Perhaps another store wants in their old space really badly and is paying them to move.

What’s the reasoning as to why they wouldn’t just open up at the new location then close the current one? 

My guess the mall would want double rent


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That too. A lot of malls wouldn't do that anymore but Kenwood can.

Leens is no longer showing up on the Kenwood map and is not in the store listings. 

Abercrombie is moving to a smaller space.  

 

The Lego store adjacent to the old Abercombie space always has a line to get it because it is so small.  I could see them opening a much larger store that provides an "experience."

Rally house is now where Leens used to be. Haven’t heard where Abercrombie will be going but the only place I can think of would be Brooks Brothers was once located.  

Abercrombie is going in the spot where Ann Taylor used to be located. 

Walked thru the mall earlier today to get a renewed feel of the place. The property was very clean and felt vibrant. Not many store fronts empty at all. Facility still looks pretty modern. The Nordstrom/ Luxury wing of the mall that’s starts a bit before Apple looks realllllllyyyyy good! I was impressed.

 

It looked like some preliminary work has begun on the space next to Gucci, any ideas what’s going in?

Edited November 6, 20231 yr by 646empire

2 hours ago, 646empire said:

Walked thru the mall earlier today to get a renewed feel of the place. The property was very clean and felt vibrant. Not many store fronts empty at all. Facility still looks pretty modern. The Nordstrom/ Luxury wing of the mall that’s starts a bit before Apple looks realllllllyyyyy good! I was impressed.

 

It looked like some preliminary work has begun on the space next to Gucci, any ideas what’s going in?

I checked their coming soon stores in their website and saw there was a store called CLB XX111 in the list. Checking today I do not see it but there is a job opening for the store on another site. 
 

Looking at the CLB XXIII website they sell high end clothing and shoes (Like $25,000 Nike shoes high end). 
 

Also when are they going to put in another Apple Store. I could see on either going in Crestview Hills Towne Center (other than I was there a few weeks ago and it’s kinda going downhill) or Liberty Center. 

Edited November 6, 20231 yr by Ucgrad2015

28 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

I checked their coming soon stores in their website and saw there was a store called CLB XX111 in the list. Checking today I do not see it but there is a job opening for the store on another site. 
 

Looking at the CLB XXIII website they sell high end clothing and shoes (Like $25,000 Nike shoes high end). 
 

Also when are they going to put in another Apple Store. I could see on either going in Crestview Hills Towne Center (other than I was there a few weeks ago and it’s kinda going downhill) or Liberty Center. 

Just took a look at CLB and it looks like a new business and kinda gimmicky store that might do a pop up or something in the mall but definitely not a tenant that would go in that primetime space with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s Etc. but we shall see.

 

I agree on a 2nd Apple Store tho, liberty seems like the most logical location.

2 hours ago, 646empire said:

Just took a look at CLB and it looks like a new business and kinda gimmicky store that might do a pop up or something in the mall but definitely not a tenant that would go in that primetime space with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s Etc. but we shall see.

 

I agree on a 2nd Apple Store tho, liberty seems like the most logical location.

They may do a pop up but they do have a physical store at the Greene in Dayton. 

Barnes and Noble is coming back to Kenwood. Will be opening at the Kenwood Collection where the Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams used to be. 

^Nice, glad B&N is opening some stores. I miss the Dayton Mall one, wish they would bring it back like they said they were planning to do when it closed.

 

Haven't made it over to Kenwood yet, but hoping to get there sometime this holiday season.

Macys is struggling yet again and is planning to close even more stores. Last reported around 2018 Kenwood was a top 50 performer. The company wants to get down to about 350 Macys stores and invest in those and expand its Bloomingdale’s fleet. I went into the Kenwood store recently and although it looks and feels well kept it still is a bit stale. Anyway that got me thinking with Saks out of the market I wish they would convert the Kenwood Macys to a Bloomingdale’s, and open one of the planned new smaller format Macys elsewhere in the city maybe Rookwood or Oakley, just a thought unlikely tho. But they certainly need to elevate the store better selection and a more contemporary modern renovation for a store that has been a top performer. 
 

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/02/27/macys-will-close-150-stores-open-new-bloomingdales-bluemercury.html

 

Edited February 27, 20241 yr by 646empire

13 minutes ago, 646empire said:

Macys is struggling yet again and is planning to close even more stores. Last reported around 2018 Kenwood was a top 50 performer. The company wants to get down to about 350 Macys stores and invest in those and expand its Bloomingdale’s fleet. I went into the Kenwood store recently and although it looks and feels well kept it still is a bit stale. Anyway that got me thinking with Saks out of the market I wish they would convert the Kenwood Macys to a Bloomingdale’s, and open one of the planned new smaller format Macys elsewhere in the city maybe Rookwood or Oakley, just a thought unlikely tho. But they certainly need to elevate the store better selection and a more contemporary modern renovation for a store that has been a top performer. 
 

