It will be a rich full day of shopping, we can all go to IKEA, then to Monroe to hit the outlet mall!  :wink:(major sarcasm)

^You could then stop by Solid Rock Church for some prayer and dancing and then off to the Lebanon Penitentiary to visit your Mama!!   

 

What a day of "Upscaleness"!!!      I contemplating moving there.................NOT!

How much upscale could you be with a prison right next door? lol

^Hustler Hollywood and several rehabilitation centers.    I think ODOT has some offices just east of the pen too.

 

Monroe needs to look into getting a fireworks store.  It would be perfect!

What a day of "Upscaleness"!!!      I contemplating moving there.................NOT!

 

Hey, you are talking about my neighborhood now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :shoot:

 

Until Monroe starting building all this stuff on the East side of I-75, it was a wonderful place.  My nearest neighbors to the south (the state pen) were real quiet.  My road was real quiet.  My house was (still is) surounded by peaceful corn and soybean fields, a small quiet golf course behind me, and a beautiful horse farm across the street where trotters and pacers are raised. 

 

The school district east of I-75 is Lebanon... much better than Monroe. 

 

But the city on Monroe, that city with an "anything-goes" development mentality, is starting to flex its ugly muscles.

 

And I agree with the comment of tree destruction.  It's like they are strip-building strip malls there!

What a day of "Upscaleness"!!!      I contemplating moving there.................NOT!

 

Hey, you are talking about my neighborhood now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :shoot:

 

 

I agree, it was a great place a couple years back.

My girl lives there too which is why I will poke fun!  I'm always up there and have seen it tranform, so don't ever take offence to anything I say about the area.  I don't like the changes, but it's keeping me a job at this point because I have been working on some of that Upscaleness they are building there. 

 

1.)  Home Depot Rapid deployment Center

2.)  Vandercar

3.)  Monroe Logistics Center "BLDG A"

^^

 

LOL... no offense taken.  In fact, my comment was a bit sarcastic in its own way.

 

I poke fun of Monroe (and Middletown) all the time.  Those 2 cities are so desperate to be something... anything.

 

Blame Cincinnati-Dayton's sprawl at it's best.

I poke fun of Monroe (and Middletown) all the time.  Those 2 cities are so desperate to be something... anything.

 

They would have a much easier time at this if say they had a couple light rail stops along a line that runs between Cincinnati and Dayton.

^True!

Monroe has high hopes for $100M outlet center

Upscale shopping project tied to tourism boost

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/01/focus7.html

 

When Cincinnati Premium Outlets opens its doors for business in August 2009, Monroe officials hope patrons will come from around the region to "shop until they drop." And if all that shopping makes buyers hungry, they eat at a local restaurant, sleep in a nearby hotel and visit some other area sites, that’s even better.

 

...

I suppose Sak's 5th Avenue Off (of) 5ths will close their Cincinnati Mills location.

there is no way simon properties operates 2 of the same outlet stores that close together, be it saks or tommy or guess. i can't help but think that they've got some sort of plan for cincy mills once they empty it out with the new outlet mall. i mean, they've got to right?....

Monroe & Middletown have been my whipping boys since I moved here.  Both are a hot mess of everything tacky.  I passed by this construction site today and couldn't believe how low grade this place looks while still using the words, "Cincinnati & Premium" in the name.  They have already started to paint those concrete walls with a bland off yellow.  Monroe apparently doesn't have an aesthetic review board with requirements for using higher quality materials.

Exactly where is the site for this mall? Is it that area in back of Wendy's/Gold Star?

Located on the south east side of I-75 & Route 63 at exit 29.  It is where the Shawnee Indian Tribe was suppose to build a world class casino.

Ahh, just as I thought. Thanks!

^  Shopping nirvana !!!

 

Well, at least my kids won't have to go far to get a job when they reach high-school age.  They can practically bike to work.

 

Yes, it's behind Wendy's/Gold Star.  You drive past those 2 fine upscale eateries to get to the fine, upscale shopping.

^ Shopping nirvana !!!

 

Well, at least my kids won't have to go far to get a job when they reach high-school age. They can practically bike to work.

