The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Partnership good for North Olmsted, mall
North Olmsted city officials and the private sector are doing a pretty good job of keeping Great Northern Mall a vital economic landmark for shopping and restaurants.
This partnership demonstrates that government and businesses can work together to improve the community.
Businesses in the area closing is concerning.
In January 2023, Regal Cinemas inside Great Northern Mall, 4954 Great Northern Blvd., permanently closed.
A year later, city and mall officials announced plans Jan. 23 that Michigan-based Phoenix Theatres will move in and renovate the space that Regal had occupied.
The theater is set to open this spring.
This marks Phoenix’s second venture into Ohio, and its eighth theater across the United States.
North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones explained during the announcement that bringing Phoenix into the mall was a joint effort between the city and the mall.
Dailey Jones admitted it was a courting process to get Phoenix to come into a movie theatrer that had been shut down and to reimagine what the inside could look like.
City officials and mall leaders want the Great Northern Mall to be more than just a mall; they want the location to serve as a social hotspot for years to come.
And, they deserve credit for taking a proactive approach to trying to keep the mall alive and relevant for the modern era.
Phoenix also is taking a risk with its investment at the mall.
Like all businesses, the goal is to make money, and lots of it.
Jordan Hohman, vice president of project development for Phoenix Theatres, announced that the revamped theater will include a selection of beer, wine and other adult beverages, as well as heated recliner seats and state-of-theart Dolby ATMOS spatial audio.
And, Phoenix is one of the first theaters in the United States to offer 100 percent-reclining seating in every auditorium.
Phoenix will add about 50 staff members for its opening.
It’s also encouraging to hear Phoenix Theatres president Cory Jacobson saying the company felt the North Olmsted community was right for its next business move.
Phoenix originally was formed with the idea of refurbishing closed theaters in viable retail areas and returning well-operated neighborhood theaters to their respective communities.
After exploring North Olmsted, Phoenix leaders felt very much at home with the culture of the community.
The company also is pleased with the vibrancy of the mall and the exceptional mix of retail.
The Phoenix announcement is one of a number of positive happenings in North Olmsted and at Great Northern Mall.
On Dec. 2, Max Upton, economic and community development director for North Olmsted, introduced a plan to the community to keep the mall as an economic powerhouse for the city.
But with changing times, the idea of the shopping mall largely has fallen out of favor around the United States due to online commerce.
To keep up with the times and allow Great Northern Mall to thrive, the city wants to redevelop the area with a zoning overlay district around Lorain Road.
As a charter city, it is required every 10 years to adopt a comprehensive plan that sets priorities.
The redevelopment is part of a larger announcement of the city’s 2025 master plan.
In December, the mall was about 80 percent full, which is good by modern standards.
However, the city still is looking for more use out of the land around the mall.
As part of the redevelopment plan, the city will work with City Architecture in Cleveland to create a zoning overlay district which will set additional rules and regulations, but in some respect, allow for additional flexibilities.
And by 2025, the city’s master plan completely will transform the area’s zoning codes and allow for that flexibility.
It seems the momentum for the keeping the mall viable — even the closure in recent years of Sears, Cinnabon and a few clothing stores — continued Sept. 19 when it was announced that Kids Empire will open near Finish Line and Shoe Dept., across from Tuxedo Junction.
Kids Empire, a 14,800-square-foot children’s entertainment center, will welcome guests this spring with its mazes, slides, creative building games, play structures, drop-in ball pits and dedicated dance room.
The indoor playground will offer a screen-less environment with activities for youngsters of all ages, plus a dedicated toddler area open yearround during mall hours.
This North Olmsted partnership of the public and private communities coming together to keep Great Northern Mall viable, is a good blueprint for other municipalities that are struggling with businesses closing or relocating to follow.
City officials and mall leaders want the Great Northern Mall to be more than just a mall...