Tri-County Mall
A former enclosed shopping mall in Springdale, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Tri-County Mall was a regional shopping mall in Springdale, Ohio, just south of Interstate 275 along State Route 747, also known as Princeton Pike. It served the northern Cincinnati metropolitan area for more than six decades and was one of the largest suburban retail developments in the region during the second half of the twentieth century. The property began as Tri-County Center, an open-air shopping center that opened on July 21, 1960. Its original department-store anchors were the Cincinnati-based John Shillito Company and H. & S. Pogue Company, supported by retailers including S. S. Kresge, Kroger, and Gray Drug. The 75-acre site was selected because consultants identified the surrounding area as a strong location for suburban growth, and its proximity to the emerging Interstate 275 beltway made it accessible from a broad portion of the Cincinnati area. The center evolved in stages. Sears joined the property in 1967 with a large, two-story store connected to a new enclosed wing. The remainder of the formerly open-air concourse was enclosed in 1968, creating a climate-controlled mall with landscaped and tropical-themed interior features. During the 1970s, the property expanded and modernized its department stores and common areas. Pogue's was enlarged and remodeled, while the mall added new entrance finishes, fountains, and kiosk retail space. Annual programming such as outdoor-living exhibitions, youth traffic-safety events, concerts, fashion shows, and anniversary sales helped establish the center as a community gathering place as well as a retail destination. Anchor identities changed repeatedly as department-store companies consolidated. Shillito's became Shillito-Rike's in 1982, then was incorporated into Lazarus in 1986 and later became Lazarus-Macy's and Macy's. Pogue's was absorbed into L. S. Ayres, and the former store was acquired by JCPenney in 1988. A food court opened in 1985. A major expansion begun in 1990 and completed in 1992 added a second level, a larger food court, additional shops, and a 240,000-square-foot McAlpin's department store. McAlpin's became Dillard's after Dillard's acquired its parent company in 1998. At its mid-1980s peak, the mall had more than 980,000 square feet of retail space and over 90 tenants. From the late 1990s onward, Tri-County Mall faced growing competition from newer shopping centers, including Forest Fair Mall and other developments near Princeton Pike and Kemper Road. The property changed ownership several times, including sales to the O'Connor Group, Thor Equities, a Coventry Real Estate and Developers Diversified Realty joint venture, and Singapore-based SingHaiyi Group. The Great Recession, retailer bankruptcies, demographic shifts toward newer northern suburbs, aging physical infrastructure, and an area-wide surplus of retail space contributed to long-term vacancy and declining traffic. A 2010 youth-curfew policy was also cited as an additional factor affecting the mall's appeal to some shoppers. The anchor base eroded during the 2000s and 2010s. JCPenney closed in 2005, Dillard's shifted to an outlet format in 2013 and closed in 2015, Sears closed in 2018, and Macy's closed in 2021. Ownership pursued renovation and redevelopment concepts, including new outparcel restaurants and service businesses, food-court changes, possible office or non-retail uses, and a proposed dine-in theater. These efforts did not reverse the broader decline. Tri-County Mall ceased operations on May 15, 2022. At the time of closure, it was owned by MarketSpace Capital and Park Harbor Capital. The property represents the rise, consolidation, and eventual decline of the traditional enclosed regional mall format in suburban American retail.
