Vintage Photos of the Heyday of Shopping Malls in Cleveland, Including Parmatown, Westgate, Severance Center, Richmond and Euclid Square

Like the rest of America, Northeast Ohio saw a boom in malls and shopping centers from the 1950s to the 1970s, many of which don't exist today. There was Severance Center, which began construction in 1962 and which was celebrated as Ohio's first indoor shopping mall. There was Westgate, which opened as a shopping center in 1954 and was noted as Ohio's first suburban shopping mall. Originally designed with an open-air plaza surrounded by stores, a roof was added in the late 1960s to compete with Parmatown and Great Northern. Euclid Square Mall joined the party in the late 70s. Let's take a wayback trip through the good times.