Woodville Mall
Woodville Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Northwood, Ohio, near Toledo, that operated from 1969 until its closure and demolition in the 2010s.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Woodville Mall was an enclosed shopping center located along Woodville Road, or Ohio State Route 51, in Northwood, Ohio, outside Toledo. Developed by the DeBartolo Corporation, the mall opened in stages during 1969 and became one of the Toledo area’s principal retail destinations. Its original anchor lineup included JCPenney, Sears, and LaSalle’s, while a Woolworth store also operated as an important early tenant. The mall’s competitive position changed quickly. Franklin Park Mall opened in northwest Toledo in 1971, ending Woodville Mall’s status as the area’s only enclosed shopping mall. A Woolco store also opened across Woodville Road that year, adding another source of retail competition. Nevertheless, Woodville Mall remained active for several decades and underwent a substantial renovation in 1986. The project removed the original fountain area, introduced a skylit center court, upgraded carpeting, added a food court, and adopted a more family-oriented design. In the late 1980s, the replacement of JCPenney’s original location by The Andersons temporarily strengthened the center’s performance, with several smaller merchants reporting improved sales after the new anchor opened. Anchor and tenant changes continued through the 1980s and 1990s. LaSalle’s was converted to Macy’s in 1982 and then sold to Elder-Beerman in 1984. JCPenney closed its mall store in 1987, while Woolworth and its adjacent Harvest House Cafeteria closed in 1994. Ownership also changed. Simon Property Group, created through the 1996 merger involving DeBartolo, marketed Woodville Mall for sale in 1999. The property was ultimately sold in 2004 to California investors Sammy Kahen and Jack Kashani. During the 2000s, the mall entered a prolonged decline. Most inline tenants departed, and by 2006 fewer than 30 of approximately 100 retail spaces were operating. Proposals to renovate or partially redevelop the property did not come to fruition. Elder-Beerman and the mall’s movie theater closed in late 2009. New York real-estate investor Mike Kohan acquired the mall in November 2009 and announced plans to revive it. A small number of businesses opened in 2011, including a sandwich shop, furniture store, and radio station, but these additions did not reverse the center’s deterioration. Structural and operating problems ultimately ended the mall’s commercial life. In December 2011, a county judge ordered the interior closed after authorities identified roof holes, water intrusion, mold and mildew, an incompletely functioning alarm system, lack of heat, and fire-code concerns related to tenants using space heaters. Remaining tenants were instructed to leave, and the closure became permanent in June 2012 after the owner failed to appear at a hearing. The Andersons and Sears continued operating in portions of the site with exterior access for a time, although The Andersons announced its departure in November 2012, citing the serious deterioration of the mall structure. Woodville Mall was demolished in March 2014, with the Sears building initially excluded from the demolition; Sears’s closure was announced during the same month. The former mall is therefore remembered primarily as a former regional shopping center and an example of a declining enclosed mall in the American Midwest.
