ELYRIA, Ohio — The outside of Midway Mall tells the story of the past 15 years: vacant restaurants, department stores, and movie theaters.
"There's probably less than a dozen active retail folks within the mall," Elyria Mayor Kevin Brubaker admitted.
The same could be said about people in the mall. On Thursday, only a handful of people occupied the food court, and there were a few walkers with an occasional person sitting on bench in.
In January of 2023, the Lorain County Port Authority acquired the 58-acre property on a $13.9 million loan, hoping to find the right developer. On Wednesday, it did, with the board voting unanimously to sell Midway Mall to Industrial Commercial Properties for $17 million.
"ICP, they've been known to repurpose malls, and this is what they do," Amy Richards, Chairwoman of the Lorain County Port Authority, said. "We're hoping that their proposal brings in 400 to 600 new jobs here in Lorain County and for the city, so we're very excited."
Brubaker is excited, too. ICP's business model plans include gutting the entire mall to make room for corporate and industrial offices, and he says it's estimated to bring $18-$20 million in payroll to Elyria.
"They came in with a very specific plan, putting $4 to $5 million to the exterior of the mall, new windows, new doors, paint, putting green space in there to make it look like a business park," Brubaker added.
However, not everyone is happy with the new vision. Some patrons told 3News they were upset with losing the sentimental space.
"Once they come here and take everything out, that means all the tables and stuff in here are going to be gone," one man who said he's been coming here most of his life said. "We won't be able to walk around. We won't be able to congregate."
County and city leaders say they are hoping for a positive change that will give life again to the restaurants and retail shops around the mall. Development plans are expected to be up and running over the next two years.