South Gilmore Road and Kolb Drive
Forest Park and Fairfield, Ohio
This SHOPPING MALL MUSEUM exhibit will be a homage to one of America's most notorious failed malls; Greater Cincinnati's FOREST FAIR. The complex was built on a 116-acre plot, located 14.3 miles north of Cincinnati's Fountain Square. The site straddled the counties of Hamilton and Butler. Two-thirds of the mall structure was in the Hamilton County city of Forest Park, with the remainder being in the Butler County city of Fairfield.
When initially conceived, the Forest Park-Fairfield shopping center was going to be a mini-mall, anchored by a Cincinnati-based bigg's hypermarket. It would be nearly identical to BIGGS PLACE, which had opened -in neighboring Clermont County- in October 1984.
Plans for a Forest Park-Fairfield BIGGS PLACE mall were announced in early 1985. The project was being developed by Houston's Amega Construction, Incorporated. In came the Atlanta-based Hooker-Barnes Projects Group USA, a subsidiary of Australia's L.J. Hooker Corporation.
They were soon guiding the project. At the helm was George Herscu, executive chairman of L.J. Hooker. He re-envisaged the modest BIGGS PLACE as a 200-plus-store mega mall. It would have retailers such as Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, a Cincinnati-based bigg's hypermarket and Cleveland-based Higbee's.
When deals with Marshalls, Maxx and Higbee's didn't pan out, Herscu decided that toney specialty retailers, such as New York City's B. Altman and Bonwit Teller, as well as Houston's Sakowitz, could anchor his super mall. Many of these retailers balked at opening stores in Herscu's project. He proceeded to buy them out, or establish controlling interest.
Bonwit Teller was acquired in May 1987, B. Altman in October. An 80-percent share in Sakowitz was also secured at that time. A 65-percent share of Birmingham, Alabama-based Parisian was established in April 1988.
Hooker was a real estate development entity. The firm was now entering the realm of department store retail management, in which it had little expertise. No marketing studies were conducted for the placement of the mall, or its upscale selection of retailers. It -and they- were simply built.
By early 1987, the first earth had been turned for a FOREST-FAIR MALL. Charter stores began opening on July 11, 1988. The initial East Wing was anchored by a 1-level (245,000 square foot) bigg's hypermarket. There were thirty-seven inline stores. These included Everything's $1, Heroes Sports Shoes, Afterthoughts, Munchies Snack Bar, Better Home Products and Petland.
Phase Two, with 2 levels and approximately 160 store spaces, was officially dedicated March 1, 1989. The opening was an auspicious, week-long affair hosted by comedienne Phyllis Diller and featuring performances by the country-rock band Exile.
Anchoring the new section of FOREST FAIR MALL were a 2-level (199,000 square foot) B. Altman, 2-level (84,000 square foot) Bonwit Teller, 2-level (144,700 square foot) Parisian. A 2-level (40,000 square foot) Sakowitz Destinations opened its doors on March 31, 1989. The final anchor, a 2-level (150,000 square foot), Dayton-based Elder-Beerman, was dedicated April 13, 1989.
Stores and services in the 1,420,000 square foot buying behemoth included Little Professor Books, Pappagallo Modern Classic Shoes, Bankhardt's Luggage & Gifts and a 2-level (30,000 square foot) Sports USA. At the center of the center was a 2-level Food Court with tenants such as Le Peep, Gold Star Chili, Wallaby Bob's Brew Pub, Skolnik's Bagel Bakery & Deli and Blue Chip Cookies.
Adjacent to the Food Court was Time Out On the Court, a 2-level indoor amusement park complete with a thirty-horse carousel, ferris wheel, eighteen-hole mini golf course, bumper cars, basketball hoops, pitching and batting cages, various kiddie rides and a video arcade. The adjacent Super Saver Cinemas 8 showed its first features on June 30, 1989.
Although successful at first, the mall soon hit hard times. The reasons for this were many, with the most obvious being that the multi-faceted shopping complex, with all its high-end department stores, was located in a very middle class section of Greater Cincinnati. Moreover, names such as B. Altman, Sakowitz, Bonwit Teller or Parisian were unknown to the local populace.