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/02/27/macys-will-close-150-stores-open-new-bloomingdales-bluemercury.html

 

Or keep Macys Kenwood and elevate its selection along with a renovation and add one of the smaller format Bloomingdale’s to market 

 

“ Like with its sister brand Macy's, Bloomingdale's has been testing a smaller concept store called Bloomie's.“

Edited February 27, 20241 yr by 646empire

10 minutes ago, 646empire said:

Macys is struggling yet again and is planning to close even more stores. Last reported around 2018 Kenwood was a top 50 performer. The company wants to get down to about 350 Macys stores and invest in those and expand its Bloomingdale’s fleet. I went into the Kenwood store recently and although it looks and feels well kept it still is a bit stale. Anyway that got me thinking with Saks out of the market I wish they would convert the Kenwood Macys to a Bloomingdale’s, and open one of the planned new smaller format Macys elsewhere in the city maybe Rookwood or Oakley, just a thought unlikely tho. But they certainly need to elevate the store better selection and a more contemporary modern renovation for a store that has been a top performer. 
 

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/02/27/macys-will-close-150-stores-open-new-bloomingdales-bluemercury.html

 

I'd rather they clean up the Kenwood Macy's-- maybe renovate, focus on quality over quantity when it comes to merchandise, and turn that god forsaken cesspool of a Dillard's into a Bloomingdale's. I could see Macy's opening a Bloomies, their new small footprint concept, in Kenwood before a Bloomingdale's, however. 

 

Feels like Nordstrom has taken the opposite approach, focusing more on their rack stores while their full line stores, including Kenwood, sit half empty. When I visited Nordstrom at Kenwood last it looked like it was having a going out of business sale. I worked there when it opened and they offered dozens of new to market designers, but now it's basically the same merchandise you can get at Macy's. Which is surprising considering all the new luxury stores opening in that wing of the mall, you'd think they'd want to better compete. 

 

I find the evolution of Kenwood to be very interesting, but it seems like it's sitting comfortable in its current condition rather than trying to change and adapt to stay ahead of a continuously evolving retail landscape. Easton up in Columbus is constantly moving stores around and changing the anatomy of the mall, they're opening a massive new LV and just built a whole new section of retail. Wondering if Kenwood will try to incorporate housing or some other form of experience to solidify their relevancy. 

 

 

17 minutes ago, küshner said:

turn that god forsaken cesspool of a Dillard's into a Bloomingdale's.

Love that idea

43 minutes ago, 646empire said:

Macys is struggling yet again and is planning to close even more stores. Last reported around 2018 Kenwood was a top 50 performer. The company wants to get down to about 350 Macys stores and invest in those and expand its Bloomingdale’s fleet. I went into the Kenwood store recently and although it looks and feels well kept it still is a bit stale. Anyway that got me thinking with Saks out of the market I wish they would convert the Kenwood Macys to a Bloomingdale’s, and open one of the planned new smaller format Macys elsewhere in the city maybe Rookwood or Oakley, just a thought unlikely tho. But they certainly need to elevate the store better selection and a more contemporary modern renovation for a store that has been a top performer. 
 

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/02/27/macys-will-close-150-stores-open-new-bloomingdales-bluemercury.html

 

Ot, but the Florence Mall location is depressing. 

2 minutes ago, Rabbit Hash said:

Ot, but the Florence Mall location is depressing. 

I wonder how that location is doing? Aren’t we down to just Florence, Kenwood and Beechmont? I wouldn’t be surprised to see just 2 Macys in the metro with 150 planned closures. 

A nation now mostly blue-collar jobs + WFH for white collar = dead department stores.

I live ~5 minutes from the Dayton mall store and cringe thinking about its future. Hoping for the best, but not expecting it. At least Dayton Mall is getting a megachurch where the Sears used to be, tearing up its iconic mid-century modern architecture for a generic black box with fake wood and tacky orange accents plastered on the outside, wooo.... /s. At least it's foot traffic?

 

I think @646empire might be on to something though. Reading the press release, it sounds like some of their stores are going to get repurposed into Bloomingdale's, Blue Mercury, etc. and in some spots they are going to pair down their concept maybe just to a Backstage. I assume they are still working through the details of what will happen with the stores in Class A malls vs the ones in Class B malls vs. Class C malls. Kenwood is the only Class A mall in the Cin-Day region, with Beavercreek's mall as the only high "B", so I could see a case for a conversion of Kenwood's store into a Bloomingdale's to go toe-to-toe with Nordstrom under the new strategy. Or maybe they will leave it as a Macy's and try to build Macy's into a more premium brand, idk. The smaller store strategy is particularly interesting to me... in the case of, say, Dayton mall, where they probably get reliable and consistent sales that aren't enough to sustain a ~240,000 sq. ft. store, do they shutter the store altogether, shrink the store footprint down to only leave, say, furniture & Backstage, or do they open a furniture store and backstage store near the mall while closing the mall store?

