Anderson Towne Center
An open-air shopping center in Cincinnati, Ohio, developed from the former Beechmont Mall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Anderson Towne Center is a shopping center on Beechmont Avenue in Anderson Township, a suburban community in the Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan area. The property opened in 1969 as Beechmont Mall, an enclosed regional shopping mall developed by brothers Carl H. Lindner and Robert D. Lindner. Its original anchor tenants were the Cincinnati department store John Shillito Company and Mabley & Carew, another established Ohio department-store chain. The center was planned as a substantial suburban retail destination, with more than 600,000 square feet of retail space on approximately 50 acres. The mall's anchor history reflects the consolidation of American department-store retail. Shillito's was combined with Rike's in 1982 and operated as Shillito-Rikes before becoming part of Lazarus in 1986. The western anchor ultimately became Macy's after Federated Department Stores acquired and rebranded the Lazarus business. Mabley & Carew was acquired by Elder-Beerman in 1978; that store later became Parisian before closing in 1999. A Gold Circle discount store was added during an early-1980s expansion, later becoming a Hills store and then a Kmart. Kmart remained one of the surviving large buildings through the property's redevelopment but eventually closed. During the late 1980s and 1990s, ownership and management attempted to reposition Beechmont Mall. MetLife, which acquired the property from Prudential Financial in 1987, pursued more fashion-oriented tenants and improvements to the entrances and food court. Stores and restaurants including Gap, The Limited, Limited Express, TGI Fridays, Bombay Company, GNC, Claire's, and B. Dalton were associated with various stages of the mall's retail program. These efforts did not prevent a long decline in occupancy. The mall was relatively small and aging, while competition increased from the expanded Kenwood Towne Centre and other Cincinnati-area shopping destinations. The property changed ownership several times during this period. The Lindner interests sold it to Prudential in 1977, MetLife acquired it in 1987, Zamias Services purchased it in 1997, and Goldman Sachs acquired it in 1999. Goldman Sachs considered replacing the enclosed mall with an outdoor retail development but did not proceed immediately. By the early 2000s, the center had lost many major tenants and was described in local reporting as largely vacant. Victory Real Estate subsequently acquired the property, renamed it Anderson Towne Center, and pursued a major conversion to an open-air shopping center. Demolition began in January 2003, leaving the former Lazarus and Kmart buildings standing. The redevelopment added exterior-facing retail suites, a large Kroger supermarket, and new restaurant and service uses. Kroger opened in November 2004, and the renovated center opened more broadly in 2005. The former Lazarus building was operating as Macy's by the reopening. The center's later tenant mix has emphasized convenience, grocery shopping, restaurants, entertainment, fitness, and family-oriented leisure rather than the traditional enclosed-mall department-store model. Kmart closed in 2014. Its former building was later demolished and replaced by an AMC Theatres multiplex and Crunch Fitness. Sky Zone and Bar Louie also joined the center in 2019, while Macy's expanded its store to include Macy's Backstage. Anderson Towne Center therefore represents the conversion of an aging enclosed mall into a diversified suburban open-air retail and entertainment complex.
History
Plans for Beechmont Mall were announced in September 1967 by developers Carl H. Lindner and Robert D. Lindner. The planned center was to occupy about 50 acres along Beechmont Avenue and contain more than 600,000 square feet of retail space. John Shillito Company and Mabley & Carew were announced as the original department-store anchors. Construction began in October 1968, with projected costs reported at $14 million, and the mall opened in 1969. The center's first decades were shaped by department-store mergers and discount-retail expansion. Elder-Beerman purchased Mabley & Carew's stores in 1978. Federated Department Stores combined Shillito's with Rike's in 1982, producing the Shillito-Rikes name, and converted the store to Lazarus in 1986. A Gold Circle discount store was added during the early-1980s expansion; it later became Hills and then Kmart. The Mabley & Carew anchor became Elder-Beerman and subsequently Parisian. Other changes included a relocated supermarket, a food court, new restaurants, and a succession of national specialty retailers. MetLife acquired the mall from Prudential Financial in 1987 and attempted to make it more attractive to white-collar and fashion-oriented shoppers. The company supported tenant changes, expanded specialty-store spaces, and proposed updated entrances and a larger food court. Nevertheless, the mall weakened during the 1990s. Its age and relatively modest scale made it vulnerable to competition, particularly from the expanded Kenwood Towne Centre. Major tenants departed, Parisian closed in 1999, and vacancy increased. Ownership changed again when Zamias Services acquired the property in 1997 and Goldman Sachs bought it in 1999. Goldman Sachs considered an outdoor redevelopment but initially did not move forward. By 2001, the enclosed mall had very few remaining stores apart from Lazarus and Kmart. Victory Real Estate then acquired the property, renamed it Anderson Towne Center, and planned a conversion to an open-air format. Demolition began in January 2003. The redevelopment preserved the Lazarus and Kmart buildings while removing most of the enclosed mall and adding exterior-facing shop space. A large Kroger supermarket was built on the former Parisian site and opened in November 2004. The renovated center opened in 2005, by which time Lazarus had become Macy's. Later changes further shifted the property toward grocery, entertainment, dining, fitness, and family recreation. Kmart closed in 2014, and the former Kmart site was eventually redeveloped for AMC Theatres and Crunch Fitness. Sky Zone and Bar Louie were among the tenants added in 2019, while Macy's expanded with Macy's Backstage.
