Columbus City Center (known locally as City Center) is a 1.2 million-square-foot, three-level shopping center in Columbus, Ohio. It is located in the city's downtown, directly across from the Ohio State Capitol, next to the Ohio Theatre, and connected to a Hyatt hotel. The mall has a large parking structure attached that is used extensively by downtown workers. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Columbus_City_Center. ... Nashville redirects here. ... Taubman Centers is an owner of United States upscale regional malls and has headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. ... Jones Lang LaSalle is a leading global provider of integrated real estate and money management services. ... In retail, an anchor store, or draw tenant, is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store in a major retail chain, such as Macys or JCPenney. ... Gross leasable area (GLA) in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country State Counties Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware Government  - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area  - City 212. ... The Ohio Statehouse The Ohio Statehouse, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the seat of government for the state of Ohio. ... The Ohio Theatre The Ohio Theatre is the official state theater of Ohio,[] located in downtown Columbus on the former site of the old Columbus City Hall. ... Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ...

History

Main Atrium

Columbus City Center was developed by the city as part of the Capitol South development, opening in 1989. Lazarus, already open since 1851, was made one of the original anchor stores by connecting it with the mall via an enclosed bridge across High Street. The Lazarus store by City Center was the first Lazarus store ever opened^[1]. The other original anchor stores were Marshall Field's and Jacobson's. Taubman Company leased and managed the building until control was later taken over by Mills Corporation, discussed later on. Early leasing efforts were substantially enhanced when Limited Brands, a locally-based dominant specialty retailer, announced that all of its brands would have a presence at the center^[2]. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3488 × 2616 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3488 × 2616 pixel, file size: 2. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... F&R Lazarus & Company (commonly known as Lazarus) was a regional department store retail chain primarily in the U.S. Midwest, based in Columbus, Ohio, which operated until March 6, 2005. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Marshall Fields (disambiguation). ... Jacobson Stores was a regional department store chain that thrived primarily in Michigan and Florida, but also had stores in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Kansas. ... Taubman Centers is an owner of United States upscale regional malls and has headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. ... The Mills Corporation (NYSE: MLS) was a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. ... Limited Brands NYSE: LTD (formerly known as ) is an American company based in Columbus, Ohio. ...

During the past decade, City Center’s positioning as the premier shopping destination in Columbus has been eliminated, due primarily to the opening of the three shopping centers across the northern end of Columbus, and the closing of its key anchor tenants.

Competition from new shopping centers

In July 1997, The Mall at Tuttle Crossing opened on the northwest side of Columbus. It is interesting to note that the developers of City Center built Tuttle^[3]. Though its opening had a much more devastating effect on the nearby Westland Mall, Tuttle presented an attractive alternative for upscale shoppers in the surrounding area who would have otherwise shopped at City Center. However, Tuttle alone did not have the capacity to decimate City Center, as City Center was still a convenient destination for wealthy residents in eastside suburbs such as Bexley, Pickerington, New Albany, and others. The Mall at Tuttle Crossing is a shopping center located in Dublin, Ohio. ... Westland Mall is a 860,000-square-foot shopping center located on the west side of Columbus, Ohio, at the western intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Interstate 270. ... Bexley is a city located in Franklin County, Ohio. ... New Albany is a village in Franklin and Licking Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, just northeast of the state capital of Columbus. ...

The opening of Easton Town Center in June 1999 dramatically changed the outlook on shopping centers in Columbus. Located near the intersection of I-270, I-670, and SR-161 on the northeast side of Columbus, Easton presented a unique mixed-use format that was instantly successful. The combination of Easton and Tuttle gave nearly all wealthy suburban shoppers throughout Columbus more convenient shopping options. In conjunction to driving significant retail traffic away from downtown, Easton also hastened the downfall of nearby Northland Mall. Easton Town Center[1] (commonly referred to as Easton) is a large mixed-use, office, retail, dining and entertainment center in Columbus, Ohio, near the northeastern suburbs of New Albany and Gahanna. ... Interstate 270 (abbreviated I-270) is the beltway loop freeway in the Columbus metropolitan area, commonly known locally as the outer belt. ... View westbound at High St. ... State Route 161 is an east-west state highway in the state of Ohio. ... Mixed-use development refers to the practice of containing more than one type of use in a building or set of buildings. ...

To make matters worse for City Center, Glimcher Realty Trust opened Polaris Fashion Place in October 2001. The mall was built on the far northern end of Columbus to capture the corridor of suburban development in the Columbus suburbs of Powell and Westerville, as well as the rapid population growth in nearby Delaware and Union counties. With this trifecta of new shopping centers across the wealthy northern end of Columbus, tenants fled City Center and Northland Mall (closed 2003). Polaris Fashion Place, opened in October 2001, is a two level shopping mall on the Northern edge of Columbus, Ohio. ... Powell is a city in Delaware County, Ohio, United States. ... Westerville is a city in Franklin and Delaware Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... Delaware County is a fast growing suburban county located in the state of Ohio, within the Columbus, OH metropolitan area. ... Union County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. ...

