Ashtabula Towne Square has the distinction of being substantially nicer – and livelier – on the inside than I had been expecting. Yes, there were plenty of vacant storefronts to confirm the fact that this property was far from thriving, but the high ceiling running through the food and center courts, along with a unique circular ceiling panel offered a welcome sense of identity. The wing occupied by JCPenney – one of two remaining anchors – saw the most occupancy and activity, but signs announcing that this location would be closing in just over a week offered a grim reminder of what lay ahead.
It’s worth noting that Ashtabula Towne Square (formerly Ashtabula Mall) once held a Carlisle’s department store. This chain exited the retail world back in 1994, but was actually founded in Ashtabula in 1857 as Tyler and Carlisle, eventually expanding to include locations throughout Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania. Also interesting was the occupancy of a former Sears location by University Hospitals. This is an encouraging sign for the future reuse of the mall’s space by other non-retail businesses.
Name: Ashtabula Towne Square
Location: Ashtabula, OH
Developer: Cafaro Company
Year Completed: 1992
Square Footage: 1,074,470 sq ft
Owner: Ashtabula Mall Realty Holding LLC (Kohan Retail Investment Group)
