It was sixty-six years ago this month that
Oakwood Shopping Center opened in South Lorain on November 12, 1958. At the time it was the largest shopping center ever erected in Lorain.
The project was the brainchild of Cleveland developer
Joseph Porath. As noted in an article in the
Journal on the eve of the shopping center's Grand Opening, "Joseph Porath, Cleveland realtor and developer, has a knack for dreaming dreams which have an almost consistent habit of becoming realities.
"Early in 1956, Porath announced plans for a $10 million project, which would include a $2 1/2 million shopping center and 700 three-bedroom homes on a 200-acre site known as Oakwood Park Development within the Lorain city limits.
"The site, which had been annexed to Lorain late in 1955 covered a four-block area south of E. 36th St. between Pearl Rd. on the west and Grove Ave. Extension (Rt. 57) on the east.
"There were the usual skeptics who said that plans for the shopping center and giant housing project wouldn't pan out.
"But Lorain area citizens were not acquainted, as were Cleveland's, with the Porath drive and determination to make dreams come true.
"Despite some obstacles, Porath's dream about a shopping center in South Lorain officially will come true Wednesday when his $3 million Oakwood Shopping Center will open to the public for the first time.
"And adjacent to the shopping center, some of the 700 three-bedroom homes dreamed about by Porath in 1956, are going up on land which Porath sold to the Ranier Corporation.
"The short, stocky and friendly Porath is the idea man for the largest shopping center ever erected within city limits.
"Porath is also credited with the idea of a unique "community showcase" as part of the Oakwood Shopping Center and a protected six-acre playground adjacent to the center, which he gave to the City of Lorain.
"Porath also initiated the construction of the Homewood Dr. Extension, which will serve as the north boundary of the shopping center. The concrete roadway runs from Pearl St. east to Grove Ave. Extension (Rt. 57)."
Lorain was very fortunate that Joseph Porath had the vision and grit for such an ambitious undertaking, and that the Lorain city administration worked with him to accomplish a goal that improved the lives of many residents. Those two critical components – a developer willing to take risks and a city willing to work with him to make it happen – are still necessary today if a city is experience any major commercial development.
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Groundbreaking ceremonies for the shopping center took place on Feb. 21, 1958. Here's the article from the Journal the next day.
A major shopping center for that part of Lorain was an idea whose time had come. The ad below, which appeared in the
Journal on May 3, 1958, noted that time was running out for stores to reserve their space. Note the acorn graphic with the family of squirrels, including
Oakie (with the vest) and
Pearl (with the bow in her hair). While Pearl would become the official mascot for the shopping center, it was Oakie who was spotlighted in the Grand Opening ad shown at the top of this post.
On the eve of the Grand Opening, a series of articles and congratulatory ads appeared in the
Journal, including the page shown below.
The Grand Opening was a rousing success, with 1001 prizes given away to shoppers. The ad below accompanied a two-page
Journal spread with the names of the prize winners that ran on November 20, 1958. As you can see, Pearl the Squirrel was already established as the Thrifty Squirrel mascot, appearing on signage for the shopping center, including a huge wall sign on State Route 254 near the railroad tracks at Pearl Avenue.
And Pearl would appear occasionally in Oakwood Shopping Center ads in the
Journal, such as the one below, for the next few years.
Oakwood Shopping Center eventually went into decline as Lorain lost most of its industries, dramatically affecting the financial well-being of its residents, and retailers moved out. Like many other neighborhood shopping centers in Rust Belt cities, Oakwood simply could not survive. It's unfortunate but reflects the general attitude of national retailers towards brick and mortar stores, as well as consumer buying habits, with a preference towards online shopping and a desire for a more fantastic, destination shopping experience.