Florence Mall
Florence, Kentucky - 1970's (I think)
I love this dreamy photo. This Southern mall looks like a lush 1970's fantasyland here! Almost the way most living rooms looked in those days, actually--throw a TV in front of that couch and we're home! Heck, now that I mention it, I'd be more than happy to live here. :) Current website.
posted by Keith @ 7/28/2005
10 Comments:
the florence mall actually hasn't undergone any signifigant changes since this photo was taken.
Really? If it's true, that's nice to hear! Can anyone else back that up?
But surely you're not saying that standing there in that mall today, looking at this general area in the photo, that it still looks at all like this now(?). I can't imagine that! :) The lights, the lush wall-to-wall foliage, the garish yellow carpet, the mod couches, the wild lighting fixture... that's all roughly still there??
FLORENCE MALL HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT DECOR WISE. WHILE THE LAYOUT HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN MUCH IN THE WAY OF ADDITIONS, IT DOES NOT LOOK QUITE LIKE THE PHOTO ANYMORE. NO CARPET AND UNINSPIRING BENCHES NOW. I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS BUILT AND OPENED, MID 70S I GUESS, CLOSE TO THE CINCINNATI AIRPORT. AT THE TIME, THE LOCATION WAS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. TODAY, THE AREA IS ENTIRELY BUILT UP WITH RETAIL AND RESIDENTIAL ALL OVER THE PLACE. WE WOULD STOP IN WHENEVER WE PICKED SOMEONE UP AT THE AIRPORT AND HAD SOME TIME TO KILL. IT WAS THE FIRST MALL THAT I REMEMBER THAT HAD A FOOD COURT. THE FOOD COURT HAS BEEN RELOCATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION IN THE MALL. ANOTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE MALL IS THAT THERE IS A LARGE WATER TOWER ON THE PROPERTY. ORIGINALLY, IT HAD "FLORENCE MALL" PAINTED ON THE SIDE. AT THE TIME, THIS CAUSED QUITE A STIR IN REGARDS TO ADVERTISING A PRIVATE ENTITY ON THE SIDE OF A PUBLIC WATER TOWER. IT WAS QUICKLY AND CLEVERLY CHANGED TO "FLORENCE Y'ALL".
Thanks a lot for the great update! Really appreciate it.
#1 It's not a lighting fixture.
#2 The courtyard is now a marble fountain that covers about 1/3 of the area visible in the photo. There is also a glass elevator that Takes you to the 2nd floor.
There are not as many plants and flowers! This mall actually has undergone many changes. And the courtyard has NEVER moved, it has been redecorated and neon lights added, but it has always been located in its current spot. There is a Quizno's located across from the coin's plus shop but when the mall opened, it was a candy shop. The candy shop closed about 1984 or so. The game room TILT moved, and so did Spencer's and they replaced Fredrick's of Hollywood with a Victoria's Secret. But that's about it.
Florence Mall is about to undergo some more renovations. The changes to the main mall area occured in 1994, they took out the nice seating you see in the picture, added the water fountain in center court, and a huge sky light as well. The food court which hasn't had anything done to it in since the 1980's will be closing in January while it is remodeled, the new food court will be very nice.
This was originally Cincinnati's overrated mega white trash mall. Sadly, even though it had only 120 stores, this was the largest mall in the area until Forest Fair was built and Kenwood Town Center and Tri-County renovated and made additions in the timeframe of 1988-1990. People would flock to Florence thinking bigger was better, but the better department stores (not Sears or Penney's) had an obvious poorer selection and tended to be more midscale than other locations in the Cincinnati area. Florence made a mistake when they started intervening and trying to limit development, and this mall subsequently lost a lot of footing. The picture that you posted is the center court, and it has had a facelift. It is much more modern now. However, the mall looks the same as it did in 1976 (when it opened) from the outside. The food court has never moved. When I was visiting family in February 2006, the food court was closed for renovation.
I hate to say it, but I heard it through the grapevine (from multiple sources) that Florence Mall will be closing soon. Anyone else hear that?
Yeah.. I heard that the Florence mall is going bankrupt. Which isn't good for me because I just got hired there. Ha!
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