COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Eastland Mall officially closed its doors to the public Saturday, many Columbus residents are reminiscing on memories spent there after its opening in 1968.
10TV's Lindsey Mills dug into the mall's archives, recollecting some of the mall's greatest moments — from its construction to kids visiting with Santa Claus during the holidays.
Construction on the South Hamilton Road building began in 1966 and not long after it was built and opened, there was a housing boom in the area.
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As families flocked to new construction on Columbus' east side, the stores flourished.
"That's where we all went to shop," Helen Jones said, nodding back to her experiences shopping there as a teen.
Jones has fond memories of the mall and going there while growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. She took on a job in college at one of the mall's shoe stores and her brother worked at the movie theater.
"To see the demise of the mall and that part of what it meant to me as a teen and a young mom. It's sad. It's watching your childhood disappear before your eyes."
It was the place for those looking to grab a bite, shop around, or even see a movie.
With the addition of technology came the rise in online shopping. As shopping habits changed, online sales took away from anchor stores, ultimately causing the demise of local malls like Northland, Westland and now Eastland Mall.
"With online shopping, people just don't go out," Jones said.
The only big shopping areas that remain are Easton Town Center, Polaris Fashion Place and The Mall at Tuttle Crossing.
So, what comes next for the once-popular mall? There are no concrete plans for the property as of yet, city officials say.
"The owner needs to identify what they're going to do out there and what timeline as they want to move forward to get a demolition permit," Michael Stevens, director of development for the City of Columbus, said.