Rolling Acres Mall
A former super-regional shopping mall in Akron, Ohio, that closed in 2008 and was demolished between 2016 and 2019.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Rolling Acres Mall was a large enclosed shopping center in Akron, Ohio, developed by Forest City Enterprises in partnership with local developer Richard B. Buchholzer. It occupied a roughly 260-acre site along Romig Road in the southwestern part of the city and was intended to serve as a major regional retail destination. The project emerged from planning studies conducted during the 1960s, when developers identified interest from department-store operators in Akron's southwestern area. Site preparation began after the necessary municipal approvals, road improvements, sewer work, and utility relocations were arranged. Construction cost more than $100 million and employed more than 1,200 workers. The first phase opened on August 6, 1975, with Sears as the principal anchor and approximately two dozen operating stores. JCPenney joined the center in January 1976, followed by a General Cinema three-screen theater and additional department stores. O'Neil's and Montgomery Ward opened in 1977, while an expanded southern section called the Promenade added further retail space in 1978. The mall's interior included the Court of Twelve Trees, a landscaped central court with ficus trees, skylights, planters, and a fountain. Its food court, initially called Prom-n-Eat, was renamed Picnic Place in 1981. At its peak, the center contained more than 150 stores and functioned as a major shopping and entertainment venue. The anchor lineup changed repeatedly. Montgomery Ward was converted to Higbee's in 1986, then became Dillard's in 1992. O'Neil's became May Company Ohio, later Kaufmann's, and ultimately Macy's. Target added a fifth anchor in 1995 as part of the retailer's expansion in northeastern Ohio. During the 1980s, the mall was renovated with a blue-and-purple design scheme and sought more fashion-oriented tenants. The theater closed in 1993 after years of weak performance, despite an attempt to operate it as a discount cinema. Rolling Acres began losing its competitive position during the 1990s. Nearby shopping centers received renovations and benefited from stronger tenant mixes, while Rolling Acres developed a reputation for declining conditions, perceived crime, and limited reinvestment. JCPenney and Dillard's converted their stores to outlet formats between 1997 and 1999. Target relocated in 2006, Dillard's closed that year, and Macy's shut its store in February 2008. Ownership changed several times, but proposed conversions to offices, light industrial space, and call-center use did not produce a lasting redevelopment. The mall closed on October 31, 2008, after its electricity was disconnected; Sears and the JCPenney outlet continued operating separately for a time. Sears closed in April 2011, and the successor JC's 5 Star Outlet closed on December 31, 2013, leaving the property entirely vacant. The abandoned complex became widely photographed and discussed as an example of a dead mall and retail decline. Vandalism, metal theft, water damage, and deterioration severely damaged the structure. After foreclosure-related proceedings and ownership complications, demolition occurred in stages from 2016 through 2019. Amazon subsequently developed a fulfillment facility on part of the former mall site.
History
Planning for Rolling Acres Mall began in the 1960s, when Forest City Enterprises and Akron developer Richard B. Buchholzer studied a large tract along Romig Road. The developers believed the southwestern part of Akron could support a major shopping destination and selected a site of approximately 260 acres. Municipal authorities funded road and sewer improvements to accommodate anticipated traffic, while the project required utility relocations and several permits for excavation and construction. Delays in site preparation prompted political pressure from Akron officials, but the zoning approval remained in place after the developers submitted a development schedule. Sears was confirmed as the first anchor by 1973, and the architectural work was assigned to the Cleveland firm Keeva Kekst Association. The first phase opened on August 6, 1975, with Sears and about 21 other stores. JCPenney opened a large department store in January 1976, followed by a three-screen General Cinema theater in August of that year. O'Neil's and Montgomery Ward opened in 1977, and the Promenade section added more stores in 1978. The original food court, Prom-n-Eat, was renamed Picnic Place in 1981. A distinctive Court of Twelve Trees formed the central interior feature, using twelve ficus trees, skylights, landscaping, and a fountain. The completed center eventually offered approximately 144 stores in its early expanded configuration and more than 150 stores at its peak. The property experienced several anchor transitions in the 1980s and early 1990s. Montgomery Ward experimented with a discount format before closing its Akron-area stores in 1986; the Rolling Acres location was then converted to Higbee's. Higbee's became Dillard's after that chain acquired the department-store operation in 1992. O'Neil's was acquired and renamed May Company Ohio in 1989, then became Kaufmann's and later Macy's. During the Higbee's period, management renovated the mall with blue and purple interior finishes, exterior landscaping, and a more fashion-focused tenant strategy. The theater closed in 1993 after years of poor results. Its operator had tried showing second-run movies at a very low ticket price, but the experiment did not restore profitability. A disturbance outside a screening in 1991 also contributed to negative public perceptions. In the early 1990s, the mall changed from off-duty police officers to lower-cost security guards. These developments, combined with perceptions of crime and social disorder, affected the center's reputation among shoppers and merchants. Target opened in 1995 as the fifth anchor, connected by a passage containing additional storefronts. The addition did not reverse the mall's longer-term decline. Competition from renovated regional centers, limited investment, and weakening tenant demand led to continued vacancies. JCPenney and Dillard's converted to outlet formats between 1997 and 1999. The property changed ownership in 2000 and again in 2002, when Heywood Whichard and his family acquired it at a substantially reduced price. Contemporary reporting described occupancy at roughly 65 percent and questioned whether the new ownership would undertake meaningful revitalization. The decline accelerated after 2006. Target relocated to Wadsworth, Dillard's closed, and Kaufmann's became Macy's as part of the broader corporate rebranding following Federated Department Stores' acquisition of May Department Stores. Macy's closed in February 2008. Under Invest Commercial's ownership, proposals included conversion to offices, light industrial use, or call-center space, but no durable redevelopment followed. By October 2008 only a handful of tenants remained, and the enclosed mall closed when electrical service was cut. Sears continued separately until April 2011. JCPenney's outlet business was sold to SB Capital Group and rebranded as JC's 5 Star Outlet, but the Rolling Acres store closed at the end of 2013. The property then became entirely vacant. Tax arrears, ownership disputes, and bankruptcy complications contributed to foreclosure proceedings. Meanwhile, scrappers and vandals stripped the building, damaged railings, removed copper, and accelerated its physical decay. Online photographs and videos turned the site into a widely recognized example of a dead mall and the decline of enclosed suburban retail. Demolition proceeded in phases between 2016 and 2019. The former shopping-center site was subsequently reused for an Amazon fulfillment facility, marking a transition from regional retail to logistics and distribution use.
