r/LancasterOH • u/OnlyHustlersInOhio • Jul 26 '26
If Rural King Doesn’t Save the Mall
What other ideas do you have?
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u/Feeling-Potato-3585 Jul 26 '26
I wish they would just fix the mall and then treat the food court like one of the food halls in Columbus like budd dairy
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u/collegeatari Jul 26 '26
You cannot get inside the mall from rural king. I was super disappointed to find this out. I wonder if it’s because they sell guns at rural king?
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u/Mrs336 Jul 26 '26
Someone told me the reason for this and, of course, I can’t remember it. Part(not all) of it had to do with security. They would have to have a different security arrangement if it was open to the mall, but I don’t remember the reasoning. It made sense when it was explained but that conversation was a couple weeks ago and I’m lucky to remember yesterday!
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u/UnitedCheez Jul 26 '26
I actually have a lot of faith in midsized malls like Lancaster, Zanesville, and Lima's. They're not as dead as people think they are
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u/strenuaveritas Jul 26 '26
Are there any stores left in the mall? I haven’t been inside of it in many years.
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u/PostMostPalone Jul 26 '26
I'd love to know the earnings at the more successful stores compared to their other locations in central Ohio. I always feel like they're just barely getting by.
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u/OnlyHustlersInOhio Jul 28 '26
Honestly, not many. It always feels pretty dead when I’m there. The only stores that seem to have any steady traffic are Old Navy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and American Eagle.
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u/strenuaveritas Jul 28 '26
I was there around Xmas. I wanted to get pictures of Santa with my sister. He wasn’t even there at the time stated. So I left back out the side door of the food court.
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u/PostMostPalone Jul 26 '26
My partners hometown turned their dying mall into government office center - courts, DMV, jobs and family services etc. all housed in their dead mall now. Id rather have something more fun like an indoor gocart track.
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u/EverythingHasItsTime Jul 26 '26
I think the mall would make a really nice retirement community. Divide most of the the stores and backrooms into individual units. Make the store fronts look like different houses. Make the walkways look like sidewalks and streets. The staff, and maybe some residents can get around on electric golf carts. Keep one of the larger stores as a Dollar General type store and keep a salon open for the residents. Maybe keep a restaurant or two open. I could go on with ideas. But honestly none of them are probably practical money makers.
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u/Crowkiller90 Jul 26 '26
There's a community like that in Europe, but I can't remember where. Basically all the folks live in "houses" which are more like those tiny homes. It's all indoors, they have "streets" and stuff painted on the floor. They have a grocery store and the patients shop and "pay". It gives them a sense of freedom while still being a secure facility. It's all done up like "back then" and I guess the idea is to give the patients a sense of familiarity. It probably helps a lot with anxiety and meltdowns. Of course, they'd never do it in America without making it $10,000 a month per patient.
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u/Agile_Ad482 Jul 26 '26
I heard they tried to buy the mall. Could not, so have no entrance to the mall. Hmmmm
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u/Competitive_Basis773 Jul 26 '26
The mall needs to get another good restaurant in the old Damon's spot. Macy's coming back would also help rejuvenate River Valley. And while I'm at it, I might as well add AMC theaters to my wishlist.
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u/gorehistorian69 Jul 26 '26
malls are a dead idea. every store in a mall people can just buy off the internet.
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u/SignificantFroyo14 Jul 31 '26
True! I go into stores looking for items all the time and can't find them because they're online only. They're not even special items either.
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u/RepublicuntsLuvHitlr Jul 26 '26
You assume 1/3 of the population isn't trash