Rolling Acres Mall. A once beautiful, nationally recognized mall for its design; opened in 1975 which would later come to a sharp decline in 2007 and close indefinitely in 2008.

What once stood as a magnificent piece of architecture, including the center of the structure known as The Court of the Twelve Trees has now been thrown to ruins throughout the past 4 years.

This mall housed stores such as O’neil’s, Pretzel Time, and JCPenny (Which still oddly stands to this day).

Within its walls, it featured unique light structures beyond its also unique decorations and fountain surrounded by large trees and beautiful foliage. A bubble elevator to get shoppers up and down as well as escalators and stairs. The greenhouse-esque skylight covering the entire center brings the outside in, surrounded by 4 corridors which used to house the many shops.

Broken windows, a few trashed shopping carts, piles upon piles of glass, decay, rotted foliage, security office porno magazines (yeah, really), and a destroyed skeleton of what was once a fountain is all that now remains of this structure.

“Enjoy the continental style “Parq” and its beautiful Indian laurel trees as you watch workmen installing the Promenade fountain and a unique bubble elevator. When the dust settles, some 40 new shops and restaurants will be opening along the Promenade.”

Rolling Acres Mall is a retail mall located in the Rolling Acres area of Akron, Ohio, United States. Built in 1975 and expanded several times in its history, it once comprised more than 140 stores, including five anchor stores, a movie theater and a food court. The mall was closed off in 2008, save for the only two anchors still in operation, Sears and JCPenney Outlet. However, in January 2011, Sears Holdings announced the Sears store would close by April 2011. In January 2011, JCPenney announced they would close all outlet stores including the Rolling Acres store. In October 2011, an independent company purchased all of JCPenney’s Outlet Stores with plans to rename them and continue to operate them.

Rolling Acres Mall was developed by Forest City Enterprises. It opened in Akron, Ohio with Sears and 21 stores on August 6, 1975, and had more than 50 stores by year’s end. JCPenney opened a year later as a second anchor. A new wing, called the Court of Aquarius, was added in 1977, including a large aquarium (which was later removed) and a third anchor store, Montgomery Ward. Further expansion in 1978 comprised a new, two-story wing called the Promenade, comprising a food court called “Prom-N-Eat” and local chain O’Neil’s as a fourth anchor.

A mall-wide renovation was begun, replacing its original earth tones with pastel colors. Two of the anchors would change in the 1980s as well: Montgomery Ward closed in 1986 and was replaced with Higbee’s (another local chain), and O’Neil’s was merged to May Company Ohio in 1989.