Announcement on Downtown Development Set for Monday

 

Columbus officials say they will detail "significant" plans for downtown at a media briefing near Lazarus-Macy's on Monday, but they declined to indicate whether the announcement might affirm Ohio State University and Battelle's interest in creating an education and research center at the department store building.  The Columbus Downtown Development Corp., an agency working on redeveloping downtown, took control of the South High Street property in late January.

 

Battelle officials several months ago indicated OSU President Karen Holbrook had endorsed an exploration of the building as a site for research and education. Holbrook as well as Battelle Chief Executive Carl Kohrt are scheduled to attend the Monday event.

 

Federated said it was pulling out of downtown because sales at the store, which is linked to the Columbus City Center mall, had been declining for years.  Lazarus opened in the building in 1909.  The operation was reduced to 371,500 square feet in 1998.  Portions of the department store building's Front Street level are leased to others, and its fifth and sixth floors are occupied by state operations.

 

Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2004/07/16/dailybrief1.html

 

OSU, Battelle to collaborate at downtown Lazarus

Tony Goins, Business First

 

Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement to convert the soon-to-be-defunct downtown Lazarus-Macy's store into a hub for arts and research.  Representatives for both institutions, along with the city of Columbus and the Columbus Downtown Development Corp., unveiled the proposed Columbus Center for the Arts and Sciences.

 

The plan is still in its conceptual stage, said OSU President Karen Holbrook, but it would devote 200,000 square feet of the building to offices and laboratory space.  That space would focus on applied research into areas such as clean energy, environmental preservation and climate change.  Planners hope to bring research that leads directly to new technologies and products, Holbrook said, that companies can use to create more jobs for the region.

 

Arts spaces, such as studios and galleries, would occupy another 50,000 square feet of space in the building, said Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman. OSU's College of Art would take up some of the space, and the planning team is approaching other arts institutions such as the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Columbus Museum of Art.

 

The plan would not affect the offices housing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which occupies 200,000 square feet on the upper floors of the building.  That will leave about 270,000 square feet of space to be filled later, said Ed Lampert, president of Georgetown Cos., which is managing the project for the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. The planners hope to add about 80,000 square feet of retail or restaurant space and fill the remainder with an office tenant.

 

Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2004/07/20/story1.html?from_rss=1

cool :)

Excellent.

Downtown Lazarus store sees last shoppers, shuts doors

8/15/2004, 12:07 a.m. ET

The Associated Press

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Sales manager Janet Faime said she could have said something monumental when she officially announced that the Downtown Lazarus-Macy's store had closed for good.

 

Instead, she kept it simple.

 

"Good evening, Lazarus shoppers," she said into the store intercom Saturday. "It is now 5 p.m., and this Downtown location is closed. Thanks for your support."

 

Then, she began locking the entrances of the six-story emporium built in 1909 to replace the original store from 1851.

 

Hours before, when the store opened at 10 a.m., customers lined up outside. Some took pictures. Some did what people have done in the store for the past 153 years — they shopped.

 

Linda Jones, of Upper Arlington, looked for rugs, fixtures and even mannequins to decorate an antique shop she's opening in Sunbury.

 

Lori Cox, who works for Muirfield Village Golf Club and the Memorial Tournament, bought wooden display cases she'll use for trophies and awards.

 

Clyde and Toni Berry were among the first inside. They said their family's history is tied to the store. Toni Berry's grandmother was an elevator operator, her father worked there part time during college, and she worked at the Downtown store in the 1970s.

 

Clyde Berry said the couple sacrificed their cool to be there.

 

"Our kids think we're corny, but it's OK," he said. "I'll be corny today."

 

Only 50 employees stayed for the final day. A similar number transferred to other stores since Federated Department Stores, the parent of Lazarus-Macy's, announced the store would close a year ago.

 

Bobbie Reeves, at 42 years the longest-serving Downtown employee, is headed to Kingsdale. On the store's last day she perched behind a display case and chatted with customers.

 

"I'm playing the Wal-Mart greeter," she said.

 

It was an ironic choice of words at a time when analysts say discounters like Target and Wal-Mart are one reason many downtown department stores across the country have shut their doors forever.

 

Thats so depressing. At least the news reported on it as a rip on Target and Wal-Mart, but still. Hopefully something else will come along?

Aren't there plans for something new in that building already? I think Battelle is putting something science-y in there and there is going to be some other stuff.. um.

 

From Dispatch.com article Sunday Aug. 8:

 

The city was given the Lazarus store and paid Federated $5.7 million for more than 4 adjoining acres that had been parking lots and a garage. The city is spending several million more to renovate the store’s Town and Front street facades to include shops and restaurants.

