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Westfield SouthPark, formerly SouthPark Center, is an enclosed shopping mall in Strongsville, Ohio. Its anchor stores are Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, Kohls, Dick's Sporting Goods and a Cinemark movie theatre.
History
As early as the 1960s, the intersection of Royalton Road (SR 82) and Howe Road in the rapidly expanding suburb was coveted for commercial use. A secret plan by former Cleveland Browns ownwer Art Modell to build a new stadium at the site was exposed by the media in the 1980s and subsequently scrapped. The land was eventually sold to the Richard E. Jacobs Group, which later unveiled its first plans for a major mall. The Higbee Company and May Company Ohio, Cleveland's two major department store companies, announced that they would join as anchors.
After another decade, numerous legal battles, and name changes for Higbee's and May Company Ohio, ground was finally broken for the new $200 million SouthPark Center in 1993. Opening in October 1996, the mall's anchor tenants included Dillard's, Kaufmann's, JCPenney and Sears. Kohl's was also an anchor, though on the outlying perimeter road surrounding the mall. With its upstairs food court and grand "Porte Cochere" main entrance, SouthPark has proven popular among many Strongsville residents (especially teenagers and young adults) as well as those from neighboring cities. SouthPark's success drew sales away from other regional malls and Downtown Cleveland.[citation needed]
The Westfield Group acquired the shopping center in early 2002 from the Jacobs Group, and renamed it "Westfield Shoppingtown SouthPark", dropping the "Shoppingtown" name in June 2005. In 2006 it commenced a massive a $150 million expansion and reconfiguration of the center. Thus, adding 25 more stores and a Cinemark movie theater.
Anchors
Featured retailers
Junior anchors
External links
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