Sky City: Southern Retail Then and Now

Signal Hill Mall: Statesville, NC (Update of post from January 16, 2011)

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Barely large enough to support a mall, the city of Statesville, NC has still managed to have its very own mall. Problem is, not only is the mall quite small, but it does not seem to be doing terribly well these days. It is an attractive mall, though, for its size. It also holds onto most of its original wonderful 70's elements such as the planters, fountains and just about everything else aside from the anchor entrances to Belk and Sears. The mall opened in 1973 and likewise the mall still looks like 1973 inside and out barring a few modifications such as one of the fountains near Belk being covered, planters downsized, different paint and updated storefronts. For Signal Hill Mall, the combination of dated design, small size and a loss of many stores in the mall has made it rather popular with both fans of dead malls and fans of classic mall design. Its website, however, is quite ugly and the description of the mall rather strongly highlights the lack of a marketing consultant. It is not even clear who even owns the mall!

"We might not be the largest mall, or the most exciting shopping and entertainment destination in North Carolina. Signal Hill Mall, a beautiful gem, located in the rolling foothills of North Carolina, brings you the the fashion, dining and family entertainment options in an eccentric setting". Let us decipher this passage. First, they are putting themselves down in that first sentence. Then, they counteract that with an exaggerated statement in the next sentence. I guess they have small town fashion down pat since the anchors are holding steady, but I think the dining has diminished a bit with Chick-Fil-A gone. However, IHOP and the local barbeque restaurant hopefully make up for that somewhat. Family entertainment I guess means those gumball machines and kiddie rides that you sometimes find even in abandoned malls, but it seems that here you can be a little bold and try out their hurricane simulator. Too bad they don't have a tornado simulator. While you're pretending to be blown away and drowned in a storm surge, don't break your teeth on the gumballs. The last part, "an eccentric setting" is a little scary. Do we mean panhandlers, pot enthusiasts, bohemians from an anemic arts district or just a colorful term for a redneck? I think we should award this mall with the best advertising ever.

The smaller of two fountains in the mall is located in front of JCPenney and the former Spainhour's, which both make entrances at an angle from the mall wing. The first photo is a night-shot of the classic brutalist entrance. I sincerely hope the owners do not remove all of the fountains.

Another view of the fountain looking south along the JCPenney wing toward the main entrance. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

A view back along the JCPenney wing with JCPenney and Spainhour's in the background. Note one of the many planters in the mall with the light blue painted wood and brown tiles surrounding it.

JCPenney at a right diagonal.

Spainhour's visible on the left diagonal. A wall with an American flag divides the two anchors.

Close-up of JCPenney mall entrance. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

Close-up of Spainhour's mall entrance. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

Right in front of Spainhour's and JCPenney on both sides are these narrow entrance wings. Notice how the overhead light forms a long arrow. Also note the mix of brown tiles and pea gravel flooring along the floor leading to the exit. Too bad this hallway doesn't double as a time machine.

I actually visited this mall after writing the initial post on this, so finally getting to see it was a treat. It was also even more archaic than I expected. In fact, the only other mall I know of that Sky City covers that looks this original has been sealed off for 10 years. I guess some people would consider this seedy, but seeing things like well-placed brown linoleum floor tiles, large in-floor fountains, lush planters, cylindrical light fixtures pea gravel step walls and ancient storefronts was a real treat. Unfortunately, a look like this is not going to keep the tenants forever. Sears is closing in early 2012, so something needs to be done to make this mall more appealing without making it dirt plain like the Hull Storey Gibson malls. If nothing else, the owners should keep the fountains and planters including uncovering and making the fountain in front of Belk more safe, although modernizing the fountains somewhat (perhaps larger) would be much appreciated. Beautiful fountains are rare in malls today, but this should be one mall that doesn't remove them.

Three views of the fountain in center court. This is what I expect to see when I see a fountain a mall: an in-ground large tub-like fountain with a distinctive modernist design with water falling off the edges and plants all around. The first photo is looking toward Sears, second toward JCPenney and last towards the main entrance. All three photos by Mike Kalasnik.

A close-up shot of the funky old fountain in center court.

Row of mostly empty shops on left side of Sears wing. The empty store with the red outline was a former Kay Bee Toys. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

Close up of Kay-Bee Toys with Labelscar visible. Along with Circus World, these were a staple of malls up to the 1990's despite the presence of Toys 'R' Us and Lionel Play World. A loss of variety including stores like this are one reason malls are struggling today. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

The raised "stage" area in the JCPenney wing features light blue paint on the wood trim and pea gravel on the side. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

A closer look at the stage area. While interesting, this seems to serve absolutely no purpose at all.

The mall's three anchors are pretty much what you would expect in North Carolina in a smaller town: Belk, Sears and JCPenney. The mall also once had a fourth anchor, which last operated as Peeble's. Peeble's was configured very strangely in the mall squeezed up beside JCPenney in the back of the mall. Also, on an outlot on the northwest corner of the mall is a vacant grocery store that previously operated as Winn-Dixie. It should also be noted that despite this generic list of anchors that there were a few changes over the years. While Belk and JCPenney are original anchors, the other mall anchors proved to be far more volatile. Sears is a late arrival to the mall, opening in 1997. The Sears was originally Woolworth (more like a junior Woolco) and it closed in 1992. In 1995, it was replaced by Hills Department Store only to close the following year. Sadly, Sears will be closing this spring in the same location. Peeble's, the other anchor to close, operated as Spainhour's until 1992. Peeble's itself closed about 10 years after it arrived, completely leaving the city. The store remains vacant today. IHOP also replaced a restaurant called Apple House Buffet which apparently was originally a Bonanza Steakhouse.

Belk features an updated entrance in total contrast to the mall's surroundings. It is at least a positive sign that Belk has made a real investment in the store even if it means a standard post-2000 mall entrance. Also note the red patch in the middle. This is a boarded-over deep fountain that is visible in the second of two videos I linked to below. I hope if this mall gets remodeled this fountain is uncovered and some nice railing put around it to keep people from falling in so we can see it again.

The same planter in the earlier photo on the JCPenney wing looking instead toward center court. The left side shown here shows there is still life in the mall. I'm sure like Lenoir Mall, GNC will be the one shutting out the lights if everything else here leaves.

Sears mall entrance with round planter in front. I'm pretty sure Hibbett Sports was probably next to Sears on the right along this wing.

One thing you didn't find in 70's malls was "plush" seating. This backless bench looks like the place where sometime in the 80's a middle aged man was plopped down staring sullenly into space waiting for the wife with stars in her eyes and a furious click to her heels to charge up his credit card.

Ramps and stairs are found on both sides of center court with Belk lower than Sears.

Bookland, the rare small format Books-A-Million, at least keeps a bookstore in the mall. I wonder if a full-scale Books-A-Million couldn't be squeezed in between the soon-to-be-former Sears and center court since it looks like outside access does exist there.

I am still trying to figure out this very very dated former tenant. The only thing that comes to mind is Wicks 'N' Sticks.

This store front has a label scar, but I cannot remember what it said and am having trouble telling from the photo at this angle. The fact it is clad with wood paneling says it has been closed for possibly as much as 20 years. It seems like I remember it saying "Happy Hermans".

Sadly, once you get past IHOP or enter the mall from the department stores, there is not much to offer in this mall anymore. Absolutely no popular fashion stores exist in the mall. Even Rue 21 lacks a presence in the mall, so it is clear that the mall will not have a lengthy future if it is not repositioned or at least marketed better, and the main problem is that it is plainly too small and dated in a town that is likewise possibly too small to support it despite the anchors. I wonder if it is also an issue of the local economy. The town is in a region that has been badly hurt by the offshoring of jobs and subsequent closing of factories. Strip centers that have popped up in the last decade both have stores like GameStop. Does the mall have a GameStop? Nope. Nevertheless, it is well-located next to I-77, so basically it suffers from the Cookeville curse. My guess is that a strip mall with those same anchors would probably be more successful, and it looks like the culprit to the malls vacancy problem is the explosion of new strip malls around the city in the past few years when Signal Hill once owned the market. Wal-Mart as well as the recently built strip just to the east with Bi-Lo both caused the bleeding to occur, and likely the lack of investment in the mall is a combination of small, local ownership lacking the leverage to draw tenants and a lack of need to invest in an extensive remodel before the retail boom in the past decade.

Before this post was updated, the post featured 7 separate short videos of Signal Hill Mall by Mike Kalasnik taken in May 2010. With his help, I compiled those clips into one adding captions to describe diferent places filmed. This is my first attempt at compiling a video and posted them on the new YouTube channel for Sky City.

A friend found this footage taken of the mall in its far better days back in 1991. Note the presence of a deep fountain next to Belk, Woolworth and Spainhours still operational, warm orange trim and a fully tenanted healthy mall. Seeing the video above first makes this painful to watch. The person taking video also has video walking around the Woolworth as well as further footage inside the Woolworth Harvest House restaurant in the store.

In the first photo, Signal Hill Mall's entrance is firmly trapped in the 70's, and it looks just fine. The geometric shapes and loopy font is actually very eye-catching. The first photo was submitted to me by Mike Kalasnik. In the second photo, this is actually from the 70's. It is from LiveMalls courtesy of Pat Richardson. Note the Woolworth's located where Sears is today and the Spainhour's logo next to the JCPenney logo.

Spainhour's labelscar is visible from the front of the mall if the light is right. The sign rests above the mall near the main entrance.

A map of the mall with all anchors current and former listed. The last store occupying an anchor is listed first with previous anchors listed below it.

A map of the mall as it is today. Note the awesome logo at the bottom. This map may date to the early days of the mall. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

The mall features several styles of overhead skylights including this one close to Sears.

The mall is trying on an international flavor with POHI! Here you can get scrambled egg samosas and salmon teriyaki burritos. In the background is the front/main entrance.

With Signal Hill Mall, I see some very creative potential to make this mall more competitive with the strip malls that have wounded the mall. While I do not see Target coming to town, what I do see is a strip mall next door in desperate need of redevelopment. It is dragging down the mall, and it should become one with the mall somehow or have its dead parts demolished. What I am basically talking in regards to "one with the mall" about is integrating a pedestrian corridor between the two centers via an open-air but covered walkway by expanding the mall either through or in front of Belk into the strip mall. I also see a pitiful website that scares away those wishing to invest in the mall. Small upgrades to the mall like new paint (such as a return to the burnt orange), new flooring, improvements to the main mall entrance and refurbishment (not removal) of fountains, benches and planters inside would help as well. I would at least suggest replacing the off-white square tiles that look dingy and plain with more attractive flooring (perhaps a slate-looking tile?).

In case you missed the joke above, POHI is what you see above. Whlie hardly first-class dining, it is at least a chain restaurant willing to anchor the mall. Photo by Mike Kalasnik.

On this overhang, JCPenney is right justified while Spainhour's labelscar is on the left. Apparently Peeble's did not post a sign up here judging by the lack of their label scar.

Belk runs the show as the top dog anchor of the mall. If Belk leaves for any reason, the mall will fold like a gambler with a bad hand. Note that the mall appears to have had canopies removed underneath the arches.

Will anything come to fill the void Sears is about to leave behind? If nothing else, I could see Rose's working here though I hope for something better, more unique and more of a draw.

Spainhour's looks lonely and forgotten hidden in the least visible corner of the mall. This store should honestly be absorbed into JCPenney to strengthen JCPenney's position at the mall.

If JCPenney closes this store on the heels of Sears closing, this mall will be near impossible to save. It is quite possibly one of the plainest JCPenney stores I've ever seen, and if the renovated and combined with Spainhour's space, it could be far better. If JCPenney leaves, Kohl's or Hamrick's should take this space.

View of Winn-Dixie store on northeast corner of the mall. Does anybody know when this might have closed?

One of the long, narrow mall exits in the mall. This one is next to Belk.

As Sears prepares to depart the mall, this will either be a disaster for the mall or an opportunity to make it better. The ability to attract anchors to the mall will not be as difficult as it would be elsewhere. Academy Sport & Outdoors is expanding across the South and may be interested in the mall. Dick's Sporting Goods might also find a fit there as well. Rose's would be a perfect for the Sears and Hamrick's might want to take over the old Spainhour's. JCPenney also has an opportunity right now where they could either expand into the old Spainhour's or relocate to the former Sears store after it closes giving them road frontage as well as a larger, more contemporary store, which they both currently lack. Indeed, Signal Hill is troubled, but with Belk and JCPenney hanging on this is the last chance for the mall to pull out and have another shot at success. Do the people in the town just prefer strip malls? They are lucky to have a mall, but it is up to them to make the once great mall great again. At nearly 40 years old, the people of Statesville should fight to keep this little gem from dying. Maybe this was what the mall website meant when it talked about "an eccentric setting".

Regency Mall (Part 2): Augusta, GA

2012-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

In the normal world of retail, vacant malls do not usually stay vacant long. Either the property is too valuable, the public screams loud enough about the blight, a non-conventional retail use is tried (such as a flea market) or non-commercial interests resurrect the structure into something they can use similar to Eastgate Mall in Chattanooga, TN. Because of that, the "Dixie Square" scenario is a rare and generally unfortunate event where a mall stays abandoned for more than about 5-7 years before any action is taken. By then, the property is beginning to deteriorate. This means that the forces of change must come together to make things happen before the forces of nature come together to make things moldy and decrepit.

In the Southeast, I know of only one other mall that has been abandoned longer than Regency Mall and that is the open-air Normandale Mall in Montgomery. After languishing for 15 years, the mall was closed completely in 1995. It is also hidden deep in a very depressed area mostly invisible to the wealthier side of the city. Regency is not so hidden. It sits at the intersection of two major U.S. highways, and it is even visible in the distance along the newly-opened I-520 in South Carolina. While the neighborhood has declined, it is not exactly a row of abandoned buildings around it either. Decay has noticeably set in on the structure since its closure a decade ago, but overall it is still in very good shape. Most of the mall looks more trashed than it does crumbling.

Montgomery Wards in all its burnt orange tiled glory in the first two photos. This is not only one of the best Wards entrances ever, but also one of the best mall entrances ever. The cream-colored brick next to the shiny tiles and great looking logo make the store seem very inviting. It is also such a relic of a mall entrance that honestly it looks contemporary again. If this mall ever reopened a new store anchored there, I would hope they would keep this all intact. Photos by KJ.

Same view from lower level. Photo by KJ.

The next three photos above are from a different photographer. As one of only three modern-era Wards in Georgia, and the last one open, the store is indeed extra special. All photos by BT.

