In the Internet Age, Some Malls Need Other Uses

NGKF is marketing for sale the 1.9 million square foot mall Forest Fair Village just northwest of Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI—The advent of online shopping is transforming the retail landscape, and many big malls are about to see drastic changes. Newmark Grubb Knight Frank has been appointed to market such a property in the Cincinnati metro area. Cincinnati Commercial Real Estate, an OH corporation and part of NGKF’s organization, will act as the exclusive broker in the sale of Forest Fair Village, the 1.9 million square foot mall located in Forest Park, a northwestern suburb.

“This is a very good location, but it has not made it as a retail mall,” John Thompson, managing director, NGKF, tells GlobeSt.com. Built in 1989 on a 90-acre site, over the years its owners have tried several strategies, including both high-end and discount retail, but nothing worked. “We need to find folks that can use it for something other than retail.”