Malls · Ohio
Salem Mall
Opened 1966. Closed 2005. Redeveloped · Reinhabited.
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 profile20 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
JCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with thisLazarus
This site: Lazarus wikipedia · all sites with thisSears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisPublic body
This site: City of Trotwood county-parcels · all sites with this15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with thisCounty lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -10% census-cbp · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 2 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.82 cdc-svi · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $43,173 census-acs · all sites with thisNational Register place within 500 m
This site: Sears, Roebuck and Company nps-nrhp · all sites with thisTract income flat or down since 2013
This site: +9% census-acs · all sites with thisPublic grant or loan
This site: …federal grant In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking extraction · all sites with thisRedeveloped
This site: In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking ideas from local entrepreneurs regarding uses for old Salem Mall space, including the site of the… extraction · all sites with thisReinhabited
This site: In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking ideas from local entrepreneurs regarding uses for old Salem Mall space, including the site of the… extraction · all sites with thisCivic and government
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisEducation
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisEntertainment and sports
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisMixed use
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisOffice
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Demolishedextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redeveloped · Reinhabitedextracted, unreviewed |
| New uses | retail, office, education, civic, mixed, entertainmentextracted, unreviewed |
| What is there now | In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking ideas from local entrepreneurs regarding uses for old Salem Mall space, including the site of the Sears Department store.extracted, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | City of Trotwoodextracted, unreviewed |
Planning
| Public purchase or subsidy | federal grantextracted, unreviewed |
|---|
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 12: AUTO SOURCE; BP OIL NO 09593 *; DOLLAR GENERAL STORE #7708; EPHREM MARATHON; GOODYEAREPA FRS |
| Census tract 39113070102 | 3,155 people, 1,580 per sq mi; median household income $43,173; median gross rent $1,028; 45% renters; 14.5% vacant units; 1.1% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 8 of 20; 43 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.71; 37,621 jobs within 45 min by car; 18% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 5 of 6 daily needs: 2 grocers, 2 schools, 3 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 2 civic, 5 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 36 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| National Register places within 500 m | 1: Sears, Roebuck and CompanyNPS |
| Housing permits, Montgomery County (OH), 2024 | 423 units in 5+ unit buildings, 161 in 2–4, 349 single-family; 2023: 520 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.82; socioeconomic 0.79; housing and transport 0.68; 30% below 150% of poverty; 29% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 0 within 10 km, 3 within 25 kmcomputed |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 12,502 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 48,001 since 2015; 3,308 in the last 12 months (-17% vs the prior 12); peak 2017-07 with 693Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -8% (3,440 → 3,155); median income +9% ($39,494 → $43,173); renters 52% → 45%; median home value +24% ($95,800 → $118,500)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | very low overall (score 19.0); expected annual loss $614,890; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | noneHUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 1,505 establishments (-10%); 24,015 jobs (-7%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $202,892 (+3% 1 yr, +33% 5 yr); typical rent $1,284/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2024 | 282 (2000 = 100); -5.4% 1 yr, +96% 5 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 15,946 vehicles a day on SR 49I S (principal arterial, 2 lanes); 18 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Salem Mall opened in 1966 as a regional mall developed by The Rouse Company, featuring Rike's and Sears as anchors. After expansions in the 1980s, anchor losses through the 1990s led to closure in 2005, demolition in 2006, and the Sears building remaining until 2013. Since 2004 the City of Trotwood has owned the site, pursued a federal grant for cleanup, agreed to host the Funk Music Hall of Fame in 2022, and in 2024 solicited reuse ideas.
Why. The record notes anchor store departures (Lazarus/JCPenney) and the eventual closure of Sears, indicating loss of key tenants as a driver of decline. No explicit mention of competition, debt, or demolition causes beyond the observed store losses.
Where it stands. The mall site is fully demolished and currently controlled by the City of Trotwood, which holds ownership and is seeking reuse proposals.
For a planner
- Precedent: Use of federal grant for site cleanup (2018) and adaptive reuse agreement for Funk Music Hall of Fame (2022).
- Policy tools: Public ownership enabling municipal-led redevelopment strategy (redevelop/reinhabit) and solicitation of entrepreneur ideas.
- Open questions: What zoning or land‑use approvals are needed for mixed‑use redevelopment; whether environmental remediation is complete; what financing mechanisms beyond the grant will be required.
