Chelmsford, Westridge, New Market, Northland, Western Kentucky,

Becky on a mall that is not on our site yet, Chelmsford Mall in Chelmsford, MA

I remember going to the Chelmsford Mall back in the 80’s. It seems like a lifetime ago. It was a small mall located on Rte 110 in Chelmsford, MA.  This mall was anchored by a Bradlees on one end and a Child World on the other. (Two stores that have fallen into the land of dead retail.)  Inside was a Deb store, a pet store (who doesn’t like to look at the puppies?), a So Fro fabrics (does that still exist?), a smoke shop (even if it was bad for you, the pipe tobacco smelled good), and some random clothing stores.  I think there may have been a candy store or an ice cream shop, but I can’t remember. It is too long ago. Today the inside walls have been closed up to house a strip mall.  Now there is a Famous Footwear, Staples, Aspen Dental, Linens N Things, and Kohl’s.

Andrew Knopp on Westridge Mall: Fergus Falls, MN:

JC Penney was *not* part of the original mall, it was part of an expansion to the original layout.  The funny thing is, the mall was already dying when they decided to build on!

Kevin Clarke on something for our Press Page:

Did you see this news story on some news station near one of the dead malls?  They feature your site a lot in the story!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU_3ojP9Wdg

(Sorry if you already knew, lol)
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Michael Bliznik on Universal Mall / Universal City: Warren, MI:

The following is an article from the June 22nd edition of the Detroit Free Press:

WARREN: Demolition of Universal Mall is set for Monday
City officials will be on hand Monday morning to mark the demolition of a city mall.

Universal Mall, which was one of the first suburban malls in the state when it was built four decades ago, will be torn down to make way for a new mall that will include a Target store.

Mayor Jim Fouts will be in the driver’s seat of the machine to mark the ceremonial start of the demolition.

The mall, at 28498 Dequindre, spans 170,000 square feet. Fouts said the new complex, valued at $12 million, will serve not only Warren, but neighboring communities as well.

“This is good for the city,” he said. “We’re moving the city forward.”

Also, here is a link to a short article on the mall demolition from Detroit TV station WDIV:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/16683558/detail.html

Joe Gardener on New Market Mall: Columbus, OH & Northland Mall: Columbus, OH [offsite] :

I worked in the CompUSA in this mall mentioned by the review in Columbus, OH - New Market Mall on Sawmill Rd. At this point, the mall had revamped to the two anchor stores - CompUSA and Media Play - and had dispensed with the commodities market that used to be in place. The main point here that I am writing to correct is that both CompUSA and Media Play had mall entrances. They were sources of major headache, as petty thieves exercising their five-finger discount would routinely try to use these exits into the mall as getaway. (I snagged a guy once who tried to walk out with a cart of 4 PCs in boxes through this exit once. When I accosted him and explained politely that I would help him get his receipts in order, he beat a hasty retreat…)

I also used to work at Northland Mall in Columbus, reviewed also on this site, from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s. I got a real pang of sentiment when viewing the pics from the illicitohio.com guys. By the time they tore down that mall, about the only commerce going on there were crack deals. The pics from the movie theatre were especially interesting given that by that point in history, the police wouldn’t enter that area, much less a couple of people walking around in a dark abandoned movie theatre. Northland was throughout the late 1970s and all of the 1980s the place to be - Christmas was a madhouse, and all the suburb dwellers from north of I-70 flooded that area to shop. It was particularly sad to see it enter the state it was in by the time it was demolished.

Thanks for the site - it is very interesting.

Lee Coursey on Western Kentucky Factory Outlet Center: Eddyville, KY:

The single inhabitant of this combo Outlet Mall/Strip Mall failure is now an adult entertainment store with exotic dancers and books.  There are billboards for mile in either direction on adjoining I-65 advertising for “Adult Entertainment in big block letters and letting you know there is “Big Truck Parking” available.

