@AcesAdventures1 I am originally from Corpus Christi. I grew up there and left when I was 21. I still own property there and still have close friends that grew up there too. Many memories of the mall. I wanted to bring sone stuff to your attention about the the question of why did they open this mall. Here's what I know and remember. Padre Staples Mall was the original mall right next door now known as La Palemera., it opened in 1970. The Sunrise Mall opened in 1981 and by that time Padre Staples Mall was considered old and it was already a place where people seemed to not want young people around. The shops were geared towards an older crowd and it definately relied on business patrons that would frequent Luby's Cafeteria, along with the big box retailers. They seemed to have no vision for the mall or intent on making it appealing to young people at all. So in 1981 Sunrise Mall seemed to be the more modern, more accommodating mall that had a modern food court new shops, including record stores and arcades along with what seemed like at least initially that the mall owners at the time were seeing the value in appealing to a younger crowd. The mall was a 30 million building project and as I recall, certain city officials had their hands in the cookie jar. They made money and so did their friends in construction. Sunrise Mall was a success for about 10 years despite big box retailers like Frost moving out. Frost went out of business and their end was the signal of the end of the era. By rhe time the Legend of Billie Jean was made the mall had become the place to be as far as malls were concerned. Padre Staples Mall hung in there and seemed as though it was going to close as businesses left that place. By the late eighties things changed at Sunrise Mall. The once teen friendly place known for arcades and pizza, the place where teens and young adults would come to hang out was becoming the old person mall too. A city council member named Leo Guerrero was involved with mall management as I recall. He was instrumental in running young people out of that mall. I remember going to that mall in my younger years and spending the day at the arcade grabbing some pizza and meeting up with friends to plan the rest of our day. By the late eighties punk was a thing in Corpus and the hardcore punk scene was thriving. Kids were putting on punk shows and punk kids were coming to the mall to hang out and pass out flyers for punk shows happening around town at rental halls and peoples back yards. Leo began a campaign against us as teens and young adults would be ultimately run out of the mall if you were just hanging out. Security would hassle us and they had a keep moving rule. Anyway, I went from welcomed there to getting chased away by mall security in a short 10 year period. This is where Padre Staples began to turn itself around so by the nineties Sunrise Mall was dying and Padre was reinventing itself. By the 2000s it was clear the Padre Staples was back and Sunrise was throughout the early 2000s struggling as the mall culture just died on the vine. Padre turned into Las Palmeras and still remains largely intact with only a few additions. Sad to see the slow destruction of Sunrise Mall but as you pointed out it was never meant to be. Putting malls right next to each other was a bad idea. It created a horrible traffic situation there and one mall would eventually die. Rip Sunrise. Thanks for the video. I found it haunting and it gave me a good dose of nostalgia.
I’m a local, born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas! I’ve been here my entire life, and I just wanna say thank you for this video! It was so perfectly done from start to finish! I do have to say something though, sunrise was the go to mall for awhile, many people shopped there, the dollar cinema was the place to be, and kb toys, even the arcades that were there for awhile, but I agree, it did fall apart, and unfortunately it is what it is today! My mother worked at a store called Blaze for awhile and I enjoyed tagging along to hang out at sunrise the entire day! Oh, and thank you for the photos at the beginning of this video, I had never seen those! Thanks for making this video!!🙏🏼
I disagree, he talked crap about America. Malls are America. They are one of the backbones of America. If we lose them, we lose America. China will shut the supply chain down. Everyone who shops online will stave. He should know the subject. Research it.
I would say it was the cheaper mall which made it a big hit originally lol. I remember eating at the Wendy's right in front of the theaters. We would get our glasses there too before they eventually moved to their own building.
I remover seeing scream three back when you went to the movies now everything is in phone or I pad lab too you can stream live my vies times have changed you have Apple Music bug RUclips be music way better
Grew up here as a kid and when I was younger my mom would bring my brother's and I here for lunch; she knew the lady who ran the chinese food spot in the food court and she'd always give us extra portions because she knew were struggling. I'll never forget what she did for us because it meant the world to us. After we ate, we would spend time in sears looking at the clearance items but we would never buy anything and just browse. I can't believe this place is in it's current state as it holds a very special place in my heart. If one day I become very wealthy I'd like to purchase the property and revive the mall. Until then, I'll continue watching videos like this so I can just get a visual to jog my memory and remind me of the moments of my childhood. Thank you for this video and showing us the mall in its current state.
@@DavidRodriguez-hg6kq I worked with you from 2016-2018 receiving team we use to censor all the shoes & you would talk about the Kandahar giant good to see your still doing good
@@wreckpreyna Are you still employed there? Yeah, I spoke about fringe topics like the Nephilim, UFOS, orbs, etc. Still do to whoever wants to listen, lol.
Oh, that one hit me the hardest! I think it was only open on the weekends but you could walk around and see this huge model railroad with towns and bridges. I just assumed whoever owned it took it all with them when the mall closed down, but apparently not 😞
My grandmother would take my brother and I to sunrise mall when we were little. I remember we would always make sure to get a pretzel at the pretzel stand every time before we would leave. She loved this mall more than La Palmera Mall because she said this mall was more comforting to her. When my grandmother passed away the sunrise mall closed down. I still see us sitting at the food court eating our pretzels and talking about what beanie she wanted to knit for me next. I love and miss you grandma.🤍🕊️
This is such a shame, and so much damage in just 2 years. The 1st floor doors to the Burlington were open till 2021 and you could almost walk to the center court where they had put up a massive wall, and even then the damage was very minimal. Just minor water damage around the skylights and nothing more. This place looks like it was punched in the face since then. Thank you Anthony for taking the time to explore this location and dig up some great info and images from the past. It's that little bit extra that makes me enjoy your channel so much. I wouldn't be surprised if you need to take another trip down here to Texas in the next few years. Everyone's "favorite" mall owner recently purchased a mall here in San Antonio (Rolling Oaks) and it's unfortunately on a quick decline, a future dead mall in the making that will need to be explored.
I lived in San Antonio for 6 months and Rolling Oaks is truly our favorite mall. I love the fact that it still has those old school kid rides on the first floor that takes tokens. My boys loved going there. It also has the best Chinese food I ever tasted. I will be pretty heart broken if it closes down. The good thing is the owner does have events there that help bring the people in, I think they're trying their best.
I went in last year, and the vandalism wasn't even nowhere near this bad. The graffiti and shit wasn't even there last year. Things were more intact. That water wasn't there.
Another guy was in that mall 6 years ago and it was still in good shape the Billie Jean filming locations look exactly the same as in 1985. I am glad he did it because now is all gone.
Back when I was 7-10 years old walking across the cat walk from the top of the parking garage, filled with pure excitement, to the dollar movies so many times with my dad, I never would have imagined I would be sitting at my home office is Dallas crying and watching these scenes over 20 years later. He passed away when I was 16 and the dollar movies was always one of our spots after he messed things up with my mom and they got divorced. Some times life just smacks you in the face man, I swear.
Oh my gosh this was so nice and so fun! I wish you could have gone in every store. I recognized a lot of places and finally saw back rooms and corridors I hadn't before. Love your work. You did her justice.
i grew up going to this mall and so has my mom she was always here when she was in her teens and even tho i am 20 i still have amazing and bittersweet memories of the sunrise mall and how me and my family would look in the local paper that day to see what movies were showing at the dollar cinema:’) the best times were at this mall even if by the early to late 2000s it’s was slowly dying it was still a very important place for me and my family🥲i have been here twice since it’s been closed and it literally broke my heart to see the state on how it’s been 💔
I worked at this mall back in the late 90s, while in high school. At the chic fil a . Many times my friends and I would get something from the Wendy’s 99 cent menu and hit the dollar movies. Watching this video brings back a lot of memories..I can remember a lot of the stores that used to be there, the custodians and other mall employees I befriended. Sad to see Corpus neglected this place
There is just so many people who love and care for this mall and to see it like this breaks my heart. Too many good memories were made here.Corpus Christi please do something about this. The place holds too many memories for it to end like this😢
The Dollar Cinema helped keep that place open into the 2000s, but by the time I saw my last movie there, the escalators and elevator were turned off, the only restaurant open was Orange Creations, and they had barriers keeping you out of the main mall.
