Welcome to Part 2 of the Century III journey. Since our inaugural publication of this series, Century III is now almost a memory. The former Sears and a lingering hollowed out piece of the mall are all that remain as of press time. Demolition of the rest of the hulking structure, was commenced at the behest of the Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, Jr in January of 2024. Criminal charges were filed against absentee owners, Moonbeam Capital Investments LLC. Preceding this decision were numerous incidents. Vandalism, a series of arrests including trespassing by social media influencers, personal injury, a fire, all culminated in a tense public hearing where angry and concerned citizens demanded action. More on these developments in our third and final piece of the story, but first we need to dig through the series of events that ultimately led us here.


By the close of the 1980’s, developments both locally and behind the scenes at the firm responsible for its very existence, would lead to Century III Mall being uprooted from its perch at the top of the Pittsburgh retailing scene. The first, albeit not the most directly responsible would be the fallout from the collapse of the city’s vast steel industry. While these issues ultimately began when the mall was first being envisioned, and were not limited to just Pittsburgh, the effects have long lingered. Among the highest paid of industries thanks to the 1973 Steelworkers Experimental Negotiating Agreement, contract strikes and competition from abroad, as well as dwindling demand from the postwar boom put a strain on the industry at large. Between 1980 and 1983, the Steel City’s workforce fell from 1 million to 905,000(1) and would continue to fall. Many corporations relocated or expanded to the South, and employees followed. Most of these workers lived in our around the area that Century III came to anchor.

I will not profess any in-depth knowledge of the steel industry’s collapse other than what is mentioned here, and as stated the failings and downfall not only impacted just Pittsburgh, but vast areas of the Rust Belt at large. Moreso, corporate machinations and the fallout of one of the biggest retail blunders in history, bore the majority of the blame for the downfall of Century III.

In 1986, Century III builder and owner, Edward J. DeBartolo engaged in an attempt to buy out the Allied Department Stores chain, owners of such storied names as Bonwit Teller, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Jordan Marsh and others. They were in a bidding war with Canadian developer Robert Campeau who was looking to expand his real estate portfolio to the US. Campeau initiated a hostile takeover, and came out on top. The Allied conglomerate was sold for $3.6 billion in November of 1986. DeBartolo, for his trouble, would come to an agreement to co-own five of Allied Stores’ built shopping malls as a thank you for loaning $100 million. DeBartolo was also able to purchase a 50 percent stake in Cleveland based Higbee’s, the other half going to Little Rock, AR based Dillard’s.

Two years later, Campeau announced intent to purchase Cincinnati based Federated Department Stores, owners of such stores as Lazarus, Bloomingdale’s, I. Magnin and Burdines. Campeau would enter into a hostile takeover there as well. This time he was fighting R.H. Macy and Company for the Federated buyout rights. As before, DeBartolo was courted by Campeau, this time to loan $400 million. The purchase was completed in July 1988, for $6.6 million total. Campeau and DeBartolo were riding high, envisioning a lofty partnership and expanding operations brought upon by the merging of two major department store holding companies. This was not to be the case. The back to back purchases increased Campeau’s overall debt, and he was unable to pay back the loans. Even with divesture or closure of certain brands among the merged groups, bankruptcy was inevitable. Filings for Chapter 11 were made by the dawn of 1990, DeBartolo called off their agreement,and the whole ordeal was one of the biggest retail failures recorded. Federated emerged from bankruptcy, though continued to pair down redundant operations. This was especially evident in the ironic purchase of Macy’s, their former suitor, by Federated from their own bankruptcy in 1994. This would entice them to retire more nameplates over the ensuing years for that of Macy’s.

How does this factor in to Century III? Well for starters, this was the precedent of the eventual downfall of DeBartolo’s namesake company. Riddled with debt from the loans that couldn’t be paid back, DeBartolo sold to Dillard’s the remaining stake in Higbee’s, and sold off three malls by 1992. The company opted to go public as a real estate trust in 1993 under the name DeBartolo Realty, with son Edward DeBartolo, Jr as chairman. The following year, Edward J. DeBartolo died at the age of 85. DeBartolo, Jr was more focused on ownership of the San Francisco 49ers(owned since 1977) and would ultimately face legal issues tied to riverboat gambling in Louisiana. Faced with mounting pressure, the company was bought by Indianapolis based Melvin, Simon and Associates in 1996, becoming the Simon DeBartolo Property Group.

Simon’s stamp on Century III was swift. The former Gimbels space was filled with TJ Maxx and Marshalls, each splitting the lower and upper floors, respectively. While TJ Maxx converted to their “&More” segment by 1998, Marshalls closed becoming Wickes Furniture. Lazarus also called the mall home by this time, replacing Horne’s in 1994. Aside from changing anchor lineups, Simon immediately embarked on a remodeling project. Gone were the dark, dimly lit hallways, original light fixtures, center court observation area, red carpet and 70s opulence. The fountain and stage that graced the center court were ripped out and cemented over. In their place, new skylights to allow more natural light, contemporary carpeting and seating areas, and a refreshed food court would be introduced. “Pittsburgh Reflections” was meant to be kept on after the remodeling, but was accidentally damaged and had to be removed.

By 1999, Lazaurus closed due to under-performance and was replaced with Kaufmann’s Furniture Galleries. Nearby developments such as the opening of The Waterfront in nearby Homestead, as well as Southside Works, also drew away customers with refreshed shopping environments in more convenient locations. South Hills Village was also purchased by Simon, who continued to capitalize on the momentum gained by their own expansion and remodeling around the same time as C-III completed theirs. Slowly but surely, the new shine on C-III was beginning to dull. More anchor changes through the 2000s would hasten the changing tide.

Wickes Furniture and TJ Maxx would depart by the early 2000s, being replaced with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Steve & Barry’s respectively. In 2005, Federated Department Stores purchased The May Department Stores, Inc for $11 billion. By the following year, all May nameplates, except for Lord & Taylor would be changed to Macy’s, Federated’s newly christened showpiece brand of the company. This resulted in Kaufmann’s changing over, ending the brand’s 136 year storied Pittsburgh history. The furniture gallery followed suit, albeit reduced to the lower level, before closing entirely by 2009. In the midst of this change, Simon pursued a buyer, however the economic recession of 2008 stalled this. Instead, by 2011 Simon would default on their $78.9 million loan on the property, deciding to offload instead of upholding continued investment. Fellow Simon properties South Hills Village and Ross Park Mall were the new kings in town. Jones Lang LaSalle would handle leasing and managerial duties, until another buyer was found.

