Malls · Ohio
Rolling Acres Mall
Opened 1975. Closed 2008. Redeveloped. Owner of record Akron Romig Road LLC.
Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
What it becamelogisticsextracted, unreviewed
Owner of recordAkron Romig Road LLCcounty assessor, 2026-10-15
Site size260 acresextracted, unreviewed
Last sale$1.6M · 2006public reporting
Retrofit yearNot yet retrofittedstatus
Walkability9.7 of 20 · 15-minute 4 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/oh/akron-rolling-acres-mall/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.
Site profile21 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Former anchors
Dillard's
This site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with thisJCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with thisJCPenney Outlet
This site: JCPenney Outlet wikipedia · all sites with thisMacy's
This site: Macy's wikipedia · all sites with thisMontgomery Ward
This site: Montgomery Ward wikipedia · all sites with thisSears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisFinance and pipeline
On Facebook
This site: …https://www.facebook.com/374248219291663 overture · all sites with thisWebsite dead or redirecting
This site: …http://www.rollingacrescinema.com/ overture / http check · all sites with thisOwnership
Public body
This site: Forest City Enterprises and Richard B. Buchholzer county-parcels · all sites with thisSingle-purpose entity
This site: AKRON ROMIG ROAD LLC county-parcels · all sites with thisPlace
County lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -12% census-cbp · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.87 cdc-svi · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $40,381 census-acs · all sites with thisOpportunity Zone
This site: 39153508399 hud-oz · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 62% census-acs · all sites with thisShrinking county
This site: -0.7% census-acs · all sites with thisScale
1M+ sq ft GLA
This site: 1,014,000 sq ft esri-closed-us-malls-2014 · all sites with this60+ acre site
This site: 260 acres extraction · all sites with thisBuilding footprint 50,000+ m²
This site: 64,922 m² overture · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: Amazon Fulfillment Center AKC1 extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Logistics and industrial
This site: Amazon Fulfillment Center AKC1 Approved by Akron City Council (sal extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Demolishedextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed |
| New uses | logisticsextracted, unreviewed |
| What is there now | Amazon Fulfillment Center AKC1extracted, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Amazonextracted, unreviewed |
| Owner of record | Akron Romig Road LLCcounty assessor |
Planning
| Zoning change | public foreclosure/forfeiture then sale for industrial reuse; zoning not foundresearch |
|---|---|
| Public purchase or subsidy | The city took the property via forfeiture after no bids at the sheriff's sale and demolished the mall starting Oct 2016. It acquired 67 of 107 acres. Demolition cost and sale price not found.research |
| Entitlement year | 2019research |
| Planning notes | Approved by Akron City Council (sale approval); Summit County prosecutor (forfeiture). research |
Parcels, tax and title
| Parcel | Owner of record | Acres | Use · zoning | Value (appraised · assessed · taxable) | Last sale · deed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6862010all 26 county fields
| Akron Romig Road LLC | — | $188.4M (appraised) assessed $65.9M · taxable $65.9M | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $188.4M |
Deals and debt
| Date | Event | Price | Parties | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sold | $1.6M closed | Invest Commercial LLC ← Heywood Whichard · lender Namco Capital Group | Wikipedia |
| 2002 | Sold | $2.8M closed | Heywood Whichard and family ← Bankers Trust Corp. | Wikipedia |
| 2000 | Sold | $33.5M closed | Bankers Trust Corp. ← Forest City Enterprises and Richard B. Buchholzer | Wikipedia |
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Rolling Acres Mall” and “Akron” (6 hits, first 6 sampled, 2 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (strong) | FOREST CITY ENTERPRISES INC | 4 | 2001-04-26 to 2004-03-11 | 10-K 3, 8-K 1 |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 9: AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC - AKC1; FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER; FOMO PRODUCTS INC; GOODYEAR AUTO SERVICE CENTER; SANMAR CLEANERSEPA FRS |
| Census tract 39153508399 | 4,655 people, 2,171 per sq mi; median household income $40,381; median gross rent $864; 62% renters; 9.1% vacant units; 5.2% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 9.7 of 20; 38 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.87; 71,239 jobs within 45 min by car; 12% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 4 of 6 daily needs: 0 grocers, 2 schools, 3 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 1 civic, 2 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 19 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | yes, tract 39153508399 (rural)HUD |
| Housing permits, Summit County (OH), 2024 | 397 units in 5+ unit buildings, 105 in 2–4, 580 single-family; 2023: 99 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.87; socioeconomic 0.95; housing and transport 0.49; 49% below 150% of poverty; 20% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 1 within 10 km, 2 within 25 km: Valley View Golf Club (6.7 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | place Rolling Acres Mall (historic_site, confidence 0.79, from Overture, Overture-signals, meta); building footprint 64,922 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Website and social | www.rollingacrescinema.com (down or redirecting, status 0) · social: facebookOverture / Internet Archive |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 560,768 since 2015; 16,708 in the last 12 months (-16% vs the prior 12); peak 2016-09 with 14,178Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -4% (4,872 → 4,655); median income +40% ($28,853 → $40,381); renters 58% → 62%; median home value +3% ($73,000 → $75,300)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 36.3); expected annual loss $795,747; high: hail; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | noneHUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 1,564 establishments (-12%); 27,809 jobs (-7%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $227,458 (+4% 1 yr, +30% 5 yr); typical rent $1,270/mo (+4% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 168 (2000 = 100); -10.4% 1 yr, +50% 5 yr, +93% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 11,443 vehicles a day on ROMIG RD (major collector, 4 lanes); 2 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
| Site metrics | appraised value $188.4M on parcels; $724,635 per acre; 3,900 sq ft GLA per acre; FAR 0.09computed |
Summary, model-written
Opened in 1975 as a super‑regional mall with anchors Sears, JCPenney, Montgomery Ward and later Target, operating until its closure in 2008. After closure the property changed hands several times (Bankers Trust 2000, Heywood Whichard 2002, Invest Commercial LLC 2006, Premier Ventures LLC 2010) before the city took it via forfeiture after no bids at a sheriff’s sale and began demolition in October 2016. The city demolished the mall (acquiring 67 of 107 acres), approved a 2019 entitlement for industrial reuse, and sold the site to Amazon, which now operates the AKC1 fulfillment center.
