Lorain/Elyria, OH
Once-thriving mall now barren
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NORTH RANDALL — What was once called the “world’s largest shopping” center has become a cavernous echo chamber, and the cinema nearby often finds theaters empty when the movie starts.
A lagging economy and urban decay in tiny North Randall have made the once-glittering Randall Park Mall a sign of the problems facing residents. Residents have chosen to spend time and money at other sites, leaving the remaining businesses struggling.
“When I first started working here, it was really great,” said Clyde Mitchell, a theater manager who started as an usher in 2000. “You were happy to come to work every day.”
Now: “I’m sitting here in an empty theater.”
It’s a symptom of a cycle that has hit once-thriving retail areas hard. When Randall Park Mall opened in 1976, it had more than 200 stores. When the theater opened in 1999, basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson cut the ribbon at the business named in his honor. It was a glitzy, 12-screen business at one of the nation’s largest malls.
But since then, ticket sales have slowed and AMC Entertainment walked away as the corporate partner. It took with them the “Magic” label from the marquee and left behind an empty parking lot.
“That’s very difficult for us, because we’re sitting in a theater all day that doesn’t look any different than anybody else’s theaters,” Mitchell said. “On the one hand, you’re getting paid to work. But on the other hand, you can’t really do your job.”
The theater, now called “O What a Bargain!” has embraced cheap tickets: $5 tickets during the week and $7.50 on weekends for new movies. Managers hope that they can help fill empty auditoriums with the discounts and with a change at the mall.
Mall owner Whichard Real Estate also is struggling to fill its corridors.
Dillard’s, Macy’s and JCPenney have all left the mall. The nearby Circuit City, Toys R’ Us and Dick’s Sporting Goods have also shut their doors.
The mall was sold in 2004 for about $6 million. But owner Whichard Real Estate owes more than $200,000 in unpaid property taxes, according to Cuyahoga County records.
“We hope somebody’s going to get that mall and turn it around,” said Don Powers, a Charlotte, N.C., theater investor. “I know it’s not doing well right now, but I think it has some possibilities.”
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This is simply another sign of the times in northern ohio. People like to hang out at malls, but they usually don’t shop there because it’s too expensive. Add to that, county governements raising sales taxes every time you turn around, and there’s 2 strikes. From a business owner’s perspective, why would anyone want to open a business in Loarin or Cuyahoga county? Pride I guess, would be the only reason. You’re never going to make a decent living around here. Check out the “For Sale” signs going up everywhere.
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There was crime and people stopped coming. Just like Elyria’s Midway Mall. First there was crime, people screaming and yelling and running unruly through the mall scaring customers, cars broken in to at the parking lots, parking lots not protected, rapes, thefts and more crime. It had nothing to do with the economy and everything to do with the fact that there was crime and the mall owners did nothing about it!!!! I would not go to Elyria’s midway mall if you gave me a $1000 gift certificate. It is customer unfriendly with crime and ugly looking without nice landscape, safe lighting and no visible guards or police that need to be paid by the mall owners!!!
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The last time i was at the midway mall i walked into a small store to purchase a Pepsi, and all i heard was 2 people chating in a forign language giveing you strange looks, i got my cola and made my way to the check out ,only to be told in english that it was $1.50 . I for one dont care to patronise a place that talks a forign language stairing you down .
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URBAN DECAY are the key words here. You folks know what this means and don’t pretend you don’t. This is the real reason most malls fail. Here’s a good site about dead or dying malls. http://deadmalls.com/
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URBAN DECAY are the key words here and the biggest reason malls fail. Think about it.
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Since most malls “DIE†when their anchor store leave because most folks won’t walk into the mall through a side door, so in turn the smaller stores fail too. True most malls change/upgrade through time to stay current if the owners are serious. I sure the economy in Lorain County has taken to the worse, from steel mills, car manufacturing closures, Ford, GM, bad economic planning, and the large chains have closed small stores into big regional ones.
But one thing is amazing that when the traditional stores in the malls move why doesn’t Wal-Mart or Target move into them to shore it up? GREED! Wonder why the mom and pop shops who have been in business for 30, 40 plus years or more fail when these “MEGA†store move in. Since Target and Wal-Mart usually want to occupy their own building than be a neighbor as an anchor store. But have noticed a lot of food restaurants move just outside of Wal-Marts to get the traffic leaving from their visit to Wal-Mart. Wonder if they own the restaurants too?
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