Born and raised Corpus Christi local here. This mall was already dying by the time I was born, but I think that's why it holds such a warm place in my memories. My earliest memories are of a few years before they cut the lights. There were people, but a lot fewer than would be at the other mall. The indoor fountain was starting to look rough, but to 2nd grade me, the water was crystal clear and smelled good (turns out I like the smell of chlorine water). Once the lights were out, there were fewer and fewer people. Eventually they closed the mall-side doors to one of the remaining anchors, and I realized that this mall was finally running out of steam. I actually hadn't known it was closed for good. I figured it closed up when lockdown happened (which started waaaaay too late but i digress) but I sort of hoped I survived and was still limping along on the dollar theater somehow. I think it being in that state of slow, long death made it easier to love because it contrasted so much with the surviving mall. Only having natural light made it look so much more open than La Palmera. The lack of traffic made it feel so much more intimate, more secret. The fountain was dry, but the tiles still showed a beautiful turquoise in between the dirt. I wish everyone could have seen the fountain I remember, full of shining pennies.
This is so sad to see the state of this mall. I used to visit Corpus when I was a kid and finally went back four years ago. The city in general has gone down hill in the past 30 years.
Being local I knew it would be bad but I'm shocked. Especially the "electrical room" with the lake. 😮 I went here as a kid, playing by the fountains with my grandparents, birthdays at Aladdin's Castle, first date at the dollar movies lol. It was dead for decades before it actually closed. The last time I actually shopped there was probably 2005. Barely any stores even then & was already creepy to be in there. Unfortunately a mall walker was tragically killed in the mall in 2012.
Having memories of sunrise mall at its height, this is truly shocking and very sad. I was 14 when I witnessed Peter Coyote deliver his big line during the elevator scene in Billie Jean. Sunrise mall was THE mall in corpus in the eighties. The other one was laughable at the time. La palmera mall has benefited greatly from sunrise’s fall
You're right. Too bad all the fresh, new stores are being built outside the old mall - Padre Staples Mall. There's not much room left there. Sunrise was a beautiful mall at first. Gangs ruined it. I'm shocked to see it look like this.
I remember that elevator s den too the guy who plays the bad guy he was believe it or not in the movie More American Graffiti RUclips has it it’s worth it has many quotes Harrison Ford has a small part but anyway the bad guy in Billie Jean was Terry fields officer boss in more American graffiti when I herd his voice in the movie I knew it was him from Billie Jean
Very sorry for the very long message my family and I went to the food Cory they had lots of places you could eat the Chinese food was super good they had eye glasses store I think they had at one time was Waldron books store I know I was all in there didn’t in the 80 they have a audio cassette and vhs place
One of the last times I was in that mall, about 8-10 years ago, it was pretty desolate and my mind kept flashing back to when I was a kid and how vibrant, colorful, neon, and full of people it used to be.
I grew up going to that mall and had many memories going to the dollar movies, going to the arcade, roaming sears and their electronics area to play their demo games, getting gyros and so many other spots there... it hurts seeing that mall in it state right now. I still wondering who in the bright mind decided on building two malls next to each other.
There was also a stunt on the free way I have passed by there millions of times and can’t help but think of Legend of Billie Jean where the Bounty Hunters truck flipped over
Does anyone know of helped out in the movie I remember it was getting very serious I wonder if that was local Corpus Christi police Billy was in a car then vanished they played invincible
So very sad to see it go. I know this sounds funny but I imagine Selena going here as she lived in Corpus for so many years, I adore Corus and am very sad to see another mall go away, for us 80's and 90's kids it's like a part of our childhood vanishing.
@jdslyman Yes, Dixie Square I know they torn Down Dixie Square Mall about 11 years ago but I lived in Illinois all of my life and I didn't know it was abandoned until I seen Jonrev videos about it. That's the time I got into urban exploring through RUclips here so I call myself a RUclips Urban Explorer because I love to explore abandoned malls here on RUclips and I seen many malls and I walked through many virtually here on RUclips and Dixie Square was the most depressing and sadist mall I ever seen. ☹️🏢☹️🏢☹️🏢Yes, Dixie Square I know they torn Down Dixie Square Mall about 11 years ago but I lived in Illinois all of my life and I didn't know it was abandoned until I seen Jonrev videos about it. That's the time I got into urban exploring through RUclips here so I call myself a RUclips Urban Explorer because I love to explore abandoned malls here on RUclips and I seen many malls and I walked through many virtually here on RUclips and Dixie Square was the most depressing and sadist mall I ever seen. ☹️🏢☹️🏢☹️🏢
I was born and raised in Corpus Christi but moved to Austin in October 2000. I grew up hanging out with friends at sunrise mall in the mid 80's to early 90's. The condition of this place is not really shocking given how much the entire city has gone way downhill the last 10+ years.
Everything recently built in Corpus for it to grow has become a quick failure…schlitterbahn water park, the Outlet mall in Robstown, etc. The downtown area has very few eateries and crappy hotels.
I worked for a company out of CC, but i was based an hour outside of there. Always thought CC was very ghetto but talking to ppl who still work there they tell me it's gotten much worse in the past 10 years
I grew up in Corpus, no longer live there, heard Sunrise Mall finally closed, was almost nearly vacant for years, but I am shocked to see the state of the mall and how destroyed it is. I would go to Aladdin’s Castle as a kid and remember playing in the arcade, along to other stores there. Will always be part of my childhood memories. It is true Ace that the mall never got updated since it’s original design from the 80’s, made the mall so unique in that way.
I remember they had a rock and roll plus his name was noie they were a super real nice couple they let us look around my friend would get discounts then they had wrestling shirts tons of posters I hit an Evel Knievel poster from there
Does anyone know what happened to the family who once owned Rock and Roll plus are the family doing okay last I saw the man was in a wheel chair anytime went he always took time to talk with us they were a very nice kind down to earth couple if anyone e knows acres they see today please let them know Jesse and Jason love them very much they know who we are we were regular customers
Man, this mall is my childhood. Now I'm an '07 baby so I'm young, but I have so many memories there. La Palmera mall has always been like it's cooler, older brother.
I use to live in Corpus late 90s early 2000s. This mall was dying way back then, however I always preferred this mall over the next door Staples Mall. It definitely had more of an 80s vibe. Always remembered the scenes from the cult classic the Legend of Billie Jean. It's sickening to see how detrimental people destroyed this place! Only hope for it now is to be bull dozed down, really sad to see this.
This mall was my childhood hangout back in the 80s. Alladin's Castle, Dollar Cinema, Orange Creation's, and so much more. I remember them filming here for the movie The Legend of Billie Jean. In fact there was a scene that drove right by my street. The Sunrise Mall was the popular place to be back then. It is sad to see something go into such decay through a short period of time either because of weather or vandalism. I've talked to that Property Manager before and she is a really hard worker. I've always had an idea to try to get the owner to have a Paintball War inside this place but after looking at this video, I can see that that would be a very dangerous idea. Thank You Anthony for this. It brought back Memories!!!
Anthony, so many of your videos hit hard, but for some reason this one was a gut punch. I haven't been in a good place for a while, so that may explain my reaction to this. The Legend of Billie Jean is a blip in my movie memory, but this triggered emotions than Metrocenter closing despite what a big deal Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was to me. I've never been to Texas, let alone Sunrise Mall, but for some reason I was crying at the end of the video as the melancholy music played and the montage of photos of the mall's past rolled on. Construction workers, mall employees, managers...so many hopes and dreams for the place and it's become a tragic shell of its former self. I dunno, maybe it spoke to me as more of a commentary on modern life. Malls are dying everywhere. Not so much due to online shopping, but nobody wants to go out and make shopping a social event anymore. Better to break glass and spray paint dicks everywhere I guess. I've been with you since your early Rolling Acres days (which is ironic because Sunrise is well on its way to becoming the next RA), and your work strikes a cord with me every time. Thank you.
