By Allen Howard
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The 34-acre Swifton Commons Mall is set to make history again.

Built in 1956 in Bond Hill as the Swifton Shopping Center, it was the first open-court shopping mall in the city.

Swifton Commons has been renamed Jordan Crossing (Enquirer photo)

With its new name, Jordan Crossing, it will be the first mall in the city named after an African-American, the Rev. Donald Jordan, pastor of Allen Temple Methodist Episcopal Church, which is located in the mall.

The Rev. Mr. Jordan led the move to get the Allen Temple Real Estate Foundation to buy the mall in 2001 for $1.2 million. Plans are to redevelop it, keeping the existing businesses.

"The name change came about when the Merusi Co. did a study of the mall and recommended that changing the name might change the image of the mall," the Rev. Mr. Jordan said. "The board of directors of the foundation suggested naming it after me. The church membership also ratified the change."

Allen Temple, founded in 1824 and the oldest black church in Cincinnati, moved from 7181 Reading Road, Roselawn, to the mall and is holding services in one of the vacant buildings there.

A new structure for the church is being built in the northwest corner of the mall at Reading Road and Seymour Avenue. It will be built on 4.5 acres, the Rev. Mr. Jordan said.

"The first phase of the building will cost $4 million and will house a sanctuary and administrative offices," he said. "This will be enough to house 1,000 members."

He said a second phase will include a fellowship hall, family life center, gymnasium, community kitchen, classrooms, and fitness and a recreation area, for a total cost of $12 million.

Rev. Mr. Jordan, 70, said the mall has about 30 businesses, with room for about 30 more.

A branch of Wilberforce University is located in the mall, and the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency is renovating the old Elder Beerman store there to relocate its office.

"We will fill up the mall," the Rev. Mr. Jordan said. "It just takes time. You have to have the faith and the Lord will do the rest."

The Rev. Mr. Jordan, chief executive officer of the Thompson, Hall-Jordan Funeral Homes, the largest black funeral business in Cincinnati, has challenged minority businesses to join in the mall redevelopment.

E-mail ahoward@enquirer.com