Forest Fair/Cincinnati Mills Mall

Forest Fair Village is a mall that was built in 1988 and 1989 in the Northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, between Fairfield and Forest Park on the I-275 beltway. The mall was originally called “Forest Fair Mall” and went through several name changes throughout its life, including “Cincinnati Mills Mall,” “Cincinnati Mall,” and now “Forest Fair Mall.” It is the second largest mall in the state of Ohio at 1,500,000 ft squared, with spaces for 250 stores. Although the mall is still open for shoppers and visitors, it has had trouble retaining tenants throughout its history, and currently only houses a handful of stores. Forest Fair has amassed a cult following online among self-proclaimed “dead mall enthusiasts.”

Forest Fair Mall

In the mid-1980s, George Herscu, an Australian businessman, decided to build Forest Fair Mall in the suburbs of Cincinnati. He chose a Y-shaped layout for the building with ornate features. From its very inception, several factors would destine the mall to a troubled history. The location chosen for construction placed the mall squarely between two blue collar neighborhoods, Fairfield and Forest Park. Despite this, Herscu hoped that the mall would house upscale shops in addition to mid-tier and value stores. Meanwhile, Kenwood Mall, Cincinnati’s upscale mall, opened in 1988 in a prime location just a short drive away from Cincinnati’s wealthiest neighborhoods. When it opened, Forest Fair Mall housed a mix of value stores such as Bigg’s, mid-tier stores such as Elder Beerman, and upscale shops such as Bonwit Teller and Sakowitz. 

Three months after opening, Herscu filed for bankruptcy protection, and was eventually taken to jail. The mall was put up for sale and in just two years after its grand opening, the mall’s occupancy sank to 50%. Several developers attempted to reinvent the mall, but all attempts failed.

In 1992, the owners remade the mall as “The Shops at Forest Fair,” with the concept that each wing of the mall would focus on a different kind of shopping— “The Fashions,” “The Lifestyles” (home decor and sporting goods), “The Markets” (value stores), and “The Festival” (dining and entertainment). This iteration of the mall was very successful, and fostered the growth of new retail developments along I-275. 

In 1996, the building was purchased by Gator Corps. Bass Pro Shop and Kohl’s were among the mall’s largest occupants who joined at this time, and both locations are still open as of 2021. Several value stores, including Burlington Coat Factory, Off 5th, and KB Toys Outlet, also became tenants at the mall, as well as a value movie theater selling $2 tickets. An amusement park named “Wonderpark,” which featured an indoor roller coaster, was built inside the mall, but was closed when it was discovered that its manager was behaving inappropriately towards his underaged staff members. 

Cincinnati Mills Mall

Only a few years after having been purchased by Gator Corps, the mall was resold to Cincinnati Mills. The new owners led a $70 million renovation project on the building and changed its name to Cincinnati Mills Mall. The Greater Cincinnati Development Authority issued $18 million in bonds for this project. FRCH Design Worldwide, a well-known interior design firm specializing in retail, was hired for the redesign effort. As part of the renovation, a second movie theater was installed— one movie theater was dedicated to first-run movies, and the other to second-run. The mall hosted its grand opening in 2004 showing off its new decor. Each wing exhibited a different theme, with elements alluding to different Cincinnati landmarks such as Coney Island and the Ohio River. As director of marketing Steve Beatty said at the time, “there’s just enough quirkiness and out-of-the ordinary that makes people want to come back," Inflatable cows "roam" through the "country" section of the mall, while fish suspended over the food court "make you feel like you're underwater. You get a sense you're in the Ohio River - but in a good way.”

Although the subject of great excitement in its early days, Cincinnati Mills Mall soon ran into problems as it had trouble attracting name brand tenants— instead, it housed stores such as “Tool World.” Cincinnati Mills had been courting Ikea, who at the time was looking to open a location in the Cincinnati area, but the superstore decided to move to a more convenient location at the intersection of two major interstate highways, I-75 and I-275. By 2007, the mall had a 1/3 occupancy rate. In 2010, the building was purchased by World Properties Inc for $4.7 million.

Meanwhile, in 2013, the original builder George Herscu died in the midst of a number of personal problems. He had been charged with bribery and fraud and served five years in prison, and at the time of his death was in billions of dollars of debt and was embroiled in a legal battle with his son. He had built several other “hypermalls” across the United States, none of which were successful.

Forest Fair today

In recent years, there have been many plans to revamp the space. Some examples of proposals for the space include an extended stay hotel, an ice rink, a sports complex, an indoor mountain trail, an agricultural museum, and office space. The name of the mall has also been changed since Cincinnati Mills purchased the building in 2004— first to Cincinnati Mall, and finally to Forest Fair Mall. Tenants of the malls come and go, with the grand majority of units in the building remaining vacant. As of 2021, Bass Pro Shop, an arcade, Kohl’s, Cincinnati Hot Air Balloons, and Bee Fit Health Club remain as tenants. The mall still employs a small security staff who patrol the halls of the building. Most of the mall is still open to both patrons of the stores and visitors of the “dead mall.” 

In the winter of 2020, the city of Forest Park launched an investigation on the property in an attempt to spur the building’s current owners to redevelop the property. They found three fire code violations and over 30 other building code violations including maintenance problems, roof leaks, and emergency exits screwed and chained shut. The current owners, World Properties Inc, has been looking to sell the property for $55 million— a $51 million increase from the price at which they purchased the building. They have not found any buyers willing to pay this price, and many view this price as unrealistic.

There are several factors that may have caused the mall to fail repeatedly. The building is only several miles away from other competing malls with more advantageous locations on Interstate highways — Tri-County Mall, Northgate Mall, and Kenwood Mall. The decision to build an upscale mall in a blue collar neighborhood in a time of economic stagnation may also have contributed to the mall’s ill fate. Additionally, starting in the 2000s, the mall had to compete with online shopping trends.

Cult following

Forest Fair is the subject of many internet blogposts and photoshoots by self-identified “dead mall enthusiasts” and urban explorers. Many people remember the mall’s heyday fondly:

“I use [sic] to be in the mall every weekend as a kid growing up. Never in a million years would ever think this place could die! Omg it was so packed every weekend” —brandon jamison.

“I grew up about 5 minutes away from this mall, I spent a lot of time there growing up. My family used to do our grocery shopping at the Biggs and my grandmother used to take me on the ferris wheel, the carousel, and mini golfing. When they re-vamped it I was in middle school and everyone was very skeptical because none of the stores seemed like they'd stick around. And we were right. And now I'm depressed. :( “ – R S 

According to rumors on the internet, the mall was the site of a “The Gang Wars” of 1992. These rumors state that during one of the mall’s many low periods, two rival gangs moved into the mall for the winter, and that a violent gang war broke out that season with shootings and robberies. According to another rumor, the building became the site of a FEMA camp during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither of these rumors have been confirmed. However, the legends serve as testament to the fact that the mall has gained something of a cult following, complete with its own original lore.

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Zummo, Maija. "PHOTOS: Inside Forest Park's Beautifully Eerie Ghost Mall, Cincinnati Mills." CityBeat.com. Accessed 27 August 2021.