- 2019
Entertainment and fitness redevelopment
[1]The former Kmart site was replaced by AMC Theatres and Crunch Fitness, while Sky Zone and Bar Louie joined the center.
- 2014
Kmart closes
[1]Kmart ended its tenancy at Anderson Towne Center.
- 2005
Open-air center reopens
[1]The renovated center opened with exterior-facing retail space and a Macy's anchor.
- 2004
Kroger opens
[1]A 104,000-square-foot Kroger supermarket opened on the former Parisian site.
- 2003
Major demolition begins
[1]Most of the enclosed mall was demolished while the Lazarus and Kmart buildings were retained.
- 2002
Anderson Towne Center identity introduced
[1]Victory Real Estate acquired the property, renamed it, and announced plans for an open-air conversion.
- 1999
Parisian closes
[1]Parisian closed its store amid declining sales, contributing to the mall's deterioration.
- 1997
Zamias Services acquires the property
[1]Zamias Services purchased Beechmont Mall in an auction of MetLife mall properties.
- 1992
Elder-Beerman is replaced by Parisian
[1]Elder-Beerman closed its store, and the building was sold to Parisian.
- 1991
Hills closes and Kmart takes over the space
[1]The Gold Circle-to-Hills anchor closed and was converted to Kmart later that year.
Products and positioning
A suburban open-air shopping, grocery, dining, fitness, and entertainment center serving Anderson Township and the wider Cincinnati area.
Department store · 2005
Macy's
The former Lazarus department-store anchor continues as Macy's, providing apparel, accessories, home goods, beauty products, and other department-store merchandise. The location later added a Macy's Backstage discount division.
Supermarket · 2004
Kroger
Kroger opened a large supermarket at the redeveloped center in 2004 on the site formerly occupied by Parisian. The grocery anchor strengthened the property's convenience and everyday-needs role after the decline of the enclosed mall format.
Cinema · 2019
AMC Theatres
An AMC Theatres multiplex was developed on the former Kmart site as part of the center's later shift toward entertainment-led open-air retail.
Fitness center · 2019
Crunch Fitness
Crunch Fitness occupies part of the redevelopment that replaced the former Kmart building, adding a recurring fitness and wellness use to the center's tenant mix.
Indoor recreation · 2019
Sky Zone
Sky Zone is an indoor trampoline and family-recreation tenant added during the center's 2019 tenant expansion.
Brand decisions
2019
Replace the former Kmart site with entertainment and fitness usesGeneration changeBackground
Kmart closed in 2014, leaving a large former discount-store building within the open-air center.
Action taken
The former Kmart building was demolished and the site was redeveloped for an AMC Theatres multiplex and Crunch Fitness, alongside additions such as Sky Zone and Bar Louie.
Aftermath
The property further diversified beyond traditional department-store retail into cinema, recreation, dining, and fitness.
2002
Convert the enclosed mall into an open-air centerStrategyBackground
Declining occupancy, tenant departures, the property's age, and competition from newer Cincinnati-area malls weakened the enclosed Beechmont Mall format.
Action taken
Victory Real Estate renamed the property Anderson Towne Center and planned to demolish most of the mall, retain the Lazarus and Kmart buildings, and add exterior-facing retail suites, restaurants, services, and a major Kroger supermarket.
Aftermath
Demolition began in 2003, Kroger opened in 2004, and the converted center opened broadly in 2005.
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