Summit Mall

Summit Mall
The mall's center court.
LocationFairlawn, Ohio, U.S.
Coordinates41°07′56″N 81°37′06″W / 41.13216°N 81.61830°W / 41.13216; -81.61830
OpenedOctober 28, 1965; 61 years ago (October 28, 1965)
DeveloperEdward J. DeBartolo Corporation
ManagerSimon Property Group
OwnerSimon Property Group
Num. of stores100+
3
Floor area850,000 sq ft (79,000 m2)
Floors1 (2 in Macy's and Dillard's)
Parking7,500 Spaces, Lit Parking Lot
Public transit
Bus interchange METRO
Websitewww.simon.com/mall/summit-mall

Summit Mall is a one-story, 850,000-square-foot (79,000 m2) enclosed regional shopping mall located at 3265 West Market Street in the Akron suburb of Fairlawn, Ohio. It is the only remaining mall in Summit County.

Developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation the mall opened on October 28, 1965. Today, it is owned by Simon Property Group. Currently, Summit Mall contains space for 100+ stores and eateries.The mall features Macy's, a dual Dillard's configuration (Dillard's and Dillard's Men's and Children's), and a food court.

History

Development and early years

DeBartolo Corporation developed Summit Mall. First announced in 1963, the mall opened to the public in 1965. The original anchor stores were Cleveland, Ohio-based Halle Brothers Co. and two other department stores both based in Akron: O'Neil's and Polsky's. Other major tenants included Woolworth, Kroger, and Acme Markets. In November of 1978 it was announced that Polsky's would be closing by December 30, 1978.

Late 20th century

After Halle's 1982 shutdown, their location was transferred to Higbee's, which operated the store until it was taken over by Dillard's in late 1992. It was a full-line location (without housewares) until 1998 when the men's department relocated to the top floor of the former Polsky's / Jewel Mart space. After Polsky's closed, Jewel Mart occupied the main floor level.[citation needed] In July 1986, a Dallas businessman proposed opening a laser tag facility in the basement of the former Polsky's. In July 1989, National Theatre Corporation (now Regal Entertainment Group) closed the two-screen theater at the mall when General Cinemas opened up a new theater at West Market Plaza. O'Neil's became May Company Ohio by the end of 1989.[citation needed] By July 1990, Rizzi's Ristorante and Pizzeria and Charlotte's West occupied the space on the half-vacant lower level. Jewel Mart was gone by 1991 and the top floor remained vacant until Dillard's expanded their store to occupy both levels.[citation needed] May Company then turned to Kaufmann's in 1993.[citation needed]

2000's – present

Rizzi's and Charlotte's West were both gone by 2004, giving Dillard's the opportunity to renovate both floors as a Dillard's Women's store.[citation needed] May Company became Macy's in 2006.[citation needed] In January 2013, Williams-Sonoma announced it would close its location in the mall. In January 2017, Ann Taylor also closed at the mall.

References

  1. 1 2 "Akron Ohio Historical Timeline 1950 - 1999". Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2009. Akron Ohio Historical Timeline 1950-1999. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
  2. ↑ "Center Directory". Summit Mall. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "East Side Malls" The Plain Dealer February 22, 2004. Retrieved July 31, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Zoning map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 25, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2006. City of Fairlawn Zoning Map. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
  5. ↑ "An old friend: area residents watched and shared in mall project". Akron Beacon Journal. October 27, 1965. pp. E3. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ DeBartolo Buys Akron Chain Store. Youngstown Vindicator. November 2, 1978.
  7. ↑ Geiger, Peter. "Laser Game Proposed at Summit Mall." Akron Beacon Journal. July 9, 1986: D3.
  8. ↑ Rhoden, Yalinda. "Malls Mean More Than Shopping To Attract Customers, Managers Must Provide Them Plenty of Amenities." Akron Beacon Journal. October 7, 1991: D1.
  9. ↑ Murphey, Frances B. "Summit Mall Rizzi's has Jazz On its Menu 3 Nights a Week." Akron Beacon Journal. February 1, 1991: D18.
  10. ↑ "Williams-Sonoma Closing Summit Mall Store Jan. 20 - Fairlawn-Bath, OH Patch". Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Ann Taylor closing at Fairlawn's Summit Mall". cleveland.com. January 11, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2018.