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Randall Park Mall Demolition: Shoppers Say Farewell To Former World’s Largest Mall

By Regina Avalos
Published on: 04:05 PST, Dec 31, 2014

Randall Park Mall demolition began on Monday. This Ohio landmark once held the title of world’s largest mall, but shoppers ended their visits to the mall when it was closed down in 2009. According to Fox 8 News, the mall is located just north of Interstate 480 between Warrensville Center and Northfield Roads. The demolition will take four to six months.

People that used to shop at the mall before it was closed stopped by the site to take photos and remember their times inside the building. For Dawn Goldy, Randall Park Mall was a place she visited as a teenager. She shared her thoughts about the start of demolition on the mall.

“You always hoped they’d bring it back, but it never happened.”

Former shoppers are not the only people that miss the mall. One former shop owner also stopped by to take a look at the structure before demolition began on Randall Park Mall. Jeff Campbell helped his father open the Karmel Korn Shop when the mall first opened its doors in 1976. He now owns a business in Cleveland.

Campbell spoke about seeing the end of the mall that he saw open almost 40 years ago.

“I went there yesterday. It’s very painful because Randall Park Mall meant so much to my family.”

Seph Lawless, a photographer, toured the inside of the structure, and he shared photos of Randall Park Mall in his book titled Black Friday, according to CNN Money. He was saddened by what he saw inside the formerly busy mall.

“I remember walking through it and feeling overwhelmed by the memories, most of which were good ones. I mean, this wasn’t just a place to shop, it was a place people went to talk and meet other people. We didn’t have social media or smartphones. We had malls and it was what we did.”

Former shoppers are also taking to social media to say good-bye to the Randall Park Mall. Many remember their times spent shopping at the mall fondly.

What will happen to the land where the mall now stands? Stuart Lichter, the president of Industrial Realty Group, did reveal his plans for the land to Fox 8 News. An industrial park will be built on the land. The old Sears building and the Magic Johnson Movie Theater will remain standing, and those structures will be used as a part of the new industrial park because their design “fits the purpose of a light industrial operation.” The new business could bring in 1,000 new jobs to the area.

The destruction of the old to make room for the new is not rare. Earlier this year, the Inquisitr reported on the demolition of an old hotel in Atlanta. The hotel was opened in 1971 and it was destroyed by an implosion last month. A four-year-old boy helped with the implosion.

What do you think of the start of Randall Park Mall’s demolition?

[Photo: Video Screenshot]

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