Holaaaaaaaaa! Ladies and Gentlemen we gather here today to remember the Saddest Mall in America. At one time the Fashion Center Mall in Redneckville, Arkansas was a pretty nice little small town mall. There was a Penny’s, an Alco, a few locally owned clothing stores, a Maurices, a Goody’s a Hastings Records and Books, a Mall Twin Movie Theater, Betty’s Hair Salon, a children’s clothing store and Ye Old Ice Cream Parlor.
Over the last decade or so though, stores began leaving the mall. Some store owners simply retired and closed down. Others just weren’t profitable enough and became victims of corporate downsizing. As stores moved out, there just wasn’t anyone waiting to move in. So stores started papering over their windows and the mall got sadder and sadder over time. Anyone who ever read my old blog will remember that I declared The Fashion Center Mall “The Saddest Mall in America.” Here’s a little video I shot from inside the mall a few years ago…
Well, now that mall is all locked up. The Penny’s is still there, located in the very front of the building so the only entrance to the store is from the front parking lot. Over on the north side of the building you can still find Little Caesar’s Pizza, the barber shop I frequent and the Shelter Insurance office that has been there since I was a little kid. Those are all accessed from the north parking lot though. All of the interior stores (as of five years ago I think there were only four left) are gone.
Worst of all it’s no longer open for mall walkers. I don’t know where all the old people are going to go now to get their walking done. Oh sure, they could go walk around the lake, but it’s very hot and humid here in the summer. Walking inside the mall is a much nicer experience. The A/C helps keep people from overheating and the benches and water fountains allow people the chance to take a little break and sit and shoot the breeze for a couple of minutes before finishing their walk. Management appears to have no intention of reopening or doing anything to recruit new tenants.
Goodbye sad little mall. You will be missed.
11 comments:
So sad when the world loses a mall...what's to become of us, Jayman?
I've seen more than one mall bite the dust here in St. Louis. But another one always seems to spring up somewhere else to take its place.
Damn something similar happening to a smaller, less visited mall in my area where I used to work. All the shops are closing down, and its going to be closed soon, and it is right next to a large old folks community. It is a sad scene :(
I lived in a town for a while that had a dying mall. It was just mall walkers and a food court for a long time.
The WalMart was right next door, and it was always packed. to the gills (I assume WalMarts have gills).
Fortunately, I pulled all of my money out of small malls a few years back and invested in video rental stores instead.
Perhaps if they had played more upbeat music it would have remained a hub bub of activity. Cheers Jayman!!
Matt
Jamie: It is a very sad day for Redneckville and America.
Jay
Mike: There won't be another spring up here though.
Jay
dopdavid: It's happening all across America dude.
Jay
dopdavid: It's happening all across America dude.
Jay
Katy: You are a brilliant investor! Well done! Also, this mall once had a food court. Well, a sandwich shop and pizza joint. They were only there for like three months though.
Jay
Matt: I tried to get there to change to playing hip hop music, but they wouldn't listen. Now look what happened?
Jay
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