MORE: Once a retail hub, Trotwood struggles to compete
The property has been vacant since the city demolished the mall in 2006, and Collins said debris still remains from the demolition. The mall opened in 1966 but suffered a decline in the 1990s when two of its anchor stores, JCPenny and Lazarus, closed. Sears remained as a freestanding store.
Fred Burkhardt, executive director of the Trotwood Community Improvement Corp., said the cleanup may take a year or longer.
“We would really like to see this move faster, but projects this big don’t tend to move fast,” he said. “They tend to move at a glacial speed.”
Burkhardt said there are no plans yet for the future of the site.
About the Author