Dayton Mall is getting a facelift, and the work is happening in stages, with crews currently installing new sheetrock, crown molding, chair rails and baseboards throughout the 1.4 million-square-foot property in Miami Township. The renovation, launched by new owner Hull Property Group, will pause during the holiday shopping season and pick back up in 2027, according to the company.
The initial phase now underway is just the first step in what Hull Property Group describes as a multi-phase overhaul of the mall at 2700 Miamisburg Centerville Road, according to Springfield News-Sun. Once that groundwork is finished, the company plans to install murals across the property. A second phase will bring exterior entrance upgrades, new lighting, ceilings, flooring and paint throughout the mall, per the same report.
“There are no bad properties, only bad owners,” Jim Hull said, according to the outlet's reporting, adding that good stewardship means investing in a property to strengthen its long-term value and sustainability. He said improving Dayton Mall will give shoppers a better experience while creating lasting value for tenants, and called the renovation the next step in Hull Property Group's commitment to the mall and surrounding communities.
Murals Planned to Celebrate Miami Township's Identity
The mural program is designed to strengthen the connection between Dayton Mall and the surrounding community, according to the same Springfield News-Sun account. The murals will celebrate the history, culture and unique identity of Miami Township, and will also recognize mall tenants through inspirational and aspirational messages, the report notes.
The renovation arrives as local officials pursue their own vision for the district. In November 2025, Miami Township and the Miami Crossing Joint Economic Development District engaged planning firm Planning NEXT to draft an updated master plan for the two-square-mile district surrounding the mall, with completion targeted for fall 2026. Planning NEXT's portfolio materials describe a goal of establishing a town center for the Miami Crossing District. Miami Township is backing that vision with public infrastructure investments, including planned streetscape and pedestrian safety enhancements along Kingsridge Drive and State Route 741, per township records.
A Mall That Changed Hands Twice in Three Years
Hull Property Group acquired Dayton Mall from Spinoso Real Estate Group, ending three years of interim management by the group, as reported by WHIO-TV. The property transaction was recorded October 29, 2025, and covered four parcels valued at $37 million, per the Springfield News-Sun's reporting.
Dayton Mall represents Hull Property Group's second enclosed mall acquisition in Ohio, following its 2023 purchase of Eastgate Mall in Union Township east of Cincinnati, where the Augusta, Georgia-based firm similarly partnered with local officials on a master redevelopment plan — a strategy Hoodline previously reported is playing out through the ongoing “Envision Eastgate” planning effort. Hull's national retail portfolio spans more than 20 million square feet across 37 enclosed shopping malls in 17 states.
Anchor Spaces Shift Away From Traditional Retail
Dayton Mall opened in 1970, after being developed by Youngstown-based Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, and was advertised during construction as the largest enclosed shopping center built between New York City and Chicago, according to the mall's Wikipedia history. Its original department store lineup featured J.C. Penney, Sears and Dayton department store Rike's, while regional chain Elder-Beerman took over the former J.C. Penney store in 1998, a 227,070-square-foot space, per Encyclopedia.com's account of the chain's history.
That department-store-anchored model has shifted. Crossroads Dayton is located in a former Sears anchor box that underwent a $21 million renovation, according to a Facebook post from Dayton Food and Dining. The retail mix inside the mall has also kept turning over in 2026, including the closure of Bravo Italian Kitchen, a pattern Hoodline noted in its coverage of Bravo's bankruptcy closure.
Whether cosmetic upgrades and murals can offset those broader national retail headwinds remains an open question for the property, even as Hull Property Group presses ahead with a renovation timeline that carries into 2027.