A couple views inside Wards. This is the only department store anchor with any natural light since one of the entrances was not boarded up. Unfortunately, this store does not include any of the infamous burnt orange or lime green shag carpet that the chain was infamously known to have as late as the 90's. Photos by KJ.

Escalator well in the middle of Wards. Seeing these photos make me long so much for when this was open and it was possible to buy quality hardlines at some place besides Sears. Photos by KJ.

King's Jewelry on the lower level. Photo by KJ.

Another trashed mall directory. Photo by KJ.

Because of the lack of a decent mall directory, I decided to create my own. I am not exactly certain of Ruben's location, but I do know it was close to Belk.

Inside, the mall is like a Steven King book where you got to go back into the past, but all the people were gone with only the buildings remaining. Christmas decorations still hang from the ceilings dirty and tarnished with age from the last Christmas the mall was open in 2001. Dated storefronts abound throughout the mall. Both Montgomery Ward and JB White still have their signs up over the store entrances greeting ghost shoppers. While dark in places, skylights that look somewhat like those in an Air Force hangar still provide abundant cheery light against the white sheetrock during the daytime. Most of the mall seems to be in surprisingly good condition, though locations are found in the mall where holes have opened in the ceiling, flooding the mall. However, a recent inspection by the city did not find any mold problems in the mall: surprising considering how it has been vacant all this time aside from the marshal's substation that left this past year.

Upon closer observation, one of the escalators has unfortunately been significantly deconstructed by vandals. Photo by KJ.

The blind can see again as light is cast along a wall showcasing what was once your choice of blinds. Photo by KJ.

Was this Chick-Fil-A? Regency never had a food court, so it could have been anywhere in the mall. Had the mall been renovated, the theaters would have likely become the food court. Photo by KJ.

It seems that Lens Crafters or Pearle Vision is found in every mall. This one is situated next to Wards on the upper level. Photo by KJ.

Lens Crafters takes up about three tenant spaces. I'm sure it did a thriving business in the day. Photo by KJ.

Major water damage is an unfortunate feature just in front of the main entrance to the store, which is protected by a screen door unlike the busted out glass along the rest of it. Photo by KJ.

EEEEEEEEEYE EXAM 2000. Iiiiiii remember when 2000 was considered an exciting year way off in the future where we would live like the Jetsons driving flying cars on sky highways. I also remember how Y2K was hyped as the end of modern civilization. It pretty much was for this mall. Photo by KJ.

You can get your glasses adjusted for free if you can just find anyone working. You might be waiting awhile, because the staff took a very long lunch. Photo by KJ.

One last look at Lens Crafters. Photo by KJ.

Lady Foot Locker was one of the last stores to close at the mall along with Foot Locker. Photo by KJ.

Quite a few observations can be made otherwise about a 70's mall never renovated. For one, if this mall had stayed alive such a scene would likely not exist. Storefronts in the mall are a mix of eras, but for the most part they are pretty much set in the first decade the mall was open. In all, maybe 12-15 signs still exist on store fronts with label scars elsewhere. One should not expect to find much sheetrock over closed stores either. They sit right out in the open for you to walk into at will. While the mall itself has managed to maintain its charm the presence of heavy vandalism, trash and grime are everywhere. Glass is broken out of most storefronts and most stunning are the escalators where the rubber handrails have been mostly yanked off and left in a large pile at the top. Most planters are just bare dirt now and fountains are of course dry. Eerily enough, though, are all the banners posted announcing stores moving and such as if the mall was still open. Three of the four outside mall entrance corridors lack skylights, so they sit in total darkness since the entries are boarded up allowing no natural light to filter in.

Abandoned post office branch in the mall. Photo by KJ.

These two photos above were inside a shop near JB White. Photos by KJ.

Not everything in the mall is truly vintage. Since the mall held its own into the mid-90's, some stores did move in the mall and some did get remodeled. This storefront definitely isn't. Photo by KJ.

Along the wing of the unbuilt fifth anchor is this awesome extremely retro Master Cuts. To me it looks like it should be called Master Funky with a functioning disco inside. The photographer also captured the inside as well. Photo by KJ.

Inside the Master Cuts, mirrors and green pattered wallpaper abound. The mirrors were useful to catch your stylist before they hacked your hair up. Photo by KJ.

Kidsmart? Sounds like a less than subtle cover for child trafficking. I guess if they'd succeeded they would have branched out to ParentStupid. Photo by KJ.

In this image Cullum's, later Upton's, is on the right. This junior anchor was far more visible outside than in the mall. I am curious as to whether Upton's used both levels. Photo by BT.

The upper level entrance to Cullum's features a folded entryway that is unmistakably similar to Rich's mall entrances in the 70's. Photo by BT.

One of the features of greatest interest in the mall is not as obvious from the outside: the anchor pad for a fifth anchor. This was the anchor that would have been filled by JCPenney had they not left for Augusta Mall. This was also what is shown outside as Mall Entrance 3. It is a sad reminder of the grand aspirations for Augusta's first mall to be the powerhouse of the region. It almost makes the mall feel alive and even new to see a location for a planned anchor. The brown linoleum tiles, though, found on the edges of fountains, center island areas and the staircases are there to remind you that this was a dream long in the past, highlighting the unfortunate importance of renovations. The flooring consists mostly, though, of square terrazzo tiles giving a tan/peach color. Twin escalators are also located on both the Montgomery Ward and Belk wing pointing upwards towards each respective anchor. A clock also sits on a flat wall in center court with its time stuck at 4:20. Is this when the clock stopped or did the vandals move the dials deliberately?

Both levels of Cullum's are visible in this shot. The lower level looks similar to the outside entrance. If only mall entrances had this much attention to detail today. Photo by RM.

I traced the Cullum's logo found in my earlier posts and photoshopped the logo in the same photo above to demonstrate what it might have looked like. Below is a picture of just the lower level with the same logo including an outline.

Cullum's lower level mall entrance with logo added by me. Photo by KJ.

Now moving onto JB White sitting at the end of a very spacious center court. JB White is fronted with simple brick matching the exterior but the awesome logo remains never being removed after the store closed. This is definitely the only JB White mall entrance sign left intact with all other JB White stores converted to Belk, Dillard's or demolished. In my older JB White post, I have a picture by C Lewis of the logo on the outside. Photo by BT.

More detail of the mall entrance. The logo is smaller on the upper level than on the lower level. Photo by BT.

Close-up of the JB White mall entrance. Photo by KJ.

White's inside was extremely dark, so very little detail is visible. This was one of the best photos. Photo by KJ.

Looking back from center court (JB White is on the left) toward Wards. Photo by BT.

Small, locally-operated mystery meat Chinese restaurants and malls have a long relationship. So long that you still know about the specials 10 years after they close. Photo by KJ

It's hot and boring in Augusta meaning people aren't getting outside as much, so this store likely did a brisk business back in the day. Photo by KJ.

What is really most amazing in the mall, though, are the mall entrances. A Belk label scar is still visible with the right light on the stunning copper toned mall entrance. JB White in its older classy cursive logo still retains its white sign on the brick entering the store that has sat in complete darkness since 1998. Best of all is Montgomery Ward, though. Burnt orange tiles back the sign with cream colored brick placed on each side. Neither the sign, the tiles nor the brick look any worse for wear. In fact, with so much time passed by the sign almost looks hip. Cullum's is the most mysterious of anchor tenants blending in with store fronts between Ward's and White's. All that is noticeable is the distinctive window features placed on both levels that were nicely not removed by later tenants Meyers-Arnold and Upton's. However, any evidence of a logo has long since been painted over since the store was the first anchor to close in the mall.

Approaching Belk from the lower level. Photo by KJ.

More detail of Belk from the lower level. Note the copper toned awnings. While this store may have closed in 1996, it was definitely not covered up. Photo by KJ.

View of the Belk entrance from the upper level. Photo by BT.

Close-up of the Belk mall entrance on the upper level. Photo by BT.

The Belk labelscar is visible due to the place where the sign covered being less tarnished. While the store was a partnership store (Belk Howard), Mr. Howard chose not to place his name on this store. Photo by KJ.

The glass on the exterior of the store was very similar to this. Photo by KJ.


Detail of what was once an impressive terraced skylight. Photo by KJ.

While very dark and dusky, it was plain that the interior of the store was elegantly designed. Belk had extremely attractive stores in the 70's and 80's especially at major shopping malls. Photos by KJ.

The best photo available of the escalators and elevator inside Belk. Photo by KJ.

Not only is Regency Mall a living time capsule, but it is also is a perfect specimen of wasted potential. A victim of its location, management and unstable anchors it has become a tough to impossible sell with all the anchor consolidation and stigma attached to one of its major anchors simply closing due to poor sales. If it was possible to revive the mall, it would take millions just to renovate and repair the damage from decay and vandalism. Cardinale Entities has emerged as the latest owner with a plan, but their expertise tends to be malls catering to an ethnic market. Augusta is far less diverse than Atlanta or Charlotte making that a pretty tough sell. Regency's closing, though, left Augusta undermalled. Augusta Mall is completely overwhelmed with shoppers. The problem is, what anchors would choose to move in to this mall if they wanted to?

70's malls always had a cafeteria and it just so happens that this gem of a mall also included a gothic Piccadilly Cafeteria. Unfortunately, none of the photographers really explored the interior. Photo by KJ.

Piccadilly Cafeteria's labelscar is visible in this image. The restaurant sits right next to Montgomery Ward. Photo by KJ.

Apparently the cafeteria was operated independently for a period of time after Piccadilly closed at the mall. It is unknown when the restaurant closed this location. Photo by KJ.

Next to JB White is this store. I thought it was a former B. Dalton but upon closer inspection was some sort of clothing store. Maybe somebody knows. Photo by BT.

Former Rainbow at the mall. Note the much older logo style. Photo by KJ.

A couple more pics of Rainbow. Photos by KJ.

This note was inside a former store that appears to have been Upton's. Note the Super Wal-Mart in quotations back when the stores were still a novelty. Photo by KJ.

Detail of a wall around a mall entrance. It is unknown what store this was. Photo by KJ.

View of JB White fro lower level. Photo by KJ.

With Regency, its retail days are most likely over, though an outlet mall could possibly work there. Imagine a center like Discover Mills anchored by Bass Pro Shops and outlet stores filling up the anchors. It could work, but it would take a huge investment, heavy promotion and even heavier security to make sure that Regency Outlets did not become Shoplifting 101 and Decrepit Mall 2.0. My personal idea is that Hollywood should honestly consider turning the entire mall into a set. It would a perfect mall to feature TV shows and movies based in the 70's and 80's or movies featuring the South. Perhaps the anchors could even be turned into studios and talent recruiting agencies. Also important to note is how having the department store anchor signs from the era would make it even easier. Filming movies in the mall would help pay for the center's upkeep while still maintaining its historical aspects. Dixie Square Mall became famous because of a movie filmed in it after it closed. Why can't Regency do the same?

Few things are a blast from the past more than these mall lists. They list tenants that haven't existed at least since the late 1980's such as Jeans West, Hardy Shoes and Kinney Shoes. Petland was also a mall tenant. One near where I live is now very much off-mall. Photos by KJ.

Here are a couple shots inside Wards Auto Center. The noise of power tools, engines and mechanics hard at work is long gone but the ad banners advertising what they can do for you still linger. Photos by KJ.

This one last photo of White's from center court concludes the two-part series on Regency Mall. Photo by BT.

Regency Mall (Part 1): Augusta, GA

2012-01-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

Before I started this site, I was a contributor to the site Deadmalls.com. A few of my posts are still found on that site today. At the time, I was definitely part of the cult following of the long abandoned Dixie Square Mall in suburban Chicago discovered by Ross Schendel of Labelscar. My enthusiasm got me to start noticing other dead malls outside of my area. In August 2003, I was leaving Savannah taking the long way home through Augusta. On that trip, I had taken photos of Savannah Mall on that trip thinking that mall would eventually be boarded up soon after losing three of its four anchors in a short time span, which I found later to be untrue. Driving through Augusta, I was simply exploring the city going west of downtown on Gordon Highway (US 1). I was certainly not expecting anything since I had never really explored Augusta much off of I-20. There on a hill was a Montgomery Ward sign and an obviously abandoned mall. I did not hesitate to pull in the parking lot and snap 9 pictures on my old and now retired film camera.

Needless to say, I was absolutely stunned. This is the first time I had ever seen not just a mall, but a very large one completely abandoned. Its gradually mildewing white paint made it a true-to-form white elephant, a big giant failed concrete chunk of retail history. It was obvious not only was the mall abandoned, but that it was completely trapped in the 70's. The sign along the road was plain and very dated. The mall still looked to be in good condition, but was relatively recently boarded up all the way around. I would find out the mall had only been closed about a year, but I did not know this upon my first encounter with the then-mysterious Regency Mall.

A four-screen theater operating in the mall was later replaced with this 8 screen on the southwest side of the mall. Photo by KJ. The first photo is of the east court in the mall with the wing leading to an empty anchor pad and outside entrance. Photo by BT.

Burnt orange tiles flank the exterior entrances of Montgomery Ward similar to the now-demolished Carolina Circle Mall in Greensboro, NC. This store, however, is a more basic design with the tiles really showing up against the white building. Photo by KJ.

Corner notch with more tile. Photo by KJ.

East Wards entrance sitting in better lighting. Photo by KJ.

Another entrance than a view of the Auto Center, which is attached to the store itself. Photo by KJ.

Upper and lower level Belk Howard entrances look barren since the dark glass that flaked both sides has been completely removed. Apparently the vandalism coupled with risk of falling panels was too great to keep them intact. As older photos attest, they were striking. Photos by KJ.

Cullum's stands out as the anchor with the most unique entrance designs. It also was the only anchor to change hands later operating as Meyers-Arnold and finally Upton's before closing for good in 1993. Photo by KJ.

For a store with one of the best logos, JB White had some of the plainest stores. They corrected this by building a beautiful store at Augusta Mall. Unfortunately, that meant they left this store and the mall for dead.

Upper-level entrance to JB White. Photo by KJ.

Detail of street light in parking lot. Photo by KJ.

The mention of the mall on Deadmalls.com definitely started a mini-phenomenon not unlike Dixie Square except for one thing: few photos existed of the mall and it seemed nobody could get inside to show the world what it really looked like. It should also be noted that unlike Dixie Square, this mall is actually in "Dixie". Thanks to the efforts of a few brave souls, the dearth of interior photos has now changed. This was a mall with so much promise and hope, but its poor planning would ultimately be the death of it. It was the first ever mall in Augusta and it would also be the first to die. It has sat rotting ever since with almost a decade passing since it was abandoned. The people want it used for something, but the people with the money to do something about it are uninterested. The city just wants it sitting in a landfill out of sight and out of mind. The local newspaper will not stop talking about it. Like it or not, this prominent Fall Line feature stands out in more ways than one.

