The Dayton Mall has been a shopping staple for residents of Dayton, Ohio, since it opened in 1970. The once-prospering mall, like many, has faced hard times with increased vacancies, exacerbated by the closing of two anchors, Sears and Bon Ton, in 2018.
As a result, the mall was put into receivership, where it remains. But the 162,000-square-foot former Sears space was sold to a local church, Crossroads, which has transformed 90,000 square feet of the former store into a house of worship and community hub with a traditional indoor entrance to the rest of the mall.
“Nothing says dying mall like having a church move in,” said Rebecca Maguire, marketing manager of the Dayton Mall. “But Crossroads has a huge following, and they are so community driven that I think any mall in the world would be lucky to have a partner like that.”
It’s fair to ask if a struggling mall is the right place for a church, and Matt Castleman, the pastor of Crossroads Church in Dayton, said the religious organization had its own reservations.
“People were asking, is chaining yourself to a mall wise?” said Castleman.
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