- 2019
Demolition completed
[1]The remaining mall structures were removed by the end of the demolition process.
- 2016
Demolition begins
[1]The abandoned mall began to be demolished in stages.
- 2013
Final retail tenant closes
[1]JC's 5 Star Outlet closed on December 31.
- 2008
Enclosed mall closes
[1]The mall ceased operations on October 31 after electrical service was disconnected.
- 2002
Heywood Whichard family acquires mall
[1]The property was purchased by Heywood Whichard and his family.
- 2000
Property changes ownership
[1]Bankers Trust of New York acquired the mall.
- 1995
Target opens
[1]Target became the fifth anchor store.
- 1993
Cinema closes
[1]General Cinema shut the theater after years of unprofitability.
- 1986
Montgomery Ward becomes Higbee's
[1]The Montgomery Ward anchor was replaced by a new Higbee's department store.
- 1981
Food court renamed Picnic Place
[1]The food court formerly known as Prom-n-Eat adopted the Picnic Place name.
Products and positioning
A super-regional enclosed shopping mall designed to combine major department-store anchors, specialty retail, dining, and entertainment for Akron-area consumers.
Retail real estate · 1975
Enclosed shopping mall
Rolling Acres Mall provided an enclosed, climate-controlled shopping environment containing department stores, specialty retailers, dining, entertainment, and common areas. Its design included multiple anchor wings, a central landscaped court, a southern Promenade extension, and a food court. At peak operation, the center housed more than 150 stores serving shoppers from the Akron region.
Cinema · 1976
Rolling Acres Cinemas
A three-screen movie theater operated by General Cinema opened at the mall in 1976. It later experimented with discounted second-run films but closed in 1993 after remaining unprofitable. The theater was subsequently reopened for a period by the independent Blind Squirrel Cinema group.
Food court · 1978
Picnic Place
The mall's food court began under the name Prom-n-Eat and was renamed Picnic Place in 1981. It provided shared dining space and food-service units within the southern retail expansion.
Brand decisions
2016
Redevelop the former mall site through demolitionStrategyBackground
Years of vacancy, vandalism, metal theft, structural deterioration, and unresolved property issues made continued use of the mall building impractical.
Action taken
The mall was demolished in stages from 2016 through 2019.
Aftermath
Amazon later developed a fulfillment facility on the former site, replacing regional retail use with logistics operations.
2008
Close the enclosed mallStrategyBackground
By October 2008, only a small number of tenants remained and the property could no longer support its electricity costs.
Action taken
The mall closed after electrical service was disconnected, while Sears and the JCPenney outlet continued operating independently.
Aftermath
The property became an abandoned retail complex and later entered foreclosure-related proceedings before eventual demolition.
1995
Add Target as a fifth anchorProduct launchBackground
The mall sought to strengthen its regional tenant lineup as Target expanded across northeastern Ohio.
Action taken
Target built a store connected to the mall through a new passageway containing additional storefronts.
Aftermath
The addition expanded the center but did not stop the subsequent loss of tenants and anchor-store downgrades.
Recent events
- 2016
Rolling Acres Mall is demolished in stages[1]
Other
Demolition began after years of vacancy and structural deterioration and continued through 2019.
- 2015
Vandalism and metal theft damage the abandoned property[1]
Other
Reports described extensive deterioration after scrappers removed valuable metal and vandals damaged interior features, railings, and other building elements.
- 2013
JC's 5 Star Outlet closes[1]
Other
The former JCPenney outlet, operated under the JC's 5 Star Outlet name, closed on December 31, making the entire former mall site vacant.
- 2011
Sears closes its Rolling Acres location[1]
Other
Sears ended its remaining mall-related retail operation on April 3, leaving the property without that long-standing anchor.
- 2009
Online auction attracts no bids[1]
Other
The property was offered for online auction after closure, but no bids were placed.
- 2008
Mall closes after electricity is disconnected[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
With only a small number of tenants remaining, the enclosed mall shut on October 31 after the owner could no longer maintain electrical service. Sears and the JCPenney outlet operated separately afterward.
- 2007
Macy's announces closure of its Rolling Acres store[1]
Other
Macy's announced that the Rolling Acres location would be among several Ohio stores it would close; the store completed its final sales in February 2008.
- 2006
Target leaves Rolling Acres Mall[1]
Other
Target relocated its operations to nearby Wadsworth, removing one of the property's newer anchor tenants.
- 1995
Target becomes the mall's fifth anchor[1]
Product launch
Target opened a new store connected to the mall through a retail passageway as part of the chain's northeastern Ohio expansion.
- 1975
Rolling Acres Mall opens its first phase[1]
Other
The mall opened with Sears and approximately 21 other stores, beginning operations as a major new retail center in southwestern Akron.
Sources1 sources
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