It is not a shopping mall any longer.
Akron’s Chapel Hill Shopping mall will be converted into a small business park, in accordance to new owner Industrial Business Homes, a Solon organization that finished the obtain this 7 days for an undisclosed selling price.
It’s a new start out for the large complicated, which has been in a downward spiral for a lot more than a 10 years. Only 20 firms stay inside.
Most recent developments: New proprietor will convert Chapel Hill Mall into a business park
As builders glance towards the upcoming, let us choose a look back at the commencing.
Much more than 50 shops awaited shoppers when Chapel Hill Mall held its grand-opening sale in 1967.
Beginning on Columbus Day, the a few-day event Oct. 12-14 featured the concept “Discover the New Entire world of Chapel Hill.” The buying center was Akron’s answer to Summit Shopping mall, which experienced opened two years previously in Fairlawn.
COVID-19: Chapel Hill Mall named a mass vaccination site in Northeast Ohio
Richard B. Buchholzer and Forest Town Enterprises formulated the $75 million intricate on a 175-acre site off Brittain Highway with cost-free parking for more than 5,400 vehicles. Anchor merchants O’Neil’s, J.C. Penney and Sears, along with many scaled-down retailers, experienced by now debuted about the past calendar year, so the grand opening was a celebration of the mall’s completion.
Consumers admired the roomy concourses, gleaming flooring and inviting storefronts. Abnormal features included Cleveland artist Brian J. Plesmid’s “The Four Seasons,” a sprawling mural 218 feet very long and 13 feet high, created of clean cement troweled in excess of metallic mesh and imbedded with colorful glass, and designer Jack Erbe’s twin musical fountains that splashed and pranced to the seem of piped-in tracks.
For the grand-opening celebration, 1961 Mr. Universe Bruce Randall demonstrated weightlifting routines at O’Neil’s, Capt. Walter Kruse presented an exhibit of scarce treasure salvaged from sunken Spanish ships in the Bahamas, the Akron Fire Division focused a screen to Fireplace Avoidance 7 days, the Civil Air Patrol established up a real gyrocopter and the Carbone Puppets furnished absolutely free exhibits four situations a working day.
Pondering the long term: Chapel Hill Mall store owners, customers hope at the time-preferred web-site retains its retail roots
Shopping mall tenants competed for consumers as they strolled by way of the concourse. Right here is what some of people firms experienced to offer:
• Recordland marketed “the most current in folk, teenage favorites, tough-to-obtain recent numbers, jazz, classics, nation and western, and nationality data.” The retail outlet marketed 45 RPM documents, 33⅓ albums, 8-monitor tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, phonograph needles and sheet songs. For the grand opening, it had a massive sale on new Columbia albums by Ray Conniff, Robert Goulet and Percy Faith for $2.79.
• Spencer Gifts had novelty items for sale, including entire-webpage magnifiers — “Fits proper over an total webpage! No going outdated-fashioned magnifiers from line to line.” — for 88 cents. And what child wouldn’t want a clown deal with flashlight for $1? “Youngsters will beam with delight when you give them this fascinating flashlight,” the retailer advertised. “Light shines via clown’s eyes, nose and mouth to tutorial their way in the darkish.”
• Cinema I and II, “America’s Most Gorgeous and One of a kind theaters,” featured Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie and Clyde,” and George C. Scott in “The Flim-Flam Person.” The twin theaters experienced wall-to-wall screens and drive-back chairs “for the final in legroom.” The cinemas boasted “living area comfort” and “symphony corridor sound” by using “strategically put speakers and acoustically handled walls.”
• Baker’s experienced Quali-Craft footwear with that “with-it look” for $6.99: “See the shoe styles with the happiest spirit!” the store advertised. “Have enjoyment with the girlish search of poufy pom-poms, huge or minimal bows, straps stripping every new way, buckles in every single form, shades from spicy brights to pepped-up pastels.”
• Cowell & Hubbard jewellery store marketed anti-magnetic, shock-resistant, watertight Neptune watches for adult men for $19.95. “Here’s the watch that can go any where he can … even 600′ under h2o,” the store noted. “The Neptune features a precision 17-jewel motion with unbreakable mainspring, luminous dial and palms.”