 

The building is slated to become a science center for Ohio State University and Battelle, and house offices for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

 

It's sad that the Lazarus of today is so far removed from its heyday. If you've been following the Columbus Dispatch's series of articles it's amazing how much the store has changed. Apparently there used to be a half dozen restaurants inside the store, and various other services.

that lazarus had the most fun system of escalators imaginable.

 

the dispatch yesterday had a graphic about how it was the last big downtown anchor store left in ohio

How is that new Lazarus doing in downtown Cincy? I actually like that store. Nice houswares dept, and the menswear is pretty good, too.

 

I recall the old Lazarus, or "Rikes", in downtown Dayton, from its last days..1988-89 or so, when I first moved to Dayton. The store had a gourmet food section (sold wine and champaigne), a small bookstore, a bakery, furniture and consumer electronics, an art gallery, as well as the the usual clothes.

 

******

I guess this type of retail is now history.

 

Yet, if anyone here wants to experience a traditional downtown deptarment store..from the "bargain basement" to the nice restraunt on the top floor.... go to Marshal Fields in Chicago, in the Loop.

The Mills Corp., known locally in Ohio for it's brand new mall in suburban Cincinnati, has announced plans to acquire majority control of both the CityCenter Mall in Columbus and the Mall at Tuttle Crossing in suburban Columbus in Dublin. The firm plans to spend $300 million in renovating the two malls, plus 7 other recently acquired malls. This comes a month after plans were released to redevelop the former Lazarus department store into offices for OSU and Battelle.

 

Investor has grand plans for Tuttle, City Center

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Debbie Gebolys and Jeffrey Sheban

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Columbus City Center and the Mall at Tuttle Crossing have a new investor that says it will spend millions to upgrade both shopping centers.

 

The Mills Corp., of Arlington, Va., said yesterday that it will pay more than $1 billion to buy a halfinterest in nine malls owned by the General Motors Asset Management, including the Columbus centers. The others are outside Ohio.

 

Mills, which owns or operates 27 malls and entertainment centers, is expected to assume management duties and is prepared to spend up to $300 million with GM through 2007 to upgrade the nine properties, officials said.

 

The company has been known traditionally as a developer of outlet centers but has been expanding in recent years into more conventional malls — and beyond. It also has ventured into cuttingedge entertainment and shopping centers, including the Xanadu project in Madrid, Spain, which features indoor ski slopes and race tracks.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/08/18/20040818-B1-00.html

I am starting to really like Mills. They now seem to be "saving" malls. I can appreciate a company that sees value in saving existing malls instead of letting them rot to only build new malls.

IIRC, Mills was originally to have built the Polaris Mall, 11-13 years ago. They wanted some sort of TIF package and at that time, the Olentangy School Board (Southern DelCo) balked at it. Then Wexner came out with his Easton proposal and Mills quietly backed out of the Polaris proposal and had some tie in (or buy out) with Wexner.

 

I never cared for Tuttle. Never had any stores I cared for (I think it's ratio of women oriented to men oriented stores was 15:1), and was out of the way for me. I have no idea if it's doing well, inbetween, or bad; you never heard anything about it (be it press or buzz).

 

City Center on the other hand has it's trouble well knowned and hopefully Mills can get back "on track."

The Mills Corp.' date=' known locally in Ohio for it's brand new mall in suburban Cincinnati[/i']

...even though it doesn't open until tomorrow....

Center City is only 15 years old and already in trouble?

 

I recall as being pretty upscale in the early 1990s...esp the top floor. They also had that nice Marshall Fields in it too.

It is a very nice mall, regardless, aesthetically, but it was in dire need of rehaul in the retail/options/restaurants perspective. I'm glad Mills stepped in.

Hooray for reuse!

The information in this article makes me sick, not neccesarily the loss of retailers, but what they're being replaced with. The place is a mall, not an elementary school! I was hoping that with a company of such stature like the Mills Corp. running the mall, that they would come up with a new and dynamic use for the mall, not making it into a community outreach center! I still say they need raze the entire middle section of the mall and put Town St. back running through it. Open that area for restuarants and local establishments. This would open up the mall to a MUCH greater amount of foot traffic, as the current mall is completely walled in from the urban fabric that is downtown, and would also lessen the amount of retail space in the building. Oh well, if they're happy with schools and training centers... :roll:

 

 

More merchants leave City Center

By Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Retail tenants continue to check out of Columbus City Center at a steady clip as Mills Corp. ponders the fate of the struggling mall it invested in last year.  Limited Too closed its City Center store on Saturday, and two other mall tenants are on their way out.  The Sharper Image, which helped christen City Center in the summer of 1989, is closing at the end of business today. Franklin Covey will shut its doors Jan. 29.  Several others have left the mall recently, including Cinnabon, Haagen-Dazs and Wentworth Gallery. Nearly five dozen retail spaces are empty, representing about half the mall’s space.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/01/25/20050125-G1-00.html

That really sucks, does Indy have the same problem with its mall?