Hey I was the one that you messaged asking how to get in. Great video! I know the mall is in bad shape but here is what I would have done with the property. Outside anchor stores are already being turned into gyms, a bar, Smoothie King and a storage unit. So I would think they don't want just a rotting swamp of a mess in the center of all of this. No need to have 2 malls across the street from each other so I would have turned the interior into offices for lease. Keeping what you can of the great 80s features for charm. They should have got a jump on this right as the mall closed to preserve what they have and fix the issues that needed to be taken care of.
love to old school tile and fountains , reminds me of the malls here before they were renovated , sucks that place is so trashed now and closed would be awesome to see those fountains still working and that place filled with shoppers like back in the day .....RIP Sunrise Mall
In 1991, I worked at the Dollar Cinema. My first paycheck was about $150.00. My brother and I went to the mall looking to spend every penny. I had shopping bags full of merch from two to three shops and more cash burning through my pocket, and security as per the mall's policy kicked us out for being teenagers unescorted by an adult, and I was employed at the mall at the time! The mall started imposing a dress code upon its patrons. No ball caps for example. They started regulating where teens could gather and wait for their rides. They pretty much said, "teens are not welcome," and that was that for Sunrise Mall.
Because, at the beginning of the first Gulf War, there was a riot in the mall. Teens came by the carloads during their lunch hour. Running through the mall, running up and down the escalators. I work at the Cookie Co. and the store would shake from folks running on the second level. Security and PD began herding folks out the doors; stores closed (I wouldn't serve anyone), it took hours to regain control.
I took karate lessons upstairs i guess around 08-10, there was a store upstairs that sold nunchucks too lol had a couple high school dates at the dollar theater , played mini golf in there with a friend, got weird leftover 90s shorts from burlington, rented a suit for (both) my high school proms there, and bought halloween masks from rock n roll plus... good times...
This mall started to go downhill in the early 90’s and I mean immediately fast! I left in 1988 and the mall was still all the rage. I came back to visit in ‘90-91 and there were cops swarming everywhere. I had asked my mother what the reason was behind all of that and she began to tell me how gangs had infiltrated the mall and found a hang out to run out the public. People were being mugged, harassed and robbed. The problem wasn’t the fact they couldn’t keep stores… the major concerns were safety. People stopped shopping there. The decline was quickly. The city sat and did nothing like usual. Take at look at the old courthouse to understand what I mean by this. The Aladdin’s castle you see is not the original. It was moved from the bottom which was the opening on the left from the planet fitness. I’m flabbergasted to see this place has become what it is now. I am sad the city has let it come to this. I’d much rather see it demolished. I’d walk here by myself down a Main Street with my coins in hand to play games at diamond Jim’s .. I got my ears pierced here by my sister who worked at piercing pagoda (I was 10)… I shared a corn dog with my sister at the corn dog 7 (the store you bent down in to enter)when I was 6 (1980) my first time ever being in a mall. I remember going to the movies with a friend and telling her I’d be ok because I lived close by and I could call my mom… little did I know the phone would eat my quarter and I was scared to death what to do because it was at night and didn’t know I had someone concerned about my safety who lent me a quarter to call home lol, only to get in trouble because I hugged him for caring lol! I remember thinking I couldn’t wait to get older to be able to see comedy shows at Chelseas street pub (the store with the Union Jack 🇬🇧 on the wall, I did attend one show before they closed). We had friends who appeared in the movie as extras… and yet no one seamed to care what this building meant to the community
Thanks for exploring, I have so many childhood memories in this place! So sad to see it in such bad shape, although I’m not surprised. I guess there is no hope for the renovation of this place.
Maybe west Texas and the panhandle, but definitely not the Gulf coast or coastal bend of texas. That area gets TOO much water (I know because I live here).
??? ...not in any sort of drought, now. Did have water problems about 7 years ago, but that was mainly due to the city screwing up the chemicals, combined with changing our water supply away from Mathis/Choke Canyon lakes. (both are on the same river.) to Texana lake (an independent river source). Had like a year of sponatnious boil water adviseries when that happened. What's her face... umm... the girl julia roberts played... oh.. Erin Brokovich, almost got involved in all that. But corpus finally fixed the chemical balancing problem, before she got involved. You can google "Erin Brokovich corpus" and the first result will be an article from "Collar Times", about it.
Being here for roughly 3 decades, this is wonderfully edited. The architecture, the nostalgia, especially the arcade and dollar theater. This was a dream spot for childhood memories. The water being seen going down the stairs/elevator. That and the merry go round at the old mall if folks recall! It's interesting how fast society turns into another phase to adapt to, leaving beautiful places like Sunrise Mall to decay from the inside out.
Okay, how did you get in?! I lived in Corpus Christi from 2020 to 2021 and went to the gym (not the planet fitness, but the other one) at least once a week and ALWAYS wanted to go inside, but the mall entrances were all blocked off from the anchors. I think the Burlington relocated, but I was able to get a peak in 2020 into the mall interior from the lower floor of Burlington. Also, fun fact: apparently there was a homeless man who was living in the gym I would go to and he was spying on the women’s restroom 😳 I’m not surprised how bad the condition of the mall is. The mall is literally right next to the coast and that area is extremely humid. What’s crazy though is the two gyms in the anchor spots are EXTREMELY busy and popular, yet they are attached to a dead, decaying mall. Edit: the gym was Freedom Fitness!
Your right, weird how a few businesses are thriving next to a abandoned mall. Also, I remember the homeless guy incident. The local news reported it and said police caught the man. I couldn't even imagine how that guy survived the heat in that place. It's messed up what he did but how the hell did he survive that heat.
i remember when this mall was built , corpus sure has changed from the city it was in 70's and 80's . hell my old high school dont even look like it did then its a freaking collage or something now or something. and everything is growing outward old brownsville road always felt like nowhere as the city kinda thinned out about there . and all the back roads that went nowhere now have housing on them just nuts
Subscribed for awhile, after watching a couple of your videos. This is easily top five of your most signature videos. The average RUclipsr would not have walked out of here for sure. One of the most dangerous conditions I've ever seen on any abandoned mall videos. Live wires touching standing water. The level of vulgar graffiti is off the charts; even in the tabletop dust. One of those storage areas, midway through, gave the vibe of a zombie horror movie, where I thought, "Don't turn your back!," before it cut. Truly heartbreaking to see what has become of this & other malls. Much respect for your navigation of the hazards and appreciation to you for these uploads.
I'm from Brussels, Belgium, and the biggest mall will be closing part of it's shopping zrea, sp sad to see this, so it is all over the world ! Greetings Tom Belgium.
There is something particularly irksome about people sneaking into an old mall to vandalize and spray paint graffiti on every surface. These malls are where people worked and lived their lives. It is no joking matter when a mall fails. I would like to see this type of crime be raised to the level of a felony.
@@A_Black_hoodie Oh my you are so right! Any creep who is caught vandalizing or spray painting graffiti on public or private property should just be pleaded with not to do it again, then given a big hug, an ice cream cone, a puppy, an extra helping of ritalin and a heartfelt apology for the world not being a better place. What in the world was I thinking?!
Thank you for creating the vid, it keeps the spark going🔥. I was born and raised in Corpus Christi.. 84’. There was no comparison which mall was the mall to be at in the early 90s. Padre was considered old peoples mall. Dollar Cinema on the weekends was no joke, the food court and right outside the entrance to the cinema was always packed with people. The small arcade in the cinema was lame, but we still played a few games. This mall was always packed and seemed real fun and everything was an adventure for me at that time. Later in its years I remember when Oshmans was added. The mini basketball court was ok. Walking throughout the mall, just hanging out with my dad and sister, or cousins was the best times. At the corner of the mall there was a small Mexican restaurant that was known for its nachos. This restaurant had a second story which is where I always asked the fam to eat so I could look down to the 1st story. Orange Julius was a favorite of me and my dad. Outside of the mall in the parking lot there used to be events, such as the streetball tournament, Bayball Ballyhoop, with I watched a few times. I had the luck of being able to get dropped off a few times at a place that I have tried to research but have found little to nothing on. This was a kids day care type place where you could be dropped off while your mom shops. This was not a normal daycare. This place had a big ball pit in the center, a water pit with bumper boats jungle-alligator themed & sounds, 2 big jumping houses that were set atop a wooden crawl maze that was dark but, had strobe lights flashing throughout with music. In the back of the place there was a move room with movie seating and a movie screen. There were arcade games scattered around the ball pit that was in the center. The game I remember was Conan. You could also order snacks and food from the back area like a real theater.
