Former Crown Center opens as redeveloped Franklin Crossroads Park
Local officials are hailing a newly unveiled adaptive reuse project just off Interstate 70 as a potential economic engine for Washington County.
The former Washington Crown Center mall in North Franklin Township has been reimagined as the Franklin Crossroads Park following a 12-month, $40 million renovation effort that was completed in October.
Developers cut the ribbon on the 100,000-square-foot retail phase on Thursday while highlighting ongoing work to launch the second phase of the project, which will open up a further 350,000 square feet for light-industrial and corporate tenants on the western half of the building.
Cleveland-based real estate fund management and advisory firm PREP Funds and Los Angeles commercial real estate group Industry Realty Group LLC purchased the mall from Kohan Retail Investment Group in September 2025 for $5.25 million, according to county property records.
Kohan had bought the property for $20 million in 2016.
IRG demolished several sections of the mall, including the former Hollywood Theater and Bon-Ton locations, in order to streamline the building’s overall footprint.
The developer also closed the interior of the mall to pedestrian traffic and redesigned the exterior to give each tenant an exterior facade entrance.
The new Franklin Crossroads Park occupies 533,000 square feet of space on a 40-acre parcel, according to IRG.
PREP Funds Partner Chris Salata said it has been “incredible” to see how quickly the property has progressed over the past year.
“When we first started this project, we had a vision,” Salata said. “We wanted to create something that was not just an economic engine for North Franklin Township, but we also wanted to do something more – a place where people can come shop, eat, work and spend time with their families together.”
Salata said the retail portion of the complex is approximately 95% occupied as of late October.
North Franklin Supervisor Chair Bob Sabot hailed the adaptive reuse project as indicative of a broader resurgence taking place within the township.
“We have seen the worst of times, and now we are starting to see the best of times,” he said.
According to Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency, successful projects like the Franklin Crossroads Park come together when key stakeholders put aside party differences in service of community economic development.
“It’s not about red or blue, it’s about the green,” he said.
Leigh Williams owns Haven Cheer & Gymnastics, one of several tenants retained from the previous mall ownership. Haven boasts over 500 students from toddlers through late teens across competitive cheer, dance and gymnastics programs.
According to Williams, the renovations have “exceeded our expectations,” and praised the new management group for how accommodating they have been.
“I’m absolutely grateful for our community, our business and our members,” she said.
Salata said the first tenants of the industrial/corporate portion of the property should begin to move in sometime in early 2027.
Two of these tenants have already signed leases, he said.
And while IRG/PREP have no current plans to develop the property beyond the completion of the second phase, Salata said one major benefit of the large parcel size is that they could consider converting some parking space into freestanding retail or restaurant space in the future.
“I feel extremely blessed to have the support of the local community for our efforts. You don’t always get that,” he said. “I think when you have that, and that comes together, it just really helps to do what we do, and helps us do it well and efficiently.”