I've owned a store in a mall with a church in it and it didn't help with foot traffic at all. I don't get it with furniture stores. They keep expanding while every other kind of retail retrenches. I know furniture is tough to buy well on the internet but how do they keep growing like gangbusters? I have literally burned way more furniture than I've bought.

 

Disclaimer: It was all in too bad of shape to donate.

Edited February 28, 20241 yr by GCrites

14 hours ago, GCrites said:

 I have literally burned way more furniture than I've bought.

 

A West Virginia or Kentucky grad, I presume? LOL.

Lol, not porch couches so much

51 minutes ago, Rabbit Hash said:

 

A West Virginia or Kentucky grad, I presume? LOL.

I've witnessed many back alley couch burnings in Columbus. 

Last time I was at Kenwood the Where I’m From store was closing.

18 hours ago, GCrites said:

I've owned a store in a mall with a church in it and it didn't help with foot traffic at all. I don't get it with furniture stores. They keep expanding while every other kind of retail retrenches. I know furniture is tough to buy well on the internet but how do they keep growing like gangbusters? I have literally burned way more furniture than I've bought.

 

Disclaimer: It was all in too bad of shape to donate.

And the furniture is all the same garbage. Some American Freight-Ashley-Morris-Lazy Boy trash with upholstery that resembles dehydrated elephant skin. Its all so god awful.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/03/15/cig-communities-new-kenwood-apartments.html
 

Plans are still in place fore the 10 story apartment project for the Gallery at Kenwood. Mentions construction to start at the beginning of 2025. Assuming they are going to try for the transformational tax credit again after missing out on it this year. 

47 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/03/15/cig-communities-new-kenwood-apartments.html
 

Plans are still in place fore the 10 story apartment project for the Gallery at Kenwood. Mentions construction to start at the beginning of 2025. Assuming they are going to try for the transformational tax credit again after missing out on it this year. 

Interesting. I can’t really see them ever winning that particular tax credit. There isn’t anything transformational about building a luxury apartment building next to Kenwood Towne Center lol. That whole area is well developed and super premium.

Edited March 15, 20241 yr by 646empire

Yeah that doesn't make much sense - a 125 unit high-end apartment building in a wealthy area should not qualify. You could argue Phase 1 (the larger building + hotel) was more "transformational" but either should be able to pencil out in that area. 

On 2/27/2024 at 10:38 AM, 646empire said:

I wonder how that location is doing? Aren’t we down to just Florence, Kenwood and Beechmont? I wouldn’t be surprised to see just 2 Macys in the metro with 150 planned closures. 

Basically what I’m thinking too in regards to Macys and Cincy:
 

“I think Kenwood’s the only survivor when it’s all said and done,” said Egelanian, president of SiteWorks Retail Consulting Services in Maryland.”

 

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/i-team/once-home-to-macys-inc-greater-cincinnati-braces-for-job-cuts-and-store-closures

CIG Communities to build high-rise apartment building across from Kenwood Towne Centre

 

A Cincinnati developer has significantly scaled up plans for a new building across from Kenwood Towne Centre in Sycamore Township.

 

Downtown-based CIG Communities is developing the 10-story, 125-unit apartment building at 4751 Luxe Blvd. The building will occupy the last remaining parcel in Gallery at Kenwood, CIG’s 7-acre development created by the 2020 demolition of 22 multifamily structures.

 

CIG expects to break ground on the building in the first quarter of 2025, according to partner Gregg Fusaro. Fusaro declined to provide a cost estimate.

 

The rest of the Gallery at Kenwood site, which sits just south of Jewish Hospital, is now home to Aspire Kenwood, a 248-unit apartment building completed in 2022, and a 134-room Residence Inn by Marriott hotel, completed in 2023. Covington-based Corporex developed the hotel after purchasing the site from CIG in 2022 for $2 million.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/03/15/cig-communities-new-kenwood-apartments.html

 

Did the Fendi store ever open?

 

On 9/25/2022 at 9:22 PM, savadams13 said:

Fendi is rumored to go next to Gucci. I have heard it now from multiple sources that have zero relation.

On 9/25/2022 at 10:00 PM, 646empire said:

If this is true it would mark a pretty extraordinary turn for luxury retail in the Cincinnati market. Fendi is veryyyy selective, them picking Kenwood would be an huge eye opener. Brookfield Properties must have some very strong numbers on local wealth to attract a Fendi.

