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Severance Center: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 41°30′58″N 81°33′00″W / 41.5160°N 81.5500°W / 41.5160; -81.5500
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| location = [[Cleveland Heights, Ohio]], United States
| location = [[Cleveland Heights, Ohio]], United States
| coordinates = {{coord|41.5160|N|81.5500|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|41.5160|N|81.5500|W|display=inline,title}}
| opening_date = {{Start date and age|October 17, 1963}} <br>{{Start date and age|1997}} (''expansion'')<br>{{Start date and age|2007}} (''renovation'')
| opening_date = {{Start date and age|October 17, 1963}} <br>{{Start date and age|1986}} (''expansion'')<br>{{Start date and age|1998}} (''conversion to power center'')
| architect =
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'''Severance Center''' is a [[shopping center]] located in [[Cleveland Heights, Ohio]], an inner ring [[Greater Cleveland]] suburb roughly {{convert|7|miles||abbr=}} from [[downtown Cleveland]].
'''Severance Center''' is a [[shopping center]] located in [[Cleveland Heights, Ohio]], an inner ring [[Greater Cleveland]] suburb roughly {{convert|7|miles||abbr=}} from [[downtown Cleveland]].


It is anchored by [[The Home Depot]], [[Dave's Markets]], [[Marshall's]], and [[OfficeMax]], and four vacant anchors that were formerly [[Walmart]], [[Borders Books]], Conway, and [[Regal Cinemas]]. Prior to the development of the current power center, Severance Center was one of the first enclosed [[shopping malls|suburban malls]] in the United States.
It is anchored by [[The Home Depot]], [[Dave's Markets]], [[Marshall's]], and [[OfficeMax]], and four vacant anchors that were formerly [[Walmart]], [[Borders Books]], [[National Stores|Conway]], and [[Regal Cinemas]]. Prior to the development of the current power center, Severance Center was one of the first enclosed [[shopping malls|suburban malls]] in the United States.


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 23:58, 21 November 2023

Severance Center
Map
LocationCleveland Heights, Ohio, United States
Coordinates41°30′58″N 81°33′00″W / 41.5160°N 81.5500°W / 41.5160; -81.5500
Address3640 Mayfield Road
Opening dateOctober 17, 1963; 61 years ago (October 17, 1963)
1986; 38 years ago (1986) (expansion)
1998; 26 years ago (1998) (conversion to power center)
No. of stores and services90
No. of anchor tenants2
Total retail floor area900,000 sq ft (83,600 m2)
No. of floors1
Public transit accessBus interchange RTA

Severance Center is a shopping center located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, an inner ring Greater Cleveland suburb roughly 7 miles (11 km) from downtown Cleveland.

It is anchored by The Home Depot, Dave's Markets, Marshall's, and OfficeMax, and four vacant anchors that were formerly Walmart, Borders Books, Conway, and Regal Cinemas. Prior to the development of the current power center, Severance Center was one of the first enclosed suburban malls in the United States.

History

Severance Center resides on the land of the Longwood Estate, the home of John L. Severance and his family. As one of the foremost principals of Standard Oil and civic philanthropist, Severance built his estate to include dairy barn, several stables, gardeners' cottages, natural brooks and waterfalls, and extensive formal gardens.[1]

After the death of John L. Severance in 1936, the estate transferred to his second cousin Severance Millikin. Millikin lived in the home until 1959, when he moved to a more secluded estate in Gates Mills. But for years before the move, Millikin worked on his plan for a "new downtown" on the former estate. In 1952, he requested rezoning that would pave the way for commercial development of the property. After five years of legal wrangling, the rezoning was approved, and Longwood was demolished in 1961.[2]

The Longwood Estate, Location of the Future Severance Center

Severance hired the Austin Company for the development plan which ended up acquiring the Longwood land and brought in a the Winmar Corporation as a partner on the project. While the decision to build a large mall on the previously undeveloped land caused some controversy, the city eventually gave its assent to the plan. [3]

As only a few years after Victor Gruen's visionary project Southdale Center opened in Edina, Minnesota, the shopping mall was a new concept. Opening to fanfare in October 1963, the mall's original anchors were Cleveland-based department stores Higbee's and Halle's. Other tenants at the new mall included Fisher Foods, Woolworth's, Richman Brothers, Peck and Peck, and a branch of Society National Bank.[4]

The Severance project included Ohio's first regional mall as well as the since-demolished Austin Company headquarters opening in 1960, offices and apartments.

Severance Center Aerial View, 1963

The road around the Town Center, Severance Circle, is home to the Cleveland Heights City Hall, the Cleveland Heights Post Office, Metro Health Medical Center, Severance Medical Arts Building and Spectrum. There are also residential options at Severance.[5]


Renovation

Severance Center underwent major renovation in 1972 and a new wing anchored by discounter Gold Circle opened off the south end of the mall in 1981. A year later, the entire Halle's chain was liquidated by an investor group that had purchased it from Chicago-based Marshall Field's. Gold Circle closed its underperforming Severance store in 1984.[6]


Recent developments

Due to stagnation and then deterioration of the power center, the Severance Action Group, an outgrowth of the FutureHeights Planning & Development Committee, recognized Severance was an existential issue for Cleveland Heights over the long term and began to think about how Severance could be transformed.[7] Complete with preliminary renderings, they presented to City Council on Monday (Nov. 14) a concept for a “medically and educationally based walkable village” -- including more than 500 residential units and a nearly 5-acre park.[8]

This proposal was presented to the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission and Board of Control for further discussion.[9]



References

  1. ^ "Longwood Estate". Cleveland Historical, accessed on November 20, 2023.
  2. ^ "Longwood Estate". Cleveland Historical, accessed on November 20, 2023.
  3. ^ "Severance Center". Cleveland Historical, accessed on November 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "Severance Center". Cleveland Historical, accessed on November 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "Severance Town Center". City of Cleveland Heights, accessed on November 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Reddy, Vince. "At 50, Severance faces challenges". Heights Observer, accessed on November 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Nowak, Larry. "Severance Action Group works to develop plan". Heights Observer, accessed on November 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Jewell, Thomas. "Severance Action Group presents vision to transform decaying Town Center in Cleveland Heights". cleveland.com, accessed on November 21, 2023.
  9. ^ "Council hears bold vision to reimagine Severance in Cleveland Heights". 19 News, accessed on November 21, 2023.

1. Severance Center: Ohio's First Enclosed Shopping Mall by Michael Rotman, https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/197

2. Malls and Retail Wiki webpage at https://malls.fandom.com/wiki/Severance_Town_Center