Older retail area struggles in slumping economy

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio (AP) -- What was once called the "world's largest shopping" center has become a cavernous echo chamber, and the Cleveland-area cinema nearby often finds theaters empty when the movie starts.

A lagging economy and urban decay in tiny North Randall have made the once-glittering Randall Park Mall a sign of the problems facing residents. Residents have chosen to spend time and money at other sites, leaving the remaining businesses struggling.

"When I first started working here, it was really great," said Clyde Mitchell, a theater manager who started as an usher in 2000, "You were happy to come to work every day."

Now: "I'm sitting here in an empty theater."

It's a symptom of a cycle that has hit once-thriving retail areas hard. When Randall Park Mall opened in 1976, it had more than 200 stores. When the theater opened in 1999, basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson cut the ribbon at the business named in his honor. It was a glitzy, 12-screen business at one of the nation's largest malls.

But since then, ticket sales have slowed and AMC Entertainment walked away as the corporate partner. They took with them the "Magic" label from the marquee and left behind an empty parking lot.

"That's very difficult for us, because we're sitting in a theater all day that doesn't look any different than anybody else's theaters," Mitchell said. "On the one hand, you're getting paid to work. But on the other hand, you can't really do your job."

The theater, now called "O What a Bargain!" has embraced cheap tickets: $5 tickets during the week and $7.50 on weekends for new movies. Managers hope that they can help fill empty auditoriums with the discounts and with a change at the mall.

Mall owner Whichard Real Estate also is struggling to fill its corridors.

Ohio Technical College recently announced it would move its PowerSport Institute into the former JCPenneys spot. But Dillard's, Macy's and JCPenneys have all left the mall. The nearby Circuit City, Toys R' Us and Dick's Sporting Goods have also shut their doors.

The mall was sold in 2004 for about $6 million. But owner Whichard Real Estate owes more than $200,000 in unpaid property taxes, according to Cuyahoga County records.

"We hope somebody's going to get that mall and turn it around," said Don Powers, a Charlotte, N.C., theater investor. "I know it's not doing well right now, but I think it has some possibilities."

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com