I miss this place so much. I had my very first singing lessons here at sunrise mall and now I’m in high school trying to pursue a career in musical theater! I am not old enough to see this mall in its prime but I still remember it being open and I miss is so much
Back in the late 70's and early 80's some stores like Wards could not be in the same mall as Sears. Or Dillards and Joskeys. Then in the 90's Dillards bought Joskeys. And Wards started to close their stores. So That is why two malls.
Awwww....thank you for documenting this...bittersweet to see, I gotta tell ya. Guess I enjoyed this mall at its best because I have great memories shopping there and seeing special seasonal displays. Wow...what a loss...my parents walked this mall in their later years...sigh...
My mom used to own a flower shop that was located under the escalators called Flowerama. I grew up running around that place from the time I was a baby until probably first or second grade. They always knew where to find me. At the toy store. Kids these days wouldn’t even know what a toy store is. ~John
I too grew up here and came to this mall as a kid all through the later 80’s and 90’s. I went and saw the very last showings at the dollar cinema before it closed. Still have my ticket. I wish everyone was able to experience this place during its golden years - it was a special place.
One thing I do remember was this mall was the first to go smoke free. I remember my mother saying “sunrise banned smoking so we’re going to Padre Staples (now known as La Palmera.) It felt like that was the decision that put things in motion because I recall padre staples blew up
Man and to think I helped paint and texture the ceiling it was an awesome place to have worked and helped build this once beautiful place it still holds a very special place in my heart thank you ace
Thank you for the tour of this dead mall. Very interesting, but as always. very depressing. Hate to see these once grand malls falling apart like this.
I'm Corpus born and raised here (2001) and have a few memories of Sunrise mall, but they were very few, some from when I was either a baby or a kid and later on in the mid 2010s just hanging out, I remember it being so lifeless. All I remember us doing was just sitting on the staircase there was just nothing to do. I do remember going to the dollar cinema a handful of times as a family, that was pretty fun. I've explored this mall a bit last year, it's very depressing to see all the stores abandoned, some even looking pretty recently built just before it closed down. I was so in awe of the diorama at 34:04 it was one of the main things that stuck with me. It was perfectly in-tact when I saw it, I'm so upset that someone broke it! I just don't understand why people don't have any respect for preservation, and just not being able to observe something and not get an impulse to destroy it immediately after. Regarding the opening of the mall and it being opened after the now named La Pamera mall, it was exactly like you said just a stupid decision that was never gonna last. My dad told me it was the place most kids/teens would hang out, and I guess that kept the mall running for a bit in the 80s but once those kids/teenagers grew up there was not really anyone going to the mall anymore, or no real reason to go their anymore. All my memories of it as a kid in the 2000s are just walking in the mall and it being pretty empty. Very sad to see how it ended up. I hope there's some sort of future for this mall that brings new life to it and not just a demolition. Fantastic video. I enjoyed it, especially when you showed all those pictures and moments from the malls past.
Sad to see. I grew up going to Aladdin’s castle. What’s crazy is that even back in 2016 I would still visit and walk around the mall! It was pretty desolate then but the arcade was still open and so was the little burger stand in front of it
I live in Ohio. I live in an area (Warren/Niles) that our mall is actually expanding!! New stores added, new businesses and restaurants being built in the surrounding mall area. The mall is constantly busy!! Could be an anomaly, but we’ll take it especially in the era of Amazon!!
Ironically, the old Staples mall is practically next door to this mall. It was very recently refurbished and is now known as La Palma. It would have been a nice contrast to see this mall and the newly refurbished mall. It is stunning to see the difference. People with plenty of $ are relocating to Texas in large numbers and Corpus is finally seeing significant investment, but it is too little too late for Sunrise Mall.
@@JakeValentineStoryou mean La Palmera. And tbh I always had wondered why didn’t La Palmera and Sunrise Mall merge into one, ya know with being so close to each other. Just combine the two, and fill Sunrise Mall with stores that the newer main area of La Palmera couldn’t have or that they didn’t want, all while keeping the nostalgic feel of Sunrise Mall. Capitalizing on how the younger generations are so in love with the 80’s and 90’s. I always wondered about that. Such a loss.
Great segment, as always! For me, it's so amazing when you're able to find that archival footage when the mall was still alive in the 70s and beyond. So wonderfully nostalgic. Thanks, Ace!
Wow! I can't believe that this once beautiful mall is in this condition. Love The Legend of Billie Jean that's why I'm here I wish I could have went to this mall back in the 1980s.
I really enjoyed this video. I had to legitimately let this one sit with me and I’d never even been here! Powerful stuff man. Keep up the great content.
Incredibly deflating. Went there as a kid, dollar movies, richs, rock and roll plus, and a few more things was nostalgic and can't believe where i used to walk daily looks like this now
@AcesAdventures1 I am originally from Corpus Christi. I grew up there and left when I was 21. I still own property there and still have close friends that grew up there too. Many memories of the mall. I wanted to bring sone stuff to your attention about the the question of why did they open this mall.
Here's what I know and remember. Padre Staples Mall was the original mall right next door now known as La Palemera., it opened in 1970. The Sunrise Mall opened in 1981 and by that time Padre Staples Mall was considered old and it was already a place where people seemed to not want young people around. The shops were geared towards an older crowd and it definately relied on business patrons that would frequent Luby's Cafeteria, along with the big box retailers. They seemed to have no vision for the mall or intent on making it appealing to young people at all. So in 1981 Sunrise Mall seemed to be the more modern, more accommodating mall that had a modern food court new shops, including record stores and arcades along with what seemed like at least initially that the mall owners at the time were seeing the value in appealing to a younger crowd. The mall was a 30 million building project and as I recall, certain city officials had their hands in the cookie jar. They made money and so did their friends in construction.
Sunrise Mall was a success for about 10 years despite big box retailers like Frost moving out. Frost went out of business and their end was the signal of the end of the era. By rhe time the Legend of Billie Jean was made the mall had become the place to be as far as malls were concerned. Padre Staples Mall hung in there and seemed as though it was going to close as businesses left that place.
By the late eighties things changed at Sunrise Mall. The once teen friendly place known for arcades and pizza, the place where teens and young adults would come to hang out was becoming the old person mall too. A city council member named Leo Guerrero was involved with mall management as I recall. He was instrumental in running young people out of that mall. I remember going to that mall in my younger years and spending the day at the arcade grabbing some pizza and meeting up with friends to plan the rest of our day. By the late eighties punk was a thing in Corpus and the hardcore punk scene was thriving. Kids were putting on punk shows and punk kids were coming to the mall to hang out and pass out flyers for punk shows happening around town at rental halls and peoples back yards. Leo began a campaign against us as teens and young adults would be ultimately run out of the mall if you were just hanging out. Security would hassle us and they had a keep moving rule. Anyway, I went from welcomed there to getting chased away by mall security in a short 10 year period. This is where Padre Staples began to turn itself around so by the nineties Sunrise Mall was dying and Padre was reinventing itself. By the 2000s it was clear the Padre Staples was back and Sunrise was throughout the early 2000s struggling as the mall culture just died on the vine. Padre turned into Las Palmeras and still remains largely intact with only a few additions. Sad to see the slow destruction of Sunrise Mall but as you pointed out it was never meant to be. Putting malls right next to each other was a bad idea. It created a horrible traffic situation there and one mall would eventually die. Rip Sunrise. Thanks for the video. I found it haunting and it gave me a good dose of nostalgia.
I’m a local, born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas! I’ve been here my entire life, and I just wanna say thank you for this video! It was so perfectly done from start to finish! I do have to say something though, sunrise was the go to mall for awhile, many people shopped there, the dollar cinema was the place to be, and kb toys, even the arcades that were there for awhile, but I agree, it did fall apart, and unfortunately it is what it is today! My mother worked at a store called Blaze for awhile and I enjoyed tagging along to hang out at sunrise the entire day! Oh, and thank you for the photos at the beginning of this video, I had never seen those! Thanks for making this video!!🙏🏼
I disagree, he talked crap about America. Malls are America. They are one of the backbones of America. If we lose them, we lose America. China will shut the supply chain down. Everyone who shops online will stave. He should know the subject. Research it.