One of the coolest things left around the mall are these panels next to the garage doors used for trucks to deliver goods to mall tenants. These list all the stores in the mall clearly when the mall was still in its prime. These signs are clearly no older than the early 90's considering the mall largely emptied out in the late 90's. Photos above by BT.

Mall entrances were plain and numbered all around the mall. Mall entrance 3 is the empty anchor pad that was once planned for JCPenney. Photo by BT.

The red Cinema sign has now faded out. Next to it is one of the mall entrances into the Montgomery Ward wing. Photo by BT.

Another view of the Cinema I-II-III run by General Cinemas. Photo by KJ.

Lower-level mall entrance to the right of Cullum's. Photo by KJ.

Another view of Belk Howard shows a parking lot of full of weed-filled cracks. As time marches on eventually trees will start growing in these cracks as well. Photo by KJ.

Overview of Wards to Cullum's. Photo by KJ.

The Regency Mall nameplate has been replaced with a phone number. "Yes, this is City of Augusta. We'd like to buy your mall for way below market value. No sir, that offer is too high. Okay, well then we'll just condemn you then. Like it or not bulldozers headed there tomorrow." *CLICK* It's a definite minority that like the fact that all of this is still here and they definitely are not on the city council.

This remains a popular outside view because it captures a very 70's era of signage for the once venerable retailer that now only exists as an online store. Photo by BT.

Just in case you didn't get enough orange tile, here's the north entrance. It's definitely colorfast. Photo by BT.

It should be kept in mind that Augusta is Georgia's second largest city and once the state's capitol. While overshadowed by latecomer Atlanta to the west, it is a city with signficant history and a population that should have been able to support two malls, but as events unfolded that plan ultimately failed. The story of Augusta's "other" mall has become well-known, so this post is essentially my summary of it. The mall was the only mall in Georgia built by DeBartolo opening on July 27, 1978 in what was at the time paraded as the largest mall in the state. If so, it was only a hair larger than Cumberland Mall in Atlanta. It was Augusta's first mall for about a week. One week later and seven miles away in almost the same side of town, Augusta Mall also opened. Regency catered to more of a regional market while Augusta Mall was more of a showcase of big city names. Regency's first anchors were Montgomery Ward, JB White, Belk Howard (Howard was unsigned) and junior anchor Cullum's. Ruben's, another Augusta department store institution, opened in the mall as well in a large inline tenant near the Belk. A three-screen cinema also flanked the mall as well. Cullum's was not completed in time for the mall's opening, and Belk did not open until the following year. It was a very large mall for a relatively small city featuring two levels; a simple, spacious and modern design and a distinctive Y-shaped layout.

Regency Mall road sign from August 2003.

Wards was not completely boarded up at this point, and it still looked fresh and clean vs. the moldy exterior of today. Photo taken August 2003.

Cullum's exterior glass was still partially visible in August 2003. However, the store had already been vacant 10 years when this photo was taken.

Belk Howard when the store had dark glass panels. I guess these were removed due to the enormous safety hazard of falling glass. They were striking, but very spooky after the store was closed. Photo from August 2003.

Belk upper level entrance with dark/bronze glass. Note the fresh boards on the doors. Photo from August 2003.

The theater sign was obviously not nearly as worn when this photo was taken but the parking lot clearly had not been seeing much traffic even before the mall closed. Photo from August 2003.

Back inside, we see the detail of a long unused fountain. Needless to say, the mall would look far more glamorous with it running, but it seems most mall owners today just want to remove them. If this mall had been renovated, the blandness probably would have driven customers off alone. Photo by KJ.

A small stage in the middle part of the Wards wing. Photo by KJ.

A wall mural decorates what would would have been a blank wall marking the anchor pad for a never-built fifth anchor on the back side of the mall. JCPenney once considered the site but changed their mind opting for Augusta Mall instead in 1979. The lower level functioned as an exterior entrance. Photo by KJ.

Looking back toward the mall. Note the terrazzo floor tiles. Photo by KJ.

Here we see a computer store that is just sooooooo 1995. Photo by KJ.

A typical problem with DeBartolo malls were their tendency to draw second tier anchors. Sears decided to stay downtown during that time since they were not going to share a mall with Montgomery Ward. JCPenney did, however, plan to locate at the mall, but they pulled out of the project opening instead at Augusta Mall in 1979. Davison's, the Atlanta-managed division of Macy's which had been downtown for years, shunned the mall for Augusta Mall as well. Ever-popular Rich's decided to put their first Augusta store at Augusta Mall also meaning three of the most popular stores in the state took a pass at joining the center. The mall, however, scored Augusta-based White's, which remained a very popular store and a singular draw to the mall. The mall was set up for fierce competition, and its honeymoon would only last about 7 years.

The quintessential Lerner New York was included among the lost anchor tenants, now known as New York & Company. Photos by KJ.

The overhead skylights were among some of the least attractive I have seen, but they were at least distinctive vs. the usual glass dome or pyramid. Photo by KJ.

View from the second level. It's always Christmas at Regency Mall just as it has been since 2001, so let's deck the malls with moldy banners. Photo by KJ.

Along a mall entrance wing is this mysterious and spooky looking store. I pondered whether this was the former Ruben's location that closed early in the mall's history. Photo by KJ.

More detail is visible here of the store entrance that definitely appears more like a junior anchor than regular inline tenant. Photo by KJ.

Here we find a mall directory on its side. Unlike the kids that got in one night in 2007, the mall directories have been smashed and trashed so that no map of the mall is available inside any longer. Photo by KJ.

While it may have been bright and sunny outside, it is darker than midnight in what appears to be Mall Exit 7. Photo by KJ.

Former food service establishment. Photo by KJ.

The Belk wing was the darkest part of the main mall keeping these escalators in darkness. Photo by KJ.

Another unknown store looking subtly funky. Photo by KJ.

DeBartolo seemed to be a poor planner when it came to malls, and they likewise were a poor manager. The decision to put a mall in blue collar South Augusta so close to its main competition was a boneheaded decision as well as what seemed to be a lack of interest in adequate security. In addition, the mall was not placed near any freeway or interstate. Augusta Mall, however, was next to Bobby Jones Expressway, which later became I-520, only a couple exits down from I-20. Several DeBartolo malls in Florida failed miserably due to terrible locations, and one of Regency Mall's sister malls in Ohio recently was boarded up as well due to its less than stellar location. If they had put Regency instead in North Augusta closer to I-20, the mall would likely not only be open, but would be doing extremely well. Instead of Regency, this post would be probably about Augusta Mall and how it was struggling. Both malls have suffered from similar problems, but Augusta Mall started with stronger anchors closer to the money: part of why it is still alive and thriving today.

Unknown storefront. Photo by KJ.

While most of the mall is level, the mall right in front of JB White has a sloped section on the lower level. Photo by KJ.

More detail of the sloped area. It's hard not to like those completely retro brown linoleum tiles. Photo by KJ.

More empty storefronts on the lower level next to White's. Photo by KJ.

A very dark entrance wing emerges on the lower level. Photo by KJ.

View of the Belk court. Photo by KJ.

View of Wards court from lower level, which looks nearly identical to the photo above. Photo by KJ.

Back in center court, the up escalators along the Belk wing are barely visible. Note the mall's red and brown carriage logo on the wall above. This is found in several locations in the mall. Photo by KJ.

Looking up at the ceiling with the "street lights" in view. Photo by KJ.

Lower level fountain at eye level. Photo by KJ.

Somewhere in the mall, the photographer found some of the plans associated with the Belk store. These should be rescued and placed in a museum somewhere. Photo by KJ.

More so than location, though, Regency Mall's problems had much to do with lax security. The problems of shrinkage from shoplifting dogged the mall from the day it opened causing the loss of both junior anchors early on. Ruben's pulled out in 1982 and ultra-upscale Cullum's, laced with debt from building its largest suburban store in the mall, completely failed the same year. Things got worse when in March 1986, a 16 year-old girl was abducted from the mall parking lot, raped and murdered with her body turning up a few weeks later outside of the city in the nearby town of Hephzibah. Another incident in 1989 involving an 18-year old girl being shot in the back in a carjacking and paralyzed led to the family of the victim suing DeBartolo over security issues. Clearly these were not a small issue for such a large mall. These incidents cast a dark shadow on the mall giving it a fatally negative perception. Its location was a problem, crime was becoming rampant in the declining neighborhood and the only thing keeping it from dying then was its anchors, and that, too, was changing quickly.


On Sale! On Sale! On Sale! "Oh, I'm sorry we sold out of pretty much everything but check back tomorrow!" Photo by KJ.

Treasure's? I'd like to speak with Mr. Treasure, please. Yeah, I want to tell him one city's trash is a retail geek's treasure. Photo by KJ.

They couldn't compete with Mail Boxes, Etc. That's just the fax. Photo by KJ.

I'm sure GNC was here until the very end. Apparently selling vitamins and creatine for meat heads is an activity not dependent on living, breathing customers, but they alone cannot keep the lights on in an 800,000 square ft mall. Photo by KJ.

Offices, elevator and telephone. Yes, the days when telephones were something you went to: not something you carried in your pocket. Photo by KJ.

T-shirts Plus. One of about a dozen inline tenants that left their signs up after closing. This store is located right outside of Montgomery Ward.

Claire's Boutiques also had a location in the mall. I do not recall ever seeing a sign in this style. Photo by KJ.

Foot Locker was one of the very last stores to close and clearly received an updated look at some point. Photo by KJ.

Oh? Photo by KJ.

This store was clearly a latecomer. It at least looks late 80's, but I am not sure what it was. Photo by KJ.

Regency Mall's failure to attract Davison's, Sears and JCPenney definitely did not help the mall. With all three anchors ending up at Augusta Mall and Montgomery Ward beginning to fail as a company, the early 90's were proving that having the top anchors in a market does matter. Cullum's failure left a vacancy within 5 years of opening, and Greenville-based Meyers-Arnold would take over the store in 1984, but was downscale compared to Cullum's. Upton's then bought out Meyers-Arnold in 1987 making it the last tenant to be in that location. Upton's proved to be the canary in the proverbial coal mine when the store closed in 1993. The mall would quickly decline from there.


These two photos show what appears to be the only staircase in the mall. It is located on the Wards wing very close to Cullum's. Photos by KJ.

Bottom of the very brown staircase. Photo by KJ.

Old mall directory smashed in as if smashing in an old mall directory makes you so tough. Photo by KJ.

Unknown restaurant. Photo by KJ.

Empty store front next to "GQ" in a Star Trek-inspired doorway. It sort of resembles an old arcade. Photo by KJ.

Lower level "Anchor 5" court. Was this mall entrance sealed off sooner? Photo by KJ.

More lower-level detail. Photo by KJ.

This extremely well-preserved store front beckons to a time when wearing a watch was still pretty fashionable. It is located to the left of Cullum's. Photo by KJ.

Street lights again. Photo by KJ.

One more shot of the lower level of Wards court. While parts of this mall are certainly dark it does surprisingly well with mid-day natural lighting. Photo by KJ.

Belk, which had previously converted to an outlet a few years prior, closed at the mall in 1996. The theaters on the south side of the mall left the same year. By then, JB White had already planned to tack on to Augusta Mall with a newer, far more elegant store. This new store was completed in 1998 leaving the brutalist brick structure behind that itself had resulted in the closure of the original downtown flagship White's. The new store would be the very last JB White location built, and the Regency Mall location closed at the same time. As the dust settled from the mass exodus troubled Montgomery Ward found itself the last anchor standing. This turn of events left the mall in the death throes. Over 20 years old, the mall had never received a renovation, and stores that closed at the mall were not replaced by chains but by mom 'n' pop shops and non-retail operations. Even with that, there were not many of those. Stores like Foot Locker would be the last to close, but the mall itself held little attraction with Montgomery Ward shutting off its mall entrance to save electricity, suggesting the air conditioning was no longer being used in the mall itself. Even the escalators were shut off by this time. As a result, the mall would gradually pare down to four stores.

Upper level Wards court. Photo by BT.

View of down escalators in the Wards wing. This part of the mall is very dark, and holes in the ceiling are visible next to the escalators. Photo by BT.

A couple views of the escalator along the Wards wing. Photos by BT.

Between Wards and Whites on the north side, the overhang and skylights give a very futuristic effect. It is one of the most attractive design features in the mall. Photo by BT.

An overview of the "Anchor 5" wing from the main mall/Wards wing. Note the carriage and the Christmas decorations. Photo by BT.

Gimme three steps, mister, and you'll never see me no more. A view of the staircase from the top level. Photo by BT.

Lerner is located near the "Anchor 5" wing. Photo by BT.

Detail of the skylights and how they connect to the north side of the mall. Photo by BT.

One of the very appealing aspects of Regency Mall is the presence of many angles and turns throughout the mall. It is not a boring straight-shot by any means. Photo by BT.

Another view of the one staircase. Photo by BT.

The end finally came when Montgomery Ward liquidated in 2001. While the store at the mall would last to the end, the closing was the final nail in the coffin for Regency. Soon after, the remaining tenants were kicked out and the mall boarded up at the beginning of 2002. Only a county marshal's station would continue to operate in the mall, finally leaving this past summer. While the mall's "slumlords" Hayword Whichard and Paul Woo are blamed for the mall's demise, the real blame rests on the poor management and decisions of its original owners DeBartolo who owned the mall up to 1995. Equitable Real Estate also owned the mall from 1995-1997 before selling it to Whichard and Woo. The mall most recently was purchased by Cardinale Entities in 2002 who planned to market the mall, but failure to attract an investor led to them keeping the property in disuse resulting in heated disputes with the city about the condition of the mall. As these photos show, the mall is in mostly good condition despite problem areas. Proposals ranging from an outlet mall to county offices to an entertainment center were pursued, but nothing ever materialized. Most recently, a church hoped to purchase the entire mall, but plans are still uncertain.

Escalators rise to the occasion (and the upper level of the Belk wing). Photo by BT.

Diagonal wood is everywhere in this mall including this former restaurant outside of JB White. Photo by BT.

A skylight overlooks the short JB White wing. Photo by BT.

More skylights! Photo by BT.

Looking back towards Wards. Note the north side of the hall. Photo by BT.