This new buyer, unbeknownst at the time, would be the catalyst for Century III’s final chapter. Las Vegas based Moonbeam Capital Investments LLC would purchase the mall for $10.5 million in June of 2013. The following year, Sears would close their store. Moonbeam announced plans to demolish the old Wards/Horne’s/Lazarus building for a multiplex theater, as well as a demolition of the mall section linking that with Sears, turning the mall into a partially open air center.

It was with this news, I decided to visit Century III for the first time. It was a cold, rainy day in November of 2015. Little did I know, I was witnessing the last breaths of a mall that up until this point was still doing decent enough business, considering recent developments. More visits would follow.

I was about to start a long documentation of a once proud mall in slow decline. An arduous, agonizing fade to black full of broken promises, pissed off townspeople and leadership, and the loss of an architectural and commercial powerhouse. That story to follow, in Part 3.

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Well, it’s been a day shy of a year since my last post, here. Why you may ask? A multitude of reasons. The least of which, I just haven’t been able to find the creative spark to write. Not to say that I don’t enjoy this, but I have been focused more on the visual medium side of this creative equation as of late. I have a lot of ideas of posts to write, and I don’t ever know what to start with. The ideas just bounce off the corners of my ADD afflicted brain. The endless Flickr backlog catch-up project has taken up the bulk of my time, and summer always leads to more trips to discover more, or re-discover places already trodden. Some might say, it’s a whopper of an endeavor. And with that, let’s dovetail into today’s topic, shall we?

We’ll be taking a look at two Burger King restaurants today. From the outside, they are your normal run of the mill BK specimens, from an era before the bland minimalist “shoebox” remodels that have taken hold lately. Inside however, diners are greeted with neon lights, movie posters, Cadillac inspired booths, and movie star head-shots. These were part of a series of interior remodels that were rolled out throughout the 1990s and into the early aughts to hearken back to both 50s Rock ‘n Roll and Hollywood culture and aesthetics. These two here, embrace the Hollywood.

The first, located in the Douglaston - Little Neck section of Queens, adjacent to the Nassau County line dates to 1991. A 1999 remodel embraced the neon clad, movie star laden interior you’ll see in the following photos. The building was an outlot of the currently dying Douglaston Plaza. Once home to Macy’s and Toys “Я” Us, the center originally started out life as an E.J. Korvette branch.

Outside, it’s fairly normal proceedings. A grey metal roof, wall of windows, and a small blue stucco appendage sticking up out of the roof-line, showcasing the dated as soon as it came out, “blue swoosh” BK logo of 1999. But inside, well have a look...

Alas, just a couple months after these photos were taken, this location closed. It still sits, boarded up and forgotten.


Our second stop, is further east out on the Island in Stony Brook, NY. This Burger King dates to the late 1960’s, in the era of its earliest Mansard roofed locations that would grace the countryside well into the 90s. The only outside change were its roof painted blue, and a logo refresh.

This location goes even further down into the depths of Hollywood excess, and we are here for it. Giant pink neon stars graced the ceiling over the dining room. A Marilyn Monroe standee greets diners, replicating that famous subway grate scene from 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch”. More car themed booths, as well. Each divider, a 50s Television set. The fate of this location? Remodeled around the time of the Covid-19 lockdowns.. just another box.

As of press time, there are still a few of these neon clad gems around. One in Amityville, NY continues the Hollywood theme. In Maryland, three are still showcasing the Rock n’Roll theme that was the accompanyment to this decor package seen here. A fourth, also in Maryland, sits empty, neon lights dark. If there are others you know of, feel free to drop a comment and share!

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Established in 1971 by Cyprus immigrants Eddy and son Chris Millouras, Eddy’s has served the Upstate New York city of Kingston for 53 years, at its long time home at 742 Broadway. The restaurant shuts down tomorrow as of this writing, closing a long chapter of food service and hospitality in Kingston.

Growing up in Kingston, I always heard about Eddy’s and passed by all the time. My father told me stories of many visits there with my brother when he was younger, but I never made the time to stop. That was until I found this post on a restaurant review blog, that finally spurred me to get off my ass and finally make it right. I was glad I did.

The first thing that strikes you, is just how old-school the place is. It harkens back to the golden age of walk-in, counter service, greasy spoon diners. Far few of these exist outside of NYC these days, lest you pass through an increasingly gentrified upstate town who passes whatever relics remain as polished, price gouging faux retro tourist traps (not all of them, I promise.)

Next, once your greeted warmly by Chris, with his red shirt and white apron, you are served a warm homemade breakfast of your choosing. My go-to was always eggs, scrambled with cheese, home fries (best I’ve had since this place.. hopefully some of you remember it), and toast. Sometimes I would add on some bacon. Piping hot coffee, served with cream in a metal saucer. Just perfect. I regrettably never tried Chris’ other famous staple: the turkey sandwich. Made fresh from a whole turkey sliced in-house.

Wood paneled walls, a cozy atmosphere, and service with a smile. All things getting harder to find these days. As of late, Chris’ daughter Rebecca has taken over the waitressing duties from his wife (on recent visits, anyhow) and right up until the end, you are served the same way you always have been. Also, to finish off the old school charm, this is a cash only operation.

There is a future for Eddy’s. The local Daily Freeman reports that locally based owners will be taking the reigns, giving the place a makeover and reopening within a few weeks. What this makeover entails, I am not sure.. details are not forthcoming. I have a feeling we will be seeing the last of the wood paneling, open kitchen and old school charm this place posesses. I hope I am wrong. Or at least, someone saves those Royal Crown Cola menu boards from a dumpster.

I regretfully will not make it back for the last day, but I hope I can swing by the new operation when I am back over the Christmas holiday. I look forward, with a little trepidation, to what comes next.

Thank you Chris, and family for making one little piece of Kingston tolerable in an ever changing community, to this author who wanted nothing more than to get out. Other than family, you were one of the few reasons I ever came back.