Loss of anchor tenants

Sculpture in front of what was the entrance to Lazarus

In the face of competition from new shopping centers, City Center lost two key anchor tenants over the next few years due to causes unrelated to the new malls. Jacobson’s went bankrupt in 2002 and closed all of its stores, creating the first hole in City Center’s anchor lineup. However, the real shock was the announcement that Lazarus, after 153 years of tenancy in downtown Columbus, was closing in the summer of 2004. Having lost its claim to a historical landmark, and with Jacobson’s closing its sole Columbus store, City Center had very little left to offer in terms of uniqueness, and tenants continued to leave the center as leases rolled over. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2616 × 3488 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2616 × 3488 pixel, file size: 2. ...

The mall's final Anchor, Macy's, which had originally been Marshall Fields, closed in late November 2007.^[4]

Current status

Shortly after the Lazarus closing, Mills Corporation, through a 50/50 partnership with General Motors, purchased a large portion of Taubman’s holdings, including Tuttle and City Center^[5]. Mills, with extensive experience in converting aged malls into revitalized structures emphasizing fresh entertainment and dining options, was seen by many to be the new hope for City Center’s future. However, excitement quickly faded as Mills announced significant financial difficulties in 2006, including accounting irregularities and earnings restatements going back several years. Many of its new and redevelopment projects were either put on hold or discontinued. By February 2007, a bidding war developed between Brookfield Asset Management and Simon Property Group, in conjunction with Farallon Capital Management, for control of Mills' assets. Simon won and assumed ownership of Mills' assets in Columbus, including City Center. The Mills Corporation (NYSE: MLS) was a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. ... General Motors Corporation, also known as GM, is a multinational corporation headquartered in the United States and has been the worlds largest and most dominant automaker since 1931 till the second half of 2007, surpassed by Toyota; as well as the global industry sales leader for 77 years. ... Brookfield Asset Management (TSX: BAM.LV.A, NYSE: BAM) is a Canadian asset management company that focuses its activities on industry sectors that require substantial amounts of capital. ... Simon Property Group, Inc. ...

Around this time, the development arm of Nationwide Insurance (parent company of Nationwide Realty Investors, both based in Columbus, and responsible for much of the Arena District development) stepped up on behalf of the City of Columbus to put together a plan for the mall's future if Simon were to abandon the center. ^[6] Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company & Affiliated Companies are a group of large US insurance and financial services companies. ... The Arena District is a 75 acre mixed-use urban infill, master planned development located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. ...

On July 31, 2007 the City of Columbus filed a lawsuit to evict the management company, Simon Property Group, which held the lease on the underlying land, to gain control of the mall. The city alleges that mall management grossly neglected the property, allowed it to fall into disrepair, did not pay real estate taxes for some time, and failed to make a rent payment for the land in excess of $200,000. Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman said of possible redevelopment for the property, "I have many, many ideas, I want to see some retail back in it, offices as well. We have thousands of people moving downtown and there's a great need for retail activity.Our downtown is on the move. This is the only thing holding us back."^[7]. In the last minutes before eviction was to take place, the city was able to negotiate a purchase agreement to buy the property from Simon and take over full control.^[8] is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country State Counties Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware Government  - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area  - City 212. ... Simon Property Group, Inc. ... Mayor Michael B. Coleman Michael B. Coleman (b. ...

Two recent developments have set the stage for what could potentially revitalize the area surrounding City Center. First is the pronounced downtown housing boom, which has brought many young professionals back to the city. Several vacant buildings have been converted into condos, and the nearby German Village continues to show strong growth. Second, and more immediate, is the substantial redevelopment of the vacant Lazarus building. The redevelopment, now mostly complete, converted the building to a format suitable for office space, academic research, arts, and dining^[9]. It's still unclear to what extent these developments have improved the outlook for City Center. German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. ...

References

1. ^ "History Works Ohio timeline" Retrieved February 13, 2007.
2. ^ "Taubman still plans fourth anchor for City Center mall" Retrieved February 7, 2007.
3. ^ "Taubman Realty Group Ltd Partnership Form 8-k, filed 12/8/97 with the SEC" Retrieved February 13, 2007.
4. ^ "Macy's to leave Columbus City Center" Retrieved December 26, 2007.
5. ^ "Mills Corp. to be acquired" Retrieved February 13, 2007.
6. ^ "2007 may be the year when City Center questions resolved - at last" Retrieved February 7, 2007.
7. ^ "Lawsuit filed against Columbus City Center owner" Retrieved July 31, 2007.
8. ^ "City Center might close once Macy's leaves" Retrieved December 26, 2007.
9. ^ "Downtown Lazarus Redevelopment" Retrieved December 26, 2007.

is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

• DeadMalls.com Feature on Columbus City Center
• Website with Photos of Columbus City Center