Another view of the "Anchor 5" pad. Note the lone tree on the lower left. This tree has to be fake to have lasted that long. Photo by BT.

"Regency Mall" logo walling over a vacant store with the carriage in the background on the wall. Photo by BT.

Since the mall's closure, Regency Mall has been a point of contention within the city. The city has tirelessly sought ways to recycle or demolish the structure. A referendum was held to borrow $8 million to demolish the mall, but it too failed. A proposal to condemn the property and turn it into a city reservoir was also considered. No matter what the plans, the mall is already a 21st century Dixie Square with big plans that always fall through, ambitious government initiatives that fall flat and an abandoned building that will ultimately decay beyond salvation if a realistic plan does not materialize within the next 5-10 years. For now, Regency Mall remains one of America's most visible symbols of the decline of the all-American shopping mall.

Sears 2011-12 Store Closings in the Southeast: Many already featured on Sky City

2011-12-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

Sears and Kmart just posted their closing list. To no surprise, many of these malls have or will soon be covered on Sky City. Here is a run down of Sears stores and Kmarts with links to ones in malls I covered:

1. Middlesboro Mall: Middlesboro, KY (Sears Hardline store)
2. Halls Mill, AL [5451 Halls Mill Rd] (Sears Essentials)
3. Multiple Sears Grand/Essentials locations in FL:

101 E Interntn'l Speedway Deland FL 32724
3020 Se Federal Hwy Stuart FL 34997
4560 Forest Hill Blvd W Palm Beach FL 33406
1363 Nw St Lucie W Blvd Port St Lucie FL 34986

4. Ellicott City, MD [9200 Baltimore Nat Pike] (Sears Grand/Essentials)

Sears full-line stores listed below:

5. Metrocenter Mall: Jackson, MS (this is the last department store anchor)
6. Hickory Hollow Mall: Antioch, TN (this leaves Macy's as the sole remaining anchor)
7. Macon Mall: Macon, GA (the mall has now lost half its anchors since 2007)
8. Military Circle Mall: Norfolk, VA

Both photos above are of the Military Circle Mall store taken by Mike Kalasnik on July 31, 2011

9. Oak Hollow Mall: High Point, NC (this leaves Belk as the sole remaining anchor)
10. Leigh Mall: Columbus, MS
11. Edgewood Mall: McComb, MS
12. Cypress Bay Plaza (strip center): Morehead City, NC
13. Bradley Square Mall: Cleveland, TN (mall also has a Kmart)
14. Oak Ridge Mall/Downtown Shopping Center: Oak Ridge, TN (store anchors a long-abandoned mall)
15. Sumter Mall: Sumter, SC (previously a Capitol and later Tapp's)
16. Crystal River Mall: Crystal River, FL (mall also has a Kmart)
17. Golden East Crossing Mall: Rocky Mount, NC
18. Signal Hill Mall: Statesville, NC (former Woolworth and Hills)

Sears at Signal Hill Mall. The store was renovated from its former life as Woolworth and later Hills. Photo taken October 16, 2011.

Signal Hill Mall mall entrance to Sears. Photo taken October 15, 2011.

Kmart stores listed below:

19. Winchester, KY [951 By-Pass Rd]
20. Buford, GA [1605 Buford Highway]
21. Hazard, KY [101 Town & Country Lane]
22. Fernandina Beach, FL [1525 Sadler Road]
23. Callaway, FL [225 S Tyndall Pkwy]
24. New Smyrna Beach, FL [1724 State Road 44]
25. Douglasville, GA [9552 Highway 5]
26. Hendersonville, TN [237 East Main]
27. St Augustine, FL [1777 U S 1 South St.]
28. Auburn, AL [2047 E University Drive]
29. Gadsden, AL [75 E Broad St] (Very close to Sears at Gadsden Mall)

Kmart in Gadsden, AL in May 3, 2008

Abandoned Kmart Foods, later Food Giant, adjoining the store. Photo taken May 3, 2008.

30. Atlanta, GA [230 Cleveland Ave] (Last Kmart in Atlanta City Limits)
31. Orange City, FL [810 Saxon Blvd]
32. Columbus, GA [5600 Milgen Rd]
33. Jonesboro, GA [7965 Tara Boulevard]
34. Midlothian, VA [11003 Hull St Rd]
35. Pompano Beach, FL [2421 N Federal Hwy]

It should be noted this list is preliminary with more closings likely. At least one on those list I predicted which was the closing of the store at Signal Hill Mall. I expect the store at Southlake Mall in Atlanta to probably join this list when they wrap this up (and this post will be modified to show that). It should be noted that no Kmarts in malls were on this list. However, Sears locations in malls also anchored by Kmart were included.

Valley Hills Mall: Hickory, NC

2011-12-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hickory has well defined itself as the major retail center of the North Carolina foothills region, and Valley Hills Mall is the centerpiece of this. The most upscale shopping to be found is in and around the mall, which arrived with a bang in 1978 and has been going strong ever since. As Hickory's only active shopping mall, it left its former older competitor Catawba Mall in the dust over two decades ago. Today, it is a solid two-level mall with four anchors and plenty of business.

Valley Hills Mall is a curious mall in that it was apparently built on a narrow plot of land that required interesting design modifications. The mall first opened as an L-shaped mall (or a "V" depending on how you see it) anchored only by Belk Broome and Sears. Apparently Mr. Beery (of Belk Beery) built the store, but the ownership was transferred to the Broomes. It did not seem at the time the mall was built that the owners were interesting in killing off their older nearby competition, though both malls shared a Belk. However, it was pretty obvious by that time which mall had more to offer in size and architecture, and its name did not start with a C.

Looking towards JCPenney at center court. The first photo is of center court looking towards the Sears wing.

Traversing the Sears wing. Note the style of skylights along the Sears and Belk (original) wings.

Sears features the same old mall entrance other than for some reason being completely off-center.

Looking back along the Sears wing to center court.

Dull Dillard's features the dullest wing of the mall with a dull, boring skylight and bland design unlike the rest of the mall.

Valley Hills Mall grew into a dominant mall in the 1980's when JCPenney left its large two-level store at Catawba for a brand new store at Valley Hills in 1988. At the same time, Belk consolidated its operations into Valley Hills ending any chance that the two malls would be complimenting each other at all. At the time, no other mall in the region had Belk, Sears and JCPenney though the mall would have been more ideal with anchors like Ivey's or Thalhimer's, neither of which the city could apparently support at that time. Spainhour's might have also joined the mall, but at the time they seemed to be looking more into phasing out their department store business. It would still be another decade before the mall would attract a more upscale anchor tenant.

The above two photos show the Belk wing approaching the store itself.

At the end of the wing is one of the best Belk mall entrances I have ever seen!

Looking back along the Belk wing to center court.

Looking down from the upper level at center court is this very attractive, albeit small, fountain.

1999 would be the next and last major modification the mall would see. It was in that year that the mall added two new wings. One included a food court fronting a new main entrance to the mall on the north side between Belk and Sears. The second was the addition of a longer wing for a new Dillard's store giving the mall a Z-shape. Dillard's at the time was new to the market, so its arrival was likely exciting for mall patrons. The then-aging mall also received an interior renovation, updated entrances and a new logo. The improvements did not strip away all of the 70's features, but it made the mall seem less dated and sufficiently contemporary.

These guys clearly look bored and a bit irritated as the wife clearly wore the pants that day so that she could go to try on some. They were staring into space imagining more exciting ways they could spend their time such as watching football or doing something that involves a hammer or loud machinery.

Here is the mall map to explain what is hard to explain. It is an interesting layout.

The food court is reasonably attractive and includes a carousel typical of 90's malls.

Valley Hills Mall sign along the street. Definitely not the worst I've seen. The name sounds a bit like a trailer park, though. I like the name Catawba better.

What does remain vintage at the mall is quite striking. The skylight configuration through the older part of the mall is somewhat SouthPark inspired with its skylights along the sides instead of in the center. The skylights, however, are placed at a 45 degree angle with the roof sloping back down on the opposite side. Bigger, brighter skylights are found in center court. Fake plants give the mall a more lush feel. About the only thing that looks different is the Dillard's wing, which contains a less inspired, more conventional design. What is also nice in the mall is the small terraced fountain in the lower level of center court. This likely replaced a much grander fountain before, but it is still a nice feature that they did not have to install. The mall as a whole is bright and cheery compared to the dark and plain Catawba Mall. In all, it is a well-designed mall that is a step above the average small city mall.

JCPenney arrived in 1988 with a basic but eye-catching exterior shell.

A view of Belk from the parking deck entrance. The renovation wasn't great, but some elements remain. The parking deck here was built just for Belk.

If you look below you can see some of the original stonework that was retained from when the store first opened.

The last photo features the rear mall entrance between Belk and JCPenney. I did not include any photos of Dillard's or Sears because neither store retained any distinctive design elements. The Sears looked like the typical 90's remodel and Dillard's looked like every other stucco atrocity they've thrown up.

Hickory today pulls from a large, although largely rural market. Because of that, the mall will probably never attract more upscale stores or anchors, but for its market is still a far nicer mall than what cities of its size tend to have. Because of that, the mall is fully leased and not likely to be crushed by a large power center or "lifestyle center" project. In truth, it is even nice compared to other malls I have seen in the state, and its ownership by GGP makes it a first-tier mall. My only beef with the mall is that its anchors look bland and boring. Belk renovated away its stone-clad 70's elements, Sears has been upgraded to bleached-out blandness, Dillard's is the usual clone and only JCPenney really seems to stand out although still colorless. The main issue the mall faces in the future is potential failure of 2-3 of its anchors. Sears is on very shaky ground with JCPenney and Dillard's both known to be struggling as well. Management will have to be creative if an unraveling occurs due to that issue. Obviously, many other malls will have this problem but this is a very difficult challenge for malls in second tier markets with fewer stores to choose from. If such a shake-up does not occur, this is a pretty standard, reasonably attractive mall that will likely avoid the worst of the current mall insurrection wiping out so many malls every year.

Catawba Mall: Hickory, NC

2011-11-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Hickory is the largest city in that region as well as the only significant outpost between Asheville and Winston-Salem. While nearby cities such as Lenoir and Statesville have malls, the former is dead and the latter has less to offer than the average strip mall aside from its anchors. Hickory as a population center is significant with the city holding about 40,000 residents and the region holding over 300,000. Hickory is also the center of North Carolina's furniture manufacturing industry, and it was the first city in the state to commence furniture manufacturing. This is part of why Hickory has the region's dominant shopping mall, Valley Hills Mall. Before Valley Hills Mall, however, this title was held by tiny Catawba Mall.

Catawba Mall, today Catawba Furniture Mall, was the first shopping mall in the region as well as one of the oldest in Western North Carolina outside of Charlotte when it opened in 1968. For its compact size, it was effectively the only enclosed super-regional mall in that part of the state since Charlotte had yet to build a mall like Catawba and the nearest mall like it opened itself in High Point around the same time. Surprisingly, this mall was also built by Simon: obviously one of their first. Unfortunately, this potential was offset by the fact that Catawba was a plain, brutalist building that over time proved much too small for the city.

Front entrance hallway headed to center court. Originally, Rose's would have been straight ahead.

Center court walking toward west wing. This way went to Belk Broome, Spainhour's and Big Star. It looks so spooky from this angle. The mall is very dark outside of the court areas.

After turning left at the former Belk Broome entrance, I am walking toward the back entrance where Big Star used to be. Spainhour's would have been somewhere on the right here.

Belk Broome here would have been on the left and possibly straight ahead. It had only one outside entrance.

When Catawba Mall opened, it featured a large JCPenney as well as Rose's, Belk Broome and Spainhour's. Spainhour's was centered in Hickory, so it was a logical anchor since early malls always had at least one local or regional department store. A Big Star supermarket also anchored the southwest corner of the mall, possibly opening as Colonial, but it did not connect to the interior portion of the mall. The single-level center featured an L-shaped main hallway with one additional entrance wing connecting through center court. JCPenney was the largest anchor and the only anchor with two levels. Rose's extended straight back from center court also containing an outside entrance behind the mall, which is now bricked up. Center court features a rectangular room with high windows roughly halfway between the former JCPenney and the former Belk Broome. Spainhour's was situated on the west side behind Belk Broome (and attached). In all, it was a very tiny mall packed with anchors that to all appearances left room for no more than about 15-20 inline tenants aside from the anchors.

Here I'm further back from the last photo in the vicinity of where Spainhour's entrance once was.

Here, I'm back in center court with full view of the small fountain with the front entrance hall on the left and the east wing on the right heading to what was JCPenney. How much, if any, part of this fountain is original?

I am now looking down the former JCPenney wing just east of center court otherwise known as the world's longest furniture showroom (my bad joke).

This photo was captured precisely where the JCPenney mall entrance was. The former JCPenney has since been integrated into the "mall". What I'd give to see this seen with that funky old Penney's logo.

When Valley Hills Mall opened in 1978, Catawba Mall did not immediately die as a traditional shopping mall. While it was clear that Valley Hills was the superior mall, the mall curiously opened with only two anchors including Belk Broome, which duplicated stores at both malls, and Sears, which the older mall did not have. JCPenney did not initially relocate to the mall, and Spainhour's stayed put. Regardless, Belk Broome had a small one-level store at Catawba while its Valley Hills Mall store a mere 2 1/2 miles east was a spacious, elegant two-level store with a wider assortment of merchandise. Only because Valley Hills opened with skimpy anchor offerings was the game not already over for Catawba. In fact, the two malls completely complimented each other for a decade. If Catawba's owners had been proactive and enacted an immediate expansion through the back of the mall making it larger and more attractive, perhaps the ultimate outcome would have been very different.

The mall's main entrance along U.S. Hwy 70 looks a bit gaudy, but it appears it was always plain.

Belk Broome is now "In Your Home Furnishings".

Further inspection of Belk Broome reveals the display windows are still intact next to the entrance. Instead of looking at chalky mannequins shaped like bulimic chicks, you can imagine yourself looking at them while instead fawning over the couch in the window. At least you can sleep on the couch (after you buy it).

The northwest corner of Belk Broome reveals no outside entrance but a steady line of ribbed concrete protrusions extending along the back side as well.

