Consideration

Chen Zishan

Title: “Still open, somehow”

All photos taken by me.

Hello. And welcome to my Ted talk.

This particular mall first opened in the early ’80s, back when department stores were still king. It started out anchored by a couple of big names, and a few years later it expanded with even more recognizable stores. By the late ’90s, the whole mall under went a glow-up to stay competitive with the newer/flashier shopping malls popping up in my city.

However, by the early 2000s, things were starting to shift. The area, where the mall was built, began changing. Local politics, rising crime rates, and years of disinvestment started to take a toll. But in the mid 2000s, came the unprecedented: a natural disaster.

That event sealed the mall’s fate.

It didn’t destroy it completely, but it was the catalyst of what little momentum was left. Despite the near decline, the mall went through a series of renovations and ownership. Eventually, a mega church stepped in and took full ownership in the late 2000s.

It’s strange.

The mall technically isn’t dead, but it definitely isn’t alive. It was disappointing to see how it has gone downhill. Regardless, this mall holds a special place in my heart and too many awesome memories to mention.