Westland Mall
Westland Mall is an abandoned shopping mall on the western fringes of Columbus, Ohio. One of four directionally-named shopping centers in the region, all but Southland were constructed by Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs.
History
The first tenant to locate at what would become Westland Mall was Columbus-based Lazarus in 1962. It was the department store’s first suburban location. 3
Between 1967 and 1969, Sears, JC Penny, and Woolworth and 40 storefronts were constructed around an open-air concourse by Richard Jacobs of Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs. 3 4 Lazarus expanded to 171,000 square feet, adding a pillared portico entrance. 3 The new 860,000 square feet mall was dedicated at 10 a.m. on February 12, 1969. About 400 city leaders had breakfast at the new Westland Mall Harvest House restaurant before the opening ceremony.
The new mall was adorned with several outdoor sculptures by Cleveland artist Clarence E. Van Duze and fountains that reacted to the weather. 3
In 1982, Westland was enclosed. 3 The upper floor of Sears was closed to customers and converted into office space for their in-house credit card, Discover, in the late 1980’s. In 1993, the Lazarus store was extensively remodeled. Woolworth’s closed in January 1994 during the chain’s restructuring process that resulted in the elimination of its 400 stores. It was renovated into a Staple’s with no concourse access and Footaction USA that faced the interior.
Decline
Westland Mall began bleeding inline tenants when the Mall at Tuttle Crossing opened nearby in 1997. Jacobs defaulted on loans relating to Westland in 2001 leading Cigna Investments to take over ownership. 4 Plaza Properties co-owned some of the out-parcels, including a Bob Evans restaurant. 5 Kashani, a shopping mall developer from Toledo, Ohio, acquired the mall in 2003 and attempted to reposition Westland Mall as a lower-tier shopping center, with used bookstores, arts and crafts dealers and a karate school, among others. 1
J.C. Penny left Westland for Tuttle Crossing in 2005. Lazarus, a founding partner in Federated Department Stores, was rebranded Lazarus-Macy’s in 2003 and Macy’s on March 6, 2005. The store closed in 2007, leaving Sears as the remaining anchor.
Redevelopment plans for Westland began shortly after. A new shopping center, anchored by home improvement chain Menards, Sears and Staples, was announced. 5 After signing a contract with Cigna and Plaza, Menards put plans for the new store on hold in December 2008 due to the economic recession.
In September 2011, Sears closed the entrance to the concourse. Plans were announced in March 2012 to demolish the mall, sans Sears and Staples, for a new mixed-use development styled after Easton Town Centre. 2 The projected demolition cost would be $3.3 million.
Sears closed its Westland store in September 2017, leaving the mall entirely empty of tenants. 7
In April 2019, the former Sears anchor was acquired by LGR Weston for $3.15 million. 6 The purchase gave LGR and its sister company, Plaza Properties, control of the entire 88-acre mall site, which it had proposed demolishing and replacing with new mixed-use development.
[…] Westland Mall in Columbus, Ohio was similar. Built upon the promise of open-air shopping in suburbia, the mall boasted three anchors and over 40 stores, from stores that peddled drapes to sewing equipment and eccentric clothing. The mall was one of four directionally-named shopping centers in the metropolitan area built in the same period: Westland, Northland, Eastland, and Southland. Westland was enclosed in the early 1980s. […]
This mall is now 100% closed. The sears that was still operating, is now shuttered and the mall is closed permanently. So ends an era of when big shopping malls like westland, reigned supreme. On a happier note the two malls around the DFW area in Texas; Grapevine Mills and Vista Ridge malls, are doing very well. Grapevine Mills has undergone some renovations and is still highly active. Vista Ridge mall has been renamed Music City mall but is still kinda dead inside. However they too are on the path to revitalization, so we’ll see how that goes.
I hate the West Side…it has a lack of entertainment except the casino…Most of the buildings here look awful…Many homeless people and lack of road pavement and it’s in rwally really bad shap…Columbus has to put here batteries on and do what is needed to bring The West Side together…I hate his place
I hate this place aswell
They should demolish this mall this is in bad shape they should rebuild it the owners will rebuild it.
As every one noes the West Side has been forgotton end we would not be happer if some one would finally remember us and back our Mall and make our City nice again respectfully yours Elizabeth
I would love to see them bring Westland back. With the casino across the street it would make a big difference to the westside
Absolutely love your site and the Westland Mall page. Great collection of vintage pictures of the mall past and present. I will definately link your page on my website. I would love if you could do the same for me.
Hi Jas. Some of those pictures are from my Westland Mall Facebook page. Stop over and check it out.athttps://www.facebook.com/westland.mall.5/?fref=ts
Hi westland mall maintenance we are remodeling this whole mall and getting lots of new everything and because the van smashed into this mall we will definitly have to get a new door and lots of new floors and remodeling Macy’s and penny’s and sears and staples call me at 614 984 9003
Hi corporate people we are demolishing westland mall and building a new one it will be big and nice and shiny we’re going to report that to all construction workers they are going to earn money