Eastgate (IN)

Google News Alert on Eastgate Shopping Center: Indianapolis, IN:

Marines rescue dead mall (its pride, anyway)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - MO, United States
By Eddie Roth During the six years I was away from St. Louis there’s been some tremendous commercial and residential development, especially in the city …

American, South Hills, Thornhill Square, Phoenix Village, Pyramid, Oviedo Marketplace, Indian Springs

Blake Hutchison on American Mall: Lima, OH :

I was back at the American Mall on May 27, 2008, and things have gotten far worse since my last commentary. Value City, which was the only attached anchor, has fled, more than 70% of the mall is now shuttered (they have walled off the mall past the first 50 or so past the former Value City). And if you want a really creepy sight, just go down to the Andersons (only accessible from outside) and go to their former mall entrance, where you can see the sealed-off portion of the mall from inside the store. It is freaky! The lights are off in that part of the mall, and it’s not someplace I would want to spend the night.

The Andersons seems to be using the sealed portion of the mall for storage space, and rumor has it they plan to use it to expand their store eventually.

Kathleen on South Hills Mall: Poughkeepsie, NY :

The main part of this mall is officially closed.
For a while, when you went to the movies, you could look down the mall and see the Chinese food was still open. Now, the only things open are movies, Burlington Coat factory and K-mart.
These are the “anchor” stores.

Robyn Ingels on a mall that is not on our site yet, Thornhill Square Shopping Centre in Thornhill, Ontario :

Robyn asked:

I was just wonderin if the mall in the remake of the movie, Dawn Of The Dead was a Dead mall?

I did some research, and replied back to her:

(from wikipedia)

The mall scenes of the film as well as the rooftop scenes were shot in the Thornhill Square Shopping Centre in Thornhill, Ontario and the rest of the scenes were shot in the Aileen-Willowbrook Neighborhood of Thornhill, Ontario. The set for Ana and Louis’s bedroom was constructed in a backroom of the mall.^[1] The mall was defunct, which is the reason the production used it; the movie crew completely renovated the structure, and stocked it with fictitious stores after Starbucks Coffee and numerous other corporations refused to let their names be used ^[1] (two exceptions to this are Roots and Panasonic). Most of the mall was demolished shortly after the film was shot.

William Leeper on Phoenix Village Mall: Fort Smith, AR:

The mall is currently closed down except for a barber shop, a church and the First National Bank Branch (which is one of the busiest in town). The rest of the mall has taken on heavy damage from water. There are places where you can actually see the sky outside through the roof, and I am not talking skylights here. The Atwoods store has relocated to the former Wal-Mart, and the gymnastics gym has also moved out. Today, the square remains mostly vacant

Chris Whittaker on Pyramid Mall: Ithaca, NY:

The Shops at Ithaca Mall (the former Pyramid Mall in Ithaca, NY) is proposing a lifestyle center component that will encompass the former Regal Cinemas site and a small addition to the southwest corner of the mall. Here is a PDF showing the changes.

http://www.theshopsatithacamall.com/mimages/development.pdf

Heidi-Jo on a mall that is not on our site yet Oviedo Marketplace in Orlando, Florida:

Here’s an early heads up from today’s Orlando Sentinel about a mall thats only been around for a little more than ten years:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-market2508may25,0,5935781.story

Oviedo Marketplace near Orlando struggles to lure shoppers, keep its stores open in downturn
‘I’ve just never known a mall so quiet,’ says a shop owner. Retailers and the city cite frustrations with management.
Sandra Pedicini | Sentinel Staff Writer
May 25, 2008

Jay Edwards on a mall that is not on our site yet, Indian Springs Mall in Kansas City, Kansas:

From the Kansas City Star, May 28th, 2008

AIM Developer Emerges For Indian Springs Mall Site

Wyandotte County’s Unified Government confirmed today that it is negotiating with a developer to construct a mixed-use development at the Indian Springs mall site.
Deputy County Administrator Doug Bach said the government, which acquired the site last year through eminent domain, has been working on a deal with Raul Walter Properties to demolish the mall at 4601 State Ave. and replace it with the mixed-use development. Other proposals have been submitted for the site, Bach said, but Raul Walter is the only business to have entered negotiations with the Unified Government. He cautioned not to expect an announcement on an agreement anytime soon.

“We still have quite a few details to work on,” Bach said.

Typically, the Unified Government does not comment on negotiations with developers until a deal is reached. However, an official with Raul Walter told Kansas City, Kan., school board members Tuesday night that it was working on a plan to build a preschool and district offices on land above an abandoned mine near the mall site and that it was working with the Unified Government. An engineer told board members that the project could be built safely.

Bach said Raul Walter had undertaken the preschool and office project on its own, independent of the mixed-use development.

Board members have long bemoaned that they will soon be forced to move the preschool and offices the district has there.

