Went there today for the first time in 13 years. My parents used to take me to carousel park when I was a kid. Lot's of good memories. It's strange remembering how many people packed those halls, and now it's on the verge of abandoned. Makes me feel like an old man in my early twenty's.
This mall was one of my best friends as a kid in the seventies..God bless and protect Metcalf South Mall (and the soul of the boy that was murdered on the stairs there)
i went to see this mall 6-24-11 and it's still quite open to the public.......more of the walls have came off the empty stores revealing more that's just mind-blowing......the 1st original pizza and the gap and some others.........
How did you get to the 3rd floor!!!!! When i was walking around there last summer theres like a colledge up there or something. Cuz they told me that and then they would not let me up there it was like...... Ok no one's even up there. The only big malls in KC are OPM and IPC. But it sucks cuz here's how it goes down
OPM= Full all of the time but has good stores.
IPC=Is empty mostly compared to OPM but has 1 good store zumiez
@timetraveler1897 i go up there all the time. only part of the 3rd level is closed off, the overland park swat team rents out the former business space that is up there for their K-9 training.
I agree with @sitka77. It's such a shame when old malls with color and character go the way of identical, shiny, chrome and white everywhere boringness. I love brick walls and carpeting, color and plants. The wall on the left side @ 1:08; like, you'd never see that in any modern, blandly remodeled mall. But that's what gives these buildings character. LOVE that midieval-looking door @ 1:28.
@foxxyloxx the wall on the left side at 1:08 is fairly new. The escalators it is enclosed around only led up to a business center there, but now that is even gone. Before that was a business center that was originally part of the mall.
I love this video!! Love the song too... I really wish some multi millionare would buy one of these retro malls and just preserve it just the way it is forever.. no matter what the town or people with no taste say about it! I am so tired of seeing beautiful 1970s malls (redone) into shiny white and silver cookie cut designs.. The 70s were modern and completely unique in design and color schemes.. we need to bring that time back.. it was special!
There's a "Dead Mall" compilation at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog". On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day AARON ALLEN ABBOTT (304-33-1692) & RYAN RENEE CLAY (640-11-6592) were born. Though it's unrelated to culty pharMACEutiCALs, ABBOTT died on MAR. 30, 2010--no doubt a 64th birthday for many, but unrelated to U.S. Highway 64 across central N. Carolina
AARON ALLEN ABBOTT (304-33-1692) & RYAN RENEE CLAY (640-11-6592) were born on SEP. 28, 2007. Though it's unrelated to culty pharMACEutiCALs, ABBOTT died on MAR. 30, 2010--surely a 64th birthday for many. Unrelated: U.S. Highway 64 across central N. Carolina; U.S. Hwy. 301 from Rocky Mount to Fayetteville, NC. AARON KRAMER (519-77-7971) and BROOKE LALLIER (394-29-1051) were born that day too, but it's unrelated to NFL linebacker AARON Curry or the 1979 film, "Kramer vs. Kramer" or BROOKE Burr
NFL Seattle Seahawks linebacker AARON Curry played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, NC, which has Hanes Mall, which briefly boasted being the biggest mall in the Carolinas after adding a wing in 1990 when Curry was four years old in Fayetteville. BROOKE LALLIER (394-29-1051) is neither related to Reed LALLIER, a Chevrolet dealer in Fayetteville, nor BROOKE Burr, the wife of U.S. Sen. RICHARD M. Burr (R-NC) of Winston-Salem. You blow through a woodwind REED
On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC onto the "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog". It was the same day CARLY Burnworth (236-53-7242) was born. Burnworth died on the 50th and last birthday for pop music icon Michael Jackson; the 72nd birthday for U.S. Sen. John SIDNEY McCain (R-AZ): AUG. 29, 2008. Unrelated: CARLY FiorINA (R), for U.S. Senate in California against "fancy pants" incumbent BARBARA BOXer (D) in 2010
Who knows what their Ghost Malls positions are, but CARLY FiorINA (unrelated to freshman English '85) beat ex-congressman Tom Campbell in the California Republican Primary to win nomination to U.S. Senate. Campbell was born AUG. 14, 1952, meaning actress Jackee Harry was born in Winston-Salem, NC on his 4th birthday; NBA Los Angeles Lakers star EARvin "Magic" Johnson on his 7th b'day in LanSING, MI. Johnson's wife COOKIE is unrelated to death in SC, despite FiorINA being born CARA Carleton SNEED
CARLY FioriNA is a Republican, like arch-conservative icon Jesse Helms, who served five U.S. Senate terms. Helms is unrelated to Jesse JAMES, the ex-husband of "Speed" actress Sandra BULLOCK or Becker Village Mall in 27870, though FiorINA was born cara CARLeTON SNEED and many last conversed with a CARLTON in 27870's JAMES Cash Penney store, circa 2000. 27870 ends 870 like HOPE, ARKANSAS area code; postal abbrev. AR starts like arSENio HALL, Magic Johnson's buddy. arSENio has SENate abbrev., SEN.
The "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog": On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day ANGEL DOMINGO RAMI (766-66-7602) was born. Striking R from RAMI leaves AMI (friend). Move the R in front of ANGEL for RANGEL, like U.S. Rep. Charlie RANGEL (D-NY; b. 6/11/30). DOMINGO RAMI's 766-66-7602 beings 766 like some house numbers near 27870. RANGEL's 2010 ethics troubles include the Dominican Republic
Among the ethics violations lodged against U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) in 2010: failing to report income from the rental of a villa he owns in PUNTa CANA in the Dominican Republic. ANGEL DOMINGO RAMI (766-66-7602) reflects the capital of the D.R., Santo DOMINGO, while the end of PUNTA CANA only needs “AN” for CANAAN (HAM saw his father’s nakedness). Did I just out a public official? Unrelated: 2004's Hurricane CHARLEY causing extensive damage in PUNTA Gorda, the seat of CHARLOTTE County, FL
The "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog": On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day Madeleine Graces TROTta (532-63-2455) & MASON HAGER (497-25-3367) were born. TROTta died NOV. 23, 2007 on the 11th anniversary of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 ditching into the Indian Ocean. Mason HAGER evokes Robert HAGER, longtime aviation reporter for NBC News. Unrelated: the STONE CULT & "time rollback" themes
The "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog": On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day L. LjunGH (578-45-5101) & Isaac BARROSO (772-64-7701) were born. LjunGH has a surname ending GH and died OCT. 5, 2007--also the 35th birthday of NBA star GRANT HENRY HILL, whose initials are G.H. Barroso’s 772-64-7701 has 7701, reflecting "multiple of 11" calendar year 1977; 64 in the middle like US Hwy. 64
What's sad is not that malls are closing, but that consumerism ever was allowed to get so insane in the first place. Giddy manic delusion always gives way to depression. Best to keep your feet on the ground.