The Dollar cinema was the last place open there that still had people going there and my goodness I miss it😢 their popcorns hit different too 😋
@@rafaelmarquez8886 same here!!
I would say it was the cheaper mall which made it a big hit originally lol. I remember eating at the Wendy's right in front of the theaters. We would get our glasses there too before they eventually moved to their own building.
I remover seeing scream three back when you went to the movies now everything is in phone or I pad lab too you can stream live my vies times have changed you have Apple Music bug RUclips be music way better
Grew up here as a kid and when I was younger my mom would bring my brother's and I here for lunch; she knew the lady who ran the chinese food spot in the food court and she'd always give us extra portions because she knew were struggling. I'll never forget what she did for us because it meant the world to us. After we ate, we would spend time in sears looking at the clearance items but we would never buy anything and just browse. I can't believe this place is in it's current state as it holds a very special place in my heart. If one day I become very wealthy I'd like to purchase the property and revive the mall. Until then, I'll continue watching videos like this so I can just get a visual to jog my memory and remind me of the moments of my childhood. Thank you for this video and showing us the mall in its current state.
Oh wow! I wonder if the mall will stay like this or it will become something else?
Who remembers KB toys?
I miss the dollar movies , was always there on the weekend as a teenager sneaking in different movies and getting free popcorn 🍿.. good timess
Indeed
@@AcesAdventures1 you from corpus christi too??
Just got this in my recommended. Any fellow CC Texans?
I worked at Burlington from 1992 to 2018, I remember taking my lunch break at the food court and going with my wife to the Dollar Cinema.
@@DavidRodriguez-hg6kq I worked with you from 2016-2018 receiving team we use to censor all the shoes & you would talk about the Kandahar giant good to see your still doing good
@@wreckpreyna Are you still employed there? Yeah, I spoke about fringe topics like the Nephilim, UFOS, orbs, etc. Still do to whoever wants to listen, lol.
Seeing the model railroad was extra depressing. You can imagine the time, effort and energy that goes into building these on a grand scale.
Oh, that one hit me the hardest! I think it was only open on the weekends but you could walk around and see this huge model railroad with towns and bridges. I just assumed whoever owned it took it all with them when the mall closed down, but apparently not 😞
I’m local to Sunrise Mall, I knew it was in bad shape but not this bad. Made a lot of memories there as a teenager.
I've seen photos on Facebook. It's bad, really bad.
It’s always so sad when it’s someone’s memory . 😢 sorry for this loss.
So sad…before Covid, it was in decent shape. They even had the fountains running. Can’t believe it got to this
Urbex kids
My grandmother would take my brother and I to sunrise mall when we were little. I remember we would always make sure to get a pretzel at the pretzel stand every time before we would leave. She loved this mall more than La Palmera Mall because she said this mall was more comforting to her. When my grandmother passed away the sunrise mall closed down. I still see us sitting at the food court eating our pretzels and talking about what beanie she wanted to knit for me next. I love and miss you grandma.🤍🕊️
This is such a shame, and so much damage in just 2 years. The 1st floor doors to the Burlington were open till 2021 and you could almost walk to the center court where they had put up a massive wall, and even then the damage was very minimal. Just minor water damage around the skylights and nothing more. This place looks like it was punched in the face since then. Thank you Anthony for taking the time to explore this location and dig up some great info and images from the past. It's that little bit extra that makes me enjoy your channel so much. I wouldn't be surprised if you need to take another trip down here to Texas in the next few years. Everyone's "favorite" mall owner recently purchased a mall here in San Antonio (Rolling Oaks) and it's unfortunately on a quick decline, a future dead mall in the making that will need to be explored.
I lived in San Antonio for 6 months and Rolling Oaks is truly our favorite mall. I love the fact that it still has those old school kid rides on the first floor that takes tokens. My boys loved going there. It also has the best Chinese food I ever tasted. I will be pretty heart broken if it closes down. The good thing is the owner does have events there that help bring the people in, I think they're trying their best.
I went in last year, and the vandalism wasn't even nowhere near this bad. The graffiti and shit wasn't even there last year. Things were more intact. That water wasn't there.
@jdslyman it's owned by Kohan now and boooooy is it falling apart quickly. 😢
Live near rolllingnoals now amd grew up in and out of CC in the 70s 80s and 90s living there a couple of times. Brings back lots of memories.
Almost all the malls in San Antonio are on a downward spiral except Northstar Mall. Rolling Oaks has been in decline for a couple of decades now.
Another guy was in that mall 6 years ago and it was still in good shape the Billie Jean filming locations look exactly the same as in 1985. I am glad he did it because now is all gone.
Back when I was 7-10 years old walking across the cat walk from the top of the parking garage, filled with pure excitement, to the dollar movies so many times with my dad, I never would have imagined I would be sitting at my home office is Dallas crying and watching these scenes over 20 years later. He passed away when I was 16 and the dollar movies was always one of our spots after he messed things up with my mom and they got divorced. Some times life just smacks you in the face man, I swear.
Oh my gosh this was so nice and so fun! I wish you could have gone in every store. I recognized a lot of places and finally saw back rooms and corridors I hadn't before. Love your work. You did her justice.
i grew up going to this mall and so has my mom she was always here when she was in her teens and even tho i am 20 i still have amazing and bittersweet memories of the sunrise mall and how me and my family would look in the local paper that day to see what movies were showing at the dollar cinema:’) the best times were at this mall even if by the early to late 2000s it’s was slowly dying it was still a very important place for me and my family🥲i have been here twice since it’s been closed and it literally broke my heart to see the state on how it’s been 💔
I worked at this mall back in the late 90s, while in high school. At the chic fil a . Many times my friends and I would get something from the Wendy’s 99 cent menu and hit the dollar movies. Watching this video brings back a lot of memories..I can remember a lot of the stores that used to be there, the custodians and other mall employees I befriended. Sad to see Corpus neglected this place
Dude remember that ice cream place across from the movies
They made badass banana splits😂
There is just so many people who love and care for this mall and to see it like this breaks my heart. Too many good memories were made here.Corpus Christi please do something about this. The place holds too many memories for it to end like this😢
The Dollar Cinema helped keep that place open into the 2000s, but by the time I saw my last movie there, the escalators and elevator were turned off, the only restaurant open was Orange Creations, and they had barriers keeping you out of the main mall.
Born and raised Corpus Christi local here. This mall was already dying by the time I was born, but I think that's why it holds such a warm place in my memories.
My earliest memories are of a few years before they cut the lights. There were people, but a lot fewer than would be at the other mall. The indoor fountain was starting to look rough, but to 2nd grade me, the water was crystal clear and smelled good (turns out I like the smell of chlorine water).
Once the lights were out, there were fewer and fewer people. Eventually they closed the mall-side doors to one of the remaining anchors, and I realized that this mall was finally running out of steam.
I actually hadn't known it was closed for good. I figured it closed up when lockdown happened (which started waaaaay too late but i digress) but I sort of hoped I survived and was still limping along on the dollar theater somehow.
I think it being in that state of slow, long death made it easier to love because it contrasted so much with the surviving mall. Only having natural light made it look so much more open than La Palmera. The lack of traffic made it feel so much more intimate, more secret. The fountain was dry, but the tiles still showed a beautiful turquoise in between the dirt.
I wish everyone could have seen the fountain I remember, full of shining pennies.
This is so sad to see the state of this mall. I used to visit Corpus when I was a kid and finally went back four years ago. The city in general has gone down hill in the past 30 years.
Being local I knew it would be bad but I'm shocked. Especially the "electrical room" with the lake. 😮 I went here as a kid, playing by the fountains with my grandparents, birthdays at Aladdin's Castle, first date at the dollar movies lol. It was dead for decades before it actually closed. The last time I actually shopped there was probably 2005. Barely any stores even then & was already creepy to be in there. Unfortunately a mall walker was tragically killed in the mall in 2012.