 

Yes, it's behind Wendy's/Gold Star. You drive past those 2 fine upscale eateries to get to the fine, upscale shopping.

 

I guess it could be worse. It could be another Flea Market or another prison. I will say that exit is very unique. Prison, flea markets, the Hustler, the giant church and now a outlet mall. Maybe Monroe should use this unusual collection as a marketing tool.

Sadly the best attraction at that exit is no more.  "Bristols" was one of the two strip clubs that Cincinnati had on the Ohio side.  The other is located in Newtown.  I am sure it will be quite amusing to see the local Monroe resident in their camouflage John Deere hat and Big Dog t-shirts walking through the "Premium" outlets.

Despite all the Monroe mockery goiong on (which is probably deserved ... that flea market sucks) I have to say that this outlet mall is a really good thing.

 

Those of us with a wife know that we will be forced to go shopping at an outlet mall somewhere at some point. There's simply no choice in the matter.

 

So when she drags me to go shopping, I will be thrilled to drive 28 miles to Monroe, rather than 65 miles to Jeffersonville. Round trip, that will easily save a couple gallons of gas, and an hour of my life.

why wait? right now you can go to cincy mills and get a taste since probably 80% of the mall will be moving there and it's only like 20 miles

why wait? right now you can go to cincy mills and get a taste since probably 80% of the mall will be moving there and it's only like 20 miles

 

I am not sure there is 80% of anything left at the mill's mall to visit.

The only reason to ever go to Cincinnati Mills is Babies R Us & Treehouse Kids for those of us that have kids.  Sadly it is also the only Burlington Coat Factory in Cincinnati which has a Baby Depot inside. 

I am not sure there is 80% of anything left at the mill's mall to visit.

 

there are stores, many of them outlets. sorry if my wording was too challenging for you. you're right though, much less than 80% capacity, thanks.

 

The only reason to ever go to Cincinnati Mills is Babies R Us & Treehouse Kids for those of us that have kids.  Sadly it is also the only Burlington Coat Factory in Cincinnati which has a Baby Depot inside. 

 

there is the saks outlet and the guess outlet, which both have some good deals, typically i just buy things on sale. yep, i'm that cheap.

^ Nothing wrong with being cheap this time and age. BOA just announced 35,000 job cuts.

I am sure it will be quite amusing to see the local Monroe resident in their camouflage John Deere hat and Big Dog t-shirts walking through the "Premium" outlets.

 

ew. sorry we aren't all elite city folk like you. we'll make sure to wipe our boots before we go in!

I am starting to lean from this being a somewhat minor success story to thinking this might be a massive failure.    My main reasoning behind this is from looking at the overall economic picture for this country.    This place is going to be massive and I am not saying that they won't get stores to fill it.  I just think that when it opens, it might be like a Cincy Mills by being 50 -60% occupied/vacant.  (The shear amount of how much parking will be included makes me nauseous.)

 

The picture for the Retail Sector is going to get MUCH uglier in the coming months.  Being that far from the city, I don't think they are going to draw people from all that far away.  If OPEC does cut production and/or oil starts rising again, that might seal the deal. (Expect this after the holidays.)    I will say that I think Jeffersonville folds after this place is finished though.      Outlets are dying along with the traditional malls.  This place was obsolete and outdated before it broke ground.

There are only couple of outlet malls that make real money - and they are usually in tourist-y areas - Williamsburg, VA for instance. DC folks would regularly drive to the WIlliamsburg Outlet Malls to shop, it was insane - that and they considered Richmond malls for their shopping over 90 miles away from the NOVA 'burbs.

 

Since this is on 75, I think it has a better chance than most - it will likely kill off Jeffersonville - more damage for that area.

There are only couple of outlet malls that make real money - and they are usually in tourist-y areas - Williamsburg, VA for instance. DC folks would regularly drive to the WIlliamsburg Outlet Malls to shop, it was insane - that and they considered Richmond malls for their shopping over 90 miles away from the NOVA 'burbs.

 

Since this is on 75, I think it has a better chance than most - it will likely kill off Jeffersonville - more damage for that area.