Blame: Milton Friedman and all his understudies, "Reaganomics", greed and no longterm thinkers, bankers and commercial realators, Walmart, China, who else....?
What's going on with all these malls there in KANSAS city??? i would say yeah Chicago still has some weird malls they are not haunting as quickly as i see few of these there in Kansas totally emptying up pretty fast.
Amazing to see large malls fail like this. The closest mall growing up was Lakeside Mall (Sterling Heights, MI). Built in 1976, it was surrounded by farm fields. The growth came in the 80s and the mall boomed with over 180 stores and 5 anchors. A few years ago a lifestyle center (fake downtown/outdoor mall), Partridge Creek, opened three miles away. You can see the slow demise of Lakeside starting to take place. Probably 30-40 vacancies - never has there been so many!
I feel lucky to still have our local shopping mall here. The owners, fortunately, care enough to keep it maintained and open. Of course, they still charge a fortune in rent. Oh well, nobody's perfect.
@illinifan512 no, it's a full blown 3 level mall with anchor stores. the mall itself has been dead for years as far back as 1995 from what i remember. Although as of now the mall still has a few stores and also junk wholesale jewelry, clothing and accessory stores have rented spaces out but they are not open to the public.
@Archmetal06 Yeah I have been to this mall..it was ghetto as hell when I went. The mini mall I was thinking of was somewhere else in KC. When I lived in Missouri I went to every single mall I could find hoping it would resemble the malls here in Chicago where I live now. The only thing that came close was Oak Park.
@illinifan512 haha no comparison to Chicago. Kansas City stinks compared to Chicago. The strip mall you were at might of been Town Center it's more of like an outdoor plaza thing.
@illinifan512 The inside doesn't look bad at all.I read somewhere last winter that many more malls would go under this year.I can't remember the number tho?
reminds me of some first person shooter game where you have the scenarios in urban locations which always have a plastic, surreal character. Expect a zombie to pop from behind a potted plant
i did go in the back halls of the mall to see what stores used to be in the parts that are blocked off. I go there quite a bit actually it's just a place to kind of hang out.
I lived in Olathe (2000-2004) when I was attending KU. I remember going to this mall on two occasions.
This does not come as a surprise, the mall had been dead for a long time before the recession. If I am not mistaken there are a lot of restaurants and new strip malls around that area that steered people away.
What I would really love to know is what happened to the new and really nice strip mall area ...town center plaza if i recall?
Town Center is still booming with business. In the last couple of years a hotel, huge parking garage, botiques , clothing and a few restaurants have been built just across the street from the movie theatres. I think they're planning to expand also. In my opinion it is really just a "yuppie" type area and it has taken business away from Ward Parkway and is competing with Oak Park Mall. Metcalf South though.. was "dead" way before Town Center ever started.
yeah well its just thebeginning of things to come.....new health care reform and god knows what next....agenda 21 programs i guess. pretty soon people will be as scarce as stores in n malls.
I wish that mall was planted here in Wisconsin! It BeautifuL! Our mall isn't doing the best right now. But they have stayed consistant.....I've never seen a mall that bad though.
I lived in Overland Park then. As a matter of fact, I still have a KC Chiefs stocking cap my mom bought for me at the Jones Store Company back in 1971. Thanks for posting this. It's sad to see MS as a ghost mall now, but this vid brings back some very fond memories. Thank you very much.
I was there when it opened. it is people free not smoke free. they raised the rent so much that stores that had been there from the beginning had to close. SHAME ON SIMON :(
@cactusjo66 well currently there are junk jewerly/purse/clothing stores that are renting out the spaces and only sell to wholesale business owners... it's bullshit those places won't last long.... then it will just go back to being a dead mall.... and shame on Sherman, not simon.
I used to go to this Mall in the Early & Mid 1970's, in its hey day, during the Disco Days, it was always packed, plenty of Stores, and constantly packed with people ! But also, the mall Owners and management got Greedy with unreal High expectations on their Leases, with the Tenants, wanting absurd Rents/leases to, which helped fuel the Downfall of many malls, like this, and the Mission Mall, as well !
@JetRanger0007 The owner of this mall used to live across the street from me. He passed away a couple of years ago. From what i know the mall is still under MD management only different ownership. Changes may take place next year though.
The mall tenants could always suffer the rental fees because there was always someone to buy their shit. As jobs and manufacturing left the areas served by the mall, the buyers of the shit, had no money to spend in the mall. Soon, the landlord began to lose tenants, they couldn't afford the rent without a steady stream of customers. After awhile, the developers (landlords) decided to cut their losses, pull out and close the malls. Welcome to the new face of America, get used to it too.
Man. Really sad. Last time I went in there Walden Books was still open, but from the video looks like it was closed. Used to throw penny's in that cool ass fountain as a kid. Sad indeed.
In the life of a Mall, 30 years is a long time. Developers are much like music stars, they have hits, home runs and even turkies. A few cigar smoking bigwigs throw a crapshoot, your location, their mall, your money, their casual concern for anything besides the almighty buck. We've been milked, stripped of our coins, our hopes, our faith in the American dream. Nothing is real. Oh, and will the last person out of an America that "once was", please turn out the fucking energy saving light?...
Our leaders have sold us out. over a generation, they've allowed the robber-barons to harvest us like ocean fish. Tax and labor advantages were given to the mega-corporations and one job at a time, they closed up the American companies and sent our jobs to every other third world country that offered cheap labor.
Like the Brontasaurus, the malls have fallen into the tarpit, Walmart has every Chinese import that we will ever need and we are now here in the belly of the beast.
The US has some falling yet to do. Bush and Obama follow the same Agenda, and that is AGENDA 21. Read about it and see if there is anything that doesn´t fit the bill.
Suburban America, a sad and sickening reality that lends much credence to the theory that we all defunct when 2012 happens.
America is destined for the scrap heap, cities like New York and Washington D.C. will be mistaken for Mumbai, people will relish dogmeat, rats will be so bold as to have karaoke night while they eat the jelly from between your toes. Get ready! Shit be comin' to us sheltered Americans, just as surely as the mall collapsed.
