CINCINNATI MILLS

'Cincinnati Mills' is an enclosed shopping center located in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, just outside of the Interstate 275 Outerbelt. It is operated by The Mills Corporation and is oriented towards discount shoppers. Formerly known as 'Forest Fair Mall', it was purchased by the Mills Corporation in 2002 and re-opened as Cincinnati Mills on August 19, 2004.

Contents

History

Beginnings

Downfall

Mid-1990s: Change to a discount mall

Conversion to Cincinnati Mills

Anchors & Majors

References

External links

History

Beginnings

Australian developer George Herscu, head of the L. J. Hooker corporation (an Australian-based real estate franchise), first proposed to build a mall, called Forest Fair Mall, in Cincinnati in 1987.^[1] Originally, his plans called for discount department stores such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls. However, he soon changed his mind and decided to bring in three upscale department stores: B. Altman, Bonwit Teller, and Sakowitz, none of which had ever operated in Cincinnati before. The three chains were uninterested, so in 1987, Herscu bought controlling interest in them.^[2][3] In addition to these three department stores, discount retailer bigg's and Elder-Beerman, a mid-range department store, were signed on as anchor stores.
Construction began on Forest Fair Mall in 1986. The east wing opened in July of 1988, but due to leasing complications, the rest of the mall did not open until March of the next year. The mall featured an ornate design, including skylights, arched copper roofs, and a spacious center court. Entertainment venues at the mall comprised a movie theater, and an indoor amusement park called Time Out on the Court, which included a ferris wheel and indoor carousel. At first, Forest Fair proved to be a highly successful mall.

Downfall

Despite a strong start, however, the mall started to falter less than a year after opening. In September 1989, L.J. Hooker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The B. Altman, Bonwit Teller, and Sakowitz chains proved to be too upscale for the mall's market area, and by 1990 all three had closed all stores nationwide.
In January of 1991, Hooker sold the mall to seven lenders, who then formed a partnership called FFM Limited Partnership, which took over the mall and hired veterans of the retail industry to run it.^[4] Despite their experience, not even the experienced owners could rejuvenate the mall, which by then was half vacant. Nearby centers, most notably Tri-County Mall, were expanding and adding new tenants, thus cutting further into Forest Fair's market; however, FFM Limited Partnership was able to bring in Parisian as a replacement anchor store.
Forest Fair was re-named "Malls at Forest Fair" in May of 1992. The "Malls at Forest Fair" concept divided the mall into four retail themes: fashion, lifestyle, value, and entertainment. An $8 million expansion was completed in August 1993, adding a complex called Festival at Forest Fair. This complex, which replaced the vacant Bonwit Teller, offered additional entertainment venues. Kohl's opened in the former B. Altman space in September of 1994, helping to bring the mall's occupancy up over 75%.

Mid-1990s: Change to a discount mall

Despite the rebound brought on by the opening of Kohl's, FFM Limited placed Forest Fair on the market in 1995. Gator Forest Park Partners, Ltd., of Miami bought the mall in 1996, pledging to invest $10 million in the mall by 1999. Berean Christian Stores was signed on as a junior anchor in October 1997. Parisian, being too upscale for the mall's market, closed in 1998, but was soon replaced with Bass Pro Shops. Also in 1998, Guitar Center opened, and the former Time Out was replaced with a much smaller family entertainment center called Namco's Wonderpark. Burlington Coat Factory and Bed Bath & Beyond joined the mall a year later. Other tenants such as Off 5th and Media Play came later on, as Gator Forest Park (with Glimcher Properties acting as leasing agent^[5]) transformed the mall's focus to primarily discount-oriented shops.^[6]

Conversion to Cincinnati Mills

With only 35 stores still operating at the time, Forest Fair Mall was bought by The Mills Corporation in 2002 for $64 million, and further renovations were put on hold. Mills closed off the mall except for its anchor stores, resulting in many lawsuits. Elder-Beerman also closed at this point; the store was later home to a store called Johnny's Toys, and later replaced with Steve & Barry's University Sportswear (which had re-located from the spot currently occupied by Urban Behavior). Mills, after buying the mall, announced plans to change the mall's name to Cincinnati Mills. After a $70 million renovation, the former Forest Fair Mall re-opened on August 19, 2004 as Cincinnati Mills. Media Play closed in late 2005 with the chain's demise. The Mills Corporation was acquired by Simon Property Group in April of 2007.^[7]

Anchors & Majors

★ Babies "R" Us (38,642 sq. ft.)^[8]

★ Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World (140,225 sq. ft.)

★ Berean Christian Stores (20,475 sq. ft.)

★ bigg's (252,831 sq. ft.)

★ Burlington Coat Factory (83,678 sq. ft.)

★ Danbarry Cinemas (31,760 sq. ft.; 9 screens)

★ Guitar Center (19,057 sq. ft.)

★ Kohl's (118,281 sq. ft.)

★ Metropolis (29,184 sq. ft.; external entrance only)

★ Off 5th (27,484 sq. ft.)

★ Showcase Cinemas (62,905 sq. ft.; 10 screens)

★ Steve & Barry's (94,730 sq. ft.)

★ Urban Behavior (29,967 sq. ft.)

★ Wonderpark (22,917 sq. ft.)

References

1. http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/1997/02/24/focus1.html
2. http://deadmalls.com/malls/forest_fair_mall.html
3. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/08/15/fin_forest_fair_mall2.html
4. http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/current/sct1000/03a.html
5. http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/sct0103/page1c.php
6. http://www.cincypost.com/2002/jul/24/forest072402.html
7. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/05/01/story5.html
8. http://www.millscorp.com/static/doc_CINCINNATI_LDETAIL.jsp

External links

★ Cincinnati Mills Official Website

★ Deadmalls.com on Forest Fair Mall

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