Swifton Center

Swifton Center was a shopping mall in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the first shopping mall developed in the Cincinnati area. It opened on October 24, 1956, as an open-air retail complex at the southeast corner of Reading Road and Seymour Avenue. The site was selected because market analysts considered it close to the center of the Cincinnati-area population at the time. The project covered approximately 41 acres and was planned with nearly 600,000 square feet of retail space, parking for more than 3,000 vehicles, a delivery tunnel, and about five dozen shops arranged along an open-air concourse. The center’s original principal anchor was Rollman & Sons, a Cincinnati department store operated under Allied Stores. Its roughly 140,000-square-foot branch included a restaurant, auditorium, malt shop, beauty shop, and children’s salon. Other initial tenants included Kroger, Liberal Market, G. C. Murphy, S. S. Kresge, Walgreens, and two Standard Oil of Ohio service stations. The center performed strongly during its first years. Its first-anniversary program included live television coverage, entertainment, and a prize drawing, while its owners reported sales above expectations. In 1960, Allied Stores converted the Rollman & Sons location to Mabley & Carew after acquiring that Cincinnati department-store chain. The building was substantially reorganized, including dedicated floors for women’s clothing and housewares. Swifton Center also developed several retail innovations and community-oriented attractions. Anniversary events featured performers from the local television program Midwestern Hayride, fashion activities, puppet shows, and promotional drawings. The center introduced the All-N-1 Chargit Card, described in the reference material as the first shopping-mall credit card of its kind in the United States, allowing customers to combine purchases from participating merchants on one account. By the late 1970s, competition from larger regional malls, deferred maintenance, and the relocation or closure of important tenants weakened the property. Kroger moved across Reading Road to a larger store, Liberal Market closed, and planned enclosure and modernization work did not proceed as intended. Occupancy had fallen to approximately 52 percent by 1981. In 1978, the anchor changed again when Elder-Beerman acquired Mabley & Carew. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation purchased the property in 1985 and renamed it Swifton Commons. A major renovation improved parking, lighting, landscaping, and interior retail space, while adding a food court and outlet-oriented tenants such as Lane Bryant, Waldenbooks, and Gold Star Chili. The mall reopened ceremonially in September 1985. Occupancy later improved, reaching approximately 78 percent by 1993, but the center increasingly depended on discount, closeout, and outlet retailers. Bankruptcies and tenant closures, including the Elder-Beerman outlet and several Value Merchants stores, triggered another decline. After DeBartolo defaulted on loans, Swifton Commons entered foreclosure in 1996 and was acquired at auction by Star Bank. Attempts to find a new development strategy or buyer did not restore the property. The closure of J. J. Newberry in 1997 and the loss of Elder-Beerman left the mall with very few tenants. Allen Temple AME Church became interested in the site and acquired it during the late 1990s. The property was formally renamed Jordan Crossing in 2002, with plans to replace much of the retail complex with church, office, educational, and community uses. Those plans did not produce a sustained retail revival. Wilberforce University opened a branch in the mall, and Community Action Agencies occupied space in the former Elder-Beerman building, but most of the complex continued to deteriorate. The City of Cincinnati later pursued demolition assistance. Demolition began in March 2013, leaving the former Elder-Beerman or Community Action Agencies building as the principal surviving structure. By 2014, that building was the only significant remnant of the former mall. The former site was subsequently identified by the city as MidPointe Crossing, but no substantial redevelopment had occurred as of 2019.