I grew up in OP, just at 99th and Metcalf, so I lived in this mall. My sister worked at Top Dog and I worked at Mark Henry, which was on the third floor I believe. I shopped at Ups-n-downs, Limited, and bought my prom dress at Merry Go Round. So many memories.
it's good to have those memories. i have memories there too. Mostly of when i was a child. I got my first Teddy-Bear at Kids at Heart on the lower level. Used to eat in the food court all the time. I remember Spencer's on the third floor also. Used to shop at Jones quite a bit. As for the mall now it is sad.. has been "dead" for so many years. The owner used to live across the street from me. He passed away a couple years ago. I'm thinking changes will take place soon.
Ah...Spencer's. Funny story: I was with a friend who went to Rockhurst and we actually ran into one of the priests from school at Spencer's! You should have seen the look on his face. Priceless.
I adore malls but don't live that close to one to mall walk each day.Maybe by the time I'm a real old lady,new malls will make a comeback.Things do go around in cycles.The Net is to blame also,folks rather order online than go to the mall and see if the item is there?
People, I think, only shop online to avoid high sales tax. Of course thats the main reason why I shop online, but in my defense I live in chicago home to shitty malls and SKY HIGH sales taxes
they work for a different company, and i know they have money to pay them, the guy that used to manage the place was a billionaire but he passed away and it's under different management now.
I think the internet is partly to blame. In what must be desperation it seems stores are moving away from mall and into outdoor strip malls. Who the hell wants to have to walk outside in the freezing cold winter or sweltering summer heat when going between store??? I love malls.
are all malls going to look like this eventually?? I mean with the economy going to pieces....one would think most malls will go away entirely eventually.
I worked at the Original Pizza which was located immediately to the right of where your footage starts at :06. I worked at the mall from 1986 to 1990. It was a super busy mall in the 70's and 80's but started to decline even right before I left in 1990 but it did not get really bad until the late 90's. Right across from Original Pizza was a large drug store..it was a Scaggs and then an Osco. I remember that "Command Performance" was to the north of us and "Western Heritage" to the south.
i was too young to remember those years at Metcalf South. The first from what i remember was the Kids at Heart and Orange Julius which both were located on the first level. There might have been a different kids place in where Carousel Park is , can't recall the name.. I faintly remember the Osco being where Gifts and Accents is now. The foodcourt upstairs - may have had backyard burgers in it before it moved to the separate building. I also remember spencer's and steve's shoes.
I worked at the Original Pizza on the lower level before the food court was built...all the restaurants were stand alone. I think the Food court was built in 1989 and Original Pizza built a store upstairs in the food court and we had two stores for a while. Downstairs I remember "Discount furniture showcase" taking most of the north end of the lower level. I also remember "Trade Secrets", "Musicland", "Hobby Haven", and the "Panda garden" chinese restaurant all on the lower level as well.
Victoria's secret went under?! Wow. Truly a dead mall. Is this mall still open?
It sort of resembles the recently demolished half of the Echelon Mall down in Voorhees NJ. The whole Echelon Mall complex is being converted into a Promenade with high end condos.
Wow. I remember when Metcalf South was just starting to fail, when I was just about 5 years old. I should really go for a walk there someday.
And also,, I just don't see Metcalf South being a site for acts of theft and violence. I'm from KC, and there are a billion other places other than Metcalf South where those acts occur. Mostly on the Missouri side and Wyandotte County. But not around Metcalf. Vandalism maybe, but not theft and violence.
i remember as far back as 1991 when i was 6 years old. i got my first teddy bear at "Kids at Heart". Used shop and eat there with family and friends. It was a fun place back in the day. The owner of the mall actually used to live across the street from me, he passed away over a year ago. The mall is in different hands now maybe there will be some changes. You're right when you said Metcalf isn't a place that attracts theft or violence due to the area. The mall is good for walking.
Never say never man, people are more interested in being politically correct than admitting or accepting the truth. Hawthorne once upon a time was influential and nice until the civilized where pushed out by the animals.
Know what is constant reason for malls failing, its when certain violet demographics start to take over the area. I live by a dead mall in california called the hawthorne plaza which was used in multiple film like fast & furious TD & I HAVE PERSONALLY seen RAMPANT acts of theft and violence by the demographics that over ran the once nice city and mall which lead to its closure & residence flight.
that will never happen to Metcalf South because it is in a very wealthy area. I am already used to the way it is. I go there all the time just to walk, in other words it has become an indoor walking track. It would be a good place to shoot a film though. I'm actually putting together another video on the mall just more detailed.
Hawthorne isn't a safe city at all.I used to live in the Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley areas and they had to worry about gangs coming over from Santa Ana.I am glad I no longer live in Calif anyway.
It looks pretty sad. A mall shouldn't be that empty.
It remids me something that happened in my city. A mall like this opened in 2006. So, it was trendy and popular for only 1 year. In 2007 two huge malls opened on our city (that was something we hadn't expected). So, now that malls are usually full of people. Otherwise, the 2006's mall is mostly empty or with pretty few people (to not lose so much money the sold 2 of its floors to a telemarketing company)
that not many stores were bought in the time it was popular. The huge malls came only months after it opened.
The malls that opened on 2007 were even more modern. They have cinemas, food courts, many fast food chains, some expensive little stores, hypermarkets, megastores, etc.
The other one only had department stores. An it was also in a bad location. However, its desing was very stylish (in my opinion it look even better that the newer ones)
"dead-malls" In 1954, Congress changed IRS rules to effectively make shopping malls the mother of all tax shelters. The change allowed developers to depreciate, or write down, the value of new buildings in seven years instead of 40. The rule made it easy for developers to show losses instead of profits and encouraged the frequent trading of property, which led to the shoddy construction and inadequate maintenance that have contributed to today's dead-mall phenomenon. this is true and it sucks
there's a small Arts Theatre next to the empty food court, a Topsy's Popcorn downstairs on the lower level, a Cat Store, a gift store, a computer learning center, tailor shop, and an architect's office. That's all there is other than the department stores. some of the empty stores are sometimes used to showcase small events. one store is used for a choir room, another is used for a karate class.
Are you sure it didnt have something to do with a "ghetto element" visiting the mall evey day? I dont live in KS so I dont know, Im just saying that is usually the cause of a malls downfall.
no not this mall. This mall is located in a rich yuppy corporate booming area of overland park, kansas. the weird thing about it is you just have a nice beautiful mall that is nearly empty. It is not a "ghetto element"
it's been pretty much empty for years. It used to be a booming mall at one time. The eerie thing is it's still kept up nice and clean and it is still open to the public. There are only a few stores in the mall, and then there are the anchors Macy's and Sears which are still there but not much in between. The mall pretty much started to fail during the mid 1990s due to high rent.
you would think that if the management were smart they would lower some of the rent, considering they are spending all that money to keep it open. is there another mall nearby? or is the whole area falling apart?
