I had heard recently that Rolling Acres Mall wasn't originally supposed to be on Romig Road, that it was supposed to be in Barberton, on SR619. After much opposition, developers then decided to build on the present location.
If you have spent much time in that neighborhood, as I had, had to start thinking that it was kind of a stupid place to put any major shopping complex.
The first time I thought of this was when I was a part time employee at Montgomery Ward. The Store had announced their closing and that Higbees was taking over their lease. With Higbees as one anchor, and O'Neils as another, it was announced that Rolling Acres would become a higher scale, regional mall. That got myself, along with others to start thinking "huh?" This mall was between one of the poorer neighborhoods in Akron, and Barberton, a depressed community, partial thanks to Rolling Acres. there was only one major access road, Romig Rd., far enough away from two freeways, I-77, and I-76, to have different street names at their respective exits. Upon exiting I-77 you had to follow Wooster Rd., now V. Odom Blvd. to Romig Road. When you exited I-76, you turned left on State St., which became Romig Rd. after about a third of a mile.
The only other road to get to the mall was a little residential road, called Harlem, two lanes, very narrow, very crooked. What were the planners thinking?
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