Salem Mall
Encyclopedia
Salem Mall was the first enclosed shopping center in the Dayton
, Ohio
area. It was located at the intersection of Shiloh Springs Road and Salem Avenue, in the northwest Dayton suburb of Trotwood
. The center opened in 1966, and in its early stages had 60 retailers. The original mall was anchored by the Rike's and Sears
department stores. There was also a Liberal supermarket, a smaller department store called The Metropolitan, and a multi-screen cinema.
A large-scale renovation was completed in 1981 with the construction of a two-story concourse capped by a new J.C. Penney anchor store (relocated from the nearby Forest Park Plaza). The supermarket, which was closed by 1979, had its space subdivided into inline stores. While the expansion included a food court, it was pretty much an afterthought and had limited seating. So when The Metropolitan closed in the mid-80s, its space was extensively reworked to form a much larger food court adjacent to the center court. The mall, which by that time featured over 110 retailers, was prosperous throughout the remainder of the 1980s.
By the mid 1980's poor mall management affected the Salem Mall's ability to attract new tenants, renew existing leases, and most importantly, attract serious shoppers. By the mid-late 1990s, the Salem Mall was officially considered a dead mall
. In 1998, anchor store Lazarus
left the mall, and later that year J.C. Penney
also closed. The restaurants and the Loews Cinema also went out of business, leaving Sears and a newly-built Home Depot as the only anchors.
Demolition of The Salem Mall began on May 15, 2006. Sears is the only part of the original structure that remains. The area is being redeveloped as the Landmark Town Center, an upscale, open-air, "lifestyle
" complex, intended to resemble the Easton Commons
in Columbus
. The new center, replacing the old Salem Mall, has suffered delays and its completion date has been extended indefinitely.
The site the former mall used to contain the farm owned by Roscoe Filburn who was a party in the famous Wickard v. Filburn
case dealing with the growing of wheat and its effect on interstate commerce.
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
area. It was located at the intersection of Shiloh Springs Road and Salem Avenue, in the northwest Dayton suburb of Trotwood
Trotwood, Ohio
Trotwood is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 27,431 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is served by the Trotwood-Madison City School District...
. The center opened in 1966, and in its early stages had 60 retailers. The original mall was anchored by the Rike's and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
department stores. There was also a Liberal supermarket, a smaller department store called The Metropolitan, and a multi-screen cinema.
A large-scale renovation was completed in 1981 with the construction of a two-story concourse capped by a new J.C. Penney anchor store (relocated from the nearby Forest Park Plaza). The supermarket, which was closed by 1979, had its space subdivided into inline stores. While the expansion included a food court, it was pretty much an afterthought and had limited seating. So when The Metropolitan closed in the mid-80s, its space was extensively reworked to form a much larger food court adjacent to the center court. The mall, which by that time featured over 110 retailers, was prosperous throughout the remainder of the 1980s.
By the mid 1980's poor mall management affected the Salem Mall's ability to attract new tenants, renew existing leases, and most importantly, attract serious shoppers. By the mid-late 1990s, the Salem Mall was officially considered a dead mall
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
. In 1998, anchor store Lazarus
Lazarus (department store)
F&R Lazarus & Company — commonly known as Lazarus — was a regional department store retail chain operating primarily in the U.S. Midwest, and based in Columbus, Ohio...
left the mall, and later that year J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
also closed. The restaurants and the Loews Cinema also went out of business, leaving Sears and a newly-built Home Depot as the only anchors.
Demolition of The Salem Mall began on May 15, 2006. Sears is the only part of the original structure that remains. The area is being redeveloped as the Landmark Town Center, an upscale, open-air, "lifestyle
Lifestyle center (retail)
A lifestyle center is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers...
" complex, intended to resemble the Easton Commons
Easton Town Center
Easton Town Center is a large mixed-use town center in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It is designed to look like a classic American main street, with public spaces, fountains, a street grid, and metered storefront parking....
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The new center, replacing the old Salem Mall, has suffered delays and its completion date has been extended indefinitely.
The site the former mall used to contain the farm owned by Roscoe Filburn who was a party in the famous Wickard v. Filburn
Wickard v. Filburn
Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 , was a U.S. Supreme Court decision that recognized the power of the federal government to regulate economic activity. A farmer, Roscoe Filburn, was growing wheat for on-farm consumption. The U.S...
case dealing with the growing of wheat and its effect on interstate commerce.