History
Joseph Meyerhoff announced plans for Tri-County Center in 1959 through his real-estate organization, selecting a 75-acre site at Princeton Pike and Kemper Road in Springdale. The location was close to the developing Interstate 275 beltway and was identified by consultants as having strong potential for suburban expansion. Groundbreaking took place in July 1959. The center opened on July 21, 1960, with 51 stores occupying about 500,000 square feet. Its original anchors were John Shillito Company and H. & S. Pogue Company, two department-store chains associated with the Cincinnati region. Other early tenants included an S. S. Kresge variety store, Kroger, and Gray Drug. The original design was an open-air, landscaped shopping center intended to resemble a park. The property quickly became an important suburban retail destination. Shillito's expanded its store in 1962, including a lower-level discount department. Sears became the third anchor in 1967, opening a two-story, approximately 142,300-square-foot store connected to a new enclosed wing. The wing was designed with tropical plants, palm trees, fountains, skylights, and decorative lighting. In 1968, the rest of the shopping center was enclosed, completing its transition into a conventional climate-controlled mall. Tri-County's common areas were used extensively for promotional and civic programming in the 1970s. Annual events included outdoor-living exhibitions featuring campers, boats, patio furniture, and grills; a five-day Safety Town program organized with Springdale police and fire personnel; summer or August symphony performances; fashion shows; anniversary celebrations; and mall-wide sales. Pogue's was expanded and remodeled in 1974, adding a third story for home furnishings and a beauty salon. The center's entrance was redecorated in 1976 with earth-tone finishes, fountains, and kiosk shops. In 1979, Meyerhoff's real-estate division, then known as Monumental Properties, sold the mall to Equitable Life Insurance for $34 million. Department-store consolidation reshaped the anchor lineup during the 1980s. Federated Department Stores combined Shillito's and Rike's as Shillito-Rike's in 1982, and the chain was consolidated into Lazarus in 1986. Pogue's parent company merged that chain with Indianapolis-based L. S. Ayres. A food court opened in 1985 with nine restaurants, including Baskin-Robbins, Great Steak, and Pizza Hut. The mall had grown to more than 983,000 square feet and over 94 tenants by that period. A proposed competing mall across Interstate 275 was rejected by Springdale officials in 1987 because of traffic and market-saturation concerns. Nevertheless, JCPenney entered the local market in 1988 by purchasing the former L. S. Ayres location at Tri-County and opening there after closing an existing Hamilton store. The mall then underwent another major expansion to compete with Forest Fair Mall, which opened nearby in 1989. Work begun in 1990 added a second level above much of the existing mall, three staircases, a glass elevator, a center-court fountain, and a larger food court. The new food court opened in May 1990 and was described as the first in the United States to accept orders by fax, a service intended to attract nearby office workers. Lazarus remodeled its store in 1991, and McAlpin's opened as the fourth anchor in 1992 with a two-story, approximately 240,000-square-foot building. Ownership and retail conditions changed substantially after the 1990s. Equitable placed Tri-County and other mall assets on the market in 1996, and the O'Connor Group acquired the property in 1997. Dillard's took over the McAlpin's stores in 1998. Blackstone discussed a possible acquisition in 2002, and Thor Equities acquired the mall in 2005. That period brought intensified competition from Forest Fair Mall, later known as Cincinnati Mills and Forest Fair Village, while Tri-County itself had not received a comparable exterior modernization since the early 1990s. Lazarus-Macy's became Macy's in 2005, and JCPenney departed that same year. The former JCPenney building was subsequently remodeled with a new lower-level mall corridor, a new entrance, and proposed retail and restaurant space. A Coventry Real Estate and Developers Diversified Realty venture acquired the property in 2006. During the 2010s, the mall was affected by the Great Recession, the closure or bankruptcy of retailers such as Borders, Value City, CompUSA, and Circuit City, population movement toward newer northern suburban developments, and excess retail capacity in the surrounding area. A youth-curfew policy adopted in 2010, requiring unaccompanied patrons under 18 to leave by 4 p.m. on certain Fridays and Saturdays, was also identified by analysts as a factor in the mall's weakening appeal. SingHaiyi Group acquired the mall in July 2013. Dillard's converted its location to an outlet store that year and closed it in 2015 after opening a newer store at Liberty Center. SingHaiyi announced a renovation and tenant-recruitment program in 2015 involving Chipotle Mexican Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Men's Wearhouse, Shoe Dept. Encore, and new food-court restaurants, along with proposals for office or other non-retail uses and a dine-in theater. Sears announced its closure in 2018, while Macy's added a Backstage discount division to its remaining store. Macy's closed in 2021, leaving the complex without its historic anchor department stores. Tri-County Mall closed to the public on May 15, 2022. The property is owned by MarketSpace Capital and Park Harbor Capital.
- 2022
Mall closes permanently
[1]Tri-County Mall ceased operations on May 15.
- 2021
Macy's closes
[1]Macy's closed the mall's last major traditional department-store anchor.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]Sears announced and completed the closure of its Tri-County store.
- 2015
Dillard's closes
[1]Dillard's closed its outlet-format location after relocating its market presence to Liberty Center.
- 2013
SingHaiyi Group acquisition
[1]SingHaiyi Group purchased the mall and pursued efforts to stabilize its tenant base.