The largely vacant mall offers a central location and cheap rent — something board members appreciated.

Raul Walter is proposing a way for the district to occupy new offices before the mall is demolished, which could happen as soon as fall 2009.

Executive Vice President Art King and others presented conceptual drawings and plans to build a 47,000-square-foot preschool and 80,000-square-foot administrative center with an option for an additional 60,000 square feet of office space.

Local developer Don Budd, who spoke to the board alongside King, said the group decided to go public with the information when it learned the school district was working with another group to relocate its facility.

“We didn’t want the board to miss the opportunity to have another choice,” Budd said.
******************************

**********************************************

Indian Springs Mall opened at the corner of State Avenue (U.S. 40) and I-635 on the west side of Kansas City, Kansas in 1971. At one time it was the home to 3 anchors, Dillard’s, JC Penney and Montgomery Ward. Dillard’s and Penney’s left in 1997. Montgomery Ward stayed on site until the chain folded in 2001.

The mall is now occupied by a few hispanic businesses, a Kansas City, Kansas Police substation, a U.S Postal Service Center and offices of the KCK School District.

Southwyck, Trollwood, Winrock, Six Flags, Eastland, Penhorn, Valley West, Irondequoit / Medley Centre, Fashion Island, Lincoln (IL), Totem Lake, Indian Hills (Kansas)

Matt R. on another Ohio mall that is closing, Southwyck Mall: Toledo, OH:

According to today’s local paper, Southwyck will be closing at the end of June.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/NEWS17/997038050/-1

Article published Friday, May 23, 2008
Southwyck mall to close June 30

BLADE STAFF

Southwyck Shopping Center will permanently close at the end of next month, Toledo officials said Friday morning.

Toledo City Councilman D. Michael Collins said the eight remaining vendors at the aging South Toledo mall were told the building would be shut down on June 30.

“I am not surprised,” said Mr. Collins, whose council district includes the mall. “The remaining businesses that are there certainly can not provide for the mall owner enough revenue for the energy costs to keep the mall open.”

The city of Toledo threatened to shut down the mall last week because of mold, asbestos contamination in the former Montgomery Ward building, inadequate fire sprinklers, and other problems.

After some issues were addressed by the mall management, the city set a June 2 deadline for the owners to address fire-safety requirements in the former Montgomery Ward and the former Dillard’s stores.

City inspectors discovered black mold and said airborne asbestos could have escaped from the shuttered Montgomery Ward store into the public areas.

The mall’s management hired a third-party inspector, whose report said there was no “visible evidence” of mold growth or airborne asbestos.

Workmen nailed barricades to the wall separating Montgomery Ward and the concourse.

Kenneth C. Baker, an attorney with Eastman & Smith Ltd., which represents the mall, could not be reached Friday morning.

Nancy Koebel on the same:

Under pressure by the city and a chosen developer, the owner of Southwyck has been under scrutiny for the interior conditions of the mall. City of Toledo inspectors have seen evidence of asbestos crumbling from the ceilings (inside the vacant Montgomery Ward store, closed to the public but mall employees have been seen inside), black mold, and other environmental issues. Mall owners have been given deadlines to clean up the problems. While there are few stores remaining open, especially since Dillards sold their portion of the ownership to the city, closed their store and moved it to a nearby outdoor living center, mall walkers still apparently use the property. Other problems have been pointed out in the parking lots, and now they don’t even keep their message sign working anymore.

See attached story and photos:http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?s=8308432

Dave Haas on a mall that is not on our site yet Trollwood Mall in Fargo, North Dakota:

Trollwood mall was located at 3105 Broadway in Fargo. It was a “mini-mall” and had several stores including a grocery / drug / plus other things. I know there was a Radio Shack in the mall at one point.

Not sure when it was built, but know that by the mid 80’s it was dead and looking for alternative usage. The company I worked for at the time was looking to make it into our home office building. We where going to put the IT Dept in the old Radio Shack store.

Trollwood was eventually redeveloped into the Trollwood Village Apartments and Convenience Center.

It suffered from 2 things… Location and West Acres Mall. West Acres was built in southwest Fargo while Trollwood was on the North Side. At the time, development plans for Fargo were split between North and South. Once West Acres was built - everything went south. The other thing that the mall had against it was the size of the town… It only takes 10 minutes to get from the north to the south side via interstate so distance wasn’t a big deal. The location of the mall wasn’t accessible via the interstate and at the time it was built, there wasn’t a bridge to / from Moorhead MN on the north side of town.