Nope. The guy that owns Circle Center Mall owns all the other major malls in Indianapolis, and is building a new headquarters downtown. I don't think he'd let his own investment go to waste.

Can someone tell me more about this space?

Is it in a renovated building, or historic structure like Cleveland's Arcade?

Is it a true urban space, or a suburban place that got lost?

I saw that article.

 

They should put in a grocery store... someplace for all the new condo dwellers to get their groceries.  or a Target... The Gallery mall in Philadelphia's Center City/Market East had a Kmart.. of course there was also a train station inside the mall so it is not even comparable.

 

I have no problem with a school being in there just as long as SOMETHING is.  It's SO empty!  The place could use some remodeling too - just one example, the women's restroom is at the far end of a long, narrow corridor that feels very isolated and unsafe.  There is actually a security camera inside the restroom.  Who knows what led to that being installed.

Can someone tell me more about this space?

Is it in a renovated building, or historic structure like Cleveland's Arcade?

Is it a true urban space, or a suburban place that got lost?

nah it's just a big ugly M-A-L-L, boxy and plain on the outside, "contemporary" inside, pretty much like any old mall from the 80s or 90s.

It was the 80's version of Columbus urban renewal

The 90's / 00's version is Campus Partners

i wish they would stop dithering and dividing it up and just tear the whole thing out and start over. can you imagine what columbus could do with all that opened space? the mayor would poop his pants in joy. heck, i would too.

It was the 80's version of Columbus urban renewal

The 90's / 00's version is Campus Partners

 

Plus the fact it was called Capital South from the 70s till the mid 80s.

There is alot of (failed) history tied up in that location.

Anyone remember the ice rink down there?

tear it down!!!

 

then just put street level retail on streets lined with 12+ story buildings and no parking....

yeah, like that'll happen

That mall isn't really that old.  I recall the early years..it had some really nice upscale retail, like Brooks Brothers, J Crew,  and Marshall Field as an anchor.  As malls go it was pretty nice.  Why did it fail?  Lack of free parking?

 

The guy that owns Circle Center Mall owns all the other major malls in Indianapolis

 

OK, that explains that.  Its the only real sucess in the region of a downtown mall or mall-like developement.  The first ones, Louisvilles' Galleria and the Dayton Arcade, from the late 70s/early 80s, have closed...

 

 

 

I don't like this news at all.  No sirree....

Why did it fail? Lack of free parking?

 

because about 500 suburban malls opened up and rendered it second rate. they had cheap parking, i dont think a dollar would cause people to stop going there.

tear it down!!!

 

then just put street level retail on streets lined with 12+ story buildings and no parking....

yeah, like that'll happen

 

who said anything about twelve story buildings and more retail? not me. it doesnt have to be retail at all anymore, there are plenty of malls around.

 

its boggling what could be done with such a large prime space if the thing was torn down and put out of its misery already. it would be an unbelievable opportunity. its just an old damn mall--get rid of it! be bold! carpe diem!

City Center was COlumbus'  main mall wehn it opened.  Everyone would drive downtown to go to the mall becasue it has stores that were new to the region.  Then as Columbus' continued to boom and attract newer retail Tuttle, then easton and polaris came along.  Most of the city travels to those retial centers.  City Center can only depend upon the urban population that is very very close to the mall and downtown.  This gives the mall a market that is too small to keep national retailers.  The only hope are the limited store brands that are still in the mall and Banna Republic that appeal to daytime business workers in downtown. 

^ Agreed. I still say they need to greatly decrease the amount of storefronts in the mall, as it is way too big for the area it now serves. I think the best way of doing that would be to go ahead and raze the section of the mall where Front St. once went through. The mall needs to be opened up to the streetscape, which would also be accomplished by doing that. To connect the two sections, something like Circle Center's arts garden should be built atop Front St. They should renovate the connector between City Center and the old Lazarus building by adding windows to look down on High St. Having the connector still in place would grant City Center a vital link to the new research incubator being built in the old department store by OSU and Battelle, increasing the amount of patronage in the mall. Also, a grocery store, either Kroger or Giant Eagle, should be built on the open parcel of land on the southwest corner of the mall. A section of the mall's parking garage, which is right across the street from the parcel, can be reserved for gorcery store patrons, and would be a huge hit with downtown residents as well as workers in neighboring office buildings, especially the Lazarus building. A large bookseller, like Barnes&Noble's or Borders, would also fit well in the mall. But those are just my ideas.

 

who said anything about twelve story buildings and more retail? not me.

