Photo from the October 3, 1979 Times Observer The front page of a supplement the Times Observer published for the Warren Mall’s grand opening in 1979.

By any measure, the Warren Mall is making a bit of a comeback from where it was a few years ago.

But when I moved to Warren in 2008 the mall was certainly, um, on the decline.

For some, I expect this will jog some memories.

For others (me included), this provides a completely different perspective on the mall.

Either way, the Warren Mall is now 40 years old.

The Times Observer published a supplement to the October 3, 1979, edition just for the opening.

New Warren Mall To Open Thursday

Warren County’s New Mall Spruces Up For Thursday Opening

I sense a bit of a tug of war over whether the mall was something we needed.

And I sense some optimism — and probably hyperbole — in what the mall was expected to bring to the community.

Either way, here’s what we wrote and here’s what was there at the opening of the Warren Mall:

On Oct. 4, 1979, the Warren Mall will become a part of Warren County.

In the view of George Zamias, the Johnstown developer of the shopping complex, it was inevitable that day would arrive. If not for him, then for some other developer.

It was March 17, 1972, that Zamias first made public his plans to construct the mall in North Warren.

At that time, Zamias observed, “Let’s face it if it wasn’t me it would be another developer. The Warren area badly needs a shopping mall of some sort.”

At groundbreaking ceremonies, almost six years later, Zamias predicted, “The mall is going to keep your dollars home. Fifty million Warren County dollars are being spent somewhere else (annually) and this mall’s going to stop that.”

After turning ground at the 34-acre site, Zamias declared, “Warren County has finally come of age.”

It was February 1972 when news of a possible Warren shopping mall first “hit the papers.”

A public hearing was held Feb. 22, 1972 on a proposal that 21 acres of agricultural property owned by John and ester Berkebile be rezoned a business-transitional zone. Berkebile’s attorney hinted that a Johnstown developer had an option on the property and had plans to build a mall if the area were rezoned.

There was opposition voiced at the hearing and at least one citizen referred to the vague suburban mall proposal as a “gray ghost” since the unnamed firm planning the development had no stores lined up to occupy the mall.

Three weeks later, the Warren County Commissioners approved the rezoning of some 35 acres of land in the area, stating it was the only way to go according to a legal opinion they had received, which said, “if an individual is deprived of any use whatsoever of his property because of zoning regulations, the individual would probably be successful in challenging the regulations of court action.”

The commissioners’ action of March 13, 1972, cleared the way for possible mall development and within just a few days it was announced that the George D. Zamias Real Estate Corp. purchased the land from Berkebile and Hugh Barrett.

Until that point, all talk about the mall had been unofficial and vague, but four days after purchasing the land Zamias made his intentions known. On March 17, 1972, he told the Times Observer of his plans to construct a mall with two major anchor stores and approximately 30 smaller stores.

He added, “I sincerely want to compliment the county commissioners for their foresight, they were looking out for the common good when they decided to rezone the property.”

Aware that the mall did not enjoy the full support of the established businesses in the Warren area, Zamias predicted at the time that the mail would not hurt trade in downtown Warren and would, in fact, probably help downtown businesses by attracting people from out of the area.

“I think the mall will help them,” Zamias predicted. “Thousands of shoppers will come into the Warren area after the mall is opened. Many of these will also shop in the downtown.”

Zamias said his firm was already at work lining up stores for the mall, but noted prophetically, “These things take time.” And he was right.

What took the most time was lining up the anchor stores to go into the mall. Although Zamias and other company officials said repeatedly they were nearing agreements with anchor stories, it was not until late in 1977 that K-Mart became the first to sign a lease for the Warren Mall. After that, the smaller stores began falling into line gradually and in spring 1978 JCPenney announced it would be moving from the Market Street Plaza in Warren to the mall.

While Zamias attempted to line up the elusive anchor stores a number of projected groundbreakings came and went.

As the months and years passed, at times local residents may have recalled the “gray ghost” warnings issued in 1972. But it became obvious that the Johnstown developer was finally to the point where he could get down to the nitty-gritty of building a new mall when in December 1976 Zamias asked for a parking variance for the mall. While the county ordinance prescribed one parking space for every 100 feet of retail space. Zamias said he could provide only one space for every 161 feet.

Zamias and his attorneys termed the parking regulations “too stringent” and on Jan. 6, 1977 the Warren County Planning and Zoning Commission agreed. The planners recommended to the county commissioners that the variance be granted.