Southern Park Mall — History & Vintage Directories

 

History

    The Southern Park Mall opened in 1970 as a DeBartolo project. Located in Boardman Ohio, (a suburb of Youngstown Ohio) the center opened with three anchor stores. Sears, Strouss’, and JCPenney, with Kroger and Woolworth serving as Jr anchors. But the mall quickly expanded in 1972, with the addition of a Joseph Horne Co. The Strouss’ changed to Kaufmann’s in 1986 after the May Company merger, and soon after expanded the first floor of the location. And in 1992, Horne’s turned to Dillard’s, and sequentially expanded. The mall coasted through the years with not much being done to it, until the ownership transfer to Simon Property Group in 1997. In that same year, Simon launched a huge renovation to bring a brand new Food Court, remodeled concourses and store fronts, as well as a BW3 restaurant to replace a Ponderosa steakhouse. With the remodel, the mall soared into the 2000s. Between 1999, and 2010, the mall received a COACH, Buckle, Yankee Candle, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Jillian’s Bar & Lanes, GracyLane, and d.e.m.o. Unfortunately heading past 2010, the mall started a very slow decline. They lost Jillian’s in 2011. Followed by Abercrombie in 2013, and COACH in 2014. The ownership changed from Simon at this point to WPG in 2015. The closures continue with Aèropostale in 2017, and Sears as well as Dillard’s in 2018. By 2019, there are redevelopment plans that have been put into place for the mall. The plan was demolish the former Sears, and construct green space, with a concert venue. Along with a two-level Planet Fitness, Bowling Alley/Bar, a Mayweather Boxing Gym, and a brand new XXI Forever up by JCPenney. This includes a full remodel for the entire mall. The plans were spectacular! That is until — 2020. After the horrid year that was 2020, the plans were scaled back. XXI and Mayweather pulled out. Planet Fitness ended up opening a smaller, cheaper location by JCPenney, where XXI was planned to go. But in 2021, DeBartolo Commons opened a year late, but to some success. But, as 2022 came and went, Finish Line, Gracylane,and Zales all closed. 2023 was not making things look much better, with Sleep Number, Daily Thread, Yankee Candle, Buckle, and Mia Emilia all closed. And so far, 2024 is not looking much better with Children’s Place already announcing closure for January 26, 2024. When speaking with an employee at the location, she had told me that Southern Park wanted to DOUBLE the stores rent! How do they expect to keep stores with increasing rent, for a declining property? Please! Someone explain! But, is Southern Park truly the Modern Icon DeBartolo sought out for it to be? Or just a small failed shopping center abandoned by Simon?

