# Salem Mall

Trotwood, OH · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-c52a7c7519` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/oh/trotwood-salem-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-c52a7c7519.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-c52a7c7519.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-c52a7c7519

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | demolished | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop, reinhabit | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | retail, office, education, civic, mixed, entertainment | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking ideas from local entrepreneurs regarding uses for old Salem Mall space, including the site of the Sears Department store. | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1966 | reported · Wikipedia |
| Closed | 2005 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| GLA (sq ft) | 274652 | reported · Esri 2014 layer |
| Stores at peak | 41 | reported · Esri 2014 layer |
| Original developer | The Rouse Company | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | City of Trotwood | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Public subsidy | federal grant | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_closed**: “After an extended period of decline, the mall closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2006.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall
- **original_developer**: “Salem Mall, Inc., a subsidiary of The Rouse Company, opened the mall in October 1966.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall
- **after_notes**: “In November 2024, it was reported that Trotwood was seeking ideas from local entrepreneurs regarding uses for old Salem Mall space, including the site of the Sears Department store.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall
- **status**: “Demolition of the mall began on May 15, 2006, but the Sears building was retained, with Sears becoming a standalone store.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall
- **strategy**: “The city of Trotwood purchased the mall site, with the exception of Sears and Home Depot, in 2004, and began working with GGP to redevelop the area as the Landmark Town Center, an upscale, open-air, 'lifestyle' complex, intended to resemble the Easton Town Center in Columbus.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall
- **public_subsidy**: “In June 2018, Trotwood received a $200,0000 federal grant, which together with $200.000 of the city's own funds, will be used to demolish the Sears building and clean up the former mall site for future expected mixed-use development.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall

## Anchors

MC Sports, Home Depot, JCPenney, Sears, Office Depot, Cub Foods, Lazarus, Rike's

## Parties

- The Rouse Company — original_developer (1966–)
- Salem Mall, Inc. — owner (1966–1998)
- Salem Mall, Inc. — owner (from text) (1966–1998)
- Cigna — owner (1998–2004)
- Cigna — owner (from text) (1998–2004)
- City of Trotwood — developer (2022–)
- City of Trotwood — owner (2004–)
- City of Trotwood — owner (from text) (2004–)
- Daverman & Associates — original_architect
- Not documented — architect

## Timeline

- 1966: Opened (Wikidata)
- 1966: Mall opened
- 1981: Expansion added JCPenney wing and food court
- 1998: Rouse sold interest to Cigna
- 2004: City of Trotwood purchased mall site
- 2005: Mall closed
- 2006: Demolition began
- 2013: Sears closed
- 2018: Federal grant for site cleanup
- 2022: Funk Music Hall of Fame agreement
- 2024: City seeking ideas for reuse

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

Salem Mall was a regional mall in Trotwood, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was developed in 1966 by The Rouse Company and originally featured Rike's and Sears as its main anchor stores. Expansion in 1981 added a new wing of stores and JCPenney, while further renovations in that same decade included a food court. Rike's was later dual-branded as Shillito-Rike's and then renamed to Lazarus The mall began to lose stores throughout the 1990s, including both Lazarus and JCPenney, the former of which was torn down for The Home Depot. After an extended period of decline, the mall closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2006. Sears, which was excluded from the demolition, remained operational until it closed in 2013. In 2022, it was announced that a large portion of the mall would become the new site of The Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_closed — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_Mall
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rouse_Company
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigna
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Trotwood
- Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) — https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=6869fc5bfb3f4757954ef7a9e9ccbebf (2014-10-02)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Salem Mall, Trotwood, OH." Record m-c52a7c7519, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/oh/trotwood-salem-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_trotwoodsalemmall,
  title = {Salem Mall, Trotwood, OH},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/oh/trotwood-salem-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-c52a7c7519, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.