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As of this writing, Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights. MI will be forever sealed to the public, by the close of this weekend. In its place will rise a community grid, mixed use development dubbed “Lakeside Town Center”, a faux downtown for a suburban city that doesn’t currently have one. One community center, to replace another. Upon the mall’s opening 48 years ago, that was its purpose. To unite the community of Sterling Heights together, as a central gathering place. However, in the changing face of consumer spending and social norms, the old must be replaced with the new. At least the art sculptures will remain…

The project was first announced in 2022, by current owners Out of the Box Ventures, a subsidiary of Lionheart Capital of Miami, FL. Out of the Box purchased Lakeside Mall from Spinoso Real Estate in 2019, with plans to initially find ways to bring the declining mall back to life, with offices and other uses to supplement the mall. The Covid-19 pandemic put those plans to a halt, shut the mall down for months due to state mandated lockdowns, and when the dust settled and the doors reopened, it was clear its life as a functioning shopping mall was at an end. Partnering with the city, they embarked on a plan to rejuvenate the area and help keep Sterling Heights, a very well-to-do area, vibrant.

Lakeside Mall opened March 2nd, 1976, a joint venture by Sears’ Homart Development and Taubman Centers, headed up by namesake A. Alfred Taubman. Located along Hall Road (20 Mile Road) in Sterling Heights, the center boasted 1.5 million square feet of space. Lakeside opened the same day as its sister mall and fellow Taubman creation, Fairlane Town Center, 45 minutes away in Dearborn. Both malls featured standard Taubman design cues such as marble floors, geometric space age architecture throughout, and sculpture laden anchor courts with conversational seating pits. A large fountain and stage were the centerpieces of the dual central atrium. An ice rink and movie theater rounded out the proceedings.

Anchors at the onset were Sears, JCPenney, Crowley’s, and Hudson’s. Lord and Taylor added on in 1978. Homart would sell its share of the property to Rodamco in 1988. By the close of the 90s, Crowley’s would go out of business and be converted to a secondary Hudson’s branch, and a food court would be added on the upper level adjacent to Sears, replacing the shuttered ice arena. Rodamco purchased the remaining partnership from Taubman in 2000. Both Hudson’s stores would convert to Marshall Field’s in 2001, and the following year would see the mall sold to the Rouse Company, after their purchase of a third of Rodamco’s portfolio.

By 2006, Marshall Field’s was changed over to the Macy’s nameplate. The following year, the start of Lakeside’s downward spiral occurred when The Mall at Partridge Creek opened a few miles east. This center, developed by Lakeside’s own Taubman Centers, was an open air mall, featuring high end stores as well as Nordstrom and (at the time) Parisian.

Lakeside’s ownership tried to spruce things up with the addition of Jeepers, and other big ticket stores, but to no avail. General Growth Properties, who by this time bought out The Rouse Company, planned a remodel of the mall to freshen up its aging look. They were only successful in realigning and remodeling one of the side hallways out to the parking lot before running out of steam and money.

2017 saw the mall enter foreclosure. General Growth defaulted on their $144 million loan, and management was taken over by Spinoso Real Estate. 2018 saw the closure of Sears, followed by Lord and Taylor the following year. As mentioned, since Covid-19, the mall has suffered continuously, and as of the close of the month, will be shut for good.

We are sad to lose the mall, but understand that this is ultimately what is best for Sterling Heights moving forward. In the meantime, we’ll be sure to pour out another Orange Julius for another fallen titan of retail. And you can still visit Fairlane, for now.

Lakeside Mall ~ March 2nd, 1976 - June 30th, 2024

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I first became aware of Jamestown Mall around 2017, when I stumbled on some YouTube videos filmed by the caretaker of the property. Shortly after, some since deleted videos from the owner of the Really Cool Stuff Shop store on the premises made the rounds. A story of a trespasser being arrested for a nighttime break-in, and other videos thereafter fell into my lap via the rabbit hole of research I traveled down. I knew I wanted in. The mall had been closed for about three years at that point and was still in pretty decent shape considering. All would change soon, and continue to spiral into almost unthinkable, absurd levels of destruction until the wrecking ball finally hit in the fall of 2023. But first, some backstory.

Jamestown Mall was developed by Cleveland, OH based developers Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs. St. Louis based Stix, Baer and Fuller and Sears would be the anchors of the 900k square foot mall, and entertainment would be provided by a two screen General Cinema, which came online in 1974. About 80 stores connected the two anchors, with two side hallways leading from the center court to the main parking lots on either side. Sculptures, built into fountain bathed reflecting pools, created by Cleveland based artist and sculptor Clarence Van Duzer lined the mall. He was a frequent collaborator to JVJ and put much of his work into their malls over the years. Skylights provided natural light to the planters and seating areas throughout. The grand opening was held on October 10th, 1973.

The mall was planned with the promise of future residential development to supplant it. However, it was quickly determined that the ground surrounding the mall was unstable, and building such large neighborhoods was out of the question. As such, the mall was left virtually alone, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Further west along Lindbergh Boulevard, many retail developments sprang up in the ensuing years. Despite the remote location, and never reaching full occupancy, the mall did well enough through the 70s and 80s. Many famous celebrities, including Rick Springfield, Muhammad Ali, and even a bear wrestling competition (illegal in MO today) would make their way to the mall’s corridors. According to the wonderful Riverfront Times write up, most of these famed events were all thanks to the mall’s manager of the time, Ronn Moldenhauer.

1978 saw the opening of Alton Square Mall just north of Jamestown in neighboring IL. This took a big chunk of planned consumer spending away, and was just one of many factors that worked against this place from the beginning. 1979 saw Moldenhauer leave for North Carolina, and ensuing management did not take advantage of community engagement as well as he had. Stix changed hands in 1984, having been bought by Dillard’s. Things remained relatively stagnant into the 90’s, but this would soon change.

Famous-Barr, a fellow St. Louis department store, owned by the May Department Stores conglomerate announced plans to open a new store at Jamestown. This would replace their aging store at the ailing Northland Mall in nearby Jennings. In addition, JCPenney would relocate their Florissant store to the mall, linked by a new 40k square foot addition connecting the two. A food court capable of seating 450 people would also be built next to Sears, resulting in the closure of the former General Cinema, by this time ran by the Wehrenberg circuit. The expansion was completed in the fall of 1994, with JCPenney coming online in 1995. The former River Roads Mall nearby also shut that year, and many customers flocked to Jamestown as well. The final addition, was to the west side of the mall, in the form of a 14 screen stadium seat Wehrenberg theater. The new complex was opened November 20th, 1998.

