 80s I worked at the Corn Dog shack directly in front of Gold Circle.

    It’s kinda silly to admit this, but I really loved this mall and all the fun times I had there.

  6. Sherman Cahal →
    August 23, 2011 at 9:36 pm #

    Oh, malls of the 1980s. I remember going to the Huntington Mall (still active) in West Virginia and going to the then-vintage Sears, hopping over to the Radio Shack (with its funky orange motif) – which was the Best Buy in its hayday, and then snacking at Hickory Farms with its barn-like decor. Good times then!

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