• Chapel Hill Toys stocked its shelves with “lushy, plushy” stuffed animals. “Something to make sure you every person … from tots to grandmas,” the retail outlet claimed. “Mini animals, giant animals, virtually genuine kinds, frankly faux creatures … this kind of fantastic animals, so very little initial price, no maintenance.” Its significant sale was 15% off on a Laughing Cat consistently priced at $12.98.
• Andre Duval’s salon marketed wigs for $29.50 and wiglets for $17.95. Its special was a $20 everlasting wave for only $5.95, which include shampoo, haircut and styled established. “Prepare to appear your incredibly prettiest with this coming season’s additional flattering, wavier hair types,” the salon reported. “Skillfully salon waved by our professional stylists — with Vainness Fair’s light, certain remedies, your hair will be lovelier than ever.”
• Woolworth’s presented the typical assortment of odds and ends. When customers wanted to take a crack, its Harvest Home cafeteria served roast turkey, chopped steak, baked ham, roast beef and hen dinners in “liberal parts.” “The complete family will delight in our fine selections of delicious foodstuff,” the company discussed. “Dad will delight in our acceptable charges, far too!”
• Not to be outdone, Gray Drug retail outlet supplied the Dutch Oven with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and décor. Its menu incorporated charbroiled steaks, sandwiches and “melt-in-your-mouth pies.”
And so it went in October 1967 at Chapel Hill Shopping mall.
The Memory Lane present shop had “a wonderful collection of quaint, charming, aged earth figurines” from Hummel. The Village sold mink-collared suede coats for $66 in a “delicious duet” that mixed suede and “luscious mink in Antelope, Silver or Brown.”
Sears promoted a 172-square-inch Silvertone moveable Tv set for $98 with side-mounted controls for tuning. (“Use any place … go from room to home.” Indeed, a 172-square-inch Tv set was regarded as transportable in the 1960s.
A look again: Chapel Hill Mall sale program involves $6 million for exterior makeover
Kroger’s bought potato salad for 88 cents a pound (“Entertaining is quick when you enable Kroger’s Delicatessen Section help you”). Paul Harris showcased jumpers for $10.90 (“You’ll go wild when you see our jumper-land. So many variations, shades and patterns to opt for from”).
And Foxwood Casuals marketed a wool poncho cape for $11.99 (“The extremely exact same you have admired at the match, in excess of trousers, skirts … generally so younger and snappy”).
Younger and snappy, Chapel Hill Mall had a grand time in 1967 at its massive opening.
Mark J. Price tag can be reached at [email protected].
Chapel Hill in 1967
How quite a few do you don’t forget? Here’s a record of all the retailers that participated in Chapel Hill Mall’s grand-opening sale Oct. 12-14, 1967, in Akron: A&P, Akron Nationwide Financial institution, Andre Duval Splendor Salon, Baker’s Footwear, Barricini’s, Cleveland Materials, Cowell & Hubbard, Chapel Hill Barber Shop, Chapel Hill Toys, Cinema I and II, Dixie Hats, Faflik Sneakers, Fanny Farmer Candies, Flagg Brothers Footwear, Foxwood Casuals, Gray Drug Retailer, Holiday break Shoes, Family Finance, Koch’s, Kroger’s, Lang’s, Le Petit Café, Memory Lane, Metzger’s, Miller Jr. Shoe Port, New York Bakery, Nobil Footwear, Nu-Vision Optical, O’Neil’s Parklane Hosiery, Paul Harris, Penney’s, Petries, Pollyanna, Document Land, Richman Brothers, Sears, Singer Stitching, Spencer Presents, Stefani’s, Tall Models, Thom McAn Shoes, Tie Rak, The Village Keep, Walden’s E-book Retail store, Winkelman’s, Woolworth’s Zales. On Buchholzer Boulevard: Goodyear Services Retailer and Goodyear Lender. Note: Grecni Tunes opened a 7 days later.
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