1997 Stores

5-7-9 Shops / A Visible Change Salon / Added Touch (Kisok) / Afterthoughts /Alba House / All Wound Up (Holiday Temp.) / American Book Corner (Kiosk) / American Commodore Tuxedo / American Eagle / Asian Chao (New) / Athletes Foot / Auntie Annes / BW3 / Bakers Shoes / Bath & Body Works / Bombay Company / B.Dalton Booksellers / Burger King / Buttermaid Bakery / Camelot Music / Casual Corner Annex - Petite Sophisticate / Champs Sports / Charley’s Steakery (New) / Chick-Fil-A / Chili’s (OP) / Christian St. John / Cinnabon / Claire’s / Contempo Casuals / Cooper Watchworks (Kiosk) / County Seat / Dillard’s / Easy Spirit / Eddie Bauer / Express / Famous Footwear (Coming Soon) / Firestone Tire & Auto (OP) / Foot Locker / FootAction USA (New) / Fun-N-Games Arcade / Gantos / Gap / GapKids (New) / Garden Botanika / Gloria Jeans Coffee Bean / Gorant’s Gifts / Great Train Store / Gymboree / Hallmark / Hot Sam / J.Riggings (New) / JCPenney / Journey’s (New) / KB Toys / Kaufmann’s / Kay Jewelers (New) / Kings Jewelers / Kinney Shoes / Lady Foot Locker / Lane Bryant / Lechters Housewares / Lerner New York / Leroy’s Jewelers / Limited Too / Littman Jewelers / Lucky Lotto (Kiosk) / McDonalds (New) / Memories & More (Kiosk) / Nail City / National City Bank / National Record Mart / Neils Shoes / Nicholas Joseph Salon / Northern Reflections / Orange Julius - Karmel Corn / Original Cookie Company / Pacific Sunwear (New) / Payless Shoe Source / Pearle Vision Express / Quiznos Subs (New) / RAVE / Radio Shack / Razors Edge / Regis Salons / Rite Aid / Ritz Camera / Ruby Tuesday / SBARRO / Sarku Japan (New) / Sears / Sears Auto Center (OP) / Socorro Pizza / Software Etc. / Spencer’s Gifts / Sports Cage / Stride Rite / Structure / Suncoast Motion Picture  Company (New) / Sunglass Hut (Kiosk) / Sweet Factory / The Disney Store / The Limited / The Picture People / Things Remembered (New) / Tinseltown USA (New & OP) / Trade Secret / Universal U / Valley Piano & Organ / Victorias Secret / Village Crafts (Holiday Temp.) / Wicks N’ Sticks / Willcom Cellular (Kiosk) / Wilson’s Leather / Woolworth / World of Science / Zales Jewelers

2003 Stores

5-7-9 Shops, Abercrombie & Fitch, Added Touch, Aèropostale, Afterthoughts, Airforce, Alba House, Alltel, American Commodore Tuxedo, American Eagle, American Greetings, As Seen On TV, Asian Chao, Auntie Annes, B.Dalton Booksellers, Bath & Body Works, Bombay Company, Bruno Bros. Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buttermaid Bakery, Casual Corner, Champs Sports, Cellular One, Cellular Dimensions, Charley’s Steakery, Charlotte Russe (New), Chcik-Fil-A, Children’s Place, Chili’s (OP), Christopher & Banks (New), Claire’s, d.e.m.o., Dairy Queen, Dakota Watch Company, Dillard’s, Discover Channel Store, Disney Store; The, DJZ, Easy Spirit, Elizabeth Arden Salon (Kaufmann’s), Express, fye - For Your Entertainment, Famous Footwear, Finish Line, Firestone Tire & Auto (OP), Foot Locker, FootAction USA, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Freedom Wireless, Frullatti Cafe (New), Gadgets & More, GadZooks, Gap, GapKids, Gloria Jeans Coffee Bean, GNC, Gorant’s Chocolates & Gifts, Greeks Place, Gymboree, Hollister Co, Hot Sam, International Jewelry, J.B. Robinson Jewelers, JCPenney, JCPenney Optical, JCPenney Portraits, Jewels N’ More, Jillian’s Bar & Lanes, Journeys, KB Toys, Karmel Corn, Kaufmann’s, Kay Jewelers, Kids Foot Locker, KidzTowne, Kings Jewelers, Kirkland’s, Kopper Popper, Lady Foot Locker, Lane Bryant, Lerner Shops, LeRoy’s Jewelers, Liberty Tax Service, Lids/Hat World, Life Uniform, Limited Too, The Limited, Lucky Lotto, MasterCuts, Matthew’s Hallmark, McDonalds, Mobile Solutions (Kiosk), Motherhood Maternity (New), Mr.News, Mrs.Fields Cookies, Nail City, Namely Yours, National City Bank (OP), Next Step Wellness, NuWireless, Opinions Research, Orange Julius, PACSUN, Payless Shoe Source, Petite Sophisticate, Piercing Pagoda (Kiosk) , Plumb Gold (Kiosk), RAVE, Rave Girl, Razors Edge, Regis Salons, Remo Men’s Wear, Ritz Camera, Rue 21, Salvatores Italian Grill, Sarku Japan, SBARRO, Sears, Sears Auto Center (OP), Select Comfort, Simon Marketplace, Software Etc, Sole Outdoors, SPM SyF Education Resource Center, Spencer Gifts, Sportstown, Structure, Subway (New), Suncoast Motion Picture, Sunglass Hut - Watch Station (Kisok), Things Remembered, Tinseltown Cinema, Toutchel Wireless, Trade Secret, Victoria’s Secret, Vita Fashions, Vitamin World, Wet Seal, Wilson’s Leather, Wireless Images (Kiosk), Yankee Candle Co, Zales Jewelers

