MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Since the pandemic, shopping malls across the state have been slowly closing up shop, but cities are trying to change that.

What You Need To Know

  • Empty malls in Middletown, Fairfield and Columbus are expected to get major makeovers 

  • City leaders say they malls slowly closed up shop after big box stores left because of declining in person sales, and online sales driving shoppers away 

  • Cities are planning to either demolish or renovate old malls

Online shopping and the pandemic left malls struggling to recover and, in some cases, completely closed. In fact, the Towne Mall in Middletown has sat empty for years but there are plans to try to change that.

For Fred DeBiasi, the site of the old Towne Mall is a reminder of what it once was in the 70s and 80s

“We used to do a lot of shopping here. It used to be a hustling, bustling place,” said DeBiasi. “I miss a lot of the stores so far.”

As an avid mall walker, he watched it slowly shut down until nothing was left here but a Planet Fitness.

“It’s hard today, I guess. There’s a lot of people shopping online and so forth,” said DeBiasi.

Online shopping, on top of the pandemic, is what city leaders say closed big box stores in the mall for more than a decade and left the mall empty since the pandemic, but there’s a plan now.

“The city had purchased the mall back in August of ’24 for $10M from a previous out-of-state landlord. The city’s overall intent here was site acquisition for the intent to redevelop the site into a new community mixed use, so the request for qualifications is looking for qualified developers,” said Jacob Schulte, Middletown program manager for the city’s economic development department.

Approximately 20 minutes away, another mall with only a Kohl’s left is getting new life.

Fairfield city leaders agreed to demolish the old Forest Fair mall and turn it into a business park.

“May not be perfect, but it is a next step toward progress,” said Fairfield City Council member Tim Meyers. 

Across the state in Columbus, the city unveiled a massive redevelopment plan for the closed Eastland Mall, which is set to be demolished later this year.

Back in Middletown, locals say they’d like to see the Towne Mall the way it used to be.

“It’d be nice if there was a mall too, because there’d be more options for the kids to pick out what they want,” said Middletown resident Elizabeth Melendez. 

“I think it’d be really cool to have something new here in Middletown to do and not just to have more things, but redevelop the city,” said Middletown resident Carly Bowling. 

“I hope someday for the younger people they renovate the place and have a lot of nice stores that people can go to,” said DeBiasi.

Before any changes can happen at the Towne Mall, city leaders will auction off anything left inside.