It could be that they aren't even "renting" out to any retailers anymore, I know that the mall is under different management now cause the owner used to actually live across the street from me, he passed away about a year ago. The overall area of the mall is very nice and booming located at a very busy intersection. Plus there is Oak Park Mall which has always been booming just down the road. As for Metcalf South, i don't know what future plans are if it will be torn down or not.
Oak Park mall is about the same age as Metcalf South. OP has just been thriving. It could be due to the homoginization and since OP isn't very far from Metcalf that Metcalf has gone down. I don't really know exactly though that is just my guess.
They both thrived for years less than 3 miles apart. TownCenter an open air mall that opened in the 90's to the south took some business away but really the owners wanted the mall empty so they could use it as a tax shelter. Oak Park and Independence Center are the only two viable malls in KC area now.
odd that they would use it as a tax shelter. How can you tax a mall when there are no stores? Sherman also had part ownership in Oak Park Mall at one time but he resigned from that property, good thing he did. Town Center "open air" type malls are the new thing. They tend to be safer than closed indoor malls probably also less money for owners to spend on keeping a custodial staff. Seems like the indoor malls are just a dying breed, most everyone shops online these days.
Yeah Sherman D. was plain bat-shit crazy. Sorry to say it about your neighbor but he was just using the mall and a few others like it as a tax shelter. Wasn't he mixed up in the S&L scandal of the 90's with Frank Morgan (Valley View Bank)? Weren't they cousins or something? I know the Valley View bank is one of the few things still in the mall on the lower level.
yea, i heard about the scandal Sherman and i think Frank was his nephew, they were both charged for some kind of fraud. Frank passed away back in 93. Sherman just passed away recently about a year and a half ago. Their house was sold, i saw their house was painted and remodeled after it was sold. Sherman had a lot of money but he was strict so i heard. I never really knew the guy as being a neighbor to them. My grandma talked to his wife every now and then but that was it.
Went there today for the first time in 13 years. My parents used to take me to carousel park when I was a kid. Lot's of good memories. It's strange remembering how many people packed those halls, and now it's on the verge of abandoned. Makes me feel like an old man in my early twenty's.
dukenukem1990 1 week ago
How's the parking?
KernelSandersCheckin 3 months ago
@KernelSandersCheckin the parking is located 20 stories underground.
Archmetal06 3 months ago
This mall was one of my best friends as a kid in the seventies..God bless and protect Metcalf South Mall (and the soul of the boy that was murdered on the stairs there)
nomadrat 3 months ago
@nomadrat boy murdered on the stairs there ? never heard about that.
Archmetal06 3 months ago
@Archmetal06
oh yeah..it happened in the late seventies, or maybe early eighties, I think
his stepmom had him murdered..he was around 13 years old...and I think might have had special needs
it was big news way back when
I tried to link a web story about it here but Youtube won't let me
nomadrat 3 months ago
I hate malls.
AlMayer1100 5 months ago
It all went downhill after Clints Comics went out.
BadassDZ 7 months ago
I took some pictures in there 2 weeks ago and had a security guard give me all kinds of grief about it.
BuccaneerBruce 7 months ago
@BuccaneerBruce that's ridiculous... i take pictures in there all the time.
Archmetal06 7 months ago
i went to see this mall 6-24-11 and it's still quite open to the public.......more of the walls have came off the empty stores revealing more that's just mind-blowing......the 1st original pizza and the gap and some others.........
MarvinJackson85 8 months ago
i worked there for about 3 years after 9/11 at Fred Pryor Seminars, they used the office space that was up there on the 3rd floor.
dapcook 11 months ago
How did you get to the 3rd floor!!!!! When i was walking around there last summer theres like a colledge up there or something. Cuz they told me that and then they would not let me up there it was like...... Ok no one's even up there. The only big malls in KC are OPM and IPC. But it sucks cuz here's how it goes down
OPM= Full all of the time but has good stores.
IPC=Is empty mostly compared to OPM but has 1 good store zumiez
timetraveler1897 1 year ago
@timetraveler1897 i go up there all the time. only part of the 3rd level is closed off, the overland park swat team rents out the former business space that is up there for their K-9 training.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
I agree with @sitka77. It's such a shame when old malls with color and character go the way of identical, shiny, chrome and white everywhere boringness. I love brick walls and carpeting, color and plants. The wall on the left side @ 1:08; like, you'd never see that in any modern, blandly remodeled mall. But that's what gives these buildings character. LOVE that midieval-looking door @ 1:28.
foxxyloxx 1 year ago
@foxxyloxx the wall on the left side at 1:08 is fairly new. The escalators it is enclosed around only led up to a business center there, but now that is even gone. Before that was a business center that was originally part of the mall.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
I love this video!! Love the song too... I really wish some multi millionare would buy one of these retro malls and just preserve it just the way it is forever.. no matter what the town or people with no taste say about it! I am so tired of seeing beautiful 1970s malls (redone) into shiny white and silver cookie cut designs.. The 70s were modern and completely unique in design and color schemes.. we need to bring that time back.. it was special!
sitka77 1 year ago 2
I would love to find a mall near me that has gone the way of this mall just to walk around it.