Wish I had more info about it…

Austin Blanford on Winrock Center: Albuquerque, NM:

Winrock is currently being used as a filming location for “Pineapple Express” The money the mall makes off this could be used towards remodeling, which would attract new tenants or for a proposed conversion to an open air shopping center with a residential area, hotel, and movie theater.

Note: Since the writing of your original feature on Winrock, all the smaller stores inside have closed, leaving only the remaining anchor stores (Bed Bath and Beyond, Sports authority, and a Dillards on both ends. [oner men's the other women's]) Anyway good to see this mall is being used for something, and hopefully this will revitalize it.

Raymond Wong on a mall that is not on our site yet, Six Flags Mall in Arlington, Texas :

I found out Six Flags Mall in Arlington filed for bankruptcy. Here’s the new story on it.

http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/638933.html

Mall heads into bankruptcy
By ANDREA JARES
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

The ownership of Six Flags Mall in Arlington has filed for Chapter 11 protection in bankruptcy court in Dallas.

The owner of the mall, at 2911 E. Division St., has fended off five attempts in the past six months from lenders seeking to foreclose on the property, including a move by three lenders to post the property for the May 5 foreclosure auction.

Creditors include the Internal Revenue Service, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Tarrant County tax assessor-collector, electricity companies, a Colleyville locksmith and lenders that have posted the mall property for foreclosure in the past.

In March, Six Flags Mall property was wrapped into a bankruptcy suit involving a mall in Cleburne under the same ownership. At the time, Denis Engel forced his partner, Tom Morris, into bankruptcy as part of a suit over what Engel called mismanagement of the mall. The partners resolved the dispute by dividing the properties and going their separate ways.

An entity controlled by Morris owns the Arlington property.
ajares@star-telegram.com
ANDREA JARES, 817-548-5522

Rhonda Manley on Eastland Mall: North Versailles, PA:

Currently the former Eastland Mall (now called the Eastgate Metroplex) has been purchased by Coca-Cola to be used at a call center. Eventually they will employ more than 300 people.
Another part of the mall was purchased by the Tulsa County Community Action Project, which plans to develop an early childhood educational center.

Luke Craggs on Penhorn Mall: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada:

Empire Company Limited recently announced a major re-development of Penhorn Mall in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The links to the news stories are:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1055827.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/05/13/penhorn-mall.html

Rayme on Valley West Mall: Glendale, AZ:

Sometimes, unused malls are lucky to be demolished on film. Dixie Square can heartily join that club. But another mall can claim the honor.

Valley West Mall, in the Phoenix, Arizona suburb of Glendale, was used for the filming of 2002’s Eight Legged Freaks. Coincidentally, some of the scenes from it were filmed at the ranch the mall would be renamed for in Glendale, Manistee Ranch (no wonder - part of the ranch was used to build the mall).

After that, it was blown down and replaced with a power center.

Neil Brenner on Irondequoit Mall / Medley Centre: Rochester, NY

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/BUSINESS/80513035

Steve & Barry’s, which took the previously vacated JCPenney location, has closed at Medley.

Patrick on a mall that is not on our site yet, Fashion Island, San Mateo:

I found this entry on the discussion board Groceteria.com about the failed Fashion Island Mall in San Mateo, CA that you might like to include on your site.

Jon Billig on Lincoln Mall: Matteson, IL

http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=611&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

This mall is in the midst of total redevelopment. The former Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penny spaces have been demolished. There is a new Penny’s in a separate building on the outer ring of the mall parking area. There is also a new Target. More “big box” stores are being planned to ring around the mall property.

The old movie theater multiplex is gone, along with the Wonder Bakery thrift store and some ofthe other stores around the outskirts of the mall.

