Is the Mall a good idea?
Click on the links below to read both sides opinions and form your own opinion.

Oppose Mall       Pro Mall

Submit your opinion on the Mall*

Read the Mall Opinions
Will it lead to pollution, traffic and additional tax burdens? What will become of the land if it is not developed for the mall? 
What did you think?  
Are we going to lose more green space than we should? 
Or will the revenue windfall keep our property tax rates in check? 

Submit your opinion on the Mall*

Read the Mall Opinions

New Mall would raise millions in tax revenues
March 19, 2000 -In reference to the  employment at the new mall, "the annual payroll is targeted to be $177,000,000. Once the mall and the out-parcels are fully developed, the estimated total tax revenue paid to the schools, the city, the counties and the state is $58,000,000. (By the way, state law does not allow tax abatement for commercial developments as it does for industrial developments.) This generation of new tax dollars can play a major role in providing for not only the schools, but the entire region." according to Leonard L. Robinson, realtor for the land. 

Kyles Station Road Interchange required for Mall
A petition for the support of the proposed Kyles Station Road Interchange on I-75 (approximately 1 mile south of I-75 and State Route 63) is currently being circulated. The new interchange is the first step required for the new mall. If you are interested in signing the petition, please contact Leonard Robinson at 539-2000.

Mall Developer has many Malls

Jan. 1, 2000 By John Beagle

Last Fall a local news source reported that Real Estate Developer Taubman (headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), was considering developing a Super Mall in Monroe, Ohio.

Taubman is a regional shopping center developer with properties across the United States. The average rent per square foot of $43.09 is charged in Taubman properties. 

Click for a larger picture

What‘s next? 

Since the Mall has to be approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation first, letters in support are needed for the project. Information content of the letter and who to send it to will be updated here. In the meantime here is ODOT‘s home page and contact links. 

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/planning/staff.htm

Miller‘s Creek will need to be modified for Monroe Mall 
Taubman, the Monroe Mall developer  has applied to  the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to modify the current location of a small portion of Miller‘s Creek.  This is the first step in getting a new mall in Monroe. The location of the creek is east of I-75,  north of Kyles Station Road and south of Route 63. 

According to Leonard Robinson, real estate broker for the deal, "The creek is currently is nearly dead, the banks are eroded and it only contains water a few days per year. This creek will not get better without intervention. By rerouting the creek, we will improve its condition."

Monroe Business Council Meets Mall Developer
Jan. 7, 2000 Monroe City Building
Today a representative from The Taubman Company (Mall Developer)  met with the newly formed Monroe Business Council..  Joseph K. Hart Jr. is in charge of the mall project. He is Manager of Development for The Taubman Company.

Value Center - The project is considered a "Value Center" type mall. There is a Taubman Mall in Auburn Hills, Michigan that is representative of the "Value Center" mall considered for Monroe, Ohio. 

This type of mall is different from the traditional mall:
1. There are 14 to 17 anchor stores with a minimum of 20,000 square feet each. This is different from most malls that have 2 or 3 anchor stores.
2. There will be sports available. Basketball and racquetball courts were specifically mentioned.
3. Entertainment such as "Theme Restaurants" and a 25 screen movie theatre. (Rainforest Restaurant is an example of a "Theme Restaurant"). 

If approved, the mall will have 1.4 Million square feet of retail space situated on 360 acres east of  I-75 and south of St. Rt. 63.  The project would be located south of the current structures in Corridor 63. The realtor involved is Larry Robinson at Robinson-Lawton-Kent. 

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The Mall is NOT Dead
July 12, 2000 - According to Lenny Robinson, the realtor for the Mall Project, "The Mall is very much alive and still on target. This is a long term project and Taubman still has a long term option on the property. The mall is certainly not near death‘s door and we didn‘t ask to be on anyone‘s prayer list." 
       Lenny went on to cite 2 reasons for the optimism:
1. Taubman as recently as a few weeks ago was working with the Butler County Engineers Office on a sewer project (trunk sewer line) affecting the proposed mall land.
2. The mall property is not on the market for anyone else to buy but Taubman. If the mall project were dead, that property would be on the market.



Opposition Vocal on Proposed Kyle‘s Station Interchange

Ohio Department of Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) has received over 1500 letters, E-Mails and postcards opposing the new interchange, while only receiving approximately 80 from proponents

According to Michael Cull, coordinator for TRAC, the Cincinnati Council, the Dayton Council, and the Sierra Club oppose the interchange. He said the review council will definitely weigh the opposition‘s opinions, but whether or not their opinions are enough to stop the project remains to be seen.

Cull said the council would decide on the future of the project after the justification study has been reviewed. The Taubman Company, interested in developing a 220 store shopping mall on land located at I-75 and Ohio 63, is paying for the justification study. 
Warren County has no say on Mall
April 10, 2000 - It was the Middletown Journal‘s top story on April 7th, "WARREN BACKS OFF MONROE MALL."  The story was misleading because the residents of Monroe were led to believe that Warren County had the final say. The proposed mall site is in Warren County within Monroe city limits.

According to Bob Price, County Administrator for Warren County, "Warren county has no say on whether Monroe gets a mall." Only the Monroe Council has any say on the Mall.   Additionally, Warren county is in favor of the proposed I-75 interchange. Traffic from I-75 to I-71 is heavy and projected to be heavier when Rt. 63 is extended to Trenton.

Mr. Price went on to say, there are zero residents that live in both Warren County and Monroe. All the residents of Monroe live in Butler county.

The Warren County Ohio Board of County Commissioners consist of Larry Crisenbery, Pat South and Mike Kilburn. You may reach them via email: crisll@co.warren.oh.us
soutpa@co.warren.oh.us
kilbcm@co.warren.oh.us

Alliance Formed to Oppose Mall
The mission of the Alliance for Responsible Growth (ARG) is to educate the public about the far-reaching costs and consequences of the interchange, the mega-mall, and the resulting unplanned sprawling development. (more)

Support The Monroe, Ohio Mall!  
April 9, 2000 -A new website 
(just updated) http://hometown.aol.com/mws813/index.html in favor of the mall was submitted to MainStreetMonroe.  It offers ways to support the mall. Here is an excerpt from the site:

Monroe Mall, Just Another Outlet Mall?
by: Bill Schiering, December 29, 1999

In an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, Scott McCarthy, Vice President of Development with the Taubman Co, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Developer said the plans for the mall are extremely preliminary.

Mr. McCarthy said he foresees a 1.7-million-square-foot enclosed mall with 1.4 million square feet of leased space, which could be occupied by T.J. Maxx, the Brooks Brothers outlet, an Ann Taylor outlet, movie theaters and entertainment-themed restaurants.

Mr. McCarthy said his company has been looking at Greater Cincinnati for a few years. The Taubman Co. has billed the project as an upscale shopping and entertainment attraction - one that may draw more than the 3 million visitors who come to Paramount‘s Kings Island each year, said Warren County Commissioner Pat South. 

Based on Taubman‘s work on other malls throughout the country, Commissioner South said she expects anything but the typical suburban mall sprawl. "What really intrigues me about the company is that by the appearance, it will not be an obtrusive looking mall as we have come to know malls," she said. "It is supposed to offer a lot of green space appearance and a lot of trees and openness."

Is it going to be just another outlet mall? I think not. In 1998, sales in Taubman centers averaged $426/sq. ft. This compares to a 1998 national average of just over $200/sq. ft. for all regional malls.

Click on picture  to enlarge

The New Monroe Mal