Also contributing to the rapid rise and fall of FOREST FAIR MALL was the fact that the complex was too close to retail rivals such as TRI-COUNTY MALL (1960) {2.8 miles southeast, in Springdale} or NORTHGATE MALL (1972) {5.6 miles southwest, in Hamilton County}.
KENWOOD PLAZA, a circa-1956 strip center {10 miles southeast, in Hamilton County}, emerged from a 100 million dollar renovation in 1988, becoming KENWOOD TOWNE CENTRE in the process. It soon became established as Greater Cincinnati's preeminent shopping venue, much to the detriment of the new FOREST FAIR.
Hooker Corporation was strained by the mall's 250 million dollar construction cost, which had been 50 million dollars over budget. There was also debt incurred as a result of the purchase of two department store chains, as well as controlling interest in two more. Hooker found itself 1.7 billion dollars in the red.
George Herscu resigned from his executive chairman position in July 1989. The mall had been put up for sale the previous month. The Hooker company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 1989 and was bought by an Australian concern in January 1990.
Going out of business sales for Bonwit Teller, B. Altman and Sakowitz commenced August 19, 1990. These stores closed soon after. Parisian had unhooked from Hooker in August 1989 and eventually recovered from its brush with disaster. Elder-Beerman and bigg's also survived. The mall, itself, was taken over by a consortium of seven lenders, in January 1991. Known as the Forest Fair Mall Limited Partnership, they attempted a revitalization of the virtually vacant retail hub.
A team of retail professionals was assembled. They divided the mammoth mall into four sections; Lifestyle, Fashion, Entertainment and Value. 8 million dollars were invested in various renovations and new stores were recruited to fill some of the empty space.
The old Bonwit Teller was refashioned into Festival At Forest Fair. This in-mall entertainment extravaganza held its gala grand opening August 29, 1993. It featured traveling stage shows, fashion shows, dance demonstrations, magician acts and a children's workshop.
A section billed as America Live! included restaurants and nightclubs, such as Burbank's Real Bar-B-Q, Sports City Cafe, Ltl. Ditty's Theatre In The Round and Gator's Beach Bar. B. Altman's space re-opened, as a Wisconsin-based Kohl's, in September 1994. CompUSA established a presence at FOREST FAIR in 1995.
With the mall sufficiently turned around, it was decided to put it on the open market for a second sales attempt. Enter North Miami Beach-based Gator Investments, who bought the property in April 1996.
Gator continued to renovate and repopulate the shopping center, eventually investing 58 million dollars in its ongoing renewal. Festival at Forest Fair morphed into Bourbon Street, a collection of three nightclubs, in 1996. Parisian pulled the proverbial plug on their FOREST FAIR store in July 1998. CompUSA became a Guitar Center on October 22 of the same year.
Bourbon Street was short-lived. New Jersey-based Burlington Coat Factory assumed its space October 27, 2000. A Stein Mart Outlet began business in the same month. The vacant Parisian space re-opened, as a Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, November 2, 2000. Next came Metropolis, a three-venue nightclub complex, which debuted November 30, 2000.
The first physical expansion of FOREST FAIR MALL consisted of an 8,600 square foot enlargement of space on the Lower Level of the B. Altman-Kohl's Wing. This addition was built as part of a new Media Play store, which was dedicated November 17, 2000. A second expansion added 7,400 square feet to the Lower Level of the Parisian-Bass Pro Shops Wing. This area became part of a new Saks Off Fifth Outlet, which was dedicated March 15, 2001.
By this time, Time Out On The Court had been shuttered. It was replaced by a much smaller, 1-level attraction, known as the Wonderpark Family Fun Center. Consisting of various kiddie rides, it opened, on the lower level of the B. Altman / Kohl's Wing, in August 2001.
The old Food Court, adjacent to Time Out On The Court, had been closed off following a fire in 1993. It was finally renovated, with a new Food Court, known as Picnic On The River, being dedicated (on its Lower Level) in August 2001. Across the way, the now vacant Time Out space was reworked into a Steve & Barry's University Sportswear (Lower Level) and National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Forest Fair (Upper Level). The new cinema opened for business on December 21, 2001.
