Cincinnati Mills

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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. Begun as Forest Fair Mall, it was purchased by the Mills Corporation in 2002 and re-opened as Cincinnati Mills on August 19, 2004.

1 History
2 Anchors & Majors
3 Former anchors
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Australian developer George Herscu, head of the L. J. Hooker corporation, first proposed to build a 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, bigg's and Elder-Beerman would anchor the mall.

Construction began on the 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 1989.^[2]^[3] The mall featured a very ornate design, including skylights, arched copper roofs, and a spacious center court. Also, the mall featured a movie theater, and an indoor amusement park called Time Out, which included a ferris wheel and indoor carousel.^[2]

Despite a strong start, the mall started to falter less than a year after opening. In Semptember 1989, LJ Hooker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The three department stores which Herscu had acquired proved to be too upscale for the mall's market area, and by 1990 all three had closed nationwide.^[3]

In January of 1991, Hooker's seven lenders formed FFM Limited Partnership, which then took over the mall and hired veterans of the retail industry to run it.^[4] Despite their experience, not even the seasoned owners could rejuvenate the half-vacant mall. 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.^[4]

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, was the core of the mall's "entertainment" theme. Kohl's opened in the former B. Altman space in September of 1994, helping to bring the mall's occupancy up over 75%.^[3]

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.^[3] 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 family entertainment center called Wonderpark. Burlington Coat Factory and Bed Bath & Beyond joined the mall a year later^[3]. 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 into a more value-oriented shopping center.^[6]

The Mills Corporation bought the mall 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.^[2] Elder-Beerman also closed at this point, and was replaced by Steve & Barry's. Mills, after buying the mall, announced plans to change its name to Cincinnati Mills. After a $70 million dollar renovation, the mall re-opened on August 19, 2004. Media Play closed in late 2005 with the chain's demise. Despite the mall's new-found success, it is expected to change ownership yet again as the Mills Corporation re-organizes.^[7]