Despite the complimentary nature of the two malls, Catawba proved to be very outmoded by the late 80's. By then, the mall was already struggling, and this became painfully obvious when in 1988 JCPenney built onto Valley Hills Mall, closing their Catawba Mall store once the new store was completed. Without a major anchor to pull in traffic, Belk Broome joined JCPenney simultaneously in the exodus finally recognizing that they only needed one store in the market as well. Rose's also joined the exodus moving west into a new strip mall just west of the US 321 expressway at U.S. 70 and 12th St with Big Star likely anchoring that new strip as well. With an exodus like that, the mall was in a tail spin. Nevertheless, Big Lots moved in to replace Rose's and Spainhour's continued to do good business. Even then, the Spainhour's location no longer appealed to the company. At the time, they were already in the process of phasing out their department stores. Spainhour's itself left the mall in 1991 leaving the mall dead. Big Lots would ultimately leave as well seeking more space than the Rose's had to offer.

At the very rear of the mall is this bricked up entrance, which was originally the back and outside entrance to Rose's, later Big Lots. Bricking up any entrance always looks spooky like a dark secret is hiding on the other side.

Here is more of the back side of the mall with Penney's on the right and the mall on the left. It is unknown what the solitary door connected to. Was this a drug store of some sort? The store would have been very deep.

The southwest entrance is the only rear access to the mall today. The grassy lot to the left was the former location of Big Star before the building was demolished a couple years ago.

This photo lacks detail of the entrance due to a couple annoying yokels haunting the door, but this brick portion was where Spainhour's was located. Spainhour's was the last anchor to leave the mall in 1991.

The death of one of the state's oldest malls was not lost on the city nor developers. Several developers came forward with proposals to resurrect the mall, but all fell through. The city also considered, but rejected the mall site for a civic center. Of all the proposals, the most unusual one of all came forward in the late 1990's: transforming the mall into a "furniture mall". A novel concept indeed, a "furniture mall" is essentially different furniture vendors setting up as tenants throughout one center. The concept was also tried on nearby Lenoir Mall, but failed. In the case of Catawba Mall, though, it was a total success. The mall reopened in 1998 as Catawba Furniture Mall, and it is still going strong today. As a city people travel to just for furniture, it was definitely the best way to reuse as well as rescue a mall that otherwise would have been doomed to a date with dump trucks.

Last but not least is JCPenney...the largest single anchor at the mall. This is the front entrance.

Here is a side view of JCPenney, which is now simply a mall entrance for the rest of the bizarre furniture bazaar.

More detail of the JCPenney side entrance.

Behind the mall, prior to the conversion to a furniture mall this very peculiar building was spotted on an aerial photo. Apparently this was a Carmike Cinema. It was divided into four screens and downgraded to a dollar theater before closing in the 1990's. It has since been torn down as part of a state road improvement project.

Here is a map of the mall showing its anchor line-up the way it was during its peak of success around 1977. It is still unclear what other tenants were in the mall, how they were positioned or how many. I also do not know if any other hallways existed.

The sad part about Catawba Mall is that its contemporaries have for the most part not been able to survive next to competition, demographic changes and even natural disasters. Charlottetown failed due to its small size and poor offerings. Tarrytown in Rocky Mount was ultimately demolished after being destroyed in a long, devastating flood. If Hickory itself had built any more malls, Catawba would have likely seen a similar fate. While it is sad to see the old anchors with their iconic signs re-dubbed as something less glamorous, at least it is still possible to see Catawba for what it was for the most part. As expensive, elaborate and expansive as malls are to build, even the small ones, it is worthwhile to try to save every one even if its use is not retail. Catawba was fortunate enough to find a second life as a retail center: even if the only "retail" being sold there is furniture.

Grove Arcade: Asheville, NC

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Enclosed shopping malls were not an entirely new idea when they were introduced to the world in the 1950's. While the multiple-anchored all-inclusive pedestrian downtown surrounded by a sea of parking was new, the enclosed shopping center was definitely not. Before that, downtown shopping districts sometimes featured a smaller, classical version of the mall, which was known as an arcade. Not to be confused with the gaming place that teenagers frequented from the 70's to the 90's, these arcades were typically mixed use structures with at least three levels under one roof. In these, one or more levels were devoted to shopping with design details more ornate and elegant than their later, larger cousins. They usually fit nicely into a block of buildings downtown, and were typically not connected to any nearby department stores.

Arcades, likewise, should not be confused with the disastrous "downtown shopping malls" of the 70's, which featured such outrageous atrocities such as demolishing blocks of historic buildings for a huge bunker surrounded by ugly parking decks or parking lots. Unlike these ill-fated "urban renewal" schemes, arcades blended in with the downtown fabric with outer windows and architecture that appropriately complimented other buildings in the city. They were typically intricate and elegantly designed inside and out with the main recognizable feature comparable to modern malls being the central overhead skylight. They also typically covered a much smaller footprint being built up instead of out, typically carrying 3-4 stories. In addition, the shopping component tended to be much smaller, holding at most 20-30 shops. Grove Arcade was exceptionally large holding around 50: the size of most early 1960's shopping malls. Upper levels were also typically devoted to other uses than shopping such as offices and residences meaning they were mixed-use in contrast with modern malls. Also dissimilar from malls is that they were not designed to have "anchors". While they may have been near a downtown department store, they were never anchored by one. Usually, arcades had all entrances opening into the streets with their main crime being that they might have covered a large portion of a city block, but never resulting in the leveling of an entire downtown business district to make room for its quickly despised presence.

A couple exterior views of the arcade. Due to the parking difficulties, I was not able to take as many outside photos as I would have liked. The first photo is of the south hall looking back towards the entrance pictured above.

Today, most downtown arcades of the early 20th century suffered much the same fate as the department stores either reverting to other uses or being demolished for bigger projects because the land they sat on became too valuable for a building of their typically smaller size. In most larger cities, highrise buildings replaced the lowly arcade although small downtown malls often anchored, less successfully, many of these newer projects. Of the few that remained, most were ultimately converted to other uses with their original retail component long abandoned. The historic arcade was no match for modern-era progress beginning in the 1950's. Grove Arcade almost became a casualty itself: an almost forgotten artifact of Asheville's past until the past 15 years with plans to expand and convert the building to a government-owned high-rise very much in the works.

Here is another view of the south hall looking north. Note the winding staircase on the left. These have unfortunately been closed to the public.

One of the second level balconies crossing over at the center of the arcade. If only they had looked at this place and taken notes when they designed Biltmore Square Mall. It is no wonder that mall has failed.

The west hall features a stunning three-level vaulted ceiling with walls adorned with marble. Imagine any mall looking like this when you walked in.

Grove Arcade followed the typical pattern set forth with conversion to other uses. Opened in 1929, the arcade was a hit. Its builder stated it was one of the finest buildings ever constructed, and few would argue the sheer size, opulence and attention to detail that went into this building was a marvel of its time. It would continue to operate as the premier shopping destination in the city until WWII arrived. This is when the federal government seized the facility under the authority of the war effort literally evicting all the tenants within almost overnight. From there, the building would house various federal operations with the last involving weather forecasting. A movement to preserve and restore the building to its original use did not gain steam until the 1990's when the government began plans to expand the building to suit their needs.

Looking back toward the central elevators in the west hall.

This view is looking back down the north hall toward the elevators. The guy pictured proves this is not a bad place to kick back on a warm August morning.

When one of Asheville's most distinctive structures was threatened, citizens mobilized. A strong push was then made to get the government to sell the building back into private hands. In this time, the structure was placed on the historical register with steps beginning in 1995 to restore the building to its original appearance and use. This finally culminated in 2002 with the reopening of Grove Arcade back to what it was originally intended for. Since then, the bottom level was converted back to retail with upper levels being sold as housing units. Indeed, it has been a huge success. While the refurbished center has failed to attract any chain stores, the lower level is nearly fully leased with various local shops and cafes. With Asheville's tourist industry, the center is now pivotal in that district and attracts a whole new generation of crowds into its four glorious halls. Imagine if such an attitude could prevail when a classic 1960's shopping mall is threatened with demolition.

Here is a view of the east hall and entrance. Being designed in the same era as the Biltmore House, the attention to detail, elegance and gothic trappings are similar.

Detail of the winding staircase coupled with the tiny door below. It seems the popularity of winding staircases sadly died out by the 1980's due to their impracticality.

The success of Grove Arcade, though, suggests the need for further experimentation. Asheville, after all, is one of the few cities that could likely support a successful downtown shopping district like it once had. Currently, Asheville still lacks some chain stores many other cities have. The city also has three malls, but one is failing, and all three are landlocked by roads, buildings and steep terrain. While one of those does have room to expand, even it would still require a substantial updating and vertical design to utilize the space. This presents a unique opportunity as the city currently lacks a Macy's or upscale department store such as Nordstrom. The idea I have is to consider purchasing and demolishing the RBC bank building across the street from the arcade and expanding the existing parking deck across from both. In the RBC building, a 5-6 story structure would take the place of the current two-level structure housing a new downtown Macy's or other department store designed on the outside to look like the arcade. Doing this would spotlight the arcade, bringing more shoppers downtown and possibly helping the arcade to truly evolve into a downtown mall without repeating the mistakes of the 1970's. The potential is there to create a one-of-a-kind shopping destination not usually found outside of New York City or Chicago. In a time when society is turning cold on the effects of over 60 years of suburban sprawl, such an idea seems more realistic.

Another view of a winding staircase in the south hall.

Lastly, detail of the south entrance to the arcade. Rest assured, shoppers here were of the upper class and dressed in their finest back in the day. I tip my hat (if I actually wore one) to the successful preservation of a historic retail treasure.

Ideas aside, the interest in historic preservation has revived some surprising treasures. Before I saw this place, I did not even know that any arcades like this still existed: at least not as public shopping and gathering places. Grove Arcade itself had fallen out of public use for over 50 years, and today is one of only five arcades to still exist in North Carolina. Grove Arcade, along with the Biltmore Village retail district are beautiful works of art as well as fun shopping areas in one of the country's most beautiful cities. With that, it is not a wonder that the malls in the city are anemic. I hope that Grove Arcade continues to not only be a success, but also brings a new wave in experimentation in constructing new arcades with similar architectural detail to possibly bring upscale shopping back into the larger cities without wrecking them. Just as they were a good idea in the pre-mall era, they are again a great idea today in an increasingly post-mall era.

Village Inn Pizza Parlor: Lenoir, NC

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wherever a vintage dead mall is to be found, it seems nearby that other vintage items tend to linger. Places like this ultimately survive, but tend to not update due to multiple factors including that they simply do not have to since they are surrounded by old things and probably do not get the business to modernize as often. In Lenoir, I found many such places along Morganton Blvd including an abandoned car wash, a very retro 2-screen movie theater and last but not least this gem of a pizza place.

Village Inn Pizza Parlor is not to be confused with the larger Village Inn chain, but does seem to be part of a once national chain that was fractured into similar, but smaller operations run by local businessmen. Other separately run locations of the same name are found in Michigan and Illinois. I also covered on this blog a possible former location next to Tri-City Mall. This place doesn't serve pancakes, and this set of restaurants only has 12 locations in the Foothills/Piedmont region of North Carolina. This North Carolina group in particular is run by Ray Lackey Enterprises. Reviews of the restaurant are generally good, but it is also stated that every location is very old as well. All seem to have distinctive and dated designs, but the one I'm featuring here stood out enough for me to turn around for a few pics with a highly eye-catching Bavarian A-frame design coupled with a 1970's period road sign.

A moody bavarian-gothic A-frame building with a dimly lit interior greets diners which apparently were few in number early in the afternoon. The skies were just as moody with a severe thunderstorm about to hit. The first photo is the sign posted along Morganton Blvd (U.S. 64) looking southwest.

Angry skies overlook a small, quaint and fascinating pizza place.

Since I did not try it, I have no opinion on the food here. One thing I do know is that apparently each location has its own distinctive design. The location in Morganton has a Spanish influence, including arches. Its original location, according to the website, was in Statesville. My guess on the chain is that it probably has not seen any significant update in 30 years hitting their stride in the mid-to-late 1970's. I guess that they do what they can to stay profitable. I would love to hear if anybody has tried this time warped local pizza chain. Places like this are part of the joy of traveling: especially these archaic chains with dated architecture that give every community some distinction as well as something new for me to blog about.

Lenoir Mall: Lenoir, NC

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

It is rare today to find a truly vintage mall: one that has never been updated at all from the day it opened over 30 years old. It's even rarer to find a mall far past its useful life still open to the public. If the mall is successful, it's been renovated one or two times at least since it opened usually stripping out everything fun. If it is unsuccessful, the mall has been either boarded up or torn down sometime between 1995 and 2005. Lenoir Mall is all of the above: vintage, dead and still open! It is even more unusual, too, considering a mall that has been largely unsuccessful for 20 years usually would have been gone by now. This is why Lenoir Mall is such an amazing find.

A few things do exist online about Lenoir Mall, but it is not terribly easy to obtain. The mall itself was not well-positioned to survive long-term. It is located away from the main retail district in Lenoir, it was situated with anchors that folded and it was located in a city with too much competition both from nearby strip malls and a much better mall in Hickory a mere 20 miles away. Even worse is the decline of the local economy, which has heavily been very dependent on furniture manufacturing. All of the furniture factories have closed plants, outsourced jobs and downsized operations in the city resulting in fewer people to shop and a higher poverty rate. All of this combined with a mall that was relatively weak to start with have brought the mall to the end of its life with no hope of ever salvaging the property for retail use. So why has it lasted this long?

The first two photos are of the center court, which still features planters and a dry fountain basin that apparently once had four bubble fountains. The ceiling dips down at an angle towards the fountains with reflective panels magnifying the sunlight from the skylight onto the fountain.

Another view of the center court fountain looking down the Belk wing.

Walking down the Woolworth's wing toward Woolworth. The only thing lighting this corridor were the skylights, which probably partially explains why this mall closes at 6 PM. The two operating stores still have electricity, though, so they are probably just keeping them off to save money.

Woolworth's mall entrance. Unlike the rest of the mall, the wall is simply hiding the medical facility that took over the Woolworth's space on the other side. The medical facility does not maintain any direct access to the mall.

Another shot of the Woolworth's mall entrance. Note the unusual style planter at the bottom of the photo. Does it resemble an in-ground trash can to you?

The doors in this shot are one of three mall entrances. They lead to the back of the mall and are locked. Another picture showing the writing above the door is shown below.

Opposite those doors is where "the Rock" church was. This had formerly been mall space, but was consolidated into space for the church, which saw the light and rose above this place.