 

Seacus, NJ is not the least bit touristy.  NJ has some of the best "outlet" malls in the country all out in the sticks.  Desert Hills is 1½ outside of LA but fabulous.

Since this is on 75, I think it has a better chance than most - it will likely kill off Jeffersonville - more damage for that area.

 

I dunno...

 

Columbus and S.E. Ohio has to get cheap crap somewhere, and I am sure that most would rather go to Jeffersonville than Monroe.

 

Also, does anyone know how big Jeffersonville outlet mall is? I think it might be around 600,000-700,000 sq. ft. vs the Monroe mall's 400,000 sq. ft. To put that in perspective, that is only the size of two Wal-marts or Meijers, and 130,000 sq. ft. short of Towne Mall 3 miles up the street. This is not all that big of a project, and I doubt that it will contain such stores as the Williams Sonoma/Pottery Barn outlet, Nike outlet, or the Brooks Brothers outlet.

 

Jeffersonville might have to downsize, but I doubt that it will go away.

Since this is on 75, I think it has a better chance than most - it will likely kill off Jeffersonville - more damage for that area.

 

I dunno...

 

Columbus and S.E. Ohio has to get cheap crap somewhere, and I am sure that most would rather go to Jeffersonville than Monroe.

 

Also, does anyone know how big Jeffersonville outlet mall is? I think it might be around 600,000-700,000 sq. ft. vs the Monroe mall's 400,000 sq. ft. To put that in perspective, that is only the size of two Wal-marts or Meijers, and 130,000 sq. ft. short of Towne Mall 3 miles up the street. This is not all that big of a project, and I doubt that it will contain such stores as the Williams Sonoma/Pottery Barn outlet, Nike outlet, or the Brooks Brothers outlet.

 

Jeffersonville might have to downsize, but I doubt that it will go away.

 

I bet it does have all the "cool" outlet stores since it is a division of Simon Properties.  They typically can sign good stores to their prime properties.

MONROE: Big Dog T-Shirt Company just announced that they signed a lease at Cincinnati Premium Outlets based on a survey they conducted in the town of Monroe.  Apparently 83% of all Monroe residents own at least one Big Dog T-Shirt.

MONROE: Big Dog T-Shirt Company just announced that they signed a lease at Cincinnati Premium Outlets based on a survey they conducted in the town of Monroe. Apparently 83% of all Monroe residents own at least one Big Dog T-Shirt.

 

Wouldn't that make it a poor market to locate in???  You know they aren't going to just throw away their current Big Dog shirt to buy a new one.

New mall signs first tenants

Monroe outlets will be hiring

By Laura Baverman • [email protected] • April 2, 2009

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090402/BIZ01/904020326/1076/BIZ

 

Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach and Kenneth Cole are among the 15 retailers en route to the Cincinnati Premium Outlets scheduled to open in August in Monroe.

 

Developer Chelsea Property Group released the first set of tenants Wednesday in anticipation of a job fair that it plans for early June. It hopes to fill as many as 800 positions.

 

...

 

Okay, some decent-ish stuff, but it's not going to even be able to touch Jeffersonville with its Pottery Barn/ Williams Sonoma outlet. Still, that area is so desperate for a mall that I think this will suffice (not exactly the most urban and Dayton-conscious post that I would like to be writing, but oh well. Still have strong ties to Monroe myself)

At 400,000 sq ft, I suspect its too small to draw people from any distance, including much of Cincinnati and Dayton.  I bet most of the draw ends up coming from Monroe, Middletown, Lebanon, Hamilton, Liberty Township, and Westchester.  Sure, there will be a bit of traffic from beyond that, but enough to really make this a success?

 

Now if the primary draw is the locals as I mentioned above, then they will be comprised heavily of 'window' shoppers and not buyers, if my cousin is correct.  He mans a both for a friend at Traders World.  Not exactly the same type of 'retail', but he says that the locals are notorious for driving over, spending a couple of bucks to park, and then walk around the place all day.  They don't spend much at all, just walk around to spend a couple of hours.

