AKRON — AKRON -- A Facebook post pointing out empty storefronts at an Akron mall has led to discussion over the mall’s future. But Chapel Hill Mall isn’t giving up its hopes for a vibrant future.
There's no doubt there’s been a drop in foot traffic at the more than 50-year-old mall. The number of empty storefronts has recently led to some concerns on the mall's future. Pictures of the mall's interior storefronts have generated hundreds of comments and have been shared nearly 2,000 times on the Facebook page Dead and Dying retail.
Rhonda Dixon, office manager and events coordinator, acknowledges that about a quarter of the stores at the mall are currently vacant, but is pointing to progress and activity happening behind the scenes. The mall will be welcoming two new restaurants, including Dave's Dinners inside the food court and Eight Point Bistro which will take over the former Brown Derby Roadhouse restaurant at the south end of the mall.
Dixon said she is looking at the empty storefronts as a blank canvas for growth, which include seeking local entrepreneurs to launch start-up businesses inside the mall. It's an idea that is similar to a model at Akron's Northside Marketplace, where local entrepreneurs have set up shop inside the facility.
Dixon is also coordinating several events inside the former Old Navy location where the large room will be used to host a "Hangar Dance," a veterans dance event on Nov. 10. She expects additional events to follow.
The mall has welcomed back Archie the Snowman, a 20-foot-tall talking snowman that was a part of the holiday season at Chapel Hill Mall for 35 years. After retiring from the mall, the snowman arrived at Akron's Lock 3 Park and later returned to the mall in 2014.
READ MORE I Talking snowman's legacy lives on in Akron