The shine on these new improvements to the shopping center were not to last. The year following the opening of the theater, JCPenney downgraded to their outlet store format. The new wing of the mall failed to generate enough stores to warrant its addition, with many spaces having never been occupied right to the end. By 2003, Jacobs was looking to part ways, and sold the center to Carlyle Development in 2003. By this time, the new traffic brought in by Jennings’ Northland and River Roads dual demise waned, and further economic downturn would hurt the mall. The closing of the Hazelwood Ford plant, and the opening of St. Louis Mills affected Jamestown greatly. The first major blow came with the closure of Dillard’s in 2006. Famous-Barr converted to Macy’s that same year due to Federated Department Stores’ purchase of The May Company’s holdings.

Carlyle had plans for the mall, and would have seen the conversion of the former Dillard’s into offices, as well as the conversion of the wing leading to it. The mall sealed off the Dillard’s end of the mall as stores closed. Outparcel retail, a senior living community, and a grocery store were also part of the plan. However, the Great Recession of 2008 ultimately killed these plans, coupled with the loss of investor and county financing when it was discovered that Carlyle was trying to auction off the Dillard’s parcel behind closed doors. A domestic murder-suicide took place on the property, further driving consumers away.

In 2009, the mall was purchased my Mike Kohan, of Kohan Retail Investment Group. Sears would close their store that year as well, leaving the mall at roughly half its occupancy. A study done through St. Louis County and the Urban Land Institute found the mall no longer viable in its current state, suggested the demolition of the mall and turnaround into a mixed use facility. A furniture liquidator would open up shop on the first level of the former Dillard’s in 2011. JCPenney would close their outlet store that same year, only for it to reopen under the ownership of SB Capital’s JC’s 5 Star Outlet replacement. They would last two more years, closing by late 2013. Kohan failed to pay utilities on the mall, and the property taxes, and ultimately foreclosed back to Carlyle for ownership of the building. Carlyle could also not afford to pay the back taxes, and after Macy’s shut their doors in January 2014, the mall finally closed for good on July 18th, 2014.

Unfortunately, the story would not end there. For nearly the next decade, shifting ownership, backroom deals, corruption, slow funding and a healthy dose of destruction would delay any progress of getting rid of this albatross that anchored the North County region. The first step was getting the property under one ownership. The mall was owned by Carlyle for the mall building and former JCPenney, Mike Kohan for the land the mall sat on, and the remaining anchor buildings were held by their respective owners. As mentioned, the mall had caretakers that kept trespassers at bay during this time, but when the Port Authority finally took ownership in 2018, this changed.

Local salvage companies were invited to prep the mall for demolition, resulting in the building being open to the elements, and all scrap worthy materials being taken out. It was during this time, I was given permission to enter the building to begin documenting, which I was able to do twice that year. The mall was a mess. It was evident that people were getting in, and mold and water damage were starting to take hold of the former Dillard’s building. Piles of furniture and appliances littered the former department store from when the liquidators operated there. However, the worst was yet to come.

In 2019, St. Louis County Executive Steven Stenger was charged with several counts of bribery and corruption, including for the redevelopment of the mall. He was later charged and sentenced to four years in prison. As such, the mall’s plans slowed down to a crawl, the salvage companies walked away, and the mall was left to rot. In 2020, a fire broke out in both the former Dillard’s and Macy’s, twisting one of the support beams inside the latter like a pretzel. Those piles of furniture I mentioned, had been lit ablaze by firebugs. Homeless and urban explorers called the mall home, and the building’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Burst water pipes flooded the Sears building, and mold spread throughout. Further proposals for the property came along, such as industrial use, mixed use, and even an Ag-Tech farm, but each was met with delays and setbacks. Funding was also an issue due to the Stenger scandal, but by 2022 $6 million was secured through the American Rescue Plan.

The mall would not go down quietly. Another major fire ripped through the building in April 2023, destroying a large swath of the building in front of Dillard’s. This was the final straw, and St. Louis County pledged to match another $6 million to the money gifted by the Feds, to secure demolition of the blighted property. The work began Tuesday September 26th, 2023 just shy of mall’s 50th anniversary. Not to be outdone, local firebugs set off some more fires in October in the former theater. It was left to smolder, and the mall has been brought down over the ensuing months. Today, just the footprint remains. Time will tell what development occurs, here. Meanwhile, here are some select photos showing the various levels of destruction over the years. Photos date to 2018 and 2023.

And finally, a few comparison pieces.

The food court.

Wehrenberg Jamestown Cine 14.

Famous-Barr

In all the destruction, bad press and plaguing nuisances that result from these dinosaurs of retail getting left to rot like this, one thing always remains clear; the memories of better times always outlast and prevail.

Finally, as of 2024 all the Clarence Van Duzer commissioned sculptures are accounted for. They are under ownership of the locally based Baucom’s funeral home and are on display at their locations.

Jamestown Mall ~ Florissant, MO. 1973 - 2023

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In Midwestern Elkhart, Indiana sits an abandoned Taco Bell. A small, Mission style building, long forgotten. These at one time, were ubiquitous with the chain. Taco Bell’s small humble beginnings can be traced back to Downey, CA. The first Taco Bell was opened in 1962, across the street from McDonald’s #3. That location, dubbed Numero Uno, was rescued from destruction in 2014 and placed on the corporate HQ in Irvine.

By 1978, the chain founded by namesake Glen Bell was purchased by PepsiCo. They quickly ushered in a new building boom of larger Mission style restaurants, that could be modified and built to serve various communities across America. In addition to larger dining rooms, and a more modest building style, all locations had the added convenience of the drive thru window. Pepsi would turn Taco Bell into a household name by the end of the 80s.

Elkhart’s surviving example, was opened at 3504 S. Main Street in 1977. Surviving into the 90s, as the interior would attest, the corporate powers that be decided to relocate directly across the street. The replacement restaurant was opened by 1997, the same year Pepsi would spin off Taco Bell and their other fast food offerings into Tricon Global Restaurants (today’s Yum! Brands). For at least another 10-15 years, the building would be home to Wok-Inn, a Chinese restaurant. However, by 2015 the building was vacated, and it has stayed in development limbo ever since.