The mall did, however, have a successful era. When it first opened in 1979, it hosted three anchors and a solid roster of tenants in a relatively compact mall with its period of success stretching for 10 years. Inline tenants included national and regional chains such as Junction, Spencer's Gifts, Cato, Fashion Bug, Sound Shop (was also Musicland), Foot Locker, Regis salon, B. Dalton Bookstore and Barrel of Fun. Anchor stores were Belk (confirmed not to be a partnership store), regional chain Spainhour's and an unusually large Woolworth comparable in size to the early Wal-Marts. Trouble brewed when Spainhour's closed at the mall in 1989 with no replacement. This was soon to be followed by the closure of Woolworth's around 1992 leaving Belk as the sole anchor. For awhile, Belk was trapped at the mall but seized an opportunity when Kmart closed on US 321 in 2002. They then left when they renovated space in the old Kmart to became a new Belk store in 2003 leaving the mall to fade into oblivion. In most instances, the mall would have been closed and boarded up, but the owners got creative before that happened.

The homemade signs posted by mall management (which from what I can tell is all of two people) is a hoot. There were maybe two people in the mall, and both worked in the two stores left...except me and my friend. Even mall walkers are apparently terrified of this place.

A look back into the rest of the mall from the former Woolworth's. The small store siding is clearly not original indicative of the mall's second life as a furniture mall.

The friendly snowman is bundled up and there to inform you it's a chilly day in August. If they were running any air-conditioning at all, that might explain why all the lights were off.

Another sign: "THIS IS NOT A TRASH CAN". Well shoot, it looked like one to me. I wondered what that plant was growing in there for.

GNC apparently was the last to be informed that this mall is, in fact, completely dead.

The planters and uncomfortable wooden benches next to GNC seemed to be the only non-carpeted part of the mall featuring those quintessential brown tiles.

The skylight shines brightly into an otherwise dark interior. The scene looks like a square alien spaceship is landing in the middle of the mall.

The first attempts to save the fading mall came in the 90's. Around the same time as Hickory's oldest mall was being considered for a furniture mall, the same plan emerged for Lenoir Mall in 1996. With the town a center of furniture production, this seemed a logical course. It did, in fact, work for some time with local companies Broyhill and Bernhardt both opening showrooms in the empty stores of the mall. The timing was right for this, because it came in conjunction with the beginnings of the real estate boom. In addition, major anchors Belk and Woolworth were both finding new life for other non-retail uses. The Belk store was converted partially into space for an electronics manufacturer known as AMP-RTI in 2006, Woolworth was also converted during this time into a medical facility with Quest 4 Life Medical Center as the main tenant in that building and the Spainhour's was recycled as a showroom for Bernhardt. In addition, a church called "The Rock" took over a large inline space next to the old Woolworth's and a few local shops continued to operate within the mall. . Of those listed, only the medical campus in the old Woolworth remains today.

Detail of the skylight in the previous photo, which is actually a high window with a wedge shape reflecting light into the mall. These were very similar to the skylights on older Richway stores.

Back in center court, I am focusing on the view looking towards Belk showing all the planters and the ball-shaped light fixtures in the center.

A closer-up shot of the same.

Detail of the fountain itself with an ironically placed American flag. Is this some unusual statement about the economic and financial situation of the country?

Just off the center court from the first photo is the Spainhour's mall entrance. It was far more spartan than the Belk and Woolworth's entrances with no skylights overhead. Apparently Peeble's was never interested, but it was last used by Bernhardt for a furniture showroom.

A couple stores retained their original signage long after the mall closed. This is one of those. Just realize there is a long wait for a haircut here. You'll be waiting forever.

The Belk wing features three skylights instead of one.

The mall's revived fortunes seem to darken again in 2007. This is when the mall changed ownership to business partners from Miami. It is not known what changes transpired, but it was after the mall was sold that the mall's revival failed. This was also, of course, a factor of the failing real estate market and economy as well. Since the beginning of the year, what few stores remained in the mall have all left but two. Even the local church known as "the Rock" has left for more sacred ground. Amazingly, one of those two stores left is GNC. Is GNC a company not dependent on mall traffic for business? Located next to center court, the sign lights up an otherwise dark corridor other than natural light coming from the skylights. The only other store is a Christian bookstore known as Corner Stone located next to the main mall entrance.

The Belk mall entrance is a wonderland with the best planter features, the awesome stone, wood and copper overhang design, seats and best of all...a trash can! The trash can is there so that unwary shoppers do not mistake those planters as a good place for their sticky Dairy Queen Blizzard cup to end up.

Why can't department store mall entrances look like this now?

Diagonal wood trim, fake stone, lantern light fixtures and a funky shaped copper overhang...pure 1979 at Belk. Sadly, Belk couldn't wait to leave this place.

The indoor garden was noticeably more lush next to Belk. I wonder if Belk would still be here today if JCPenney had anchored the mall instead of Woolworth's.

Looking back from Belk into the dusky beauty of the mall.

Walking back into darkness away from Belk toward center court.

The mall directory is now blank.

Aside from the skylights, the mall is basically in darkness with all lights shut off obviously to save electricity. Climate control also appears to be kept to a minimum if used at all. I am assuming that the only thing that keeps the doors open is rent collected from the medical facility, but that is hardly covering the increasing disrepair of the mall. Carpet is bunched up on the floors, a couple skylights have started to leak and the grounds outside the mall are becoming overgrown from a total lack of maintenance. Still, the building is in amazingly good condition considering the state of the mall, suggesting the rent-draining exodus from its last attempt at re-purposing is very recent.

This now abandoned store was last Corner Stone books, which has since moved next to the main mall entrance, including outside access.

A row of dark stores not hidden from view at all leading to center court.

A look inside one of the vacant stores.

Vacant stores next to Belk.

More diagonal wood on a long-closed store.

At least one sign was left over.

Walking towards the front entrance.

Walking through the mall, it was an eerie silence. There was literally no noise at all other than the popping sounds coming from the likely settling of the building with the occasional sound of a door slamming or foot steps probably coming from the two stores in the mall or the other side of the old Woolworth entrance. Thunder could also be clearly heard from an approaching thunderstorm adding to the suspense. The features in the mall that remain are fascinating. The skylights were extremely well designed with the wedged look similar to those used on old Richway stores, providing uniquely filtered light. Shiny metal panels in the center court amplified the light from the skylights onto the non-working bubble fountain. Planters exist all throughout the mall forming all different shapes of islands surrounded by brick still filled with tropical plants. The carpet is also original, possibly one of the first carpeted malls. Old mall directories also remain with the mall maps removed. Storefronts also reflect an earlier time with many featuring wood trim common in the era it was built. The former Belk mall entrance also features its distinctive copper, wood and rock look that fronted many stores built in the late 70's.

Don't go towards the light! Actually you NEVER will because we locked the doors bwhahahahaha.

However, you may kindly leave the mall through the FRONT doors. We hope you'll come back soon, but we doubt you ever will.

Another angle of center court just to show how cool malls used to be before the late 1980's.

Detail of the globe light fixtures hanging over center court. Photo by digital sky taken April 10, 2011.

Inside another vacant store. This looks original.

My best guess is this was a jewelry store.

And now outside...a view of the spooky main mall entrance missing an "L".

An unusual idea I have for future use of the mall if anyone considered it is to use the mall for TV shows and movies. In all, it is a perfect set for a mall scene based on the 1970's or 1980's. With so much original in the mall, a little sprucing up would make this mall a great choice for shopping scenes in TV shows and movies. In addition, the mall is in amazingly good structural condition considering how long it has struggled. It would bring money to the town, creating the sets would be minimal cost and the the mall is attractive and distinctive enough to work well for that purpose. Of course, I would definitely put a JCPenney sign on the Spainhour's mall entrance and whatever regional anchors needed to be represented on other mall entrances for the maximum effect.

Another mall directory mentions has flyers mentioning the stores that gave up and headed for the busier strip malls down the road. Photo by digital sky taken April 10, 2011

Belk front entrance featuring the exact same look that used to front Monroe Mall as well.

Detail of the outside entrance. It looks good even today, and would fit nicely into Gatlinburg.

Belk has been gone 8 years and AMP-RTI once operated here, but nobody ever bothered to remove the Belk stickers on the doors! Photo by digital sky taken April 10, 2011.

No longer a mall entrance, but still marked as such. This is the rear entrance next to Belk. The other rear entrance looks just like this except it's not missing part of an "L".

Close-up of the same mall entrance next to Belk with a rusty door and weeds.

Another photo of the Lenoir Mall front entrance. This photo was taken by digital sky on April 10, 2011. Note the "L" is missing here, too.

Whatever happens, it is unclear what in all is happening at Lenoir Mall. It is plain that an exodus is occurring in what is left of the mall with the mall likely closing for good by Christmas. For certain, the original re-purposing plan failed as badly as the mall itself did with exception of the medical portion. My best guess is that the mall will be demolished or reconfigured entirely for a medical center or some other non-retail use if not outright abandoned. In fact, a real estate listing referred to it as "Lenoir Medical Mall" suggesting that is their final plan to save the mall. What I do know is that the mall seems to be very similarly designed and built to Monroe Mall in Monroe, NC and Boone Mall in Boone, NC. Of those three, it is by far one of the most attractive as well as the only one to completely retain its original design. Unfortunately that is only because the mall has been slowly dying since the early 1990's. While Lenoir Mall leaves nothing to the residents there but blight and disappointment, the mall also left a unique window into the past in apocalyptic style. Will this doomed mall see the wrecking ball, become abandoned or just become something else like a hospital or government center? We will find out soon enough.

"the Rock" (notice the cross in the "t') included a small outside entrance thus the light shining in on the first photo. This is the only visible evidence of the former tenant of worship.

Spainhour's looks lonely and forgotten in the back side of the mall.

Amazingly there was still a sign here a few months ago referencing its last use as a furniture show room for Bernhardt. Photo by digitalsky taken April 10, 2011.

Spainhour's outside entrance looking in. An old Master Card logo is on the door clearly dating to 1989. I guess old stickers were just not important to the last tenants...or maybe they found them cool like I did and left them alone.

Looking inside Spainhour's with the mall entrance in the background.

Woolworth is the one exception maintaining nothing of its original appearance. This looked so ghastly and out of place I didn't bother to get a picture of my own. Photo by digital sky taken April 10, 2011.

Leaving Lenoir Mall with a mostly blank sign. Corner Stone & GNC are Open, according to the billboard. It was fun shopping with you! Thanks for the experience Lenoir Mall!

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An aerial shot of Lenoir Mall. The east anchor was Belk, south anchor Spainhour's and west anchor Woolworth.

Pennrose Mall: Reidsville, NC

2011-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

Tucked in a town about 20 miles north of downtown Greensboro, NC is a mall trapped in time. While nothing fancy, Pennrose Mall is one of the most vintage mall specimens in North Carolina. The mall itself gets its unusual name from the nearby Chinqua Penn Plantation once owned by tobacco tycoon Jeff Penn. Most likely, this mall would have long since died, but with the strength of its main two anchors, small size and unusual configuration the mall continues to marginally succeed as a glorified community mall. Reidsville is also a relatively blue-collar city that recently lost most of its major industries, and with a population of under 15,000 residents according to the 2000 census it has become difficult for the mall to remain relevant. Worse than that, better shopping in Greensboro means that any hope of significant upgrades to the mall is very unlikely. The advantage, though, is a nostalgic enclosed mall gem holding out in the Piedmont.

Pennrose Mall has some confusion on the date it opened with the dates 1965 and March 1968 thrown out there, though I am leaning more to the latter. When opened, the mall had two anchors: Rose's and Winn-Dixie. Rose's was located in the middle and Winn-Dixie on the north end of the mall. Rose's remains as the sole original anchor. Belk Stevens came later. Today, Belk forms the south end of the mall as well and appears to be original. It is unclear when it was added, though, but it actually did not open with the mall. After all, the mall was not credited as the first Belk-anchored mall, so it most likely opened in 1969 or 1970 (Belk Beery pioneerred the concept in Savannah, GA). The Winn-Dixie, located in a very small space, was quickly outgrown and left the mall most likely in the late 1970's to a larger store on an adjacent outparcel. The replacement store remains vacant today, probably closing in 2005 when Winn-Dixie completely left North Carolina. Lastly, JCPenney came into to replace the original mall space in 1986 vacated by Winn-Dixie. However,it is unclear if anything was there in between that time. If it was anything else, it was most likely Globman's or Spainhour's closing before the rest of the chain. JCPenney itself left the mall in 2001.

Belk's mall entrance features the new logo at stark contrast to the aging center. The first photo shows the ramped section of the mall between Belk and Rose's suggesting the later addition of Belk to the mall. Photo by digital sky taken February 19, 2011 (above) and August 3, 2011 (first photo).

Empty kiosk in the mall of unknown use. Photo by Digital Sky taken February 19, 2011.

Hibbett Sports. One of only about three non-local shops in the mall. Photo by digital sky taken February 19, 2011.

Rose's is red; Belk is blue. This sign's a little dated; the mall is too. Photos by digital sky taken February 19, 2011.

Pennrose Mall features a strange configuration where the anchors are built into the east side of the mall while no anchors are situated along the west side of the mall: only smaller shops. Rose's in particular is not accessible except through the mall as well. This pretty much forces shoppers of Rose's to enter the mall, benefiting smaller shops in the mall but also making all of those shops very dependent on Rose's own success to draw traffic. Belk and the now-closed JCPenney, however, both have a side entrance which allows shoppers an alternate entry since there is no direct entrance from the front without entering the mall.

One Stop Cellular and a local florist catering to your needs. This means you can buy your phone there, get it set up and call the florist instead of ordering in person since it is such a long, harrowing walk between the two shops. Photos by digitalsky taken January 19, 2011

Rose's is on the left and Belk is down the hall. The Rose's outside entrance is to the right. Photo by digitalsky taken January 19, 2011.

Sure Save Shoe Show. Shay that ten times fasht (ahem) say that ten timsh fat...okay, forget it. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Concrete floors, rows of lights, dropped ceilings and ancient storefronts. Photo by digitalsky taken August 3, 2011.

What is also distinctive about Pennrose Mall is the complete lack of modernization. Other than repainting, the mall is in a complete time warp with concrete floors, interior brick walls, spartan design and an over-sized front entryway. Other than the doors, there is otherwise no natural light inside the mall itself. Most malls like this were either renovated, closed or demolished by the 1990's, so finding one like it is rare in 2011. What is also notable is the metallic awning that extends just below the ceiling the entire length of the mall. To say the least, it is about as inviting as a middle school built in the era. The only real draw are the steps between Belk and Rose's, which break the otherwise straight shot of the mall. Outside, the mall features metal panels over the main two mall entrances that appeared to have originally been anodized aluminum but were painted over at least twice: puddy colored before and now a marine blue.