I always remembered those areas too. I’m originally from Rockport
Having memories of sunrise mall at its height, this is truly shocking and very sad. I was 14 when I witnessed Peter Coyote deliver his big line during the elevator scene in Billie Jean. Sunrise mall was THE mall in corpus in the eighties. The other one was laughable at the time. La palmera mall has benefited greatly from sunrise’s fall
You're right. Too bad all the fresh, new stores are being built outside the old mall - Padre Staples Mall. There's not much room left there. Sunrise was a beautiful mall at first. Gangs ruined it. I'm shocked to see it look like this.
My mom was at the beach when they were filming the beach scene
I remember that elevator s den too the guy who plays the bad guy he was believe it or not in the movie More American Graffiti RUclips has it it’s worth it has many quotes Harrison Ford has a small part but anyway the bad guy in Billie Jean was Terry fields officer boss in more American graffiti when I herd his voice in the movie I knew it was him from Billie Jean
Very sorry for the very long message my family and I went to the food Cory they had lots of places you could eat the Chinese food was super good they had eye glasses store I think they had at one time was Waldron books store I know I was all in there didn’t in the 80 they have a audio cassette and vhs place
One of the last times I was in that mall, about 8-10 years ago, it was pretty desolate and my mind kept flashing back to when I was a kid and how vibrant, colorful, neon, and full of people it used to be.
I used to sit in that security office every night. The bar across from the office was Chelsea's at the time, and they'd give me free food and drinks.
Everyone loved Chelseas Street Pub!
What year did you work there?
I grew up going to that mall and had many memories going to the dollar movies, going to the arcade, roaming sears and their electronics area to play their demo games, getting gyros and so many other spots there... it hurts seeing that mall in it state right now. I still wondering who in the bright mind decided on building two malls next to each other.
I’ll never forget K Bee Toys as a kid
My friend worked at both GNC and KB
Remember in the movie she wrote I owe you with the walkie. talkie they got the batteriers for the walkie talkie
There was also a stunt on the free way I have passed by there millions of times and can’t help but think of Legend of Billie Jean where the Bounty Hunters truck flipped over
Does anyone know of helped out in the movie I remember it was getting very serious I wonder if that was local Corpus Christi police Billy was in a car then vanished they played invincible
So very sad to see it go. I know this sounds funny but I imagine Selena going here as she lived in Corpus for so many years, I adore Corus and am very sad to see another mall go away, for us 80's and 90's kids it's like a part of our childhood vanishing.
I agree. Corpus just lets things "go" & doesn't care. They force downtown on everyone & I won't go there.
The interior space closed in 2019
It's been 4 years And it's already heading towards Rolling Acres Mall levels of Decay and Vandalism.
@jdslyman
Yes, Dixie Square I know they torn Down Dixie Square Mall about 11 years ago but I lived in Illinois all of my life and I didn't know it was abandoned until I seen Jonrev videos about it. That's the time I got into urban exploring through RUclips here so I call myself a RUclips Urban Explorer because I love to explore abandoned malls here on RUclips and I seen many malls and I walked through many virtually here on RUclips and Dixie Square was the most depressing and sadist mall I ever seen. ☹️🏢☹️🏢☹️🏢Yes, Dixie Square I know they torn Down Dixie Square Mall about 11 years ago but I lived in Illinois all of my life and I didn't know it was abandoned until I seen Jonrev videos about it. That's the time I got into urban exploring through RUclips here so I call myself a RUclips Urban Explorer because I love to explore abandoned malls here on RUclips and I seen many malls and I walked through many virtually here on RUclips and Dixie Square was the most depressing and sadist mall I ever seen. ☹️🏢☹️🏢☹️🏢
I was born and raised in Corpus Christi but moved to Austin in October 2000. I grew up hanging out with friends at sunrise mall in the mid 80's to early 90's. The condition of this place is not really shocking given how much the entire city has gone way downhill the last 10+ years.
I moved out of CC, too. Boring city so I went to L.A. & had a blast. (Before L.A. went to ruins, too) CC isn't so "Sparkling".
Everything recently built in Corpus for it to grow has become a quick failure…schlitterbahn water park, the Outlet mall in Robstown, etc. The downtown area has very few eateries and crappy hotels.
@@CTS55555 Yes, that's sad & embarrassing.
I worked for a company out of CC, but i was based an hour outside of there. Always thought CC was very ghetto but talking to ppl who still work there they tell me it's gotten much worse in the past 10 years
I grew up in Corpus, no longer live there, heard Sunrise Mall finally closed, was almost nearly vacant for years, but I am shocked to see the state of the mall and how destroyed it is. I would go to Aladdin’s Castle as a kid and remember playing in the arcade, along to other stores there. Will always be part of my childhood memories.
It is true Ace that the mall never got updated since it’s original design from the 80’s, made the mall so unique in that way.
Anthony one of your very best productions! It's beyond sad to look at this! I feel for the devoted caretakers. Missed you good to see you back!
TY TY
@@AcesAdventures1 your welcome brother!
I remember they had a rock and roll plus his name was noie they were a super real nice couple they let us look around my friend would get discounts then they had wrestling shirts tons of posters I hit an Evel Knievel poster from there
Does anyone know what happened to the family who once owned Rock and Roll plus are the family doing okay last I saw the man was in a wheel chair anytime went he always took time to talk with us they were a very nice kind down to earth couple if anyone e knows acres they see today please let them know Jesse and Jason love them very much they know who we are we were regular customers
Man, this mall is my childhood. Now I'm an '07 baby so I'm young, but I have so many memories there. La Palmera mall has always been like it's cooler, older brother.
Frickin art man. The haunting beautiful music mixed with the images of the then and now created a nostalgia bomb in my brain. Perfect
Ty :)
I almost cried watching this. I grew up in the Bluff, and always went to Sunrise and Padre. So sad to see it like this.
I grew up in bluff also, and spent alot if time at sunrise mall, this is very sad
I use to live in Corpus late 90s early 2000s. This mall was dying way back then, however I always preferred this mall over the next door Staples Mall. It definitely had more of an 80s vibe. Always remembered the scenes from the cult classic the Legend of Billie Jean. It's sickening to see how detrimental people destroyed this place! Only hope for it now is to be bull dozed down, really sad to see this.
This mall was my childhood hangout back in the 80s. Alladin's Castle, Dollar Cinema, Orange Creation's, and so much more. I remember them filming here for the movie The Legend of Billie Jean. In fact there was a scene that drove right by my street. The Sunrise Mall was the popular place to be back then. It is sad to see something go into such decay through a short period of time either because of weather or vandalism. I've talked to that Property Manager before and she is a really hard worker. I've always had an idea to try to get the owner to have a Paintball War inside this place but after looking at this video, I can see that that would be a very dangerous idea. Thank You Anthony for this. It brought back Memories!!!
Anthony, so many of your videos hit hard, but for some reason this one was a gut punch. I haven't been in a good place for a while, so that may explain my reaction to this. The Legend of Billie Jean is a blip in my movie memory, but this triggered emotions than Metrocenter closing despite what a big deal Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was to me. I've never been to Texas, let alone Sunrise Mall, but for some reason I was crying at the end of the video as the melancholy music played and the montage of photos of the mall's past rolled on. Construction workers, mall employees, managers...so many hopes and dreams for the place and it's become a tragic shell of its former self. I dunno, maybe it spoke to me as more of a commentary on modern life. Malls are dying everywhere. Not so much due to online shopping, but nobody wants to go out and make shopping a social event anymore. Better to break glass and spray paint dicks everywhere I guess. I've been with you since your early Rolling Acres days (which is ironic because Sunrise is well on its way to becoming the next RA), and your work strikes a cord with me every time. Thank you.
Dead palm trees…and oh, my gosh-that lake. 😳
Great video!
Glad you finally got into this place. The mall bulding is pretty much beyond repair at this point, very sad.
Hey I was the one that you messaged asking how to get in. Great video! I know the mall is in bad shape but here is what I would have done with the property. Outside anchor stores are already being turned into gyms, a bar, Smoothie King and a storage unit. So I would think they don't want just a rotting swamp of a mess in the center of all of this. No need to have 2 malls across the street from each other so I would have turned the interior into offices for lease. Keeping what you can of the great 80s features for charm. They should have got a jump on this right as the mall closed to preserve what they have and fix the issues that needed to be taken care of.
