Upper Valley Mall History Dead Mall Rise & Fall

[@Gasp526]

I was once an employee at Macy’s in the mall. Here is the story. Wren’s was a local Springfield area department store, originally located in downtown Springfield back in the day (1950s and 1960s). Rike’s was a Dayton, Ohio based store chain that operated stores all over the Miami Valley (Dayton-Springfield metropolitan area). Rike’s would help form what became known as Federated Department Stores, a collection of department stores in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton. Federated eventually took over Wren’s. In the 1980s, Rike’s changed its name to Lazarus, as Federated put all of their stores under the Lazarus nameplate. At around the turn of this century, Federated Department Stores acquired Macy’s in New York. The company then changed all of its stores to Macy’s. Macy’s location in Upper Valley Mall was able to hold on until march of 2014, when it finally closed.

[@Adrik-v7i]

Surprisingly, another mall financed by Ed DeBartlo, in Niles Ohio, the Eastwood Mall, is still open and thriving!! It started in 1969!!!❤

[@jeffsretrotoys]

Awesome video! So sad though.

[@joeyjamison5772]

You know you're in trouble when the biggest anchor store in the entire mall is Spencer Gifts! I used to go up to the UVM all the time and during the 1970s, 80s & 90s, it was a great place to shop. There were even some good places across the street, Service Merchandise and a well-stocked K-Mart. But then over the next 10 years, things began to go sour. There was a good restaurant, originally a York's Steakhouse that later became Bradfields and they had excellent food. But 1 day in 2010, they put up a sign that they were closing and after having 1 good last chicken dinner, I never went back to the UVM again. Over the next 7-8 years, the place fell apart, the ceiling began to leak and then that was the end of it. It's unfortunately a common story nowadays around the USA.

[@Gasp526]

The mall is now a warehouse facility. The new owners rebuilt a handful of the entrances to the anchor store spaces into semi truck docks. A local company - Rital Corporation, uses the old J.C. Penny store as warehouse space. I am not sure what other tenants are using the space at this time. The Sears space is still untouched and even bears the Sears signage.

[@Geul2102]

My mall I grew up in from a kid to a young adult met the same fate as so many other malls. Chapel Hill mall, Akron, OH.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Wren's was a Springfield start. Rike's was a Dayton start.

[@lisaknox7722]

I remember Woolworths and Spencer gifts. And Lazarus😢😢😢😢.

[@doesntmatter757]

Check out Chaple Hill Mall in Akron. Same company is doing the same thing they want to do here.

[@HelloAmerica-py6le]

Until my family moved to Florida in the early 80s I was in the Upper Valley Mall at least twice a month. I saw Star Wars at the cinema the first weekend it came out. My new school clothes were always bought from Sears and JCPenney every August. My mom always bought our clothing there so that we didn’t get called hills hillbillies at school. Like the kids whose parents shopped at Hills across the road from the mall. It was always busy because for a lot of things it was the only place to get them in the area. I thought the place was huge and it was for the area it was in. But as the wise say nothing lasts forever both good and bad and at least for now the good times are over for the area.

[@markmattimore592]

This is where I too saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977. Good memories!

[@juanserrano5629]

Is Blockbuster video on the list also do you collect stuff if you do what do you collect 👍📲

[@WhatstheStory123]

Hey Juan, Blockbuster is on the list. No not really haven't ever been a collector.

[@WhatstheStory123]

The blockbuster website is back online 🤔

[@lisaknox7722]

But couldn't it have been remodeled or something? It's like they didn't even give that a try.😡

[@KIXWASHERE]

I'd love to see one on Madison Square Mall in Alabama or my hometown mall Decatur Mall

[@WhatstheStory123]

I will have to look it up. Thanks for checking out my video!

[@lisaknox7722]

I havent seen much activity or signs of improvement to this mall.🤔it stiil looks like a mess. Even the parking lot could use a bit of paving. It looks horrible now!😡😡😡😡

[@lisaknox7722]

Our blockbuster is now a spectrum internet store.🙁🙁🙁

[@MultiCreditKIng]

Thats what the mall gets when their tenets tell their prospects to look for jobs, other products, and coupons online.

[@lisaknox7722]

Upper valley mall is a complete mess! Its fallen , andwillnever get back up. Its d e a d ! 💀💀💀💀

[@floppyinc2968]

Ohio 💀

[@WhatstheStory123]

I know yet another dead Ohio mall I didn't even plan it that way haha