Westgate Mall (Fairview Park)

Westgate Mall has existed as a preferred Greater Cleveland suburban shopping center in some form since the mid-1950s. Located at the intersection of Center Ridge Road and West 210th Street Fairview Park, Ohio at the boundary of Rocky River, Ohio. [cite web
title = WESTGATE CENTER
publisher = BlogSpot: Mall Hall-of-Fame
url = http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2007/02/westgate-shopping-center-center-ridge.html
format = HTML ] Westgate mall is now known as "Westgate", and now has reformed into an outdoor shopping center. [cite web
title = Official site
publisher = Westgate Ohio
url = http://WWW.WestGateOhio.Com/
format = HTML]

Beginning

Built several years after the close of World War II, the original "Westgate Center" opened in 1954. The first such shopping mall in Greater Cleveland, convert|8.5|mi|km from Downtown's Public Square, and the first suburban shopping mall in Ohio, as one of the first post-war suburban retail centers with department store anchors in the United States, situated on a 55 acre parcel. The original anchors of what was then an open-air plaza of separate stores and outdoor walkways were a 3-level Halle Bros. Co., 3-level Higbee's, a Kroger Supermarket, and a Federal Department Store.

Many early suburban Greater Cleveland shopping centers or malls were named "Gate": Eastgate, GoldenGate, Shoregate, Westgate, ...; referring to being "gateways" between the suburban and urban areas.

Eventually, Higbee's also took over the Federal Department Store space; while the center was roofed over in the late 1960s to compete with neighboring newer Parmatown Mall convert|8|mi|km South-East and Great Northern Mall convert|4.5|mi|km South-West.

1972 saw the construction of a four-screen movie house operated by General Cinema Corporation.

Halle's closed in 1982 when the chain went out of business.

In 1984, the Richard E. Jacobs Group, a Cleveland-based real estate developer, took ownership of the fading complex and began renovations and remerchandising to aim for the upper-income buyers surrounding the mall. The year saw the addition of Pittsburgh-based Joseph Horne Co. in the former Halle space and the Promenade Food Court, which was added to replace the original movie theatres. A new six-screen cineplex was built behind the mall on its own wing, near the Higbee's Home Store.

Decline

The 1990s saw another decline of the complex as newer facilities like Great Northern Mall in nearby and far-flung suburbs, a revitalized Downtown Cleveland and a recession-battered economy took its toll. Higbee's was taken over by Dillard's in 1992, which then bought out the Horne's store, creating a unique three-unit operation with ladies apparel in the north store, men's & children's items and housewares in the south wing and furniture & electronics in the outlying Home Store. Eventually, the Home Store was closed when Dillard's discontinued electronics and furniture in their Cleveland area locations. In 1996, Kohl's built a two-level store adjacent to the Promenade, which temporarily boosted the struggling mall's fortunes, but eventually the aging mall continued its downward trend. Many stores followed their customers to other locations or simply vanished due to their own corporate problems.

Dillard's eliminated non-apparel items in early 2004 and consolidated into the north store, [cite web
title = August, 2003 by Shannon Mortland - Westgate future questioned as Dillard's drops a store
publisher = FindArticles: Crain's Cleveland Business
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1575/is_200308/ai_n9055656
format = HTML] which it eventually closed at the end of March 2005. Almost immediately, the remaining mall stores began leaving, and the cineplex, now owned by AMC, was closed as well. [cite web
title = Westgate Mall
publisher = DeadMalls
url = http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/westgate_mall.html
format = HTML]

Redevelopment

A major redevelopment was announced in late May, which planned to convert the center into a lifestyle open-air center. During this, both closed
Dillard's, the interior of the mall, & plaza in front were demolished to make way. [cite web
title = June 1, 2005: Plans for Westgate announced - Vacant Dillard's stores to be demolished this summer
publisher = WestLife News
url = http://www.westlifenews.com/2005/06-01/westgate.html
format = HTML]

The new Westgate (dropping "mall" from the name) was opened in Fall of 2007. Westgate is an outdoor center with retailers such as Target, Ulta, Kay Jewelers, Petco, Lowe's, Marshall's, Justice, Famous Footwear,Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, The Original Pancake House and more coming/opening soon. Kohl's remained open during the redevelopment. Only some areas are completed as of now, whileother areas are still under construction.

Featured Retailers

* Kohl's (94,500 SF.)
* Lowe's (119,701 SF.)
* Marshall's (32,760 SF.)
* Petco (32,862 SF.)
* Target (126,842 SF.)
* Ulta (15,070 SF)

Featured Restaurants

* LongHorn Steakhouse (5,688 SF.)

Notes

References

External links

* [Centro's Westgate] [http://www.centroprop.com/PropertyProfile_short.asp?ProjectID=POHWESTG1]