The pictures above were taken on a sunny afternoon in June 2020. Fast forward to bleak April of 2024, and things have gotten much worse. The owners of the building, hailing from Indianapolis, have let the building fall into disrepair, and had orders in 2022 to settle code violations, or have the building face demolition. Meanwhile, vandalism and tagging have taken place, along with every other vacant building along this stretch of road. Upon my friend and I’s completion of our documentation on the current status of the property, we were quickly cornered by a brusk Colonel Sanders look-a-like city official asking if we were there to tag the structure, and demanding we leave immediately. No problem…

Surely, eventual demolition awaits this once pristine example of retro Taco Bell architecture. Two older examples in California have survived into the modern Taco Bell era, in Santa Barbara and Goleta, respectively. Seen below is another example of the restaurant style featured here. This location, in North Randall, OH was still open in June 2007 when this photo was taken. Today, it operates as Oinky’s Pork Chop Haven. A 2011 Google Streetview image shows the building with a portion of the original Taco Bell logo’s labelscar visible. Also seen, is the original opening where the tiny brass bell would have been.

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ground zero for the United States steel industry. It is here, where one of America’s most prolific shopping centers would be built, and for a time, stake the claim of the third largest shopping center in the country. Today, that mall is virtually a wasteland, brought down by slumlords and ripped apart by vandals and wannabe UrbEx influencers. The end may finally be imminent, but first we want to rewind back to the beginning.

That mall would come to be known as Century III Mall. Developed by Youngstown, OH based Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, the center was constructed on a plot of land owned by United States Steel as a slag dump. Slag is a by-product of the smelting process of ores and recycled metals. It was here, in suburban West Mifflin, that the slag was dumped off by special rail cars coming from the steel mills. Over the years, the material piled up as a man-made mountainous feature overlooking the land. Known locally as Brown’s Dump, US Steel wanted to turn the land into something more productive for the community by the turn of the 70s. Starting in 1969, USS Realty Corporation, a subsidiary of US Steel, started clearing land and developments sprang up in the area.

By 1976, DeBartolo partnered with USS Realty in the development of a 1.6 million square foot shopping mall, that would cost around $100 million to build. The name, Century III was chosen to reflect the nation’s recent bicentennial, the dawn of America’s third century. Construction would proceed over the next three years.

The mall opened in two phases. The first, featuring 75 stores as well as anchors JCPenney and Kaufmann’s opened on Wednesday October 24th, 1979. The Kaufmann’s was the Pittsburgh based chain’s fourth location, and clocked in at 121,300 square feet. JCPenney was larger, at just over 173k square feet, featuring an on site automotive center. Phase Two, featuring the mall’s food court dubbed “The Courtyard”, the remainder of the tenant lineup, as well as anchor Montgomery Ward, opened March 12th, 1980. Final anchors Sears and Gimbels would open by October. Sears and Montgomery Ward both featured on site auto centers, along with a full range of merchandise. Sears was the largest anchor of the mall, at 231,000 square feet of space. A large parking deck was built along the eastern side of the mall, starting from Kaufmann’s and wrapping around Sears and Wards to just east of the Gimbels store. This allowed for ample parking on the side of the property jutting up against the slag hill to the east. The mall itself was two levels, with a third level at the Sears and Wards end of the mall. It was at this apex, where the mall’s architecture really came to shine, with ramps, staircases and fountains in place, as well as a full length zig-zag patterned mirror along the west wall of Level 3.

Century III was the new kid on the block, and packed a punch almost immediately. The 80s were the prime years for the new shopping center, which was the largest in the Pittsburgh area at the time. Many nearby businesses used the mall as a directional reference, and some touted their proximity to the shopping mecca.

Throughout the complex was the brutalist achitecture that DeBartolo was known for, as well as several 1970s features such as fountains, wooden handrails, conversational seating areas, lush trees, mirrors and disco style lighting. The central atrium of the mall featured a grand stage in the middle fronting Kaufmann’s, and a circular fountain on the end closest to the elevator. Finally, a sculpture adjacent to the escalators on the north end of the atrium rounded out the proceedings. This sculpture was called “Pittsburgh Reflections”, designed by local artist H. Douglas Pickering.

The only change to the mall early on, was the closure of Montgomery Ward in 1986 after then owners Mobil Corporation decided to leave the Pittsburgh market. It was reoccupied, minus the auto center, as the newest location of Pittsburgh based Joseph Horne Company. 1988 saw the closure of Gimbels, whose owner, the American arm of BATUS(British American Tabacco) shut the chain down amid their bankruptcy. By the turn of the 90’s the story would turn grim, but I’ll save that part of the story for another day. In the meantime, enjoy the following photos of Century III in its prime, when malls ruled the scene and Pittsburgh was riding high before an inevitble economic shakeup would bring it all crumbling down.

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Earlier this week, it was reported that Wendy’s would be implementing “surge pricing”, like Uber, Lyft, and many others in the hospitality industry do, for their food at peak service times. This would be implemented by way of new digital menu boards. Per CEO Kirk Tanner, “Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing. We are planning to invest approximately $20 million to roll out digital menu boards to all US company-operated restaurants by the end of 2025.” I think Dave Thomas would disagree…

This drew immediate backlash, and as of press time, it has been dialed back considerably. A misunderstanding, per the company’s statement on the matter: "This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants. We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most," the company said.

Is this a simple save face moment in light of the swift rebuttal, or is their truth to the matter? Time will tell, I suppose. But we here at Retailpocalypse would like to take this opportunity to focus on another backtrack we would like to see implemented. The return to yellow. Not just the cups, packaging and napkins, but the buildings themselves. There was a time, not too long ago, you could still visit a Wendy’s with a yellow roof. That’s right, up until recently you could still find a handful of these retro locations, leftover from a bygone era, when they truly were “old fashioned”.

They could be found within the DelMarVa region of the United States, mainly in the Baltimore and Washington, DC areas, specifically. These restaurants were owned by DavCo, a Wendy’s franchisee dating back to 1976. Originally started as a division of The Krystal Company of Chattanooga, TN, DavCo would proceed to franchise several other restaurants throughout the country, but became Wendy’s #4 franchisee, and the oldest as of 2017. That year, they were sued by Wendy’s for multiple failures to upgrade their restaurants to the corporate image, among other things such as modern point of sale tech. Wendy’s was on a modernization kick, like fellow fast food giants, McDonald’s and Burger King. They wanted to ditch their old image once and for all, as it was deemed tired, old and out of place in the modern age. DavCo up until this point refused to go along with it. Why change what isn’t broken, after all? Many of their restaurants had been unchanged since the day they opened. Great for us, and those who enjoy this sort of thing. Bad for Wendy’s, who despite adoration for their founder, seems to want to move away from that down home, old fashioned image, more and more. Just because you can put Dave Thomas’ quotes on the wall, doesn’t make you Dave Thomas, but I digress…

Wendy’s won the battle, and DavCo was stripped of its franchise rights in 2017, with 140 restaurants being sold to NPC International of Overland Park, KS. The plan would be to remodel all exisiting restaurants by 2021. The pictures on this page were taken in 2019. Since then, the remodelings have come to pass, with a couple others shut down entirely. Now, they’re all the same. Glass boxes. No old fashioned feeling, no yellow roofs. While the colorful beads and newsprint tables were long gone by this point (well, almost), it was still a treat to see that glistening yellow, with the orignal roofline and Wendy herself smiling at you, welcoming you in.