- 2005
JCPenney closes and Lazarus becomes Macy's
[1]JCPenney departed, while the Lazarus-Macy's identity was simplified to Macy's.
- 1998
McAlpin's becomes Dillard's
[1]Dillard's acquired McAlpin's parent company and converted the Tri-County anchor.
- 1997
O'Connor Group acquisition
[1]The O'Connor Group acquired the property after Equitable marketed the mall.
- 1992
McAlpin's opens as fourth anchor
[1]The expansion concluded with the opening of a two-story McAlpin's department store.
- 1990
Second major expansion begins
[1]Construction began on a second retail level, larger food court, and related mall improvements.
Products and positioning
A large suburban regional shopping mall serving the Cincinnati metropolitan area, positioned historically around department-store anchors, broad general merchandise, convenient highway access, and community-oriented events.
Anchor retail · 1960
Department-store retail
The mall's principal offering was a collection of large department stores whose nameplates changed over time. Shillito's, Pogue's, Sears, L. S. Ayres, JCPenney, Lazarus, McAlpin's, Dillard's, and Macy's supplied apparel, home goods, beauty products, furnishings, seasonal merchandise, and general household goods. These anchors were central to the center's regional positioning and generated traffic for smaller specialty tenants.
Specialty retail · 1960
Specialty-store concourse
Tri-County combined national chains, local businesses, kiosks, and service retailers in an enclosed multi-level concourse. Tenant categories included fashion, footwear, books, gifts, electronics, food, beauty, and home furnishings. The tenant mix expanded substantially during the 1990–1992 redevelopment before contracting as competition and retail bankruptcies increased.
Food service · 1985
Food court and dining
Food service was a recurring component of the mall. A nine-restaurant food court opened in 1985 and was relocated to a larger upper-level space during the early-1990s expansion. Tenants included brands such as Pizza Hut, Great Steak, Baskin-Robbins, and Arby's, along with local restaurants. Later redevelopment concepts also emphasized restaurants on surrounding outparcels.
Experiential offering · 1960
Community events
The mall used its common areas for recurring public programming, including outdoor-living shows, traffic-safety education, symphony concerts, youth activities, fashion shows, anniversary celebrations, promotional sales, and seasonal events. These programs helped position the property as a civic and social destination in addition to a place for shopping.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990Fax-order food court service
United States
During the expansion, the food court introduced a fax-based ordering service intended to attract employees from nearby offices.
Outcome. The initiative was presented as an early convenience-oriented innovation, although its long-term commercial effect is not documented.
- 1985Twenty-fifth-anniversary promotion
United States
Anniversary activity included a raffle with a $7,000 grand prize, a candle-lighting ceremony, a sock hop, and the opening of a new food court.
Outcome. The program promoted the expanded tenant mix and celebrated the mall's regional longevity.
- 1970Tenth-anniversary festivities
United States
The mall marked its tenth anniversary with a combination of annual community programs, mall-wide sales, and a teen fashion show presented through the anchor stores.
Outcome. The celebrations reinforced the center's role as a regional shopping and community venue.
Brand decisions
2015
Pursue non-anchor redevelopment and restaurant recruitmentStrategyBackground
Declining occupancy and the loss of major department stores required the owner to seek uses beyond traditional anchor retail.
Action taken
SingHaiyi announced plans involving Chipotle Mexican Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Men's Wearhouse, Shoe Dept. Encore, new food-court restaurants, possible office uses, and a proposed dine-in theater.
Aftermath
The initiatives did not reverse the property's long-term decline, and the mall ultimately closed in 2022.
1990
Build a second retail levelGeneration changeBackground
The mall faced competition from the newly developed Forest Fair Mall and sought to refresh its scale and tenant capacity.
Action taken
The property added a second level, a larger relocated food court, a center-court fountain, new circulation elements, and space for a fourth department-store anchor.
Aftermath
The expansion was completed in 1992 and temporarily increased the mall's shop count and regional scale.
1967
Add an enclosed Sears wingGeneration changeBackground
The open-air center sought to expand its anchor base and adapt to the increasingly popular enclosed shopping-mall format.
Action taken
Management added a two-story Sears store and connected it to a new enclosed retail wing, then enclosed the remainder of the mall in 1968.
Aftermath
Tri-County evolved from an open-air shopping center into a climate-controlled regional mall.
Sources1 sources
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