Brian Lutz on Totem Lake Mall: Kirkland, WA:

It looks like there’s finally some new information on the stalled redevelopment of the Totem Lake Mall in Kirkland WA after more than two years of silence.  DDR’s webpage for the mall (http://www.ddr.com/site.php?center_id=805&state_path=washington) now contains a new site plan (http://www.ddr.com/centers/washington/kirkland/WA_Kirkland_TLM.pdf) showing the proposed layout of the redeveloped property, with everything except the Car Toys/Famous Footwear/Ross stores and the KeyBank branch in the parking lot being knocked down and rebuilt completely.  I have made some additional comments on this new site plan, as well as a bit of speculation on who might be coming to the new mall, over at my Blog:

http://thesledgehammer.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/signs-of-life-at-totem-lake/

Jeremy Jordan on Carolina East Mall: Greenville, NC:

Carolina East has been demolished completely except for the Sears.  The deal with Bear Creek capital for redevelopment and the Brody family who ran the Brody’s dept. stores in this region for decades have purchased the property and begun development of a mixed use retail and residential venture called “11 Galeria” (the site is localed on Highway 11).  Landscaping and site work is complete, the Sears left from the original mall has had it’s mall side rebricked so it now appears as if it was always free standing.  A new Kohl’s has been built and negotiations are under way with other retailers.

Mark Spillman on a mall that is not on our site yet, Indian Hills Mall in Kansas City, Kansas

Indian Hills Mall was probably built in the early seventies in Kansas City, Kansas.  As far as I can remember, it would’ve been the only mall in that town, which is pretty significant considering Kansas City is the second largest city in Kansas and the Metro area is easily the largest in either Kansas or Missouri.  Of course there were many malls in the metro area but in Kansas City, Kansas itself, this is the only one I can recall.

I well remember in the mid-seventies when I was in Junior High School, going there and getting my first ski-jacket type coat, which were popular then.  It is still here around the house somewhere.

It was not in a nice area of Kansas City and this is why I suppose, it died.  Here’s a link describing the latest in the go-rounds of fights pertaining to it.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/12446148/detail.html

I could be wrong, but I think they are mistaken in saying that Dillard’s was one of the original anchors.  I don’t remember Dillard’s even being in KC in 1971.  My thought is that Macy’s or Jone’s Store were probably there first and it turned into Dillard’s later.

Randall Park

Mike Jordan on Randall Park Mall: North Randall (Cleveland), OH:

Anita,

Thought this story would interest you:

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/05/cars_packed_the_parking_lot.html

Mike

After more than 30 years, Randall Park Mall will close in mid-June.

David Smith, mayor of North Randall, said Wednesday that mall owner Whichard Real Estate has decided to shut down the property.

The few dozen small stores inside the sprawling, mostly empty mall have until June 12 to close or move into empty storefronts on nearby roads. Burlington Coat Factory and Sears, which can be accessed from outside the mall, will stay open, as will the movie theater and Ohio Technical College’s PowerSport Institute.

Katy on the same mall:

In the news today, Randall Park Mall in North Randall, Ohio is closing its doors for good on June 12th (a few stores with outside customer access such as Sears and Burlington Coat Factory will stay open for awhile).

news link with photo:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=90091&catid=45

(I haven’t gone to this mall for years but, last time I went in the 80’s, I definitely didn’t feel very safe…lots of problems with crime there. Never seemed to be managed very well.–now that the non-enclosed type malls are popular in this area, I wasn’t surprised to hear about this closing.)

Keri Zipay:

http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=CD28FADBAAB57A89EAFBCC80ED3064F5?contentId=6606126&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

Brian Robinson:

Well it’s official. Randall Park Mall is offically dead as a mall. The mall will close forever June 12th, 2008. Here is an article from our local newspaper, “The Plain Dealer…”

After more than 30 years, Randall Park Mall will close in mid-June.
David Smith, mayor of North Randall, said Wednesday that mall owner Whichard Real Estate has decided to shut down the property.

The few dozen small stores inside the sprawling, mostly empty mall have until June 12 to close or move into empty storefronts on nearby roads. Burlington Coat Factory and Sears, which can be accessed from outside the mall, will stay open, as will the movie theater and Ohio Technical College’s PowerSport Institute.

Smith said he had spoken with owner Haywood Whichard within the past two weeks. Attempts to contact Whichard on Wednesday were unsuccessful. Reached by phone, a receptionist at the Whichard Real Estate office in Raleigh, N.C., declined comment and hung up.

County records show the company owes more than $200,000 in unpaid property taxes and has taken out multiple mortgages on the mall. The property’s future remains uncertain, but Smith hopes it will be purchased or foreclosed upon and then redeveloped.

