Shopping malls: I think the blood bath is beginning

[JKalchik]

I got an article in my news feed this morning that Stratford Square Mall (Chicago's western suburbs) completely closed over the weekend. I had an apartment for 12 years just off the southeastern corner. Used to be fun around the holidays to walk over to the mall, buy something, then wander rather aimlessly in the parking lots to see how many cars would get strung out behind me (yes, I have a mean streak.) The village of Bloomingdale now owns the mall, and is supposedly starting on a redevelopment project.

Spring Hill Mall not too far away from there also closed a few weeks ago.

Up here in MN, the Burnsville Mall (we go to the fauxMax theater in an outlot,) is nearly empty. The parking lot is being used for car dealers' overflow new car inventory.

As a rule, I simply don't go to malls. We wandered through Burnsville a year ago when we showed up way early for a movie. Mostly dark. And I can't remember when the last time I was in the Mall of America. There are things that I have a very hard time going mail order for, clothes, shoes & the like are very high on that list. A lot of things I can go mail order for, but then again, some things like small hardware, I really want to see the local outlets stay open, so I do pay the premium (usually) there.

I've been waiting for this to happen. Big enclosed malls were already struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic, that really did a number on them.

 

[LMichaels]

If you've been in Stratford maybe you remember all the marble and terrazzo work in there? My uncle was the lead craftsman on all that work. He and my grandfather (keeping in mind my grandpa was in his 80s at that time) both were the craftsmen behind so much of that work. They did beautiful work. They also did the work in O'Hare T1 and T2. Way back in the day.
IDK if malls closing is a ""bloodbath" but, IMO they never made sense. Even at it's peak the large mall here (Cherryvale) in the 33 or so years we've lived here, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've even stepped foot in there.
But, they were the "fashion" of the late 60s into the 70s and even the 80s.
BTW I used to live only about a mile or so east of there, in Bloomingdale, was living there while the mall was being built so I got to see a lot of my uncle. He'd stop by and have a drink with me

 

[JKalchik]

If you've been in Stratford maybe you remember all the marble and terrazzo work in there? My uncle was the lead craftsman on all that work. He and my grandfather (keeping in mind my grandpa was in his 80s at that time) both were the craftsmen behind so much of that work. They did beautiful work. They also did the work in O'Hare T1 and T2. Way back in the day.

That is indeed some beautiful craftsmanship.

G/f's dad was a concrete mason. Both of our fathers pretty much worked right up until they passed (okay, just a couple of years of "retirement",) and while they were in completely different endeavors, I think they'd have recognized the skills each other had, and certainly would have appreciated the work ethic. I've seen her Dad's work, I'd love to have a fieldstone fireplace & hearth he laid up.

 

[LMichaels]

That is indeed some beautiful craftsmanship.

G/f's dad was a concrete mason. Both of our fathers pretty much worked right up until they passed (okay, just a couple of years of "retirement",) and while they were in completely different endeavors, I think they'd have recognized the skills each other had, and certainly would have appreciated the work ethic. I've seen her Dad's work, I'd love to have a fieldstone fireplace & hearth he laid up.

Yep. Craftsmanship, it's an art that seems to be dying in these days of degrees and spoiled brats

 

[timothy]

Fox Valley mall is a shell of what it used to be. It just opened when the big housing boom hit Naperville. circa 1980.
The outlet malls still do big buisness. The fashion mall across from Ohare and the Aurora one. Christmass time the ramps are backed up and the lots are packed. They are moving the casino from downtown Aurora to across the street from the mall.