What's Next for Tuttle Mall?

Local News

It's still 77 degrees outside as I'm writing this, and most of us are probably thinking more about enjoying fall than getting ready for winter. But apparently Dublin is already getting ready for ice skating.

Crews started preparing to install the seasonal ice rink at Riverside Crossing Park yesterday, right by the Dublin Link pedestrian bridge. Last season's rink covered 3,200 square feet, and the city is planning to keep skating going well into March next year.

Of course, putting an ice rink together takes a little work. The city says some parking spaces along the west side of Riverside Drive and the park entrance near John Shields Parkway will be temporarily closed during work hours while everything is being installed.

It's a little early to start digging out our skates, but it'll be fun to see our kids back on the ice at Riverside Crossing Park this winter. And if you're already looking forward to it, keep an eye on the city's ice skating page for updates on when skating begins.

Local News

Remember when we asked all of you to help one of our neighbors find some really good vegetarian food around Dublin?

Well, I've got another question that I think some of you might be able to help with.

Are there any good book clubs around Dublin?

Book clubs seem like a great way to meet people around Dublin, but where do you actually find one? Especially if you're new to the area or haven't been part of one before.

So if you're part of a book club around Dublin, or know of one you'd recommend, I'd love to hear about it. Where does it meet? What kinds of books do you read? And most importantly, are you welcoming new members?

Just reply to this email and let me know. I'll pull together what we learn and share it with everyone.

Who knows? Maybe we'll help a few Dublin neighbors find their next good book and some new friends to discuss it with.

Local News

Last week, we told you how Tuttle Mall has dwindled to just 36 tenants. But there's another part of this story that I think is worth looking at, especially if you're wondering what might happen to the mall next.

Back in 2023, a group of New York investors bought the main mall building and former Sears space for just $19.5 million. That might sound like a lot of money, but it's surprisingly little when you consider the size of the property.

For comparison, Tuttle Crossing Shopping Center, the retail center across I-270 with stores like Best Buy and Ross, sold for $21 million in 2024. And that property has about 227,000 square feet of retail space, compared with roughly 743,000 square feet at the mall. So investors paid more for a shopping center less than a third of the size.

Of course, the low price didn't come out of nowhere. Tuttle's previous owner, Simon Property Group, had defaulted on its loan, and the property ended up in receivership before being sold. The new owners knew they were buying a struggling mall, and the price certainly reflected that.

But what I'm most curious about is what they intend to do with it. So far, the owners haven't publicly shared any clear plans for Tuttle's future, leaving plenty of questions about what comes next.

And with so many stores now gone, you have to wonder whether the owners are trying to bring Tuttle back as a shopping mall or whether they see an entirely different future for the property.

For those of us who've spent years shopping, eating or just wandering around Tuttle, it's hard to imagine that enormous building becoming something else. But at this point, it's getting just as hard to imagine it staying the way it is.