 

i said it. i was being serious in my post, the last line would be directed at developers

I have heard people give the parking excuse for not going to this place.  I mean its a dollar.  People here don't understand that you aren't going to park for free in the middle of a city.  And yes it is a city, they don't understand that either. 

 

Although there are more stores closing in this builidng, I have seen a few open in the last couple of months.  I think it is trying to differentiate itself by getting different stores other than the mainstream ones that are already at Easton and Polaris.  Plus if you live on the south side that is probably still your closest option. 

 

Personally I think its a really nice mall, they decorate it very nice for chirstmas.  Plus I eat there all the time for work.  I don't think it will be totally closing down anytime soon just due to the fact that a ton of people go there for lunch that work down there.  Max and Ermas seems to be doing ok there too.

Hey, CMH,

 

I'm not a mall fan, but some folks here like them.  Could you dig up some recent stuff on this (specifically Tuttle...I saw the one for CityCenter the other day)?

I thought Tuttle's re-doing was already done, I was just there and it looked nice, plus someone had told me. I admittedly didnt enter the facility though as I would rather perish.

Tuttle Mall and the surrounding area has not been touched yet by the Mills Corp. As far as City Center goes, a small blurb appeared in the Dispatch today with some rumors about the mall's future:

 

 

City Center buzz

 

 

With the way shops have been closing at Columbus City Center, it’s no wonder the rumor mill is spinning.

 

Last week, the buzz was that Mills Corp., the mall’s new co-owner, was going to shut down City Center for major renovations. The legal maneuvering could be interesting, considering that dozens of stores still have leases there, and a charter school has 60 elementary students showing up every weekday for their lessons. Managers of several stores say that rumor is not true.

 

Another rumor circulating among mall workers had Target Corp. opening a store in the three-story space vacated by Jacobson’s. Target declined to comment. The company operates few downtown stores.

 

One thing’s certain: It’s getting tougher to buy a cookie at City Center. Cheryl & Co. closed there more than two years ago. Cookie Creations shut down recently, and Original Cookie Co., an original mall tenant, last week turned off its ovens for good.

A downtown Target would be great IMO.

Tell me what you believe would revitalize City Center Mall in Columbus, OH?

I don't have any brilliant suggestions, but maybe if it were something different from every ordinary suburban mall... something that would make it more of a destination.  I'm not sure how you could fill up a whole mall with such retail, though.

No offense but if it were my decision, I'd make a recommendation for demolition. It's a faceless suburban box plunked right into the middle of the CBD and has no relationship to the streetscape. Plus, with everything else going on - I doubt it would retain any sort of national chain tenants. That land is in too good of a location to allow an ailing albatross to stand in the way.

You need to put things dt that would never open up in the suburbs for them to work out such as HoB, Rainforest Cafes, Planet Hollywoods.  Think what would happen to HoB Cleveland if they built one in Strongsville and Westlake.  They would never do that but just imagine.  It is similar to putting a Fridays or Appelbies dt.  Lunch crowds would be good during the week, but you can't survive off that.

bigger parking garage!

^never listen to the pope

 

i am also  in favor of demolition.

At least tear down the bridge of stores that makes High street look like a cave.

Make it open air.  Sort of like an alleyway that is already "inside" the mall (re: Horton Plaza in San Diego, for textbook example). Tear down the area between Rich Street and connect it again along with various UNIQUE (read it again, UNIQUE) retailers in the region and perhaps some residential or whatever.  Currently, it's just...there.

^good idea. i'd keep the parking garage of course and keep the south part that is connected to the garage. the rest of it should be opened up something like the horton or just gotten rid of. the land is prime for redevelopment and some housing! it would really make downtown look a lot better to get rid of most or all of that hulking out-dated mall.

 

 

It will be interesting to see how much longer Kauffman's remains at City Center. I believe they are the only anchor store left. Now that Federated is buying out May, I dont think Federated has any desire for a downtown store in Columbus, especially under the Macy's nameplate, otherwise they would have never closed the Lazarus store at City Center. I imagine that Columbus will not have any downtown department store in the not too distant future

If City Center were wiped from the face of the Earth (as opposed to being "revitalized" in some way), what do you guys think would take its place on that land?  (Just curious...)

I'd tear down Center City and build a ranch house.  With the garage facing the street, not the alley!  And I'd fence it off with a bright silver chain link fence.  That would be sweet.

 

Seriously though, demolish that generic piece of suburban crap. Build a mid-rise, mixed-use project-retail/office/hotel/maybe a little residential.  I don't know the site well enough to suggest a specific site plan.  But anything would be better than the dead zone that Center City creates around itself.

Make it open air.  Sort of like an alleyway that is already "inside" the mall (re: Horton Plaza in San Diego, for textbook example).

 

Interesting!  A very "urban-canyon-like" Horton Plaza....as the mall is about three levels...