With Phase One of their renovation plan virtually complete, Gator Forest Partners sold the property to the Arlington, Virginia-based Mills Corporation, in September 2002. The final expansion of the complex consisted of a 16,600 square foot addition to the Upper Level of the Parisian-Bass Pro Shops Wing. The area opened, as a Babies "R" Us, in the spring of 2003.
Soon after, Mills decided to close the entire 1,460,000 square foot mall, save for its anchor stores. They embarked on a 70 million dollar renovation, which involved redecorating the interior, laying hardwood floors and installing a mall-wide, state-of-the-art video system.
As the remodeling got underway, Elder-Beerman decided that their FOREST FAIR location did not fit in with long term plans. Their store was shuttered April 30, 2003.
Mills rededicated the shopping center on August 19, 2004. A new name was bestowed; CINCINNATI MILLS. Along with the new moniker came a new anchor; a Latonia, Kentucky-based Johnny's Toys. It occupied the Upper Level of the vacant Elder-Beerman. This store lasted only a couple of years. Both levels of the store eventually became a relocated Steve & Barry's.
New stores that opened along with -or soon after- the change to CINCINNATI MILLS included Guess? Factory Outlet, Casual Corner Annex, Wilson's Leather Outlet, Spiegel: The Ultimate Outlet, The Suit Factory, Margarita's Authentic Mexican Restaurant & Cantina and the Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas (in the Super Saver Cinemas 8 spot).
The mall changed hands again, on April 3, 2007. The Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group and San Francisco-based Farallon Capital Management, Limited Liability Company formed a joint venture to acquire the holdings of the Mills Corporation.
Mills' mall renovation had not been entirely successful. By January 2008, there were sixty-six operational stores out of nearly 200 spaces. The writing was on the wall...The Simon-Farallon joint venture sought to unload the albatross they had inherited. In December 2008, it was sold to North Star Realty, an operative of Raleigh, North Carolina-based Whichard Realty.
With the transaction went the mall's moniker, as the Mills name was not part of the sale. On March 4, 2009, all references to "Mills" were removed from signage and promotions. A third name for the complex was announced...CINCINNATI MALL.
The super-sized center, which had been in various stages of ascendance and decline for over 20 years, limped on. Tenants such as Media Play, Saks Off Fifth, Steve & Barry's, Bearean Book Store, Guitar Center and Urban Behavior, came and went.
Perhaps the largest nail in the mall's proverbial coffin was driven by bigg's. The last remaining charter tenant, bigg's was shuttered in June 2008. Soon after, the entire East Wing of the mall closed. The remainder of the 1,436,000 square foot facility was occupied by just forty stores and services.
World Properties Incorporated, of Floral Park, New York, acquired the struggling shopopolis in March 2010. They announced a 10 million dollar renovation which was to add a sports complex, complete with an ice rink and volleyball courts.
In addition, the mall, now promoted as a "multi-purpose driven facility," was to undergo another remarketing, with business, medical, educational and traditional retail tenants being courted. As a facet of this change in direction, the name of the complex was officially changed to FOREST FAIR VILLAGE in March 2012.
Unfortunately, Burlington Coat Factory and the Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas pulled up stakes in 2013 and 2014. The prospective mall revitalization was soon abandoned. In 2017, the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank brokerage firm placed the virtually vacant mall on the open market.
There were four operational tenants in September 2017; Bass Pro Shops, Kohl's, Arcade Legacy and Adventurous Bouncy Houses. Arcade Legacy closed for good in September 2022. Shopping concourses were shuttered on December 2, 2022. Bass Pro Shops went dark on January 14, 2024, leaving only Kohl's in business, for the time being. Demolition of the moribund mall is scheduled to commence in June 2024.
Sources:
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Dayton Daily News
Cincinnati Magazine
The Syndney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia)
http://cinbizjournals.com / Cincinnati Business Journals
Hamilton County, Ohio property tax assessor website
Butler County, Ohio property tax assessor website
http://www.abandonedonline.net
http://www.cincinnatimall.com
http://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://www.davemenninger.com
https://www.forestfairvillage.com
"Forest Fair Village Offering Memorandum" / Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
"Forest Fair Village" article on Wikipedia