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Kmart. When was the last time they were relevant on the retail scene? When was the last time you shopped at one? While it’s hard to believe now, at one point in time they were the hottest thing out there. Every city and town wanted one, and the majority of the time, they would receive their wish. Kmart was the pinnacle of the discount store era, and their stores dotted the nation. What better way to acknowledge their place in the consumer culture, than by erecting a huge sprawling office complex in the suburbs of Detroit, MI? A fortress showcasing their power to their hometown and beyond.

But first, let’s rewind a bit. Kmart was born in 1962, the discount store division of the S.S. Kresge dime store chain, created by executive Harry Cunningham. By this point, most Kresge stores were in downtown areas, which were in steady decline. Both department stores and dime stores of the era were looking to get out to the suburbs, and provide shoppers with more convenient locations, with ample parking that downtown locations could not provide.

The first official full size Kmart store opened March 1st, 1962 in Garden City, MI. It was 80,000 sq. feet. This was predated by a smaller store, at 24,000 sq. feet, opened January 25th that same year, in San Fernando, CA. Originally intended as a Kresge’s outlet, it was given the Kmart name at the last minute. With the opening of the Garden City store, the concept took off rapidly, with 18 stores open by the end of the year. While other discount chains had started prior to Kmart, this was the first discount store to take the country by storm, and Kresge embarked on a rapid expansion. Target and Walmart were founded the same year, in May and July respectively, but did not reach the same heights until later on. By the end of the decade, there would be 270 Kmart locations opened. The stores offered a full line of merchandise, ranging from both hardline goods to clothes, automotive service and gas stations, and even had leased supermarkets located within. For a more in-depth history of Kmart, please be sure to check out the wonderful Pleasant Family Shopping site.

By the late 60s, Kresge was outgrowing their downtown Detroit headquarters, and were looking for new digs. A plot of land was chosen at the corner of West Big Beaver Road and Coolidge Highway, located near the Somerset Mall (now Somerset Collection) in Troy. Designed by local architect firm Smith, Hinchman & Gryllis Associates, the complex stretched across 906,000 sq. feet of space. The space was created using a unique modular format, with 24 pods housing offices, and linked by interconnected walkways. Several peices of art were installed as well, including several works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Worhol, and others. The new headquarters opened in 1972, and was dubbed “Fort Kresge”.

By the end of the decade, the Kresge Corporation officially changed its name to The Kmart Corporation. By the 1980’s, there were over 3,000 stores in operation, and the Kresge stores that built the company were slowly shut down as leases expired. Some, to ride out long-term leases, were given the name Jupiter Stores, a bare bones, no frills operation. By all intents and purposes, Kmart was the clear winner, here.

By the 80’s, the Kmart brass was confident. Kmart was well known at this point. Things like their Blue Light Specials, and the phrase “Attention Kmart Shoppers” filled the American zeitgeist. In their hubris, management failed to take note of growing competition in the other parts of the country. The #2 retailer at the time, mis-management and ill conceived corporate descisions started to chip away at their empire. Aside from a few hits, such as the Super Kmart program, by the 90’s the company had run out of money, and stretched themselves thin by acquiring other businesses, such as Sports Authority and Borders Books. Stores were now perceived as old and tired, not having any major capital improvements done since their opening in most cases. The Big Kmart rollout in 1998, did little to alleviate the company’s problems. To the tune of $1.1 billion, a push to add more housewares and pantry items largely fell flat, as the stores were still viewed as cramped and dirty. By this point, Walmart had taken the lead on the supercenter format, and was encroaching on Kmart’s turf in every way. They would take the #1 retailer spot by the close of the decade.

On January 22nd, 2002 Kmart would file for bankruptcy. The largest such filing at the time, the chain would close hundreds of stores in a bid to reverse their waning fortunes. Billionaire, and kidnap victim Eddie Lampert bought Kmart out of bankruptcy, through his hedge fund ESL Investments. The company name would change to Kmart Holdings Corporation. The following year, Eddie Lampert would merge Kmart with Sears, a fellow struggling retailer, and create Sears Holdings Corporation.

In 2006, Kmart would move from its sprawling headquarters, by now just a shell of its former self, and pair with Sears at their massive Hoffman Estates, IL campus. That complex itself, was the replacement for Sears’ own headquarters, their namesake tower in downtown Chicago, IL.

The Kmart HQ was sold to Madison Marquette in December 2005, stripped of its artwork and office equipment, and was left vacant. Plans were drawn up to turn the site into a mixed use center with shops, a hotel, condos and office space. This never got off the ground, and the site was sold to Diamond Troy JV, LLC in 2006 for $40 million. They too, let the property sit, after first unveiling plans to turn the site into The Pavilions at Troy, to compliment the neighboring mall. The recession of 2008 killed those plans. Forbes, the owners of Somerset Collection, and that little finance magazine you may have heard of, bought the property in 2010 for $17.5 million.

All the while, the building’s namesake company continued to spiral out of existence as part of America’s Largest Liquidation sale. Both Kmart and Sears would close the majority of their stores by the close of the 2010s, with another bankruptcy occurring by 2018. Lampert, through his hedge fund dealings, would buy back Sears Holdings from bankruptcy, and leverage the vast real estate to basically purge both Kmart and Sears out of existence by way of his newly created venture, Transformco. This was nothing more than a real estate ploy, selling off closed stores and properties, whose land was more valuable than the brands themselves, by now. Michigan’s last Kmart, located in Marshall, would close by November 2021. The original that started it all, in Garden City, is now a vacant lot.