euvi85 1 year ago
There's a "Dead Mall" compilation at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog". On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day AARON ALLEN ABBOTT (304-33-1692) & RYAN RENEE CLAY (640-11-6592) were born. Though it's unrelated to culty pharMACEutiCALs, ABBOTT died on MAR. 30, 2010--no doubt a 64th birthday for many, but unrelated to U.S. Highway 64 across central N. Carolina
labelscar()com / north-carolina/becker-village-mall
GWhiz99 1 year ago
AARON ALLEN ABBOTT (304-33-1692) & RYAN RENEE CLAY (640-11-6592) were born on SEP. 28, 2007. Though it's unrelated to culty pharMACEutiCALs, ABBOTT died on MAR. 30, 2010--surely a 64th birthday for many. Unrelated: U.S. Highway 64 across central N. Carolina; U.S. Hwy. 301 from Rocky Mount to Fayetteville, NC. AARON KRAMER (519-77-7971) and BROOKE LALLIER (394-29-1051) were born that day too, but it's unrelated to NFL linebacker AARON Curry or the 1979 film, "Kramer vs. Kramer" or BROOKE Burr
GWhiz99 1 year ago
NFL Seattle Seahawks linebacker AARON Curry played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, NC, which has Hanes Mall, which briefly boasted being the biggest mall in the Carolinas after adding a wing in 1990 when Curry was four years old in Fayetteville. BROOKE LALLIER (394-29-1051) is neither related to Reed LALLIER, a Chevrolet dealer in Fayetteville, nor BROOKE Burr, the wife of U.S. Sen. RICHARD M. Burr (R-NC) of Winston-Salem. You blow through a woodwind REED
GWhiz99 1 year ago
On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC onto the "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog". It was the same day CARLY Burnworth (236-53-7242) was born. Burnworth died on the 50th and last birthday for pop music icon Michael Jackson; the 72nd birthday for U.S. Sen. John SIDNEY McCain (R-AZ): AUG. 29, 2008. Unrelated: CARLY FiorINA (R), for U.S. Senate in California against "fancy pants" incumbent BARBARA BOXer (D) in 2010
GWhiz99 1 year ago
Who knows what their Ghost Malls positions are, but CARLY FiorINA (unrelated to freshman English '85) beat ex-congressman Tom Campbell in the California Republican Primary to win nomination to U.S. Senate. Campbell was born AUG. 14, 1952, meaning actress Jackee Harry was born in Winston-Salem, NC on his 4th birthday; NBA Los Angeles Lakers star EARvin "Magic" Johnson on his 7th b'day in LanSING, MI. Johnson's wife COOKIE is unrelated to death in SC, despite FiorINA being born CARA Carleton SNEED
GWhiz99 1 year ago
CARLY FioriNA is a Republican, like arch-conservative icon Jesse Helms, who served five U.S. Senate terms. Helms is unrelated to Jesse JAMES, the ex-husband of "Speed" actress Sandra BULLOCK or Becker Village Mall in 27870, though FiorINA was born cara CARLeTON SNEED and many last conversed with a CARLTON in 27870's JAMES Cash Penney store, circa 2000. 27870 ends 870 like HOPE, ARKANSAS area code; postal abbrev. AR starts like arSENio HALL, Magic Johnson's buddy. arSENio has SENate abbrev., SEN.
GWhiz99 1 year ago
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The "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog": On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day ANGEL DOMINGO RAMI (766-66-7602) was born. Striking R from RAMI leaves AMI (friend). Move the R in front of ANGEL for RANGEL, like U.S. Rep. Charlie RANGEL (D-NY; b. 6/11/30). DOMINGO RAMI's 766-66-7602 beings 766 like some house numbers near 27870. RANGEL's 2010 ethics troubles include the Dominican Republic
GWhiz99 1 year ago
Among the ethics violations lodged against U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) in 2010: failing to report income from the rental of a villa he owns in PUNTa CANA in the Dominican Republic. ANGEL DOMINGO RAMI (766-66-7602) reflects the capital of the D.R., Santo DOMINGO, while the end of PUNTA CANA only needs “AN” for CANAAN (HAM saw his father’s nakedness). Did I just out a public official? Unrelated: 2004's Hurricane CHARLEY causing extensive damage in PUNTA Gorda, the seat of CHARLOTTE County, FL
GWhiz99 1 year ago
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The "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog": On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day Madeleine Graces TROTta (532-63-2455) & MASON HAGER (497-25-3367) were born. TROTta died NOV. 23, 2007 on the 11th anniversary of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 ditching into the Indian Ocean. Mason HAGER evokes Robert HAGER, longtime aviation reporter for NBC News. Unrelated: the STONE CULT & "time rollback" themes
GWhiz99 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
The "Dead Mall" list at the blog "Labelscar: The Retail History Blog": On SEP. 28, 2007, Prange Way posted an entry for Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It was the same day L. LjunGH (578-45-5101) & Isaac BARROSO (772-64-7701) were born. LjunGH has a surname ending GH and died OCT. 5, 2007--also the 35th birthday of NBA star GRANT HENRY HILL, whose initials are G.H. Barroso’s 772-64-7701 has 7701, reflecting "multiple of 11" calendar year 1977; 64 in the middle like US Hwy. 64
GWhiz99 1 year ago
What's sad is not that malls are closing, but that consumerism ever was allowed to get so insane in the first place. Giddy manic delusion always gives way to depression. Best to keep your feet on the ground.
Txsray 1 year ago 6
@Txsray "Giddy manic delusion" i like that.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
@Txsray
Blame: Milton Friedman and all his understudies, "Reaganomics", greed and no longterm thinkers, bankers and commercial realators, Walmart, China, who else....?
indyfan22k 1 year ago
Now I remember,100 malls may close this year.
HattieLovesCattie 1 year ago
What's going on with all these malls there in KANSAS city??? i would say yeah Chicago still has some weird malls they are not haunting as quickly as i see few of these there in Kansas totally emptying up pretty fast.
glasswings21 1 year ago
Amazing to see large malls fail like this. The closest mall growing up was Lakeside Mall (Sterling Heights, MI). Built in 1976, it was surrounded by farm fields. The growth came in the 80s and the mall boomed with over 180 stores and 5 anchors. A few years ago a lifestyle center (fake downtown/outdoor mall), Partridge Creek, opened three miles away. You can see the slow demise of Lakeside starting to take place. Probably 30-40 vacancies - never has there been so many!
tomgreentwin 1 year ago
I feel lucky to still have our local shopping mall here. The owners, fortunately, care enough to keep it maintained and open. Of course, they still charge a fortune in rent. Oh well, nobody's perfect.
vigo894 1 year ago
This is a "mini" Mall right? Was it dead in 2004? Because I remember there being a lot of business there..unless I'm thinking of another mall.
illinifan512 1 year ago
@illinifan512 no, it's a full blown 3 level mall with anchor stores. the mall itself has been dead for years as far back as 1995 from what i remember. Although as of now the mall still has a few stores and also junk wholesale jewelry, clothing and accessory stores have rented spaces out but they are not open to the public.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
@Archmetal06 Yeah I have been to this mall..it was ghetto as hell when I went. The mini mall I was thinking of was somewhere else in KC. When I lived in Missouri I went to every single mall I could find hoping it would resemble the malls here in Chicago where I live now. The only thing that came close was Oak Park.
illinifan512 1 year ago
@illinifan512 haha no comparison to Chicago. Kansas City stinks compared to Chicago. The strip mall you were at might of been Town Center it's more of like an outdoor plaza thing.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
@illinifan512 The inside doesn't look bad at all.I read somewhere last winter that many more malls would go under this year.I can't remember the number tho?