“I think that after the word has gotten out that Whichard’s no longer the owner of the property, it will attract countless owners and developers from around the country,” Smith said. “Everything that has happened to the Randall Park Mall is a direct correlation to the ownership. It has nothing to do with this community.”

Retail conditions in North Randall weren’t so rosy even before Whichard bought the mall for $6 million in 2004. Randall Park, which opened in 1976, lost tenants and shoppers as slick new shopping centers sprang up in nearby communities. Crime and some high-profile violence drove shoppers away. Meanwhile, enclosed malls lost much of their luster, replaced by mixed-use projects and open-air centers like Legacy Village and Crocker Park.

The major department stores — Dillard’s, JCPenney and, most recently, Macy’s — left, as did national retailers on nearby streets. And in March, AMC Entertainment pulled out of the “Magic Johnson” movie theaters there. The theater’s out-of-state owners, who renamed the property O Theater, are trying to keep the business running with help from longtime local employees.

The owners did not return calls Wednesday. Theater manager Clyde Mitchell said he has heard nothing to indicate that the theater might close.

“It can’t be any worse that it’s already been,” he said about business.

Mitchell said closing the mall might cut down on walk-through traffic from people who aren’t there to see movies. “I hope it will be for the better,” he said.

Smith, who has talked to everyone from local developers to Israeli investors about the property, said some out-of-state investors are interested in the property. He would not identify the developers, whose options range from mixed-use redevelopment of the existing mall building to demolition for an industrial park.

“You have to have change to have progress,” Smith said. “This community has been overlooked for so long, and it is an opportunity waiting to happen.”

Kevin Vance:

The Randall Park Mall is closing in June.  (see http://www.newsnet5.com/video/16367237/index.html)  The mall is ending all operations within 30 days.  All stores that do not have their own external exits will be evicted.  Sears, I think, is the only store that remains.  Macy’s closed at the begining of the year.  This mall was the largest mall in the country when it was built.  There are no anounced plans for the site.

Penhorn, Kirkcaldy (Scotland)

Google News Alert on: Penhorn Mall: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada:

New look for old mall
TheChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada
For months, Penhorn, which is featured in a YouTube video on “dead malls,” has had more empty spots than tenants. The nail in the coffin was the loss of …

Redevelopment plans for the Penhorn Mall site announced Tuesday include building a new strip mall and a brand new Sobeys store, but other details are sketchy.

“There is no enclosed shopping centre at the end of the day,” said Steve Cleroux, director of real estate development for ECL Developments Ltd. (ECL), a subsidiary of Empire Co. Ltd., which owns the 40-acre site.

Google News Alert for: “dead malls”

How to kill off a once thriving town centre

Sunday Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,UK
True to its clonetown genre, Kirkcaldy now has two shopping malls straddling the high street, the ailing sort now referred to in the US as “dead malls” or …
See all stories on this topic

I’m going to assume that they are referring to the town center.

Livonia

Google News Alert on Livonia Mall: Livonia (Detroit), MI:

Livonia Mall demolition planned

Livonia Mall demolition planned
Steve Pardo / The Detroit News

LIVONIA — Portions of the embattled Livonia Mall will face the wrecking ball this summer in preparation for imminent redevelopment, Mayor Jack Kirksey said Tuesday.

“We’ve been working with developers and sometime probably in June, they’ll start to take down the western side of the mall. Right down to the dirt,” Kirksey said.

Prestonwood Town, Hutchinson, Lafayette Square, Worcester Common Outlets / Worcester Fashion, Northway, Randhurst, Latham Circle

John Lewis on Prestonwood Town Center: Dallas, TX:

Prestonwood Town Center was torn down in 2004.

For all intents, if you remember this mall in its heyday, you’ll be surprised at how familiar you’ll feel at the Stonebriar mall in Plano–it’s a very close approximation to the look and feel of Prestonwood.

Archon Group has a site up at http://www.archon.com/retail/projects_detail.asp?ID=10# that claims that they are open for business at the old mall’s location, but as far as I know, nothing of the sort has been built on the original mall site. The area around the old mall site resembles the classic picture of an area going slowly downhill, with many empty storefronts along Arapaho road that reek of long-ago abandonment by former tenants and owners.