By November of 2023, demolition was started on the sprawling campus. It’s future remains uncertain, despite talks of Forbes having plans in the works. Most likely, a mixed use center, long planned for the site, will finally come to fruition. Time will tell, but we bid Fort Kresge adieu. As of press time, there are two Kmart stores left in operation in the continental US. One in Miami, FL and the other out on the far reaches of New York’s Long Island, in Bridgehampton. The rest are located on the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

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Tri-County Mall in the Cincinnati suburb of Springdale, OH sits quiet and abandoned. Security still patrols (don’t get any ideas, kids), and the mall is still glistening in pristine shape, almost like it is ready to open once again. But the future is cloudy. Until recently, there were pretty solid plans in place. A redevelopment project to turn the enclosed mall inside out, into a mixed use center called Artisan Village. The designs have changed through the course of the project. Originally set to repurpose several sections of the mall, and even reutilize some of the grand atirum skylights, financial restructuring and other hiccups have caused property owners, MarketSpace Capital and Park Harbor Capital to change course. Now, the property is threatened with foreclosure, in light of the Texas owners’ defaulting on their $28 billion loan to acquire the mall.

If you had said to me back in 2017, when I first visited the mall, that it would be closed 5 years later, I wouldn’t have quite believed it. Yes, it had some pockets of vacancy, namely the wing leading between Sears and the former JCPenney/Pogue’s building, plus the shuttered Dillard’s a few years prior. Despite this, foot traffic was good and the mall still seemed to do well considering. Compared to the husk of Forest Fair Mall two exits down I-275, things were great. The fact that,at the end, Tri-County closed BEFORE Forest Fair did, still surprises me. But, you know what they say about hindsight.

Perhaps I had thought positively too soon, for the following year saw the closure of Sears. Previous plans by Singapore based owners Sing Haiyi Group, to redevelop a portion of the property continued to languish in development, ultimately never seeing the light of day. The food court adjacent to Sears was shut, its food stalls walled over. The plan was to move the food court back to the main entrance, where it was originally located when the mall was first enclosed, but this too never happened. 2021 saw the closure of Macy’s, leaving the mall anchorless. Smaller stores drifted out. By the following year, the prognosis was grim. The mall’s closure was announced, and the final day was May 15th, 2022. Tri-County Mall was just shy of its 62nd year as an operational shopping mall.

Tri-County Mall was developed by the joint venture of Federated Department Stores and Baltimore, MD developer John Meyerhoff. Opened September 26th, 1960. The center was originally an open air property anchored by Shillito's and Pogue's, both Cincinnati based department stores. Sears was added on in 1967 along with an additional wing of stores. The mall was enclosed in 1968. Equitable Life Insrance purchased the property in 1979 for $34 million.⠀ ⠀

In response to the opening of Forest Fair Mall (not yet known to be the colossal failure it would end up as), Tri-County embarked on an expansion that added a second level to the complex as well as Cincinnati based McAlpin's as a fourth anchor. A center court fountain, a new food court upstairs (replacing the original off the main entrance) and huge skylights were added. Two parking garages were also built for expanded parking options. Equitable Life Insurance sold the mall to The O'Connor Group in 1997 for $147 million.

Anchor changes over the years included: Pogue's becoming L.S. Ayers and finally JCPenney, Shillito's merging with Dayton, OH based Rike's department store to form Shillito-Rike's, and McAlpin's changing over to Dillard’s. Shillito-Rike's would change over to Lazarus in 1986, then being co-branded along with Macy's in 2003, before switching solely to the Macy's brand in 2005. That same year, JCPenney would close and the space would be gutted out for more mall space. ⠀ ⠀

Tri-County's troubles would amplify by the 2010's. Coventry Real Estate and Developers Diversified Realty, owners since 2006, lost the mall to receivership in 2012, and the following year the property was sent to a Sheriff's sale. As previously mentioned, Singapore based Sing Haiyi Group, Limited took over the property and planned to rejuvenate the mall by the usual promises of more stores and restaurants. Instead, the mall languished, stores closed, and now it sits, awaiting an uncertain future. If the current owners work their money troubles out, and they retain the property, redevelopment will surely continue. Until then, we wait and see.

All images and text are the sole copyright of Retailpocalypse unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, without expressed and written permission, is strictly prohibited.

June 16th, 2007. That was when I would first pull into the parking lot of what would later become one of the most infamous abandoned malls in Akron, OH and beyond. Rolling Acres Mall. At the time, it was still a little over a year away from closing, a handful of smaller tenants remaining. Anchors Sears, Macy’s, and JCPenney, reduced to their outlet store format, still attracted shoppers who were still hanging on to the mall’s glory days. The elderly roamed the halls, getting in their daily exercise. A man in a blue button down shirt and jeans, sat and reminisced at the drained and now quiet stained metal fountain at the Court of the Twelve Trees, the trees long gone. The Court of the Twelve Plants, does not have the same ring to it. Another man, sleeping in a chair in the food court. These are the images that greeted me that day, and throughout the weekend I spent there. Rolling Acres was not my first time witnessing the final months of a shopping mall. However, it was the first in my official capacity as the third member of the deadmalls.com crew. Also, it was the first where I had free reign to document as I saw fit. We were basically given the keys to the castle, free to photograph whatever we wanted.

We were there in the capacity of filming a segment for the documentary, produced by Icarus Films, “Malls R Us”. We had paid visits to Randall Park as well that weekend, and a short stop at Euclid Square Mall on the way out of Cleveland. We were hassled by security at Randall Park almost immediately. Euclid Square was a little more lax, but it was a rushed experience overall due to needing to return home. The crown jewel however, was Rolling Acres. Here I was, fresh on a road trip to more than one state away (growing up, aside from a few times I can count on one hand, I never made it far out of New York’s Tri-State region), embarking on a trip that would be an unforgettable experience I still hold dear, today.

I was immediately taken by the salmon color throughout, and the red tile and bricked floor in the fountain area. The bubble elevator with its disco bulb lights running up and down both sides of the shaft. Stuck in time. The storefronts reminded me of many I had at my hometown malls growing up, all of which were still successful at the time, showing me that this place was once top dog in the area. Memories of my own childhood flooded back. That to me, is what makes this field of interest so spectacular. Here I was, at a mall I had never been to before, having never grown up there, being transported into my memory banks, as if I had. Whether it’s a color, a storefront, a logo, or the smell from a restaurant in the food court. These little snapshots of time converge and mold into a time that was innocent, and that we as humans constantly long for. As we know, nothing lasts. Rolling Acres was a victim of many things, but most of all, changing of the times.