History
Woodville Mall was developed by the DeBartolo Corporation on Woodville Road in Northwood, Ohio, immediately outside Toledo. The enclosed shopping center opened in stages in 1969: an initial portion began operating in April, and the remaining sections were open by the end of that year. The original major anchors were JCPenney, Sears, and LaSalle’s. Woolworth was also an original tenant and operated the Harvest House Cafeteria beside its store for many years. The center faced new competition only two years after opening. Franklin Park Mall opened on Toledo’s northwest side in 1971, ending Woodville Mall’s position as the Toledo area’s only enclosed shopping mall. That same year, a Woolco store opened across Woodville Road. Despite these challenges, Woodville Mall retained a significant retail role and continued to attract department stores, specialty merchants, restaurants, and entertainment uses. The ownership and tenant mix evolved during the 1980s. R.H. Macy & Co., which had owned LaSalle’s, converted its local stores to the Macy’s name in 1982. The locations were sold to Elder-Beerman in 1984. JCPenney closed its Woodville Mall store in June 1987, citing declining sales. The Andersons replaced it, opening a general-merchandise store on September 1, 1988. The new anchor was followed by reports of improved sales at several nearby merchants, including Spencer Gifts, Kay-Bee Toys, and Orange Julius. Woodville Mall itself was renovated in 1986. The work removed the original central fountain area and created a new center court with skylights. It also introduced new carpeting, a food court, and features intended to make the mall more attractive to children and families. The improvements represented an effort to modernize the center and reinforce its role as a conventional regional shopping destination. The mall’s long-term decline became more visible in the 1990s and 2000s. Woolworth closed its store in February 1994 as part of a broader series of closures affecting Toledo-area locations. Simon Property Group, formed through the 1996 merger involving DeBartolo, placed Woodville Mall and North Towne Square on the market in 1999. Both properties were sold in 2004 to California investors Sammy Kahen and Jack Kashani. Their proposed renovation and redevelopment plans failed to materialize. By 2006, fewer than 30 of the approximately 100 mall spaces were operating. The owners considered demolishing parts of the center, but the property continued to deteriorate. Elder-Beerman and the mall’s movie theater closed in late 2009. The theater lacked an exterior entrance, which meant that its closure became especially significant once the mall interior was no longer accessible. Mike Kohan, a New York real-estate investor, acquired Woodville Mall in November 2009 and announced plans to recruit new tenants. He also attempted to sell the property to Royale Property Management, but that transaction failed because it depended on replacing the mall’s roof. A limited revival effort produced several new occupants in 2011, including a sandwich business, furniture store, and radio station. These additions did not address the property’s fundamental structural and operating problems. In December 2011, a county judge ordered the mall’s interior closed. Reported conditions included holes in the roof, water entering the building, mold and mildew, a partially defective alarm system, and a lack of heat because the gas bill had not been paid. Some tenants were using space heaters, which authorities considered a violation of state fire regulations. The remaining tenants were told to leave by January 6, 2012. The owner stated that he lacked the funds needed for the repairs. The closure was made permanent on June 7, 2012, after Kohan failed to appear at a hearing concerning the mall’s condition. The Andersons and Sears were able to remain open for a time through their own exterior access, while the theater closed because it could not be reached independently. Although demolition was discussed for the end of 2012, it did not occur on that timetable, and Northwood was unable to obtain the property from its owner. The Andersons announced in November 2012 that its Woodville location would close in February 2013. The company identified the serious deterioration of the mall structure as the main reason for closing its approximately 120,000-square-foot store. The mall was demolished in March 2014, with the Sears building initially spared. Sears’s closure was announced that same month. Woodville Mall’s history reflects the rise of enclosed regional retail in the late twentieth century, followed by increasing competition, anchor departures, falling occupancy, failed revitalization plans, deferred maintenance, regulatory closure, and eventual demolition.
- 2014
Demolition
[1]Most of the mall is demolished in March; the Sears structure is initially excluded.
- 2012
Closure becomes permanent
[1]The court makes the closure permanent after the owner fails to attend a condition hearing.
- 2011
Interior closure ordered
[1]A judge orders the interior closed because of structural, utility, environmental, and fire-safety problems.
- 2009
Kohan acquires the mall
[1]Mike Kohan purchases the property and proposes a new tenant-attraction effort after the Elder-Beerman and theater closures.
- 2006
Occupancy sharply declines
[1]Fewer than 30 of roughly 100 spaces remain operational.
- 2004
Property changes hands
[1]Sammy Kahen and Jack Kashani acquire Woodville Mall.
- 1996
DeBartolo becomes part of Simon Property Group
[1]The merger creates the ownership context under which Woodville Mall is later marketed for sale.
- 1994
Woolworth closes
[1]The original Woolworth tenant and its adjacent Harvest House Cafeteria close.
- 1988
The Andersons opens
[1]The Andersons opens in the former JCPenney space and temporarily improves the center’s trading environment.
- 1987
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney leaves the mall after declining sales.
Products and positioning
A traditional enclosed regional shopping mall serving Northwood and the greater Toledo area, with department-store anchors, inline specialty retailers, dining, and entertainment. In its later years, it became associated with retail decline, vacancy, deferred maintenance, and eventual demolition.
