'It's amazing watching this whole thing go down' worker says after entire mall once home to Sears closes down for good | VW02YN9 | 2024-04-24 17:08:01
AN iconic shopping mall in the suburbs of a major US city has closed its doors for good after four decades in operation.
The Stratford Square Mall in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, officially shut this weekend.
This mall closed its doors to the public for the last time on Sunday, April 21, and held an event to mark the occasion, according to NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV.
The sad news came one month after the mall in Bloomingdale initially announced its plans to close.
This shopping area was opened in 1981 and was once home to iconic brands like Sears and Marshall Field's.
The website for the 43-year-old standing space was removed on Monday, April 22.
Staff and locals held a "funeral" for the mall where they paraded through the mall one last time before it left, according to WMAQ-TV.
Miller, the mall's janitor for the past four decades, shared his memories of how the retail space has changed throughout the years.
"This mall was totally different," he said
"We had totally different stores and over Christmas, we couldn't park in the parking lot because we had so many cars."
"It's amazing watching this whole thing go down," he added.
This mall was acquired by the Village of Bloomingdale a few months ago.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> A Facebook post by the village explained some of the reasons for the closure, including changing consumer preferences.
"Stratford Square Mall, a product of the 1980s mall-building craze, has faced challenges while other enclosed malls adapted to changing retail landscapes," the post said.
This message added that the stores and mall had to go due to failed negotiations between officials and the mall's owner.
"Despite efforts by the Mayor and Village Board to collaborate with the mall's owner, Namdar, negotiations faltered," the post said.
<!--googleoff: all--> <blockquote class="article__quote"> </blockquote> <!--googleon: all--> "Consequently, the Village of Bloomingdale took the initiative to acquire the mall and its anchor stores independently.
Despite the closure, the village announced future plans to repurpose the space.
"After consolidating the property earlier this year, the Village is now poised to embark on a transformative mixed-use development," the post added.
Other locals shared their emotional memories of the space, on the comments of a Facebook post.
"I used to go there all the time. So sad," one person wrote.
"I use to work there back when it first opened I was manager of a women's clothing store upper level 2 stores down from Carson's," another person wrote.
"It was a beautiful mall and always packed.
"It's a shame to see all these malls closing."
More >> https://ift.tt/8uaiAMh Source: MAG NEWS