2005 Stores

5-7-9 Shops,Abercrombie & Fitch,Added Touch,Afterthoughts,Airforce,Alltel (Kiosk),American Commodore Tuxedo,American Eagle,American Greetings,Asian Chao,Auntie Annes Pretzels,Aèropostale,B.Dalton Booksellers,Bath & Body Works,Belle Bronze Tanning,Ben & Jerry’s,Bombay Company,Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3),Build-A-Bear Workshop,Buttermaid Bakery,Cachè (Coming Soon),Casual Corner,Cellular One (Kiosk),Champs Sports,Charley’s Grilled Subs,Charlotte Russe,Chick-Fil-A,Children’s Place; The,Christopher & Banks,Cingular Wireless (New - Kiosk),Claire’s,Country Clutter,Dairy Queen,Dakota Watch Company,Dillard’s,Disney Store; The,Easy Spirit,Elizabeth Arden Salon (Kaufmann’s),Express,Express Men,Famous Footwear,Finish Line,Firestone Tire & Auto Service (OP),Foot Locker,FootAction USA,Fred Meyer Jewelers,Frullati Cafe,GNC,Gadgets & More (Holiday Temp.),Gadzooks,Gap,GapKids,Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean,Gorant’s Chocolates & Gifts,Gymboree,Hollister Co.,Hot Sam,Hot Topic,International Jewelry,Island InkJet (Kiosk),J.B. Robinson Jewelers,JCPenney,JCPenney Optical (JCPenney),JCPenney Portraits (JCPenney),Jewels N’ More,Jillian’s Bar & Lanes,Jos.A.Bank,Journeys,Kaufmann’s,Kay Jewelers,Kids Foot Locker,King’s Jewelers,Kirkland’s,Kopper Popper,Lady Foot Locker,Lane Bryant,LeRoy’s Jewelers,Liberty Tax Service,Lids,Life Uniform,Limited Too; The,Lucky Lotto (Kiosk),Luxury Nails,MasterCuts,Matthew’s Hallmark,McDonalds,Mobile Solutions (Kiosk),Motherhood Maternity,Mr.News,Mrs.Fields Cookies,Nail City,Namely Yours,National City Bank (OP),New York & Company,Opinions Research,Orange Julius,PAK WIRELESS (Kiosk),PacSun,Payless Shoe Source,Petite Sophisticate,Picture People,Piercing Pagoda,Plumb Gold,ProActiv (Kiosk),Qwick Fix Jewelry,RAVE,Rave Girl,Razors Edge,Regis Salons,Reno’s Mens Wear,Rue21,SBARRO,SImon Guest Services,SPM SyF Education Resources Center,Sarku Japan,Sears,Sears Auto Center (OP),Sears Key Shop (OP),Select Comfort,Shail Jewelers,Spencer Gifts,SportsTown,Sprint/PCS,Subway,Sunglass Hut - WatchStation (Kiosk),The Greek Place,The Limited,Things Remembered,Tinseltown Cinema (OP),Toutchel Wireless (Kiosk),Trade Secret,US Airforce,US Army,US Navy,Victoria’s Secret,Vita Fashions,Vitamin World,Wet Seal,Wilson’s Leather,Yankee Candle Co,Z Spaces,Zales Jewelers,d.e.m.o.,fye - For Your Entertainment