Growing up in College Hill and Mount Airy, 20-year-old Jadin Shaw said trips to Northgate Mall were a regular part of his childhood.
Even if he wasn't shopping, the mall offered something to do, whether it was spending time around the food court, playing in the children's area or catching a movie.
Northgate was 'the mall to go to'
“Back then, Northgate had everything. It was the mall to go to," he said, while standing outside the largely vacant mall with a mostly empty parking lot.
For decades, Northgate Mall was where Cincinnati's northwest side gathered to shop, socialize and celebrate milestones. Teenagers spent weekends walking the corridors, families lined up for holiday photos and generations made memories beneath the mall's skylights.
Visitors now see a much different place.
With most of the stores gone or going out of business and large sections vacant, the mall feels almost abandoned compared with the bustling destination he remembers.
For Shaw, the change brings a sense of nostalgia and disappointment: "It’s where I grew up. I’m used to this mall. You hate to see it go down like this.”
Mall sold to new owner
The struggling mall in Colerain Township was sold to Dallas-based Tundra Realty Inc. on Aug. 10 for an undisclosed price and faces and uncertain future.
Tundra, which did not return an email from The Enquirer seeking comment regarding the future of the mall, has not disclosed its plans publicly.
But several of the mall's remaining tenants have been given 30-day notices to vacate the property by Sept. 14, leading to speculation that the property will close while redevelopment plans are finalized.
Greg Insco, owner of The Studio dance studio at the mall, said the order he received to vacate caught him by surprise and put him in a tough spot.
"I saw the writing on the wall," Insco said, noting that he didn't think the mall could remain viable much longer. "But I thought I'd have more time" to relocate.
Insco said he had no clue about the new owner's plans for the mall.
Meanwhile, Shaw said he hopes any redevelopment can preserve some of what made the property special to generations of local residents.
Though he knows it won't ever feel quite the same, he would like to see the site brought back to life rather than remain a reminder of what was lost.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “I just hope they can make it something people want to come to again."
Mall walker mourns possible loss of Northgate gathering place
For Donna Schrand, Northgate Mall was more than a shopping destination. It was a place where families gathered, friendships formed and memories were made.
The Green Townshipresident said she regularly shopped at Northgate with her children and grandchildren when the mall was thriving.
Stores such as Bath & Body Works, New York & Company, American Eagle and Victoria's Secret made it a convenient alternative to Kenwood Towne Centre and a hub for West Side residents.
"It was closer, so closer was always better," Schrand said, recalling the mall's role as a neighborhood gathering place.
Now Schrand is among a group of mall walkers worried about what comes next.
Schrand said she hopes the site remains a place where people can gather, even as traditional malls struggle to compete with online shopping and discount outlets.
Younger generations risk losing mall experience
She worries younger generations are losing the social experiences malls once provided.
"Sometimes you didn't have to buy anything," she said. "You just shopped and walked and talked and maybe ate at the food court. I think that's something that's missing."
Northgate visitors are not alone.
Several traditional enclosed malls in the Cincinnati area have closed or faced demolition in recent years due to changing retail habits and anchor store departures, including the formerForest Fair Malland Tri-County Mall.
While she understands the challenges facing malls nationwide, Schrand said she will be saddened if another longtime community gathering place disappears.
"I would love to see another mall," she said. "I'm sad that all the malls are closing."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Shoppers remember Northgate Mall as 'the mall to go to'