On 9/26/2022 at 1:06 PM, savadams13 said:

Everyone mocked me two years ago about the Gucci shop, still waiting for people to line up and eat crow...

1 minute ago, jwulsin said:

Did the Fendi store ever open?

 

Nope. There is a store front right next to Gucci that’s walled off for a future tenant. 

On 3/15/2024 at 11:12 AM, jwulsin said:

Did the Fendi store ever open?

 

I have seen the drawings and renderings from the LVMH team for the store. Not sure what the timeline is for the current store to open. 

Forever 21 as previously reported is finally closing. It’s perfect for Zara. We shall see.

Developer 'back to the drawing board' on proposed Kenwood high-rise

 

A high-rise proposed in Sycamore Township could change significantly without a state tax credit award required to make the project, as currently imagined, financially feasible.

 

Downtown-based CIG Communities received zoning variances last year to build a 10-story, 125-unit apartment building as the final piece of Gallery at Kenwood, a 7-acre project across from Kenwood Towne Centre.

 

The building, as envisioned, would also include 18,024 square feet of underground parking space, 60,182 square feet of office space and ground-floor retail.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/02/14/cig-communities-gallery-kenwood-apartments-tmud.html

 

Lol at calling a 10 story building a high rise. 

I’m finally hearing Zara is in the cards for Cincy I’m assuming Kenwood? Way overdue. Maybe the forever 21 space or the old H& M. Also another luxury wing addition in the works not sure who although I have some ideas. Will see if the economy holds for these adds.

Edited April 20Apr 20 by 646empire

Is Zara really that big a deal? pretty cheaply constructed clothes in my experience. Euro-Old Navy.

42 minutes ago, zsnyder said:

Is Zara really that big a deal? pretty cheaply constructed clothes in my experience. Euro-Old Navy.

It’s a very big deal in that they are a massive foot traffic generator and draw. Zara is extremely popular and are located in most top malls. Comparing Zara to Old Navy LOL, From brand to clothing styles they are little alike. 

 

https://www.zara.com/us/

 

https://oldnavy.gap.com

 

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, 646empire said:

Comparing Zara to Old Navy LOL

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, but they are very much alike in the area that I was...careful to mention. Bad quality...but popular.

16 minutes ago, zsnyder said:

 

Yes, but they are very much alike in the area that I was...careful to mention. Bad quality...but popular.

Zara is definitely in the fast fashion sector but it’s certainly not on level with an old navy lol. Yes they carry some cheap pieces for the broke teens but they also mix in lots of pricier wear that’s solid quality. They are doing lots of collabs too. I’d describe them as a upscale H&M conceptually.

Edited April 21Apr 21 by 646empire

20 hours ago, 646empire said:

I’m finally hearing Zara is in the cards for Cincy I’m assuming Kenwood? Way overdue. Maybe the forever 21 space or the old H& M. Also another luxury wing addition in the works not sure who although I have some ideas. Will see if the economy holds for these adds.

Prolly the Old H&M spot. Rally House is moving into the old Forever 21. Still confused as to why there’s a RallyHouse when there’s one right down the street. I’d assume they’ll stay in that spot until the mall can get another higher profile tenant to fill that spot. 

15 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Prolly the Old H&M spot. Rally House is moving into the old Forever 21. Still confused as to why there’s a RallyHouse when there’s one right down the street. I’d assume they’ll stay in that spot until the mall can get another higher profile tenant to fill that spot. 

Wow that’s a big prominent space for a Rally House. If I’m Zara I’d want the forever spot over the old H&M

Just now, 646empire said:

Wow that’s a big prominent space for a Rally House. If I’m Zara I’d want the forever spot over the old H&M

 Although Zara would fit best somewhere on the Nordstrom wing of the mall but I don’t think there is space unless a shuffle happens

17 hours ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Prolly the Old H&M spot. Rally House is moving into the old Forever 21. Still confused as to why there’s a RallyHouse when there’s one right down the street. I’d assume they’ll stay in that spot until the mall can get another higher profile tenant to fill that spot. 

 

That makes no sense, unless they don't plan to keep the other location long-term.

5 hours ago, tonyt3524 said:

 

That makes no sense, unless they don't plan to keep the other location long-term.

I don’t see them staying in the mall unless they go back to a smaller footprint like they had before they moved to the old H&M (though that space before was way to small and the old H&M seemed to large).  Assuming the rent for the forever 21 spot is prolly pricey since it has its own entrance and is fronting a busy entrance of the mall.  

6 hours ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Assuming the rent for the forever 21 spot is prolly pricey since it has its own entrance and is fronting a busy entrance of the mall

Yeah its shocking Rally House could afford the forever space and would be odd that Brookfield would want them there.