A Mall That Once Made Sense
There was a time when Rolling Acres Mall fit the map. Sears to the north, JCPenney to the south, and five dozen smaller stores arranged neatly between them.
Built in 1975 on Akron’s southwestern edge, the mall reflected the city’s post-industrial shift—open land, highway access, and predictable growth.
It drew people in cars every weekend. Decades later, photos of its empty halls showed up online. But those first years were steady, busy, and tightly planned…