HattieLovesCattie 1 year ago
@illinifan512 put a bus stop at a mall and watch it die a slow death.
SGDeGalvez 1 year ago
is there stuff in the mall like the stores have stuff
showofhandzHWK 1 year ago
@showofhandzHWK currently there are wholesale junk jewelry, accessories, and stupid purse stores. They are not open to the public. Wholesale only.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
reminds me of some first person shooter game where you have the scenarios in urban locations which always have a plastic, surreal character. Expect a zombie to pop from behind a potted plant
decimated550 1 year ago
lol funny
Archmetal06 1 year ago
and another way it resembles a FPS- you can't go in *all* the doors, only some
decimated550 1 year ago
i did go in the back halls of the mall to see what stores used to be in the parts that are blocked off. I go there quite a bit actually it's just a place to kind of hang out.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
I lived in Olathe (2000-2004) when I was attending KU. I remember going to this mall on two occasions.
This does not come as a surprise, the mall had been dead for a long time before the recession. If I am not mistaken there are a lot of restaurants and new strip malls around that area that steered people away.
What I would really love to know is what happened to the new and really nice strip mall area ...town center plaza if i recall?
overthehilltowin3 1 year ago
Town Center is still booming with business. In the last couple of years a hotel, huge parking garage, botiques , clothing and a few restaurants have been built just across the street from the movie theatres. I think they're planning to expand also. In my opinion it is really just a "yuppie" type area and it has taken business away from Ward Parkway and is competing with Oak Park Mall. Metcalf South though.. was "dead" way before Town Center ever started.
Archmetal06 1 year ago
yeah well its just thebeginning of things to come.....new health care reform and god knows what next....agenda 21 programs i guess. pretty soon people will be as scarce as stores in n malls.
lisapratt1 1 year ago
I wish that mall was planted here in Wisconsin! It BeautifuL! Our mall isn't doing the best right now. But they have stayed consistant.....I've never seen a mall that bad though.
tfaustt24 1 year ago
I lived in Overland Park then. As a matter of fact, I still have a KC Chiefs stocking cap my mom bought for me at the Jones Store Company back in 1971. Thanks for posting this. It's sad to see MS as a ghost mall now, but this vid brings back some very fond memories. Thank you very much.
planetside11 2 years ago
I was there when it opened. it is people free not smoke free. they raised the rent so much that stores that had been there from the beginning had to close. SHAME ON SIMON :(
cactusjo66 2 years ago 2
@cactusjo66 well currently there are junk jewerly/purse/clothing stores that are renting out the spaces and only sell to wholesale business owners... it's bullshit those places won't last long.... then it will just go back to being a dead mall.... and shame on Sherman, not simon.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
@cactusjo66
shame on sherman....
cactusjo66 2 years ago
How can a mall possibly be called beautiful. This is just creepy and depressing, and no, not because it's closed.
JLongTom 2 years ago
@JLongTom well the mall is sad but nice and shiny in the respect that it is kept up. You obviously missed the point of the title.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Its called beautiful coz its still clean,shiny and not covered in dust, graffiti etc.This mall is way nicer than some of the closed malls on YT.
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
IT STILL LOOKS AMAZING!!
anderalex129 2 years ago
I used to go to this Mall in the Early & Mid 1970's, in its hey day, during the Disco Days, it was always packed, plenty of Stores, and constantly packed with people ! But also, the mall Owners and management got Greedy with unreal High expectations on their Leases, with the Tenants, wanting absurd Rents/leases to, which helped fuel the Downfall of many malls, like this, and the Mission Mall, as well !
JetRanger0007 2 years ago
@JetRanger0007 The owner of this mall used to live across the street from me. He passed away a couple of years ago. From what i know the mall is still under MD management only different ownership. Changes may take place next year though.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
@jetR
The mall tenants could always suffer the rental fees because there was always someone to buy their shit. As jobs and manufacturing left the areas served by the mall, the buyers of the shit, had no money to spend in the mall. Soon, the landlord began to lose tenants, they couldn't afford the rent without a steady stream of customers. After awhile, the developers (landlords) decided to cut their losses, pull out and close the malls. Welcome to the new face of America, get used to it too.
LongIslandEddie 2 years ago
Man. Really sad. Last time I went in there Walden Books was still open, but from the video looks like it was closed. Used to throw penny's in that cool ass fountain as a kid. Sad indeed.
jrunberg 2 years ago
the mall is still open.. i have been there many times... i still go recently just to walk around for exercise.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
In the life of a Mall, 30 years is a long time. Developers are much like music stars, they have hits, home runs and even turkies. A few cigar smoking bigwigs throw a crapshoot, your location, their mall, your money, their casual concern for anything besides the almighty buck. We've been milked, stripped of our coins, our hopes, our faith in the American dream. Nothing is real. Oh, and will the last person out of an America that "once was", please turn out the fucking energy saving light?...
LongIslandEddie 2 years ago
Nice rant.
Only a fool wouldn´t agree with you.
sinsarcasmo 2 years ago
Sinsarc-
Our leaders have sold us out. over a generation, they've allowed the robber-barons to harvest us like ocean fish. Tax and labor advantages were given to the mega-corporations and one job at a time, they closed up the American companies and sent our jobs to every other third world country that offered cheap labor.
Like the Brontasaurus, the malls have fallen into the tarpit, Walmart has every Chinese import that we will ever need and we are now here in the belly of the beast.
ROFC!
LongIslandEddie 2 years ago
They are implementing AGENDA 21. YIKES!
The US has some falling yet to do. Bush and Obama follow the same Agenda, and that is AGENDA 21. Read about it and see if there is anything that doesn´t fit the bill.
Greetings.
sinsarcasmo 2 years ago
Suburban America, a sad and sickening reality that lends much credence to the theory that we all defunct when 2012 happens.
America is destined for the scrap heap, cities like New York and Washington D.C. will be mistaken for Mumbai, people will relish dogmeat, rats will be so bold as to have karaoke night while they eat the jelly from between your toes. Get ready! Shit be comin' to us sheltered Americans, just as surely as the mall collapsed.
This IS the American pie, we're so fucked!