Looking up the north end of the mall approaching JCPenney. You can see the labelscar above. From this angle, the mall looks more like an enclosed strip mall. Photo by digitalsky taken August 3, 2011.

Mostly covered glass for JCPenney. The sign in the window reads "Closed" so that you do realize that there is glass there and you can't just walk through it. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Reading this is like listening to a skipping record. I love it when they do this, though. Reminds me of the repeating "R" on Rich's in the 70's and 80's. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

This is what they didn't want you to see...the decaying hulk of JCPenney sitting idle since 2001. Ten years of decay really shows...I guess the heat and humidity do their work even if the ceiling is maintained. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011

Today, Pennrose Mall is in an awkward position. Nearly every major route has by-passed the downtown area, including the mall. While it retains its status as the main area of retail in the city, any new construction would quite possibly lure Belk and Rose's away, leaving the mall lifeless. Interestingly enough, the mall seemed to be doing decently up until the past 10 years and was likely fully leased up until JCPenney departed. Not counting the anchors, the mall today contains a mere 14 shops with only 7 of those occupied. Of those stores, Shoe Show, One Stop Wireless and Hibbett Sports remain the only other reason to go there with the rest mom 'n' pop stores. The mall would be very easy to de-mall into a strip mall because of this, though hopefully it never comes to that.

On the north end of the mall is this creepy labelscar for JCPenney left behind on the outside. They must have run out of blue paint before they reached this end of the mall. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Side entrance to JCPenney. Now HOW did Winn-Dixie manage to be in a store like this? I still cannot believe it was really here, but Globman's I could definitely see in this space. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011

Rose's inside looks pretty well unchanged from the day it opened. I'm sure it smells that way, too. Photo by digitalsky taken January 19, 2011.

No luck finding those vintage blouses with shoulder pads on e-bay? Just look here, you're bound to find it! This Belk store looks about as dated as the one I saw at Tri-City Mall. Did it open as Belk Beck? Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

The doors, lobby and breezeway are just huge! Were they expecting the place to be swamped? Was it ever? Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Pennrose Mall is also in a unique position to expand with vacant land behind it and a vacant Winn-Dixie on the outparcel. The only current obstacle is the Social Security building. Imagine just cutting a new mall wing between the Belk and Rose's into a backwards L-shaped mall wing. While hardly a SouthPark, the mall could probably support smaller box tenants such as TJ Maxx, Books-A-Million, a Peeble's or a gym. Belk could also expand into that space as well. Belk could also expand into the empty adjacent shops (gaining a new mall entrance), and the grocery store on the back side could be connected into the mall making it more attractive to potential tenants like Bottom Dollar or Just $ave. In all, this is fantasy but some of these ideas could be tried in the existing space as well.

Belk's updated logo on the mall entrance looks very much like an afterthought compared to the more appropriate older logo. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Rose's, however, looks completely approrpriate on its entrance. In fact, this may be the best that sign has looked on any building. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

A whited out Cato sign flanks the outside of the mall showing that national chains do have a history there. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Belk's side entrance looks more like an emergency exit. The concrete basement-like wall isn't too beautiful either. Couldn't Belk at least spruce this up? Photo by digitalsky taken August 3, 2011.

Winn-Dixie's later store behind the mall. Photo by digitalsky taken August 3, 2011.

In all reality, Pennrose Mall still exists because the town currently does not present an attractive enough opportunity to redevelop the center. It's small enough to maintain as is, too expensive to redevelop and the anchors are staying put for now with limited retail development around the city. All the mall really needs is a good way to fill the empty space, a more attractive look inside (such as a couple skylights) and a larger draw. Because of that, the most logical plan is to tie the dead JCPenney and the dead Winn-Dixie together into a strip mall component with a strong anchor tenant such as those I mentioned above filling and expanding the old JCPenney space. While outmoded, it is still small enough and interesting enough to find some creative ways to make it work. It will always, however, be a lower end mall catering to a small town that was lucky enough to get something more exciting than a boring strip mall.

Mall entrance near JCPenney with Cato labelscar on left. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

Old Belk labelscar in mall. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

More empty storefronts in the mall. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

The condition of this sign suggests it's been there quite awhile. Is this sign original? Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

I definitely cannot deny the sign looks cool, but it's also a little strange. Photo by digitalsky taken February 19, 2011.

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ALSO: An additional map of the mall is forthcoming. For now, the lease plan is available online.

Rock Hill Galleria: Rock Hill, SC

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last year, I covered a mall known as Houston County Galleria. The Houston Galleria is a struggling mall with otherwise solid anchor tenants that effectively trashed a nearby successful mall overnight while never actually truly succeeding in its own right. The mall was also built by Zamias Enterprises with a rather lackluster track record of success in their 90's mall portfolio. The story is similar with Rock Hill Galleria, but the situation is a little different. The anchor lineup, for one, has been a bit more volatile and Rock Hill Galleria, while troubled, is definitely more successful. As a sister mall to the Houston County mall, however, it is interesting to note the similarities and differences, and it is also important to note the retail scene around it, which is quite different, as well as a better location (conveniently right off I-77).

Rock Hill Galleria arrived on the scene in 1991 featuring an eclectic anchor tenant line-up of Belk, JCPenney, Phar-Mor, Sears and Wal-Mart. Of all the original anchors, only Phar-Mor is not in the mall anymore so on the surface it appears this would be a very successful mall much in the case of my previous example. The problems are two-fold: management problems and a location that was placed too close to superior competition. Also built by Zamias, the mall completely killed the city's older mall known as Rock Hill Mall by taking all of its anchors: Belk, Sears and JCPenney. Labelscar covered this mall through a local contributor. Unlike in the case in Houston County, GA, though, the older mall did not survive re-purposed like Houston Mall did...it died completely in 1992 and was abandoned in the late 90's. By 2007, that mall was demolished for a lifestyle center-type development that has also struggled to attract tenants.

The lead-in and this photo show that an elaborate ceiling treatment can go a long way to create an attractive ambience in a mall. I have nothing to complain about here except the lack of an indoor jungle below to compliment it. Photos by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Miscellaneous details including pretty nice flooring. By the 90's, malls had come a long way from the standard concrete flooring of the 60's. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.


Of course, some of the architecture is a bit dubious. Apparently the architect was enjoying some peppermint Life Savers when he was somehow inspired to hang these ring-shaped light fixture thingies from the ceiling. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Life Saver row could use some planters, though...it still looks a little cold. I'm sure they were saving that space for kiosks that never came. Instead of the Dead Sea (lotion) how about the Indoor Sea (water feature)? Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

One thing I can say for Zamias-built malls: they are neither ugly nor overly cheap looking. They are very tasteful, but just seemed to falter on management, location and even size. Note that these are all one-level malls built too close to larger two-level malls. In the former case, it was now-struggling Macon Mall and in the latter case it is Carolina Place Mall. Nearly every mall Zamias built was plagued with problems before they were even opened, and apparently construction was also delayed on the previous Zamias mall I covered. These malls also were very anchor-heavy right as department stores were in consolidation and the mall craze was winding down, so timing worked against them as well. The fact they killed older, more established malls also did not help their public reputation, similar to what happened with Crown America (Hess's)-owned malls.

Of course, being so close to Charlotte, Belk is a standard feature. That's Belk Belk, too. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

I wonder what will happen to this Sears if the chain goes belly up. Sharing a mall with Wal-Mart, this location is bound to be struggling. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Looking down the JCPenney wing toward JCPenney. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

This JCPenney entrance is so 90's I feel like I'm 14 years old again in a flannel shirt and bowl cut with some STP song stuck in my head looking at it. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

While the story of Rock Hill Mall is long passed, the story of Rock Hill Galleria continues on. In all, it is a reasonably attractive mall, though somewhat less interesting architecturally than its Georgia cousin. At one level, the mall also has a tough time competing with very popular Carolina Place Mall further north: a two level mall that continues to be one of Charlotte's premier shopping malls only 15 miles away. The distance is far enough to keep the mall viable but close enough for frustrated shoppers to take the longer drive for better stores. This might explain why the mall keeps Belk, Sears and JCPenney along with a few popular chain stores while still being riddled with vacancies.

Once upon a time, Wal-Mart actually opened into this mall. Then they built a Supercenter and shut themselves off from the mall. None of the other discount stores ever acted this way...in fact, they embraced the mall as an extension of their business!! Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Pharmor is phar gone here in this pic, though it did manage to revive as the ill-fated Steve & Barry's University Sportswear up to 2009. Was Drug Emporium ever here? They took over many of the Pharmor locations. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

I guess "Famous Labels" did not successfully hide that they were really "Knockoffs 'R' Us". In all seriousness, this was obviously a weak attempt to fill the void left by Goody's, which also departed in 2009 after arriving in 1998. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

This image shows a relatively healthy part of the mall with Rock Hill Mall's logo in the background. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Aside from the three major department stores, the other anchors have been more volatile. Phar-Mor, for one, failed as a chain in 1992. It was briefly filled by Brendle's Catalog Showroom in 1995-1996, but otherwise was empty until it was finally filled in 2003 by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, but this chain itself proved to be a dead mall filler and shoppers apparently concurred as the chain folded in 2008. Goody's came later, adding onto the mall in 1998 but also closing in 2009 with "Famous Labels" briefly taking the space before tanking as well. Lastly, Wal-Mart amazingly did not leave the mall, actually upgrading their store at the mall into a Supercenter in 2000. Nevertheless, Wal-Mart has consistently proven a poor mall anchor and the other anchors clearly did not benefit from the mall nor add anything to it. Such junior anchors today would need to be filled by stores like Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods to actually compliment the mall.

Sorry, the GPS won't help you here. If you end up falling in the dumpster next to the loading dock on your way from Belk to Sears, it's not our problem. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Belk's look is more dazzling than the simple arches but a little weird. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Sears here looks about like all the others built in that time period. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

I kinda dig this JCPenney entrance here...it reminds me a bit of a throne. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Rock Hill Galleria is the typical example of a 90's mall born with bad karma. The mall was clearly built with the intent on "upgrading" the shopping experience. "Upgrading" basically meant that they fully intended to kill that dated, smaller, darker mall on the other side of town, thus destroying viable real-estate that was realistically more right-sized for the market. However, Rock Hill Mall was facing death anyway: the mall would have had significant trouble competing with Carolina Place, but the double trouble that came from two brand new malls was far more than the 1960's timepiece could endure. Rock Hill Galleria has endured more due to the growth in the area, but it still continues to struggle. Rock Hill Galleria also saw some change in ownership since it was built. Zamias finally gave up the mall in 2004, selling it to General Growth Properties. However, General Growth apparently did not see the mall as enough of an asset to keep, selling it again to Cypress Equities a few months later. Cypress still owns the mall, but has Jones Lang LaSalle manage the mall.

From this end, I am not impressed. I am assuming this is close to the Wal-Mart non-mall entrance. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

This I really do like. I am guessing this opens to the wing with the tragic food court that is so pathetic even Subway snubbed it. Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Nothing more at Pharmor. If Steve & Barry couldn't pull it off, would Dick be interested? Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Missing labels at Famous Labels, originally Goody's, which closed in 2009. I could see at least a Books-A-Million here, but Shoe Show is more likely (boring). Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

The future of Rock Hill Galleria is tough to predict. Without any big name players interested in the mall such as Simon, it will definitely have more trouble attracting big name tenants, but its strength is in its current department store anchors and market, which is still growing even during a recession. In order for the mall to catch up to its competition in Pineville, the mall will need to broaden and upscale its offerings, which will be hard to do with a one-level mall competing with a two level mall while also considerably further from Uptown Charlotte.

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While I do not put this mall on a death watch at this point, I will definitely say that further growth in the area is needed to make it competitive. I will also say that the mall needs to find anchors and tenants that make shoppers see the mall as an alternative to Carolina Place. Basically, the mall should be good enough they will not need to drive out out of their way to shop at the other mall all the time. The ways I see this is possible is to bring in another department store such as Dillard's or Macy's (most likely in the place of Sears eventually), expand the mall, renovate the mall to make it extra showy and bringing in big box anchors such as the fore-mentioned Dicks's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Petsmart, Barnes & Noble and Target. Wal-Mart is also not likely helping the mall and could possibly be encouraged to relocate, freeing the space for anchors like the ones i mentioned. What the mall may not bring in with higher end merchandise it can make up with diverse, fun store offerings to provide a more all-in-one experience. This will help to fill in the dark stores within and make it more competitive. As for right now, Rock Hill Galleria is still a moderately successful mall, but it will have to strive to better market itself if there is ever any hope the public will view it as a true shopping destination.

Monroe Mall: Monroe, NC

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

While nothing truly spectacular, Monroe Mall still holds its own in Charlotte retail. Now located in Charlotte's metropolitan area, the mall is located just far enough from other malls in the region to remain marginally successful. However, the mall is by no means a draw for the rest of the Charlotte region primarily drawing mainly from residents living in or near Union County and residents of nearby Charlotte suburbs still finding the mall convenient. If closer to Charlotte, the mall would probably be on a death watch, but at around 25 miles from Uptown Charlotte, it stays comfortably far enough away with the added benefit of not being located on an interstate meaning that the drive to other malls in the region is still a major ordeal with congestion on U.S. 74.

Monroe Mall is also a very small, dark and basic mall for a small city in the South featuring the typical roster of Belk, JCPenney and Sears although this anchor line-up in the past was far more interesting than today. At one point the mall was truly endangered as new retail projects in the sprawling southeastern suburbs threatened the mall, but mishaps coupled with a weak economy along the way have protected it for the near future. The mall's recent renovation coupled with Belk's major expansion have also shown that the 3 anchors' commitment to the mall helps.

Despite its small size, there is much spooky about this mall. I am unsure of what this entrance is, though. The first photos is a photo in the middle of the mall showing how dark it is. Typical of malls in that period, little natural light was planned in the design. Photos by Mike Kalasnik.

Another mystery shop sitting vacant in a cove next to Sears. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

A children's play area...a creative, while very non-lucrative way to fill a void. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

JCPenney greets shoppers with a dark glass mall entrance typical of the era. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Another dark shop near center court. The lack of many trendy shops will be the biggest factor in its eventual demise. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Next to Belk is this greenhouse fronted store. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Monroe Mall first opened in August 1979 as a somewhat lower-end shopping mall featuring the same Belk and JCPenney, but the other two anchors were quite different with Woolco forming the southeast end and regional player The Collins Company built in on the northeast as a junior anchor. The most significant anchor, however, is Belk. Why this is important is that this is where Belk got started opening a store in Monroe in 1888. This same store is the one that relocated to the mall from downtown when the mall opened. As the story goes, Belk as a company moved Uptown literally by snatching up Charlotte's Efird's Department Store, and the rest is history. As to the mall, the mall would certainly be strange if it lacked a Belk, but at the same time it was sad to see the very first store downtown close down because of the mall.