Rolling Acres Mall opened at 2400 Romig Road in Akron, OH August 6th, 1975. Built on farmland once owned by Isaac Romig, the center was opened with Sears and around 20 stores intially. These grew to over 100 by the 1980s. JCPenney and Montgomery Ward would come aboard in 1976, as well as a three screen General Cinema. The shopping center was developed by Forest City Enterprises, and designed by architect Keeva J. Kekst, at the cost of $75 million. Akron based O’neil’s would round out the anchor lineup, on the bi-level section at the south end of the mall. Plans for a fifth anchor stagnated for years, before finally becoming a reality by 1994, when Target opened their doors.

The late 80s saw anchor changes. Montgomery Ward bailed and was replaced with Higbee’s. O’neil’s was switched over to May Company Ohio. Those nameplates did not last, for by 1992-93, they were switched to Dillard’s and Kaufmann’s respectively. The aformentioned Target add-on also attracted new customers. A refresh of the mall’s food court was also meant to boost foot traffic, but by this time Rolling Acres was quickly spiraling into the #3 position for Akron’s mall scene. Akron Police were switched out with security officers at the start of the decade, and an fight that broke out in 1992 sent people scrambling out of the mall after a sign falling to the ground was mistaken for a gunshot. General Cinema closed around this time, after having been focusing on discounted fare for the past few years. The expansions and improvements of the other two Akron malls; Edward J. DeBartolo’s Summit Mall, now under Simon Property Group and Forest City’s Chapel Hill Mall rendered Rolling Acres tired and worn. One by one, smaller stores would close up shop. Dillard’s and JCPenney downgraded to outlet stores after declining sales. Forest City Enterprises gave up the mall in 2000, selling to Bankers Trust of New York for $33.5 million. The mall’s sun over the hills logo came about at that time, along with all the quirky marketing that would be plastered over the walls covering long closed tenants. Heywood Wichard would purchase the mall in 2002 for $2.75 million. During their ownership, the only positive activity would be reopening the former theater into a discount movie house. Wichard would sell the mall to Invest Commercial, LLC in July of 2006 for $1.7 million, which included the responsibility of paying back Wichard’s unpaid taxes.

The first anchor to leave was the newest one. Target called it quits in May of 2006, and opened a new store in Wadsworth. Dillard’s would follow in August. Kaufmann’s switched to the Macy’s nameplate the following month, a result of Macy’s owner, Federated, purchasing the entirety of May Department Stores. By the time my visit came along in June 2007, the prognosis was grim, despite claims of the opposite. There had even been a homeless man living in one of the vacant storefronts. Macy’s would shut down February 2008.

To make matters worse, Invest Commercial was not paying their bills. FirstEnergy took them to court, and the owners had delinquent taxes owed to Summit County, to the tune of $305 thousand. The mall’s last day of operation was October 31st, 2008. FirstEnergy had ordered the mall’s electricity shut off due to lack of payment, and the mall’s remaining tenants were ordered to leave. JCPenney and Sears owned their respective buildings and utilities, and were not affected. An online auction was set for May of 2009, but there were no bids. Finally, the mall was sold to Premier Ventures, LLC of California. They had announced plans to utilize the vacant structure, but this never came to pass. They did not pay the back taxes, or current taxes on the property, and after Sears’ depature in 2010, the mall was essentially vacant. The City of Akron would eventually utilize foreclosure proceedings against Premier, but it would be a back and forth battle.

The JCPenney Outlet would be the last holdout. In January 2011, JCPenney exited the outlet store business, shutting them down. However, 9 months later, they would be reopened as JC’s 5 Star Outlet under the ownership of SB Capital Group. The Rolling Acres store would be included in that. They would last until 2013, before shutting down and leaving the entire site vacant.

In death, Rolling Acres took on a life of its own. Scrappers had pillaged the mall, removing copper, all of the railings, and stripping the metal clad fountain bare. In April of 2011, a man was electrocuted trying to steal copper out of a still live transformer on the property. In 2012, a man was found shot to death and buried in a shallow grave behind the mall. This would later be linked to the Craiglist Killer. Reportedly, gangs would roam the mall shooting out the skylights, allowing the elements to enter.

In 2016, Dan Bell posted a video of the mall, complete with him being escorted out by the police. Ultimately, this ushered in a newfound fascination with the property, and others like it. UrBex explorers, wannabes and others alike, descended on the property. Conditions of the building were abhorrent. Premier and the city of Akron were locked in a battle of wits for control of the property. Summit County had gone as far as to initiate Sherriff’s sales of the mall, to turn it over to city control. At the last minute, Premier would file for bankruptcy, staving off the inevitable.

Nine years after my visit to the mall, Akron won their victory. A final Sherriff’s sale saw no bidders, and control was handed over to the city. Demolition plans were immediately cooked up. JCPenney donated their piece of the property, while the vacant Sears, Dillard’s, Macy’s, and Target buildings were still being utilized, by a recycling center and storage facilities, respectively. The main common areas of the mall were demolished by the end of 2017. Akron was eventually able to wrestle control of the rest of the property, sans Sears and demolished those structures as well. Amazon was in talks to purchase the property to build a fulfullment center on the site. They opened the facility on November 1st, 2020. To date, the only buildings original to the mall remaining on the site are the former Sears operating as Pinnacle Recycling, and the former JCPenney auto center.

I made it back to Rolling Acres one last time, Labor Day weekend 2017. I had missed the chance to see the place when it was still intact, as destroyed as it became. By the time I arrived, 90% of the mall concourse was gone. I didn’t venture too far, for the police had a semi-constant watch on the property by this point. It provided closure, and I was glad I could say one last goodbye to a mall that shaped me. I will share those photos at a later date.

Looking back, I wish we had done more during our time there. That we saw more of the back areas, the mall offices, maybe catch a movie at the old General Cinema. You always want more, looking back. But I am thankful for what I got. Most people, aside from those who grew up with the place, only saw the death and destruction. I got to see a glimpse of what was. And I am always thankful for that. Ever since those three days spent there, I am always chasing the thrill. The thrill of having the kingdom of your childhood and teenage years handed to you, to mold your own story, and mark your own place in its history.

All images and text are the sole copyright of Retailpocalypse unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, without expressed and written permission, is strictly prohibited.

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