 

With the new mall, these same people will be able to park for free to waste a couple of hours.  And that's what I bet they will do.

 

I think enough folks drive regularly between Cincy and Dayton that a quick stop off will happen. You'd be surprised the distance folks are willing to drive to think they are getting a deal (D.C. to Williamsburg, VA for instance). I also think it is close enough to Ikea that folks making that trip may head there as well.

^Only problem with this "mall" is that is only the size of roughly two Wal-Marts, or just barely over the size of Ikea and slightly under the size of Towne Mall an exit away.

 

I truly don't think that they can bring in a high enough volume of stores to make this a true "destination shopping", and instead, it will be treated like a third flea market. There is a pretty impressive selection of stores for a project its size, but nothing like Jeffersonville.

 

If another "real mall" (not a lifestyle center) does come to the region in the next decade or so, this one WILL become a true flea market for sure. (I have a feeling that traditional malls will pick up some steam after this recession wears off, because if you're not going to be shopping in a real downtown, you might as well not be freezing your butt off walking from store to store in a fake one)

 

I just hope they expand Towme Mall to the size of a normal mall so that it can truly compete in the area. Despite the fact it's in suburbia, I know form living there that there needs to be a mall, because Tri-County is truly a piece of crap. (sorry)

^ That piece of crap  produces jobs . If there were no malls.  How do you think the place you work at stays in business?

I just hope they expand Towme Mall to the size of a normal mall so that it can truly compete in the area.

 

LOL, funny stuff.  I hope to god they tear that mall down and never think of expanding it.  It would be an improvement for Middletown to see it disappear.

If another "real mall" (not a lifestyle center) does come to the region in the next decade or so, this one WILL become a true flea market for sure.

 

Aren't they planning on building a large mall or lifestyle center just 4 miles south of this at the SR-129 interchange of I-75?  Something like 'The Green" in Beavercreek area?  Not only are they upgrading the SR-129 interchange, but they are right now adding a ramp to that interchange that will feed directly to the new mega-shopping district. 

 

With that new mega-shopping center at SR-129, how can this new outlet mall survive?  How can any new shopping district in the area thrive?  (Bridgwater falls, Streets of Westchester, all the shopping on Tylersville road, this new outlet mall, Towne Mall in Middletown, even Tri-County mall) 

 

Sure, they all have a slightly different draw, but you can differentiate only so much in this market.

It would be an improvement for Middletown to see it disappear.

 

LOL - There are lots of things that would be an improvement for Middletown that rank higher than that.  But an interesting addition to the list, none-the-less.

^^I think Steiner pulled out after failed negotiations with contractors.  Something to do with no available credit or capital I believe.  Still, the idea is there for a shopping mall at this interchange and it will have a far-reaching impact on that area's retail.

Furthermore, I think the whole of the Middletown Mall should be demolished in exchange for office space or smart development.  It sits really close to the interstate between two major cities.  I believe that would be more beneficial for Middletown.

The issue I see for the whole Middletown-Monroe area is that everything they build there (except warehouses) is of modest size. This isn't helping the area.

 

The Middletown Mall, as you call it, should have been a major, major success.  I grew up in Middletown.  The nearest shopping we had was Tri-county Mall and Dayton Mall, both some 15-20 miles away.  During the 1970s, when the Mall was planned and built (I think), there were some 220k people in Butler county, and another 80k in Warren County.  So you had some 300k people living between 2 big malls that were 30 miles apart.

 

A mall right smack dab in the middle of those 2 should have been a slam dunk. 

 

But it did not work.  Why?  Well, I think it was because the mall was just too small to be worthwhile.  The developers must have figured their draw was just local, and not the whole 2 counties.  They build a small mall to serve the 50k people living in the immediate area.  They filled it with small anchor stores that carried a subset of what the same stores at Tri-county/Dayton Mall area carried.  And in between those anchors were tiny service outlets, not true, exciting stores.

 

The mall never really got going.  People from outside Middletown looked at it and decided the drive to TriCounty/Dayton Malls was well worth it.  And the locals looked at it and decided the small, understocked anchors (Sears, Dillards, ElderBerman) did not carry enough merchandice and decided the drive to the other 2 malls was well worth it for most things.  The mall became just a place for locals to pick up a new pair of jeans in a hurry.  There was no entertainment area associated with the mall (still isn't), and there were no restaurants in the area either, until recently.

