As the mall comes to an end, here are some of the memories shoppers, employees and visitors shared with the Springfield News-Sun. .
“I loved having my Roosevelt Middle School bands play there at Christmas time,” Thomas W. Billing said.
“I worked at the mall in 76 and 77. I worked the information desk. It’s where I met my husband and we have been married 43 years,” Cindy Kelley said. “So many memories. It was such a fun place to work, never a dull moment. I enjoyed working with the mall manager Rick Conley and the secretary Karen Green. Everyone that worked there were like family.”
“I got my first Duran Duran album there and I have a much longer store about getting a Duran Duran jacket at Camelot Music there too. I worked in the mall (three different places), I performed in the mall, I modeled in that mall, I shopped in the mall. I grew up in that mall,” Amy Harber said.
“My mother used to be a manager at General Cinema before Chakeres took over. Her children and grandchildren called her the movie lady. We used to see free movies all the time... those were the days,” wrote Gary and Sheilah Bixler. “We walked many miles through the hollowed halls of the mall Christmas shopping, getting tires or batteries at Sears Automotive, buying Tuff Skin jeans at Sears for our children for school, watching children getting their picture taken with Santa Claus, watching children throw coins into the wishing fountain, getting pretzels and Orange Julius’.”
“I didn’t grow up here, but within the past 10 years, it was a favorite place to go with my newborn son and his older sister in the cold months to wander and be able to get out somewhere not too crowded that still had some stores to explore with space to walk and let them get “out” somewhere - they have a lot of memories of going there to wander around,” Natalie Fritz said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
“So, so many that it’s hard to decide! The pets in the window of the pet store were always a big favorite! The Rainbow Shop, Blue Fox restaurant! Working with amazing people all throughout the mall. Orange Julius, cutest baby contests, school art shows, choir/band concerts, and on and on,” Heather Johnson said.
Credit: Clark County Historical Society
Credit: Clark County Historical Society
Clark County Land Reutilization Corp., otherwise known as the Land Bank purchased the mall in 2018 for $3.5 million with plans to find a developer for the property. A tentative agreement with a private developer was also finalized around that time, but fell through, according to previous reporting from this news organization.
Clark County officials announced last week that the property had been sold to an Ohio developer.
Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP) has agreed to purchase the property for $2.25 million, according to Clark County officials. The developer plans to convert the mall into a business park.
Share your memories with The Heritage Center
The Heritage Center is hosting a free virtual program to share history, photos, artifacts and stories on Zoom at 7 tonight. People are encouraged to join to share their own fond memories of the mall. Registration is required at https://cutt.ly/uvmall.
Facts & Figures:
Aug. 2, 1971: Year the Upper Valley Mall opened
June 16, 2021: Year the Upper Valley mall closed
$2.25M: Purchase price Ohio-based developer Industrial Commercial Properties has agreed to pay for the property
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