Why. The mall’s closure in 2008 followed by a lack of bids at the sheriff’s sale led to city forfeiture; the subsequent demolition was driven by the city’s strategy to redevelop the site for logistics use, as reflected in the approved entitlement and Amazon’s development.
Where it stands. The mall site is demolished and now hosts an Amazon fulfillment center (AKC1), with Amazon as the developer after the city’s 2019 entitlement and council‑approved sale.
For a planner
- Precedent: city foreclosure/forfeiture followed by sale for industrial reuse (logistics).
- Policy tools used: public foreclosure/forfeiture, sale approval by Akron City Council, Summit County prosecutor forfeiture, 2019 entitlement for redevelopment.
- Open questions: exact demolition cost and sale price unknown; zoning details not found; environmental, flood, or transit constraints unspecified.
For a developer
- Site size: 260 acres with 1,014,000 sf GLA (FAR 0.09).
- Control: Amazon developer following city sale; entitlement granted in 2019.
- Constraints: record does not specify flood‑plain, transit access, or environmental limitations; market‑signal data from the tract are not provided.
What we do not know yet
- Demolition cost and sale price after forfeiture are not recorded.
- Zoning classification and any associated land‑use restrictions are unknown.
- Only 67 of 107 acres were acquired by the city; status of remaining acres unclear.
- Environmental, flood‑plain, or transit constraints are not described in the record.
- Many fields (e.g., acres, original developer, strategy) are marked as extraction or research‑planning and remain unverified (verified = draft).
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Bannister Mall, Kansas City, MO · Malls · similar size (236 acres); similar GLA (1,014,390 sq ft); opened 1980
- Southwyck Mall, Toledo, OH · Malls · similar GLA (850,000 sq ft); opened 1972; closed 2008
- Westminster Mall, Westminster, CO · Malls · similar GLA (1,200,000 sq ft); opened 1977; closed 2011
- Cloverleaf Mall, Richmond, VA · Malls · similar GLA (800,000 sq ft); opened 1972; closed 2008
Elsewhere on the web
Pages with photos
- Rolling Acres Mall Akron, Ohio: A look back through photos beaconjournal.com
- Rolling Acres Mall | Flickr flickr.com
- Rolling Acres Mall Rolling Acres Abandoned Mall In Akron, Ohio fity.club
- Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio deadanddyingretail.com
- Rolling acres mall – Artofit artofit.org
- Trip to the Mall: Rolling Acres Mall (Akron, Ohio) TTTM Special Coverage triptothemall.blogspot.com
- Rolling Acres Mall Map ar.inspiredpencil.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- closed or demolished site (sourced)
- already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
- 260 acres
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1975Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2008Wikidata |
| Acres | 260extracted, unreviewed |
| Gross leasable area | 1,014,000 sq ftEsri 2014 layer |
| Stores at peak | 75Esri 2014 layer |
| Original developer | Forest City Realty Trustextracted, unreviewed |
| Architect | Keeva Kekst Association of Cleveland, Ohio |
| Anchors | Macy's, Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Target, JCPenney Outlet, Montgomery Ward, O'Neil's |
| Organisations in Wikidata (undated) | Forest City Realty Trust, Akron |
| Address | Roming & Harlem Rds. |
| County | Summit |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Rolling Acres Mall was a super-regional shopping mall located in the Rolling Acres area of Akron, Ohio, United States. Built in 1975, it originally included approximately 21 stores, with Sears as the main anchor store. Later expansions added several more stores including anchor stores JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, and O'Neil's, along with a movie theater and food court known as Picnic Place.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1975 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1975 Opening of first phase (Sears and 21 stores)
- 1976 JCPenney opens
- 1977 Montgomery Ward opens
- 1995 Target opens
- 2000 Sold to Bankers Trust Corp.
- 2002 Sold to Heywood Whichard
- 2006 Sold to Invest Commercial LLC
- 2008 Closed (Wikidata)
- 2008 Mall closes
- 2010 Sold to Premier Ventures LLC
- 2016 Demolition begins (2016-2019)
Sources
- Wikipedia: Rolling Acres Mall · supports: acres, after notes, original developer, status, strategy
15 quoted sentences
The developers chose the 260-acre (110 ha) site, along Romig Road on Akron's southwestern side, between 1964 and 1966 after conducting studies which revealed that several major department stores had expressed interest in that area.
Rolling Acres Mall was developed by Forest City Enterprises and local developer Richard B. Buchholzer
Rolling Acres Mall was finally demolished in stages between 2016 and 2019, with Amazon building a distribution facility on the former site soon after, known as Amazon Fulfillment Center AKC1.
Rolling Acres Mall was finally demolished in stages between 2016 and 2019, with Amazon building a distribution facility on the former site soon after, known as Amazon Fulfillment Center AKC1.
- wkyc.com · supports: zoning change
1 quoted sentence
No bids were submitted for the property during a sheriff's sale, leading Summit County Prosecutor Regina Van Vorous to file forfeiture and transfer the deed to the city of Akron.
- wfmj.com
- Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) · 2014-10-02
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