Plans for Swifton Center were first announced by retail developer Jonathan Woodner in 1951. Woodner later sold his interest to Stahl Development, which in turn transferred its share to General Development before construction began. Stahl Development and Sun Construction Company were associated with development of the project, while Frederick A. Schmidt, Inc. handled leasing. The site occupied the southeast corner of Reading Road and Seymour Avenue in Cincinnati, a location chosen for its perceived importance within the area's population and transportation pattern. The planned center was unusually substantial for its market. It included nearly 600,000 square feet of shop space on 41 acres, parking for more than 3,000 cars, an underground service tunnel, and an open-air pedestrian corridor. Rollman & Sons, then associated with Allied Stores, was selected as the main anchor. Confirmed tenants before opening included G. C. Murphy, S. S. Kresge, Kroger, Liberal Market, Walgreens, and Standard Oil of Ohio service stations on the perimeter. Swifton Center opened on October 24, 1956. Rollman & Sons occupied a three-story building of more than 140,000 square feet and offered a broad collection of retail and customer amenities. G. C. Murphy operated a two-story store that was both its first Cincinnati location and the first in its chain to sell furniture. Kroger's store was its largest in southern Ohio at the time, and the opening led Kroger to close several smaller nearby stores. Strong first-year trading allowed the owners to claim that the center exceeded both its projections and national benchmarks for newly built shopping centers. The mall marked anniversaries with entertainment and promotions. Events included appearances by performers from Midwestern Hayride, television broadcasts, fashion programs, puppet shows, sock hops, and prize drawings. The property also introduced the All-N-1 Chargit Card, which allowed participating shoppers to charge purchases from multiple mall merchants to a single account. Mabley & Carew became the anchor in 1960 after Allied Stores acquired that local department-store business and converted the Rollman & Sons branch. The anchor building was remodeled with major merchandising departments distributed across its floors. The competitive environment changed during the 1970s as larger enclosed malls, including Tri-County Mall and Northgate Mall, attracted regional shoppers. Although owners announced plans around the center's twentieth anniversary to enclose the open-air corridors, substantial modernization was delayed. Maintenance problems affected the parking lot and exterior structures. Kroger moved to a larger store across the street, Liberal Market closed, and the main department-store name changed again in 1978 when Elder-Beerman acquired Mabley & Carew. By 1981, occupancy was approximately 52 percent. The lack of rent-escalation provisions in many older leases also limited the owner's ability to fund improvements and reposition the property. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation purchased Swifton Center in 1985 and renamed it Swifton Commons. DeBartolo invested in exterior and interior improvements, including new pavement, parking-lot lighting, landscaping, reconstructed retail areas, and a food court. The relaunch added tenants such as Lane Bryant, Waldenbooks, Gold Star Chili, SupeRx, J. J. Newberry, Kinney Shoes, and Casual Corner. The renovated property reopened in September 1985, and DeBartolo proposed adding a second anchor. By 1993, occupancy had improved to roughly 78 percent, but the tenant mix increasingly emphasized outlet, closeout, and discount stores rather than conventional department-store retail. That repositioning proved temporary. Value Merchants operated several discount concepts at the mall, while Elder-Beerman converted its store to an outlet selling closeout merchandise. The Value Merchants locations closed after Christmas 1993, and the Elder-Beerman outlet closed in 1995 as the companies faced financial difficulties. Swifton Commons was foreclosed in 1996 after DeBartolo defaulted on its loans. A sheriff's sale initially attracted no buyers; a later sale transferred the property to Star Bank. Sandor Development considered acquiring the mall but withdrew its proposal in 1998. By the late 1990s, the property had lost most of its national tenants. J. J. Newberry closed after McCrory Stores entered bankruptcy, and the mall's occupancy fell to approximately 50 percent before that closure and to around ten stores afterward. Allen Temple AME Church expressed interest in acquiring the site and proposed demolishing much of the mall while restoring grocery retail and adding larger-format commercial and non-retail uses. After the property was renamed Jordan Crossing in 2002, an AME church sanctuary was begun on the northwest side, Wilberforce University opened a branch inside the building, and Community Action Agencies used the former Elder-Beerman space. The church-led redevelopment did not produce a lasting retail center. The city sought a demolition grant in 2010 after the church could not complete demolition, and the property continued to show remnants of its former Swifton identity. Cincinnati began demolition in March 2013. By 2014, the Community Action Agencies building was the principal surviving part of the former mall. The city later used the name MidPointe Crossing for the former site; as of 2019, substantial redevelopment had not taken place.

• 2014

  Only principal office remnant remains

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The former Community Action Agencies building, located in the former Elder-Beerman space, was the principal surviving structure.

• 2013

  Mall demolition begins

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The City of Cincinnati began demolishing the largely vacant complex.

• 2002

  Renamed Jordan Crossing

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Allen Temple AME Church renamed the property Jordan Crossing as part of a proposed mixed church, office, educational, and community redevelopment.

• 1996

  Foreclosure and Star Bank acquisition

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Following a loan default, the mall entered foreclosure and was later sold at auction to Star Bank for $2.2 million.

• 1985

  Renamed Swifton Commons after DeBartolo acquisition

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation purchased and renovated the property, adding outlet-oriented retail and a food court.

