By Randy Tucker
Enquirer staff writer

FOREST PARK - The parking lot was jammed. Stores were overrun with shoppers.

And the din of thousands of excited voices filled the aisles at the redeveloped Cincinnati Mills shopping center Thursday as huge crowds celebrated the mall's grand opening. Or, as some described it, the resurrection.

"I can't believe it. There are actually people here," said Wendy Pitcher of Mason, who stopped by with her sons Brendan, 1, and Caleb, 8. "It's definitely a big difference from the way it used to be."

Pitcher was referring to the former Forest Fair Mall's history of dismal foot traffic and retail abandonment that left the cavernous mall half-empty with fewer than 50 stores.

New owners The Mills Corp. acquired the mall in 2002 for about $70 million and put another $70 million into an 18-month overhaul.

Mills officials are aiming to transform the mall into a regional attraction, featuring a mix of retail and entertainment, including more than 200 discount retailers and a variety of shops, themed restaurants and family attractions.

As far as Cinde Whalen of Colerain Township is concerned, the recasting of the 1.5-million-square-foot mall was an unqualified success.

"It's just beautiful," Whalen said. "It's so much more bright and inviting than it used to be, and they have a lot of different stores that you don't find at other malls."

Cincinnati Mills has brought a number of new stores to the Greater Cincinnati region, including Bon Worth, Big Dog Sportswear, Deb Shops, Jones New York, Kasper, Samsonite Company Store and Corningware Revere Corelle Factory Store.

The retail offerings also include local and regional players, including longtime Greater Cincinnati icon Johnny's Toys of Latonia, which opened a big new store.

"Tiffany's birthday was yesterday, so she spent her birthday money at Johnny's Toys," Whalen said of her 6-year-old daughter. "That's a nice store. All the stores are nice."

Michelle Wolf, 20, of Forest Park said she was most impressed with the mall's design and layout, especially how the mall is organized into distinct shopping "neighborhoods" - including the "Fashion Neighborhood," where most of the clothing retailers reside, the "Country Road Neighborhood," with arts and hobby shops, and the "Amusement Neighborhood."

She also liked the liberal use of bright pastel colors and bold lighting.

"I like the atmosphere," Wolf said. "It's a cool place to hang out. I'm sure I'll be back."

The mall is also an inviting destination for parents and their children, according to several mothers, who said they would probably spend more time at Cincinnati Mills than at other malls because of the kid-friendly environment.

In addition to the retail mix, Cincinnati Mills offers interactive entertainment experiences for families, including Muggsy's Meadow - a children's program that provides free family activities for parents and children under 12, and one of Cincinnati Mills' signature attractions, A Place to Grow - a children's play area themed after the children's book of the same name by Stephanie Bloom.

"You can come here and spend some time here with the kids and not have to worry about running out of things to do," said Sharon Meredith of West Chester, who visited the mall with her daughter Kaitlyn, 2, and son, Zachary, 6.

Shoppers such as Meredith are one reason Mills officials say they're confident the mall can bounce back strongly from its disastrous past.

"Our success in redeveloping Cincinnati Mills will create added value for the community, our retailers and our shareholders," Mills CEO Larry Siegel said.

E-mail rtucker@enquirer.com