Charles Scott on Hutchinson Mall: Hutchinson, KS:

In the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to be at the Hutchinson Mall twice. It was just astonishing! Counting all clerks and shoppers, I doubt I saw fifty different people each time. I would be the only walker as I passed by shop after shop and it was evident they were being managed with only a skeleton crew. In one store, Sears, I saw a department manager discussing the location and elements in a display. You could see they had little enthusiasm for this effort. I cannot remember seeing anyone’s sale actually being rung up. It reminded me of a wasteland and looked like it was the mall an hour before shops open, not an hour after. I can’t remember seeing one person in the food court. It costs these merchants a given amount to just open their door

Mindy on Lafayette Square Mall, Indianapolis, IN:

New owner is going to revamp the whole mall with a $12 million project.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/BUSINESS/80425069

Patrick on the same:

Lafayette Square Mall to get $12M revamp, from the Indianapolis Star: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080426/BUSINESS04/804260405
What’s amazing is that only 2 of the malls original anchors are left (Macy’s and Sears) yet the mall has been able to maintain 85% occupancy. A Wal-Mart Super Center recently opened near the mall. It looks like the Lafayette Square and the surrounding area is having somewhat of a revival after some tough years.

Chris on Worcester Common Outlets / Worcester Fashion Outlets: Worcester, MA :

Hey,

It’s Chris over at the Ames Fan Club. I thought you guys might be interested in some pictures I took of this place in 2004, shortly before it’s final shuttering.

http://www.amesfanclub.com/archive/main.php/v/other/wco/

Scott Whipple on :

The Lechmere’s and the Cine 10 have finally been demolished. I believe in 2007, a Lowe’s went up and opened on the site of both the Lechmere and Cine 1-. BJ’s still maintains its spot next to both.

Sara on Randhurst Mall: Mount Prospect, IL:

Randhurst is planning to tear down it’s main “mall” structure, leaving the anchors standing, and build condos with first-floor retail and restaurants. The signs outside the mall say “coming 2010″. There are still a few stores inside the mall, apparently they will be relocated to another mall during construction.
The real estate site with an adobe file is http://www.greatstreetrealty.com/pdf/Randhurst%20Brochure%20(Reduced%202).pdf
though you need a laptop or a flexible neck to look at it. They posted the file sideways.

Greg B. on Latham Circle Mall: Latham, NY:

I used to work in the Latham Circle mall back in 1992 & 1993. I worked full-time for the IRS, which was located in the offices above Klein’s All Sports–I also worked part-time for Klein’s All Sports at the same time. The IRS office here was the only location in the US that maintained taxpayer records held on microfilm. There were thousands of tapes filed in big metal racks behind glass walls, and easily observable by anyone wandering onto the second floor. Inside the office was a restricted computer room, the kind that you typically see in old movies: noisey and with big reels spinning forward and back. It was not a very big room, though, about the size of a small bedroom. I remember one day when the fire alarms sounded in the mall. I was with a group of people standing in the parking lot waiting for the All-Clear signal, and there was the computer technician, standing there with us, hanging onto the reels locked inside a round Tupperware-like container. It was said that there was a million dollars worth of computer equipment in the room, which was a lot of money at that time. Though, it was no secret in the region about this office. On April 15th of each year, the local news appeared outside the magnetically secured glass door with their t.v. camaras waiting to interview the office manager. The IRS referred to the location as WIRES, or Wage Information REtrieval Service. There were all types of people working here. Quite a few were senior citizens, who had retired from some other occupation, and returned to work. Others were specially challenged individuals who performed capable duties. The object of this office was for IRS agents to gather information that they could use in court. Revenue officers, for instance, would fax requests to this office for tax payer history, as far back as 1977. Researchers, like me, would gather the tapes from the library and load them into a Kodak microfilm machine and then make a photocopy of the records, which were then sealed in an envelope and mailed back to the requesting agent. The office ran 24 hours a day, three shifts, with about sixty employees in the day shift and about half in the second. I’m not sure about the third, but I do not believe the number was at all close to fifteen. I suspect that the system is now automated and obsolete. I have photographs from office parties that I can share with you.

Sunrise, Lakeforest, Tri counry, Baystate West / Tower Square, Montgomery, Springdale

Tim on TriCounty Mall: Baldwinsville, NY:

Tri counry Mall is currantly under destruction/construction. Most of the mall is being torn down, and it’s supposed to be rebuilt as a strip mall. Like we need a another. As “run down” as the place was, it had a certain charm, and I will for one, miss it. I have no idea what they have planned as far as stores that may be moving into this “new mall.” Ever since Save A Lot and Michelle’s Billards mnoved out, the mall went from run down to “needs to be torn down.” All that was left was the theater, then their lease was taken away. They may reopen in a new location in Baldwinsville; providing they can find one. I wish them the very best!