I live near a Sunrise Mall that is dying, not this one nor the one in Massapequa. I guess it not a good time to have the name Sunrise Mall.
Omg wow we all used to go there & hangout as teens 1988-1990 it was awsome & always packed.
thanks for this
love to old school tile and fountains , reminds me of the malls here before they were renovated , sucks that place is so trashed now and closed would be awesome to see those fountains still working and that place filled with shoppers like back in the day .....RIP Sunrise Mall
Well presented Anthony. Its so sad to see such distruction after a structure closes. look forward to the next video
Ty ty :)
In 1991, I worked at the Dollar Cinema. My first paycheck was about $150.00. My brother and I went to the mall looking to spend every penny. I had shopping bags full of merch from two to three shops and more cash burning through my pocket, and security as per the mall's policy kicked us out for being teenagers unescorted by an adult, and I was employed at the mall at the time! The mall started imposing a dress code upon its patrons. No ball caps for example. They started regulating where teens could gather and wait for their rides. They pretty much said, "teens are not welcome," and that was that for Sunrise Mall.
Because, at the beginning of the first Gulf War, there was a riot in the mall. Teens came by the carloads during their lunch hour. Running through the mall, running up and down the escalators. I work at the Cookie Co. and the store would shake from folks running on the second level. Security and PD began herding folks out the doors; stores closed (I wouldn't serve anyone), it took hours to regain control.
I took karate lessons upstairs i guess around 08-10, there was a store upstairs that sold nunchucks too lol had a couple high school dates at the dollar theater , played mini golf in there with a friend, got weird leftover 90s shorts from burlington, rented a suit for (both) my high school proms there, and bought halloween masks from rock n roll plus... good times...
Excellent video. It is very sad and erie inside of this mall yet intriguing. Thanks for filming.
Thanks for watching
This mall started to go downhill in the early 90’s and I mean immediately fast! I left in 1988 and the mall was still all the rage. I came back to visit in ‘90-91 and there were cops swarming everywhere. I had asked my mother what the reason was behind all of that and she began to tell me how gangs had infiltrated the mall and found a hang out to run out the public. People were being mugged, harassed and robbed. The problem wasn’t the fact they couldn’t keep stores… the major concerns were safety. People stopped shopping there. The decline was quickly. The city sat and did nothing like usual. Take at look at the old courthouse to understand what I mean by this. The Aladdin’s castle you see is not the original. It was moved from the bottom which was the opening on the left from the planet fitness. I’m flabbergasted to see this place has become what it is now. I am sad the city has let it come to this. I’d much rather see it demolished. I’d walk here by myself down a Main Street with my coins in hand to play games at diamond Jim’s .. I got my ears pierced here by my sister who worked at piercing pagoda (I was 10)… I shared a corn dog with my sister at the corn dog 7 (the store you bent down in to enter)when I was 6 (1980) my first time ever being in a mall. I remember going to the movies with a friend and telling her I’d be ok because I lived close by and I could call my mom… little did I know the phone would eat my quarter and I was scared to death what to do because it was at night and didn’t know I had someone concerned about my safety who lent me a quarter to call home lol, only to get in trouble because I hugged him for caring lol! I remember thinking I couldn’t wait to get older to be able to see comedy shows at Chelseas street pub (the store with the Union Jack 🇬🇧 on the wall, I did attend one show before they closed). We had friends who appeared in the movie as extras… and yet no one seamed to care what this building meant to the community
That sucks when they vandalize these places. Thanks for another nice video.
Yeah but you got to admit it makes it kind of spooky and foreboding to watch the video. If it was in good shape, it would be kind of boring.
Thanks for exploring, I have so many childhood memories in this place! So sad to see it in such bad shape, although I’m not surprised. I guess there is no hope for the renovation of this place.
Glad you enjoyed it
This is...sick. What's worse, is a lot of Texas has water problems some times of year, and to see that sort of waste in a drought-prone area....UGH.
Yep. Currently in stage 1 water restrictions for over a year.
Maybe west Texas and the panhandle, but definitely not the Gulf coast or coastal bend of texas. That area gets TOO much water (I know because I live here).
???
...not in any sort of drought, now. Did have water problems about 7 years ago, but that was mainly due to the city screwing up the chemicals, combined with changing our water supply away from Mathis/Choke Canyon lakes. (both are on the same river.) to Texana lake (an independent river source).
Had like a year of sponatnious boil water adviseries when that happened. What's her face... umm... the girl julia roberts played... oh.. Erin Brokovich, almost got involved in all that. But corpus finally fixed the chemical balancing problem, before she got involved. You can google "Erin Brokovich corpus" and the first result will be an article from "Collar Times", about it.
Being here for roughly 3 decades, this is wonderfully edited. The architecture, the nostalgia, especially the arcade and dollar theater. This was a dream spot for childhood memories. The water being seen going down the stairs/elevator. That and the merry go round at the old mall if folks recall! It's interesting how fast society turns into another phase to adapt to, leaving beautiful places like Sunrise Mall to decay from the inside out.
One of the best RUclips channels out
This mall is in my hometown. I grew up going to this mall. We almost never went to Padre Staples Mall (LA Palmera) it was the old mall.
And strange the old mall got PF Changs, ULTA, etc. built OUTSIDE the mall itself. I never go inside it. Just outside new stores.
Wow, what a shame. Such an iconic mall in that state. I had no idea it was even closed, much less destroyed.
I remember this mall in its heyday. It was a nice place to shop with lots of selection. Sad to see this.
Sunrise was my jam when i was young. So sad to see it die like this.
Mind boggling, another Northridge/Century III; I'm amazed the caretaker doesn't throw hands up and walk way. Great video as always, wow
Okay, how did you get in?! I lived in Corpus Christi from 2020 to 2021 and went to the gym (not the planet fitness, but the other one) at least once a week and ALWAYS wanted to go inside, but the mall entrances were all blocked off from the anchors. I think the Burlington relocated, but I was able to get a peak in 2020 into the mall interior from the lower floor of Burlington. Also, fun fact: apparently there was a homeless man who was living in the gym I would go to and he was spying on the women’s restroom 😳 I’m not surprised how bad the condition of the mall is. The mall is literally right next to the coast and that area is extremely humid. What’s crazy though is the two gyms in the anchor spots are EXTREMELY busy and popular, yet they are attached to a dead, decaying mall.
Edit: the gym was Freedom Fitness!
Your right, weird how a few businesses are thriving next to a abandoned mall. Also, I remember the homeless guy incident. The local news reported it and said police caught the man. I couldn't even imagine how that guy survived the heat in that place. It's messed up what he did but how the hell did he survive that heat.
snuck in lol
I grew up in the 80s and malls were the place to go. Now it's sad looking at them and the poor trees and flowers that should be rescued.
Always so fascinating yet heartbreaking at the same time…
Thanks for the memories good job
Thank you so much for exploring our mall as a citizen of Corpus Christi, this mall was part of my childhood growing up
that was our hang out back in the 80s. Us teenagers were there every saturday. sure miss those days!
i remember when this mall was built , corpus sure has changed from the city it was in 70's and 80's . hell my old high school dont even look like it did then its a freaking collage or something now or something. and everything is growing outward old brownsville road always felt like nowhere as the city kinda thinned out about there . and all the back roads that went nowhere now have housing on them just nuts
CC is growing wildly towards Yorktown. All brand new places but not enough people go there.
I love the old photos. That use to be a great mall to shop at.
Subscribed for awhile, after watching a couple of your videos. This is easily top five of your most signature videos. The average RUclipsr would not have walked out of here for sure. One of the most dangerous conditions I've ever seen on any abandoned mall videos. Live wires touching standing water. The level of vulgar graffiti is off the charts; even in the tabletop dust. One of those storage areas, midway through, gave the vibe of a zombie horror movie, where I thought, "Don't turn your back!," before it cut. Truly heartbreaking to see what has become of this & other malls. Much respect for your navigation of the hazards and appreciation to you for these uploads.
I'm from Brussels, Belgium, and the biggest mall will be closing part of it's shopping zrea, sp sad to see this, so it is all over the world !
Greetings Tom Belgium.