LongIslandEddie 2 years ago
1:30 the sign reads "smoke free". Should read "people free"
PumpDog99 2 years ago
Hi Travis,
I grew up in OP, just at 99th and Metcalf, so I lived in this mall. My sister worked at Top Dog and I worked at Mark Henry, which was on the third floor I believe. I shopped at Ups-n-downs, Limited, and bought my prom dress at Merry Go Round. So many memories.
kswanson20 2 years ago
it's good to have those memories. i have memories there too. Mostly of when i was a child. I got my first Teddy-Bear at Kids at Heart on the lower level. Used to eat in the food court all the time. I remember Spencer's on the third floor also. Used to shop at Jones quite a bit. As for the mall now it is sad.. has been "dead" for so many years. The owner used to live across the street from me. He passed away a couple years ago. I'm thinking changes will take place soon.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Ah...Spencer's. Funny story: I was with a friend who went to Rockhurst and we actually ran into one of the priests from school at Spencer's! You should have seen the look on his face. Priceless.
kswanson20 2 years ago
lol
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Another beautiful mall. It makes me sad to see this happen to such a nice place.
milincoln 2 years ago 6
I adore malls but don't live that close to one to mall walk each day.Maybe by the time I'm a real old lady,new malls will make a comeback.Things do go around in cycles.The Net is to blame also,folks rather order online than go to the mall and see if the item is there?
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
People, I think, only shop online to avoid high sales tax. Of course thats the main reason why I shop online, but in my defense I live in chicago home to shitty malls and SKY HIGH sales taxes
milincoln 2 years ago
Of course the floors are spotless, no one walks on them
PumpDog99 2 years ago
i walk on them almost everyday so does a lot of other "mall-walkers". they just have a very good custodial staff that keeps them clean.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Surely the janitors cost the mall money, though. How does the mall pay them if little or no retail revenue is coming in?
BloodyBay 2 years ago
they work for a different company, and i know they have money to pay them, the guy that used to manage the place was a billionaire but he passed away and it's under different management now.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
I'd love to have them removed and put in my kitchen.I'm sick of my old kitchen floor.
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
I think the internet is partly to blame. In what must be desperation it seems stores are moving away from mall and into outdoor strip malls. Who the hell wants to have to walk outside in the freezing cold winter or sweltering summer heat when going between store??? I love malls.
kdw75 2 years ago
Comment removed
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
this mall is in poor shape it is a step down from any other mall ive seen
justin96er 2 years ago
it is in bad shape, but it's still kept up the floors are spotless lol.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
You must live in a nice area.I've seen malls that look worse than the old Metcalf South Mall.
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
are all malls going to look like this eventually?? I mean with the economy going to pieces....one would think most malls will go away entirely eventually.
tarathetarantula 2 years ago
it's a slow process, but it could eventually happen.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
My mom and I drive by Metcalf, whenever we decide to go over to Oak Park... Neither one of us know why Metcalf's still open. :/
XtremeWeirdo 2 years ago
i go there almost everyday just to exercise as in walking laps around the main level.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
do they have any plans to shut it down? i mean i know there's a video on here about people trying to change the mall...
goldendragon35 2 years ago
no, there are still a few stores open there. don't think they would shut it down.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Did you at least steal the money out of the fountain?
Raindogs111 2 years ago
nope. i saw the janitors clean the money out though. extra tips for them.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
I worked at the Original Pizza which was located immediately to the right of where your footage starts at :06. I worked at the mall from 1986 to 1990. It was a super busy mall in the 70's and 80's but started to decline even right before I left in 1990 but it did not get really bad until the late 90's. Right across from Original Pizza was a large drug store..it was a Scaggs and then an Osco. I remember that "Command Performance" was to the north of us and "Western Heritage" to the south.
sageguitar70 2 years ago
i was too young to remember those years at Metcalf South. The first from what i remember was the Kids at Heart and Orange Julius which both were located on the first level. There might have been a different kids place in where Carousel Park is , can't recall the name.. I faintly remember the Osco being where Gifts and Accents is now. The foodcourt upstairs - may have had backyard burgers in it before it moved to the separate building. I also remember spencer's and steve's shoes.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
I worked at the Original Pizza on the lower level before the food court was built...all the restaurants were stand alone. I think the Food court was built in 1989 and Original Pizza built a store upstairs in the food court and we had two stores for a while. Downstairs I remember "Discount furniture showcase" taking most of the north end of the lower level. I also remember "Trade Secrets", "Musicland", "Hobby Haven", and the "Panda garden" chinese restaurant all on the lower level as well.
sageguitar70 2 years ago
Victoria's secret went under?! Wow. Truly a dead mall. Is this mall still open?
It sort of resembles the recently demolished half of the Echelon Mall down in Voorhees NJ. The whole Echelon Mall complex is being converted into a Promenade with high end condos.
Melville10 2 years ago
still open , yes.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Who is the music artist playing?
LeftLiberalSoCal 2 years ago
Song playing is called "Under" by Brian Eno. The song was also featured on the Coolworld movie soundtrack.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
brian eno is doap. i got a few cds.
mynumberonegat 2 years ago
Wow. I remember when Metcalf South was just starting to fail, when I was just about 5 years old. I should really go for a walk there someday.
And also,, I just don't see Metcalf South being a site for acts of theft and violence. I'm from KC, and there are a billion other places other than Metcalf South where those acts occur. Mostly on the Missouri side and Wyandotte County. But not around Metcalf. Vandalism maybe, but not theft and violence.
trukman88 2 years ago
i remember as far back as 1991 when i was 6 years old. i got my first teddy bear at "Kids at Heart". Used shop and eat there with family and friends. It was a fun place back in the day. The owner of the mall actually used to live across the street from me, he passed away over a year ago. The mall is in different hands now maybe there will be some changes. You're right when you said Metcalf isn't a place that attracts theft or violence due to the area. The mall is good for walking.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Never say never man, people are more interested in being politically correct than admitting or accepting the truth. Hawthorne once upon a time was influential and nice until the civilized where pushed out by the animals.
niceguy60 2 years ago
Know what is constant reason for malls failing, its when certain violet demographics start to take over the area. I live by a dead mall in california called the hawthorne plaza which was used in multiple film like fast & furious TD & I HAVE PERSONALLY seen RAMPANT acts of theft and violence by the demographics that over ran the once nice city and mall which lead to its closure & residence flight.
niceguy60 2 years ago
that will never happen to Metcalf South because it is in a very wealthy area. I am already used to the way it is. I go there all the time just to walk, in other words it has become an indoor walking track. It would be a good place to shoot a film though. I'm actually putting together another video on the mall just more detailed.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Hawthorne isn't a safe city at all.I used to live in the Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley areas and they had to worry about gangs coming over from Santa Ana.I am glad I no longer live in Calif anyway.
