2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 2 — Crocker Park
(Chain Store Age ranks the most innovative shopping center experiences each year. We will be counting down the top 10 until No. 1 is revealed.)
Retail space construction in this year’s second quarter was well below the 10-year average, and much of it has been invested in mixed-use projects in Sun Belt states — mostly boxy apartment buildings with street level retail.
Two decades ago, developer Bob Stark had the same idea, but there was nothing boxy about the revolutionary mixed-use center he built in a western suburb of Cleveland. The challenge he posed to himself when setting out to design Crocker Park was, “Can you urbanize suburbia?”
“At Crocker Park, retail, dining, entertainment, office, residential and hospitality are not simply co-located but fully connected, allowing guests to move effortlessly from one experience to the next,” said Bob’s son Ezra Stark, the current CEO of Stark Enterprises in Westlake, Ohio.
Spanning approximately 4.5 million square feet, the center brings together national retailers, local boutiques, dining, entertainment, office space, hospitality and residential into a single destination that serves both as a regional draw and an everyday community hub.
Families visit the Splash Pad, Movies in the Park, seasonal events and open green spaces. Young professionals and residents enjoy patios, fitness, nightlife and walkable convenience. Office tenants benefit from a vibrant environment with dining, retail and services just by walking out the door.
Crocker Park Living, with more than 500 apartments and townhomes, is fully integrated into the property. Bob Stark got the idea for his center-supreme when he was in New York City on business, observing office workers and apartment residents exiting and interweaving through restaurants and shops.
The retail component is densely curated with top brands. Names such as Macy’s, Apple, Arhaus, L.L.Bean, LA Fitness and Toys “R” Us are intermingled block-by-block with food and beverage choices that include Bibibop Asian Grill, Five Guys, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings and Mikey’s Pizza.
Overall event attendance at Crocker Park increased by 22% year over year, with particularly strong growth in signature and recurring programming such as “Movies in the Park.”
“Nothing in Crocker Park is homogenous or formulaic,” Stark noted. “Stores and the apartments above them are not tied together with common architecture. We even brought in brick from the 1800s to lay down in the alleyways. You’re transported to New England.”
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 1 — Easton Town Center
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 3 — Tuscan Village
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 4 — American Dream
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 5 — Mall of America
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 6 — Blue Star Shopping Center
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 7 — Eastwood Mall
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 8 — Market Street - The Woodlands
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 9 — Park West Village
2026 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 10 — Rosedale Center