 

Now, had Towne developements built a large mall closer in size to Dayton Mall/Tri-county, then I think the place would have succeeded very well, and changed the area dramatically. 

 

That is why I think size matters in these things.  The current Middletown Mall (Towne Mall) is too small to keep even the locals from making the 15 mile drive to other shoping districs.  And I think the new Monroe Outlet Mall will suffer the same fate.  I drive by it every day.  It just plain looks small to me, especially for an outlet mall.  I think the flea market across the street from it may have more sq feet under roof.  And now they are planning a mega mall just 4 miles south of it at the upgraded SR-129 interchange on I-75. 

 

I think this project will fail.  It didn't have to be so.  Had they build a large shopping district there it probably would be successfull. Instead, Monore decided to build 200 acres of warehouses and 20 acres of mall.  Clearly, they expect warehouses to be a better use of the land.  I think this small outlet center will see a lot of stores go out of business within a short time, and will struggle to fill slots after that. 

 

And efforts to revitalize the Towne mall will face the same problem, in my opinion.  It will be done on a small enough level to make itself irr-relevant.  For some reason, the people working in the area (polititions, developers, etc) can't seem to size projects in a way that makes them relevant to the combined Cincinnati-Dayton metro areas.

 

just my opinion, of course.

 

 

If another "real mall" (not a lifestyle center) does come to the region in the next decade or so, this one WILL become a true flea market for sure.

 

Aren't they planning on building a large mall or lifestyle center just 4 miles south of this at the SR-129 interchange of I-75? Something like 'The Green" in Beavercreek area? Not only are they upgrading the SR-129 interchange, but they are right now adding a ramp to that interchange that will feed directly to the new mega-shopping district.

 

With that new mega-shopping center at SR-129, how can this new outlet mall survive? How can any new shopping district in the area thrive? (Bridgwater falls, Streets of Westchester, all the shopping on Tylersville road, this new outlet mall, Towne Mall in Middletown, even Tri-County mall)

 

Sure, they all have a slightly different draw, but you can differentiate only so much in this market.

 

That died (thank god) and hopefully will never see the light of day again. Stupidest project I had ever seen.

^^Agreed with your last post, CincyDad. It is pointless to do a bunch of halfway projects, and this probably leads to sprawl worse than anything.

 

Honestly, though, Middletown's CBD will probably see some improvement if sprawl continues to its west side in the Trenton/Madison Twp./Edgewood area, which seems very likely will happen. Towne Mall could easily expand, and much of the infastructure is already in place. The mall is in decent condition, too, and could potentially have a very large draw market. Demolishing the mall would actually not be the best option because there really is no need for office space in Middletown, and any such need will probably be met by development near the Atrium Medical center.

 

Still, this outlet mall is an utter failure. It reeks of Cincy Mills-North. However, it would make for a fancy flea market  :mrgreen:

Still, this outlet mall is an utter failure. It reeks of Cincy Mills-North. However, it would make for a fancy flea market 

 

This outlet mall is being built in the middle of 7 million sq feet of warehouse.  Someone posted on this board a couple of months before construction started that the builders were using warehouse buildings and adding a pretty face to them.  Well, there you have it.  When the mall fails, strip off the pretty face and you suddenly have 400,000 sq feet of additional warehouse space.

 

 

^^ That died (thank god) and hopefully will never see the light of day again. Stupidest project I had ever seen

 

 

I thought the mega mall project at SR129/I-75 was a done deal, and the developers had deep pockets.  The zoning was approved by the town, and I thought the project was going forward as soon as the economy bottomed out and the interchange was complete (in about 2 years). 

 

Is the project dead, or is it simply on hold pending infrastructure completion ?

 

 

(I know it had its own thread. On that thread, I argued pretty heartily that it was a dumb idea.  But there was a RE developer on that thread arguing why it was such a great idea - something to do with all the money in that area.)