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
It looks pretty sad. A mall shouldn't be that empty.
It remids me something that happened in my city. A mall like this opened in 2006. So, it was trendy and popular for only 1 year. In 2007 two huge malls opened on our city (that was something we hadn't expected). So, now that malls are usually full of people. Otherwise, the 2006's mall is mostly empty or with pretty few people (to not lose so much money the sold 2 of its floors to a telemarketing company)
southpark222222222 2 years ago
hmmm well that's odd for a newly developed mall to fail so soon. this mall here is about 40 years old. it's been empty for about 15 years.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
I think that the main problem was
southpark222222222 2 years ago
that not many stores were bought in the time it was popular. The huge malls came only months after it opened.
The malls that opened on 2007 were even more modern. They have cinemas, food courts, many fast food chains, some expensive little stores, hypermarkets, megastores, etc.
The other one only had department stores. An it was also in a bad location. However, its desing was very stylish (in my opinion it look even better that the newer ones)
southpark222222222 2 years ago
"dead-malls" In 1954, Congress changed IRS rules to effectively make shopping malls the mother of all tax shelters. The change allowed developers to depreciate, or write down, the value of new buildings in seven years instead of 40. The rule made it easy for developers to show losses instead of profits and encouraged the frequent trading of property, which led to the shoddy construction and inadequate maintenance that have contributed to today's dead-mall phenomenon. this is true and it sucks
Archmetal06 2 years ago
it's still open.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Sad..looks like it was a really nice mall. Thanks for the video.
ihatetaft 2 years ago
it still is a nice mall, just not much there.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Just the department stores? Are there any other stores than the department stores?
ihatetaft 2 years ago
there's a small Arts Theatre next to the empty food court, a Topsy's Popcorn downstairs on the lower level, a Cat Store, a gift store, a computer learning center, tailor shop, and an architect's office. That's all there is other than the department stores. some of the empty stores are sometimes used to showcase small events. one store is used for a choir room, another is used for a karate class.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Thanks! Sounds alont like a mall in Fresno, CA There are two department stores, there is a school there and a few stores.
ihatetaft 2 years ago
Our borrow and spend economy is coming to an end along with America itself.
Chieflandite 2 years ago
is it still there?
THEOFFICIALNCAA 2 years ago
oh yea it is, i was just there earlier today.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
This is a big mall...why so few stores in it?
journey1975to2009 2 years ago
the mall has been "dead" for several years. I'm guessing the rent was too high. so all the stores started to leave one by one.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Are you sure it didnt have something to do with a "ghetto element" visiting the mall evey day? I dont live in KS so I dont know, Im just saying that is usually the cause of a malls downfall.
calimar28 3 years ago
no not this mall. This mall is located in a rich yuppy corporate booming area of overland park, kansas. the weird thing about it is you just have a nice beautiful mall that is nearly empty. It is not a "ghetto element"
Archmetal06 3 years ago
They should turn it into a skatepark. Because thats the only fun thing to do in it
Prillhodges 3 years ago
how come the mall is like that? did they open up a new one? it appears that this mall was just left there. sad waste of space :(
goldendragon35 3 years ago
it's been pretty much empty for years. It used to be a booming mall at one time. The eerie thing is it's still kept up nice and clean and it is still open to the public. There are only a few stores in the mall, and then there are the anchors Macy's and Sears which are still there but not much in between. The mall pretty much started to fail during the mid 1990s due to high rent.
Archmetal06 3 years ago
you would think that if the management were smart they would lower some of the rent, considering they are spending all that money to keep it open. is there another mall nearby? or is the whole area falling apart?
goldendragon35 3 years ago
It could be that they aren't even "renting" out to any retailers anymore, I know that the mall is under different management now cause the owner used to actually live across the street from me, he passed away about a year ago. The overall area of the mall is very nice and booming located at a very busy intersection. Plus there is Oak Park Mall which has always been booming just down the road. As for Metcalf South, i don't know what future plans are if it will be torn down or not.
Archmetal06 3 years ago
so did oak park mall basically take away from this mall?
goldendragon35 3 years ago
Oak Park mall is about the same age as Metcalf South. OP has just been thriving. It could be due to the homoginization and since OP isn't very far from Metcalf that Metcalf has gone down. I don't really know exactly though that is just my guess.
Archmetal06 3 years ago
They both thrived for years less than 3 miles apart. TownCenter an open air mall that opened in the 90's to the south took some business away but really the owners wanted the mall empty so they could use it as a tax shelter. Oak Park and Independence Center are the only two viable malls in KC area now.
sageguitar70 2 years ago
odd that they would use it as a tax shelter. How can you tax a mall when there are no stores? Sherman also had part ownership in Oak Park Mall at one time but he resigned from that property, good thing he did. Town Center "open air" type malls are the new thing. They tend to be safer than closed indoor malls probably also less money for owners to spend on keeping a custodial staff. Seems like the indoor malls are just a dying breed, most everyone shops online these days.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
Yeah Sherman D. was plain bat-shit crazy. Sorry to say it about your neighbor but he was just using the mall and a few others like it as a tax shelter. Wasn't he mixed up in the S&L scandal of the 90's with Frank Morgan (Valley View Bank)? Weren't they cousins or something? I know the Valley View bank is one of the few things still in the mall on the lower level.
sageguitar70 2 years ago
yea, i heard about the scandal Sherman and i think Frank was his nephew, they were both charged for some kind of fraud. Frank passed away back in 93. Sherman just passed away recently about a year and a half ago. Their house was sold, i saw their house was painted and remodeled after it was sold. Sherman had a lot of money but he was strict so i heard. I never really knew the guy as being a neighbor to them. My grandma talked to his wife every now and then but that was it.
Archmetal06 2 years ago
why is it not people on the center?
janniamm 3 years ago
there's a sign that says "stay off the stage"
Archmetal06 3 years ago
sadness, beautiful place, lonely...
that place and you have something on common. :)
janniamm 3 years ago
i personally have nothing in common with this place. i do enjoy to walk there though and think.
Archmetal06 3 years ago
overland ... she had a good run ... I was in this very same mall about six months ago, nice music ...
Turquoisevoice 3 years ago
5 stars
love your videos
nhoverhaulinfan2 3 years ago
very beautiful
szafto 3 years ago