Shopping center · 1969
Enclosed regional shopping mall
Woodville Mall’s core offering was a climate-controlled enclosed shopping environment combining department-store anchors, smaller specialty shops, dining, and entertainment. It served Northwood and the Toledo area from 1969 until the interior was closed in 2011 and the property was demolished in 2014.
Dining · 1986
Mall food court and dining facilities
Dining was part of the mall’s customer proposition, including the original Harvest House Cafeteria operated beside Woolworth and a food court added during the 1986 renovation.
Entertainment
Movie theater
The mall included a movie theater that operated as an entertainment component of the center. It closed in late 2009 and could not reopen after the interior mall closure because it lacked an exterior entrance.
Brand decisions
2014
Demolition of the mallOtherBackground
Failed renovation efforts, prolonged vacancy, structural deterioration, and permanent closure left the property without a viable enclosed-mall operation.
Action taken
The mall was demolished in March, while the Sears building was initially retained.
Aftermath
Woodville Mall ceased to exist as a shopping center; Sears’s closure was announced during the same month.
2011
Interior closure following safety and structural findingsOtherBackground
Authorities identified roof holes, water intrusion, mold and mildew, an incomplete alarm system, lack of heat, and fire-code concerns involving tenant space heaters.
Action taken
A county judge ordered the interior closed and remaining tenants were directed to leave.
Aftermath
The closure became permanent in June 2012, ending normal enclosed-mall operations.
2009
Attempted tenant-led revivalStrategyBackground
Vacancy and anchor losses had weakened the property, including the closure of Elder-Beerman and the movie theater.
Action taken
After acquiring the mall, Mike Kohan announced plans to add stores and later attracted a small number of new occupants.
Aftermath
Several businesses opened in 2011, but the effort did not overcome the mall’s structural and occupancy problems.
1986
Modernization and family-oriented renovationStrategyBackground
Woodville Mall needed to maintain its appeal as competition from other Toledo-area shopping centers increased.
Action taken
The center removed its fountain area, created a skylit court, installed new carpeting, added a food court, and introduced more child- and family-friendly features.
Aftermath
The renovation modernized the interior and reinforced the mall’s conventional regional-shopping positioning.
Recent events
- 2014
Woodville Mall is demolished[1]
Other
Demolition took place in March 2014. The Sears building was initially left standing, although Sears’s closure was announced during the same month.
- 2012
Mall closure becomes permanent[1]
Regulation
A judge made the closure permanent in June after the owner failed to appear at a hearing concerning the property’s condition. Sears and The Andersons continued operating separately for a period.
- 2012
The Andersons announces its departure[1]
Leadership change · Other
The Andersons announced in November that its Woodville location would close in February 2013, attributing the decision primarily to the serious deterioration of the mall structure.
- 2011
New businesses open during attempted revival[1]
Product launch
A sandwich business, furniture store, and radio station opened at the mall as part of an unsuccessful effort to restore activity.
- 2011
Judge orders Woodville Mall interior closed[1]
Regulation · Other
A county judge ordered the interior closed in December after authorities identified roof damage, water leakage, mold, a partially failed alarm system, lack of heat, and fire-code concerns.
- 2009
Elder-Beerman and the movie theater close[1]
Other
The Elder-Beerman anchor and the mall’s theater closed in late 2009 as the center’s decline continued.
- 2009
Mike Kohan acquires Woodville Mall[1]
M&A
New York real-estate investor Mike Kohan bought the mall in November and announced plans to attract new stores.
- 2006
Mall occupancy falls below 30 operating spaces[1]
Other
By 2006, fewer than 30 of the mall’s roughly 100 spaces were operating, and the owners considered removing portions of the property.
- 2004
Woodville Mall is sold to California investors[1]
M&A
The property was sold to Sammy Kahen and Jack Kashani. Their proposed renovation plans did not ultimately materialize.
- 1999
Simon Property Group places Woodville Mall up for sale[1]
M&A
After the 1996 merger involving DeBartolo, Simon Property Group marketed Woodville Mall and Toledo’s North Towne Square for sale.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/woodville-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled