Mall at Tuttle Crossing under new ownership as stores close

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Mall at Tuttle Crossing is now under new ownership as national retailers are closing their locations in the struggling shopping center.

Clothing brand H&M has announced the company's Tuttle Crossing store, the largest tenant on the mall's second floor, is permanently shuttering on Jan. 6. Youth apparel and accessory shop The Children's Place is also closing its location on the first floor. The two retailers did not respond to NBC4's request for comment.

The 26-year-old mall's closures come after three New York investment firms -- Namdar Realty Group, CH Capital Group and Mason Asset Management -- purchased the mall in October for $19.5 million, according to the county auditor's office. The acquisition is far below the auditor's appraised value of the site, $49.7 million.

The firms have ownership over Tuttle Crossing's lower and upper levels, a BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse on Tuttle Crossing Boulevard, and some of the site's parking lot. The mall's four anchor stores -- Macy's, JCPenney, entertainment venue Scene 75 and a former Sears location now vacant -- were not included in the purchase.

Tuttle Crossing is one of about 170 retail properties, including about 80 malls, owned by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management, named as "prolific real-estate partners" who operate struggling shopping districts after purchasing them for cheap, according to a profile by The Wall Street Journal.

"When national retailers move out, Namdar Realty and Mason try to replace them with nontraditional tenants such as call centers, local small businesses, doctors’ offices and bounce-house venues," the article states.

Now, the trend is continuing with Tuttle Crossing as 50 of the spaces are empty and discount stores fill several of the mall's 60 occupied spaces, including the nearly 40,000 square-feet AVRS Luxury Furniture. Other tenants still operating in the mall include American Eagle, Bath & Body Works, Claire's, Forever 21 and Hot Topic.

Throughout the past few years, the site has garnered a few violent incidents. One person died after a 2022 shooting inside the Sole Stop shoe store on the second floor of the mall, and a 2019 fistfight inside Scene75 led to the business closing early and false claims being made on social media.