There is something particularly irksome about people sneaking into an old mall to vandalize and spray paint graffiti on every surface. These malls are where people worked and lived their lives. It is no joking matter when a mall fails. I would like to see this type of crime be raised to the level of a felony.
Me too
I agree as well.
Thats a bit much if you ask me
@@A_Black_hoodie Oh my you are so right! Any creep who is caught vandalizing or spray painting graffiti on public or private property should just be pleaded with not to do it again, then given a big hug, an ice cream cone, a puppy, an extra helping of ritalin and a heartfelt apology for the world not being a better place. What in the world was I thinking?!
@@AbcDef-iq4no i never said all that
I think if I remember correctly, Dan bell visited this place just before it closed down.
Thanks for the video Ace. Amazing the amount of damage. Feel bad for the lady and son trying to save the place.
Remember coming here and playing paintball in the old playground lol
Thank you for creating the vid, it keeps the spark going🔥. I was born and raised in Corpus Christi.. 84’. There was no comparison which mall was the mall to be at in the early 90s. Padre was considered old peoples mall. Dollar Cinema on the weekends was no joke, the food court and right outside the entrance to the cinema was always packed with people. The small arcade in the cinema was lame, but we still played a few games. This mall was always packed and seemed real fun and everything was an adventure for me at that time. Later in its years I remember when Oshmans was added. The mini basketball court was ok. Walking throughout the mall, just hanging out with my dad and sister, or cousins was the best times. At the corner of the mall there was a small Mexican restaurant that was known for its nachos. This restaurant had a second story which is where I always asked the fam to eat so I could look down to the 1st story. Orange Julius was a favorite of me and my dad.
Outside of the mall in the parking lot there used to be events, such as the streetball tournament, Bayball Ballyhoop, with I watched a few times.
I had the luck of being able to get dropped off a few times at a place that I have tried to research but have found little to nothing on. This was a kids day care type place where you could be dropped off while your mom shops. This was not a normal daycare. This place had a big ball pit in the center, a water pit with bumper boats jungle-alligator themed & sounds, 2 big jumping houses that were set atop a wooden crawl maze that was dark but, had strobe lights flashing throughout with music. In the back of the place there was a move room with movie seating and a movie screen. There were arcade games scattered around the ball pit that was in the center. The game I remember was Conan. You could also order snacks and food from the back area like a real theater.
I miss this place so much. I had my very first singing lessons here at sunrise mall and now I’m in high school trying to pursue a career in musical theater! I am not old enough to see this mall in its prime but I still remember it being open and I miss is so much
Thank You For Sharing this. It’s sad to see Malls going down.
Back in the late 70's and early 80's some stores like Wards could not be in the same mall as Sears. Or Dillards and Joskeys. Then in the 90's Dillards bought Joskeys. And Wards started to close their stores. So That is why two malls.
This is heartbreaking to see it falling apart abandoned. I was here last end of 2017 and it was so empty but not abandoned
Sunrise Mall was my favorite between it and the other one. I saw my first movie here.
reflects the condition of your country , I grew up in the 80's and malls were a great time miss those days
Ace! The Concord mall was just approved to get redeveloped into a housing and industrial area. You should visit it one last time!
Awwww....thank you for documenting this...bittersweet to see, I gotta tell ya. Guess I enjoyed this mall at its best because I have great memories shopping there and seeing special seasonal displays. Wow...what a loss...my parents walked this mall in their later years...sigh...
My mom used to own a flower shop that was located under the escalators called Flowerama. I grew up running around that place from the time I was a baby until probably first or second grade. They always knew where to find me. At the toy store. Kids these days wouldn’t even know what a toy store is. ~John
Wow, this was all-timer! Nice work and awesome using the historical pics to tie in the past. 🎉🎉🎉
Glad you enjoyed it!
I too grew up here and came to this mall as a kid all through the later 80’s and 90’s. I went and saw the very last showings at the dollar cinema before it closed. Still have my ticket. I wish everyone was able to experience this place during its golden years - it was a special place.
One thing I do remember was this mall was the first to go smoke free. I remember my mother saying “sunrise banned smoking so we’re going to Padre Staples (now known as La Palmera.) It felt like that was the decision that put things in motion because I recall padre staples blew up
Off days are great so I finally got time to watch this video and it was worth the wait. Safe travels Anthony! 😁👍🎶
Man and to think I helped paint and texture the ceiling it was an awesome place to have worked and helped build this once beautiful place it still holds a very special place in my heart thank you ace
Thank you for the tour of this dead mall. Very interesting, but as always. very depressing. Hate to see these once grand malls falling apart like this.
Thank you
My first job was at the Dollar Cinema in 1991. That whole mall was off the hook in those days. Truly the hottest spot in town.
I'm Corpus born and raised here (2001) and have a few memories of Sunrise mall, but they were very few, some from when I was either a baby or a kid and later on in the mid 2010s just hanging out, I remember it being so lifeless. All I remember us doing was just sitting on the staircase there was just nothing to do. I do remember going to the dollar cinema a handful of times as a family, that was pretty fun.
I've explored this mall a bit last year, it's very depressing to see all the stores abandoned, some even looking pretty recently built just before it closed down. I was so in awe of the diorama at 34:04 it was one of the main things that stuck with me. It was perfectly in-tact when I saw it, I'm so upset that someone broke it! I just don't understand why people don't have any respect for preservation, and just not being able to observe something and not get an impulse to destroy it immediately after.
Regarding the opening of the mall and it being opened after the now named La Pamera mall, it was exactly like you said just a stupid decision that was never gonna last. My dad told me it was the place most kids/teens would hang out, and I guess that kept the mall running for a bit in the 80s but once those kids/teenagers grew up there was not really anyone going to the mall anymore, or no real reason to go their anymore. All my memories of it as a kid in the 2000s are just walking in the mall and it being pretty empty. Very sad to see how it ended up. I hope there's some sort of future for this mall that brings new life to it and not just a demolition.
Fantastic video. I enjoyed it, especially when you showed all those pictures and moments from the malls past.
Sad to see. I grew up going to Aladdin’s castle. What’s crazy is that even back in 2016 I would still visit and walk around the mall! It was pretty desolate then but the arcade was still open and so was the little burger stand in front of it
I live in Ohio. I live in an area (Warren/Niles) that our mall is actually expanding!! New stores added, new businesses and restaurants being built in the surrounding mall area. The mall is constantly busy!! Could be an anomaly, but we’ll take it especially in the era of Amazon!!
Ironically, the old Staples mall is practically next door to this mall. It was very recently refurbished and is now known as La Palma. It would have been a nice contrast to see this mall and the newly refurbished mall. It is stunning to see the difference. People with plenty of $ are relocating to Texas in large numbers and Corpus is finally seeing significant investment, but it is too little too late for Sunrise Mall.
@@JakeValentineStoryou mean La Palmera. And tbh I always had wondered why didn’t La Palmera and Sunrise Mall merge into one, ya know with being so close to each other. Just combine the two, and fill Sunrise Mall with stores that the newer main area of La Palmera couldn’t have or that they didn’t want, all while keeping the nostalgic feel of Sunrise Mall. Capitalizing on how the younger generations are so in love with the 80’s and 90’s. I always wondered about that. Such a loss.
Great segment, as always! For me, it's so amazing when you're able to find that archival footage when the mall was still alive in the 70s and beyond. So wonderfully nostalgic. Thanks, Ace!
Omg so many memories so much i could say about this place 😢
another banger in your channel, watching you since 2016
Appreciate that
Wow! I can't believe that this once beautiful mall is in this condition. Love The Legend of Billie Jean that's why I'm here I wish I could have went to this mall back in the 1980s.
Great Video Ace I always love urban exploring with you!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Awesome episode! Your work is truly outstanding!
This makes me want to cry. So many days of my teenage years were spent at this mall. I even worked at Mervyn’s before it closed
Your videos mean more to me than you could ever imagine. I look forward to Friday nights with Ace and the gang
I really enjoyed this video. I had to legitimately let this one sit with me and I’d never even been here! Powerful stuff man. Keep up the great content.
Incredibly deflating. Went there as a kid, dollar movies, richs, rock and roll plus, and a few more things was nostalgic and can't believe where i used to walk daily looks like this now