Here is a brighter wing of the mall looking dead on the right, alive on the left. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

More of the same. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Sears mall entrance originally opened to Woolco and, for awhile, Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always seems to be a VERY bad anchor for malls, but I never seem to understand why. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Belk here sports a new logo on one of their otherwise coolest 70's designs...but something is sadly missing. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.


A year before, this is how it looked. Note the brassy overhang that was removed. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken May 2010.

Belk Kids, now Belk Children since the logo change. I guess "Kids" did not sound very professional. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken May 2010.

Two of the original anchors did not last very long after the mall opened. Woolco folded in 1983 leaving a dead anchor for several years and The Collins Company sold out to Peeble's in 1984. Woolco would eventually be filled by Wal-Mart, arriving in 1986 in their expansion strategy in the state. Nothing else drastic happened until 1998 when Wal-Mart decided it was time to trade up to a Super Center, leaving the mall in 1998. Once again, the former Woolco found itself vacant until Sears finally took over the spot, opening at the beginning of March 2001. However, despite all of these anchor changes, the mall never underwent a single expansion in that entire period. Peeble's, however, appears to have made the mall a little smaller leaving the mall sometime after 2006. Today that location is filled by Interior Solutions.

JCPenney here features one of its stores from its ugliest era. While outlandish throughout the 70's, this is just plain as dirt. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.


Around the back side of the mall is this spooky looking mall entrance that was tempered by the addition of the new mall logo. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Here is another angle of that same mall entrance. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Located just east of Sears is this empty store. It is unclear what this was, but it appears to have been a former grocery store of some kind, probably Winn-Dixie or Food Lion. It last operated as Big Lots closing this past year. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

A high resolution map image is provided here of the mall's directory. Sans vacancies, it's a pretty typical small town mall now in an increasingly tough position. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

A look along the Sears wing. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011

In 2011, Monroe Mall has the potential to grow, but it seems to be continuing the organic route partly due to the relatively limited footprint the mall is on...a typical problem for the oldest malls in the state. The only expansion at the mall that has taken place is the new addition to Belk underway. Coupled with this is a renovation of the mall completed in 2010. Despite these changes, competition from Charlotte does continue to have an effect on the mall. Mall offerings remain limited, and vacancies are a problem in the 32 year old mall. Still, it could be far worse. Belk's expansion shows that there is still plenty of faith in the mall even with a struggling mall and economy.

Sears is here to inform you that they are far too cheap to make an old Wal-Mart not look like one. You could just change the sign out front to "Goodwill" and nobody would know the difference. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Luckily, Belk was captured prior to its remodel on the outside in these images. This is one of my very favorite late 70's designs Belk used although the 90's teal paint-over was very inappropriate.. You can almost hear The Eagles song "I Can't Tell You Why" if you stare at this long enough. Unfortunately this has now been torn off in the remodel and expansion. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Here, we see new tacked onto the old. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Here, a chained off former outside entrance now peers into the new part. I assume Belk Kids, Children, Young'ins, whatever will probably move into this space when completed. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Here's the Belk store for the little whippersnappers for now. Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Monroe Mall could have been headed in a very different direction, though, if a planned regional mall had opened to the northwest. Plans were set in the middle of the last decade to build an enclosed shopping mall where U.S. 74 meets I-485, and plans remain in the works to build a lifestyle center two exits north on I-485 known as the Bridges at Mint Hill. I-485 has definitely not been a help to the mall as the city was formerly much more isolated from Charlotte, but now traffic moves more freely in the area with once far-removed Carolina Place Mall now a much faster drive down the interstate, which opened a decade ago. While I-485 pulls enough on the mall, a new regional mall at the fore mentioned location would have devastated the aging mall, pulling away all the anchors and leaving the mall deserted. Economic-influenced delays coupled with General Growth's bankruptcy have combined to stall both projects, so Monroe Mall at least for now is able to survive.

These old "Open Tonight Until X" should make anyone wax nostalgic. The time was usually lit up as well. Some old photos I saw showed a Loveman's in Birmingham having one of these classy features, too. Now we just get the dorky door stickers. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Ongoing construction on the Belk store. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Belk here features its "new" look. Belk still builds attractive stores, but this one doesn't hold a candle to the older look. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Close-up of the Belk entrance. At least it has brick and metal instead of just a blob of stucco. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Belk is here to inform you they are still open, but no longer cool. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Pathetic, just pathetic. Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Monroe Mall's good luck, though, should not mean they should relax and forget about what almost happened. It would be wise for the owners to consider expanding the mall, luring in a new, solid anchor such as Dillard's or a big box anchor to broaden the mall's appeal. Obviously land issues would make this difficult, but at the same time not impossible with most likely expansion through the existing Sears. Located a hair from Charlotte's most sprawling suburbs, the mall still has a fighting chance, but not for long. As the smallest and oldest operating mall on the eastern side of Charlotte, it is important to consider that a few cosmetic renovations will not keep the mall competitive in the long term especially with the amount of vacancies it has. With areas between Monroe and I-485 prime for a huge retail expansion, when this growth comes it can work either as a compliment or detriment to the mall. So far, though, the mall has been pretty lucky.

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A Google Maps image of the mall. On street view, you can see how the mall looked outside before the last renovation.

Here is a video taken in 2010 by Mike Kalasnik of the mall prior to the Belk renovation and with Big Lots operating a store in the now vacant store pictured above.

Eden Mall: Eden, NC

2011-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

The South is littered with tiny malls that probably should never have been built. They are usually isolated enough in small cities that they really do not do very well, but offer enough to the community to linger. Usually, the mall opened in better times before the city's main industrial base declined and retail outside of downtown was not yet established. Nearby, there might have been a grocery store, but nothing that could really compete with the mall. Eventually, as the suburban retail offerings in the city expand, and the base of shopping dwindles due to the local economy, the mall either drifts to alternative uses or outright fails. Stores that remain in the mall begin to vacate to nearby strip centers. Better stores in nearby larger cities also begin to move closer to the mall's market area chipping away at any market share it might have had. This is because growth in the area was too stagnant to insulate the mall when this occurred. In the case of Eden, probably all of this applied.

The town of Eden itself has a strange history as the consolidation of three separate towns in 1967 known as Leaksville, Spray and Draper. The town got its name from its origin as a large estate that existed in the 1700's that was also named Eden. Today it is a city with nearly 16,000 residents: a population not adequate for much more than a Wal-Mart and a couple grocery stores. Add to this that better shopping is available close by across the state line in Danville, Virginia. Additionally, the larger municipalities of the Piedmont Triad to the southwest offer a broader range of choices that have grown increasingly upscale. Thrown all together, the mall was destined to fail from the very beginning.

Views of this mall take you back to a simpler time...architecturally. It was hardly one of the showier malls built in 1980, and from this angle it looks like a middle school. The first photo, however, shows that the retro skylights found in the former Kmart wing are basic, yet profound. The photo above is in the Belk wing. All photos in this post were taken by digitalsky on February 19, 2011.

Center court features a few small skylights and the cylinder light fixtures, which still look classy today.

Here is a former restaurant in the mall. Fast food? Morrison's Cafeteria?

The wall mural in the background was originally the Kmart mall entrance. I would so love to see a pic of any Kmart mall entrance prior to the logo upgrade in 1992.

While you're probably out of luck on finding a summer outfit in the mall part, you can still get your nails done!

Eden Mall's origins dated to 1980 when the mall first opened. With its disco-themed appearance, the mall sported anchors Belk Cline, Kmart and Globman's, a Martinsville, Va. based store. Belk is located on the west end of the mall, Globman's was on the north end and Kmart on the east end. The first few years were most likely also its most successful as well. The mall joined an enormous boom in mall construction in smaller cities that came on the heels of phenomenal success for malls in larger cities. In North Carolina, Belk was heavily influential in this boom of small town shopping malls as they attempted to upscale their image, market share and offerings.

You know it's vintage when you see the diagonal wood. You know it's sleazy when a no-name cafe with a letter board is the only hot meal in the mall.

I'm assuming mall management is too strapped to fix this train wreck storefront. This is on the opposite side of the Globman's/Peeble's wing.

Mail Boxes, Etc, high speed internet and Publisher's Clearinghouse Gimmicks all wrapped into one neat little package! Seeing that this store took up some space, I would love to know its history.

Diagonal wood and lattice. I assume the store on the left was Foot Locker, but I have no clue on the right.


Funky and sinister looking diagonal wood sits next to a shop sporting a faux Colonial facade. This is found on the former Globman's/Peeble's wing.

The mall's fortunes came into question by the early 1990's. With a high vacancy rate, the mall was also in a time warp. By this time, national chain retailers within the mall started to flee. First, Globman's closed at the mall, but the store was then immediately filled by Peeble's. The worst hit came, however, when major anchor Kmart closed at the mall. The closing of the store was also not part of the later restructuring, but came much earlier when it shut down at the mall in 1994 when Kmart was still truly competitive with Wal-Mart and the discount store market had more players. By this point, the mall was already being re-purposed as a haven for non-traditional tenants. This was a move made by many of the ailing shopping malls in that era before the building boom of the 2000's resulted in the demolition of many of these failing malls. Eden Mall, however, did not enjoy the building boom that gripped the larger cities of the South, thus it managed to survive in its diminished capacity.

Belk here blends shiny copper with fake stone, but they have the mall entrance firmly shut. Nevertheless, they are still putting up a new sign. I guess this is a reminder to the few patrons of the mall that yes, there is still a Belk here, but no, they are not going to lose any air conditioning to this hole.

Close-up of mall entrance doors with "Used Front Door Entrance" on the mall side and "Not An Exit" on the other side.

Inside Belk, store merchandise is placed in front of the former mall entrance.

Overhead lights inside Belk

Here is some vintage decor inside the Belk.

Today, Eden Mall is in the twilight zone. The mall is effectively dead with no chain store operations at all except for Belk. Almost the entire mall is made up of small shops and offices filling less than 50 percent of the empty shops, and the mall is in near disrepair never having received a single renovation since the day it opened 31 years ago. Curiously, however, Belk hangs on at the mall. I assume that Belk just has not found a strip shopping center to anchor onto. Peeble's did, however, relocating to Kingsway Plaza in 2008. Belk, however, simply snubs the mall having sealed off their mall entrance since Peeble's fled to higher ground. The Belk store itself looks as old as the mall, but even then it still got the new sign treatment with the blue flower and loopy letters: even on the mall entrance.

Inside Belk, it is obvious that maintenance of the building is lacking judging by this water damage. This was a brand new sign and was already falling apart!

In front of Belk is, well was, a mall directory. Leave your business card there, though, and you might get a free lunch!

NC DMV must be in partnership with all the dead malls, because this brings in guaranteed business. The ceilings above this "store" also seem to look a bit older than 1980.

Here is the former Peeble's, originally Globman's, mall entrance at the end of the smaller north wing. Note the lights on inside on what is now the Eden Events Center.

Inside the Eden Events Center, it still looks like a department store...sort of.

The mall today hangs on with obviously the bare minimum for upkeep. New uses have been rather creative, however, such as the events center situated in the former Globman's/Peeble's store. What once sold blouses and perfume recently hosted a wrestling match. A DMV office also draws frowning traffic into the mall, and "Eden Business Center" seems to be an odd hybrid of Mail Boxes, Etc., a sweepstakes portal and internet cafe. DMV offices seem to be a good fit for dead malls considering at least two other malls I covered had them. Still, with the many dead malls I have covered, this one may possibly rate as one of the trashiest, most forgotten and most forlorn malls ever to still have the lights on.

THIS has to be one of the best examples of an unsightly Mom N Pop makeover of a mall tenant. They even put in their own doors and painted on "awnings". It's somewhat endearing, I guess.

This florist here captures more of that "last chance" spirit next to the mural that appears to depict a big waterfall. The only thing I expect to be falling here are ceiling tiles.

The reference is clearly to the Garden of Eden having this apple here, but I can't help but have Ruckzuck from Newton's Apple playing in my head when I look at this.

Full-scale view of the front mall entrance shows that the mall sought to use staggered geometrics to draw in customers. It must not have worked very well. Is the sign original?

Another view of the Eden Mall main entrance looking east (it faces south).

Judging by the appearance of the mall, the days for this mall may have been prolonged about 15 years or so, but its days are numbered at least as a public retail operation. With Belk being the last legitimate retailer, it does absolutely nothing for the rest of the mall. I believe they will eventually relocate if given the chance, but they may have to build their own store considering the complete lack of new shopping centers in the area. Why that has not already happened I cannot figure out. Once Belk goes, I expect the mall will probably close. What will take its place is anyone's guess. I am sure that it could function well as a school, church, medical center, corporate offices or government multimodal facility. It could also sit empty until it deteriorates beyond repair as well.

The Belk store at the mall now has the new logo and one of its most popular styles from the era of single level stores as well. The clean looking store stands at contrast to the pothole-filled empty parking lot.

Closer inspection, though, shows some details have been overlooked such as the burnt out and damaged light fixture in front of Belk.

Kmart from the front of the mall looks to be in pretty decent condition considering it has been abandoned for 17 years. It looks like it got an early remodel, too, with the red K with the cursive "mart".

Peebles here is a plain vanilla box with an awning that has all the charm of a garage door on a warehouse.

Close-up of the awning with "Eden Events Center" down in the Everlast branding style. It's a perfect fit for "rasslin'".

Eden Mall pretty much can be summed up by the average person to be a total economic loss and a complete dump. The Biblical Eden probably was as well after it's two most famous residents were evicted. For modern history buffs and retail enthusiasts, however, this mall is amazing. The chance of finding any well-preserved, largely unmodified 1980 shopping mall in 2011 is remote, but they do exist if you know where to look. I personally have not yet had the chance to visit this mall, but I hope to see it one day to get a few pics of my own. I might not have even known about it had I not been tipped-off about it, but thanks to digitalsky here I have this excellent collection of photos of a mall that clearly has seen better days.

Thwe back entrance to Kmart, which was like all mall-based Kmarts only accessable through the mall.


The back parking lot of the Kmart found new use as a Go-Kart track.

Words fail me.