• 1978

  Elder-Beerman takes over the anchor

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Elder-Beerman acquired Mabley & Carew and changed the name of the mall's department-store anchor.

• 1960

  Anchor becomes Mabley & Carew

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Allied Stores converted the Rollman & Sons store to Mabley & Carew after acquiring the local department-store chain.

• 1956

  Swifton Center opens

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The open-air center opened on October 24 as the first shopping mall in the Cincinnati area.

• 1951

  Initial development plans announced

  [1]Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Jonathan Woodner announced plans for a major shopping center at Reading Road and Seymour Avenue in Cincinnati.

Originally positioned as a large, convenient open-air regional shopping center serving Cincinnati neighborhoods, the property later shifted toward outlet and discount retail under Swifton Commons and ultimately toward church, office, educational, and community uses under the Jordan Crossing name.

• Shopping mall · 1956

  Open-air shopping center

  The original Swifton Center was a large open-air retail complex with covered pedestrian walkways, extensive surface parking, a service tunnel, and a broad tenant mix. Its retail offer combined department-store, grocery, variety-store, drugstore, apparel, and food services for Cincinnati-area shoppers.

• Outlet retail · 1985

  Swifton Commons outlet and discount format

  After the 1985 DeBartolo renovation, the property shifted toward outlet, closeout, and value-oriented retail. New tenants, a food court, upgraded parking, improved lighting, and reconstructed shop space were intended to make the mall more competitive with larger regional centers.

• Retail payment service · 1961

  All-N-1 Chargit Card

  The mall's All-N-1 Chargit Card allowed customers to place purchases from participating merchants on one account. Mabley & Carew was excluded from the shared account arrangement. The program was promoted as an early shopping-mall credit-card system.

• 1985Swifton Commons grand reopening

  Cincinnati, Ohio

  DeBartolo relaunched the renovated mall with upgraded physical facilities, a food court, new tenants, and an outlet-oriented retail strategy.

  Outcome. Occupancy later rose to about 78 percent by 1993, although the improvement was not sustained.

  Source
• 1966Tenth-anniversary celebration

  Cincinnati, Ohio

  The tenth-anniversary program combined Midwestern Hayride performances with a puppet show, sock hop, and prize giveaway.

  Outcome. The promotion extended the mall's anniversary-event tradition and community programming.

  Source
• 1961Fifth-anniversary festivities

  Cincinnati, Ohio

  The mall used performances from Midwestern Hayride and a Mabley & Carew-sponsored fashion council to attract families and younger shoppers.

  Outcome. The event reinforced the center's role as both a retail destination and a local community venue.

  Source
• 1957First-anniversary celebration

  Cincinnati, Ohio

  The center marked its first anniversary with a stunt-diving performance by Ella “Grandma” Carver, live WCPO-TV broadcasts, and a prize drawing.

  Outcome. The event supported the center's early promotional positioning after a first year that owners described as exceeding expectations.

  Source

• 2013

  Municipal demolition of the former mallOther

  Background

  The church-led redevelopment had not restored the property, and the city pursued grant assistance for demolition.

  Action taken

  The City of Cincinnati began demolishing the former Jordan Crossing mall while retaining the principal office building in the former Elder-Beerman location.

  Aftermath

  The former mall site was later identified as MidPointe Crossing, with no substantial redevelopment reported by 2019.

  Source

• 2002

  Conversion to Jordan CrossingStrategy

  Background

  The mall had lost most of its retail tenants after foreclosure, anchor closures, and failed attempts to secure a new commercial developer.

  Action taken

  Allen Temple AME Church renamed the property Jordan Crossing and sought to replace much of the retail complex with church, office, educational, and community functions.

  Aftermath

  A church sanctuary, a Wilberforce University branch, and Community Action Agencies offices were established or planned, but the retail center did not recover and was eventually demolished.

  Source

• 1985

  Repositioning as Swifton CommonsStrategy

  Background

  The original open-air center had suffered from larger competing malls, tenant relocations, deferred maintenance, and falling occupancy.

  Action taken

  The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation acquired the property, renovated its exterior and interior, introduced a food court and outlet-oriented tenants, and changed the name to Swifton Commons.

  Aftermath

  Occupancy improved during the early 1990s, but later tenant bankruptcies and closures caused another severe decline.

  Reported city grants for renovation. $7 million (1985 renovation)

  Source

1. 1Swifton Centeren.wikipedia.org