Heather Rega on a mall that needs a summary, Sunrise Mall: Corpus Christi, TX:

Sunrise Mall is back in foreclosure. Here is the news link.
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/apr/17/sunrise-mall-back-foreclosure/

Ken Sell on a Mall that is not on our site yet, Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg, MD:

Lakeforest Mall which I believe was made in the 1970’s has recently seen a major decline. Much of which can be traced with Lakeforest being selected as a transfer location for the Ride- on bus system. The Suncoast went out of business a couple of months ago. About a year ago a CVS pharmacy went out of business. A furniture store has seen its ownership change three times in the past two years.There has been an increase in empty space in the mall. When the empty space is picked up it is picked up by off brand companies some of which folded quickly. Police presence has increased dramatically in the past two years. There are some staples such as Macy’s, JcPenney, Lord and Taylor and a Sears. There has been rumors of Sears potentially closing though. The majority of Montgomery County residents when asked prefer to shop at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. If things do not change it is likely it will become a Dead Mall.

Kim Quinn on Baystate West / Tower Square: Springfield, MA:

James P mentioned that he believed Bay State West also had a restaurant on an upper floor that was probably a nice feature. I just wanted to add that I fondly remember that restaurant. It was named The Silver Shell. I was probably somewhere between 11 and 13 years old when my parents began reserving our Thanksgiving, anniversary and, once, a Christmas dinner there.

When the elevator door drew back you were greeted with a large pearly silver Oyster shell on the wall and pearls and flowers spilled forth. To my young eyes it was extravagant and elegant and I felt so grown up to be dining there. My parents would sit in the lounge area and they would have a cocktail and I a soda and wait for our table to be ready. I wish I could have taken my children there to experience it but by then it was long gone.

sanjiv on Montgomery Mall: Montgomery, AL:

I went to the Montgomery Mall just last week. This mall is now on its final legs. The mall now has just about seven store two of which are soon closing. There is one “chain” store a Steve and Barry’s and one place to eat(a cafe which is operated by a local vocational school).

I remember when I was a kid, the mall was the place to go. It was built in the early 70’s I think, and the mall had a HUGE fountain. Later when I was in High school the mall(in the late 80’s) was expanded and re-modeled. tThe mall opened up a new food court and overall it is a nice place to visit.

By the start of the new decade, the mall begin to decline and stores began to move to the East side of town. A new company says that they are going to re-develop the mall, but nothing has yet happened. Prehaps they should turn the mall into a Junior college or something.

John on a mall that is not on our site yet, Springdale Mall in Springfield, MA:

Springdale Mall was a small mall on Boston Rd in springfield, MA across from Eastfield Mall. It’s final anchors were Bradlees & Lechmere, with a TJ Maxx in the center (this was a Child World in it’s earlier days). There were a few other smaller stores, All for a Dollar, Papa Gino’s, a pet store (can’t remember the name), and Medi-mart (later Walgreens) among others. The mall was closed and torn down in the late 90’s, except for the Bradlees, which had it’s old mall entrance sealed, and a new Lowe’s was built there. They never remodeled the Bradlees, up until the day it closed with the last of the chain it still had the main registers back where the old mall entrance was, which was now a cement wall.

Desert Fashion Plaza

I got a deadmalls Google News Alert on this mall, that is not on our site yet, Desert Fashion Plaza in Palm Springs, CA :

Desert Fashion Plaza plan unveiled in Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS — Several major retailers, including a large bookstore, movie theater and upscale restaurants are interested in leasing in the proposed $500 million to $650 million renovation of the Desert Fashion Plaza in downtown Palm Springs.

“What we have right now is a dead mall and the hotels and restaurants are the only things that bring tourism in this area,” said Palm Springs resident Michael Anthony Montano, marketing director and owner of So. Cal Direct Media.

“I think revitalizing the mall would bring more tourism and businesses. It would also help bring more people, which would help the town’s small businesses with the tremendous rent they’re paying,” he said.

“It’s very hard for small businesses to profit out here when they’re paying between $3,500 to $5,000 a month in rent.”