For a developer
- Site size: 274,652 sq ft of former GLA on a demolished parcel.
- Control: Sole owner is the City of Trotwood, a public entity.
- Entitlement stage: Strategy listed as redevelop/reinhabit; a federal grant has been awarded; reuse ideas are being solicited (2024), indicating early planning.
- Constraints: Record does not specify flood‑plain, transit access, or environmental conditions; these are unknown.
- Market signals: Tract‑level data are not provided in the record, so market demand indicators are unavailable.
What we do not know yet
- Missing tract‑level demographic or sales data to assess market support.
- No information on flood‑plain status, soil contamination, or utility infrastructure.
- Unclear status of environmental remediation beyond the 2018 federal grant.
- No detail on existing zoning, land‑use entitlements, or approval timelines.
- The 'verified': draft flag suggests some fields may be model‑extracted and unreviewed.
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
- Harding Mall, Nashville, TN · Malls · similar GLA (264,000 sq ft); opened 1967; closed 2005
- Lockport Mall, South Lockport, NY · Malls · similar GLA (340,000 sq ft); opened 1971; closed 2006
- Southwyck Mall, Toledo, OH · Malls · opened 1972; closed 2008; same strategy: redevelop
- Capital Hill Mall, Helena, MT · Malls · similar GLA (213,000 sq ft); opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Salem Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and state only, check the city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Trotwood, OH Salem Mall (closed Sears) flickr.com
- Plans to revitalize Trotwood’s Salem Mall are underway wdtn.com
- Trotwood's vision for Salem Mall: a community hub for retail, food, an… dayton247now.com
- EXPLORING WHATS LEFT OF THE SALEM MALL- TROTWOOD OHIO … youtube.com
- Salem Mall – Jamie in Wanderland jamieinwanderland.wordpress.com
- Trotwood Salem Mall redevelopment project expected to drive positive ... bizjournals.com
- Salem Mall, Sears redevelopment a top priority for Trotwood | Local ... daytondailynews.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- closed or demolished site (sourced)
- housing in the record
- public owner
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 | 1966Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2005extracted, unreviewed |
| Gross leasable area | 274,652 sq ftEsri 2014 layer |
| Stores at peak | 41Esri 2014 layer |
| Original developer | The Rouse Companyextracted, unreviewed |
| Architect | Daverman & Associates |
| Anchors | MC Sports, Home Depot, JCPenney, Sears, Office Depot, Cub Foods, Lazarus, Rike's |
| Address | Salem Ave. & Olive Rd. |
| County | Montgomery |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Salem Mall was a regional mall in Trotwood, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was developed in 1966 by The Rouse Company and originally featured Rike's and Sears as its main anchor stores. Expansion in 1981 added a new wing of stores and JCPenney, while further renovations in that same decade included a food court. Rike's was later dual-branded as Shillito-Rike's and then renamed to Lazarus The mall began to lose stores throughout the 1990s, including both Lazarus and JCPenney, the former of which was torn down for The Home Depot. After an extended period of decline, the mall closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2006. Sears, which was excluded from the demolition, remained operational until it closed in 2013. In 2022, it was announced that a large portion of the mall would become the new site of The Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1966 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1966 Mall opened
- 1981 Expansion added JCPenney wing and food court
- 1998 Rouse sold interest to Cigna
- 2004 City of Trotwood purchased mall site
- 2005 Mall closed
- 2006 Demolition began
- 2013 Sears closed
- 2018 Federal grant for site cleanup
- 2022 Funk Music Hall of Fame agreement
- 2024 City seeking ideas for reuse
Sources
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree) · supports: after notes, original developer, public subsidy, status, strategy, year closed
20 quoted sentences
After an extended period of decline, the mall closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2006.
Salem Mall, Inc., a subsidiary of The Rouse Company, opened the mall in October 1966.
In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking ideas from local entrepreneurs regarding uses for old Salem Mall space, including the site of the Sears Department store.
Demolition of the mall began on May 15, 2006, but the Sears building was retained, with Sears becoming a standalone store.
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree)
1 quoted sentence
Salem Mall was developed in 1966 by The Rouse Company
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree)
1 quoted sentence
In spring 1998, Rouse sold its interest in the mall to its financial partner, Cigna
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree)
1 quoted sentence
the city of Trotwood purchased the mall site in 2004
- Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) · 2014-10-02