Hello, I live near the mall and plan on making an "in memoriam " video and was curious if I would be allowed to use some of your footage walking in the video. Thank you
Stopped by Military Circle this evening and did a live walkthrough. Wanted to see what stores were doing with pending closure of the mall. Unfortunately, the video didn’t save. It’s worse now since this video was posted. I will be going back soon to get footage for an update.
This mall was amazing back in the day. I remember when the mall was packed to the gills busy. The hotel, Hecht’s, Sears, and JCPenney. Great times!! Also the beautiful fountains that were here were amazing.
Despite, it will be missed 😢, that beautiful mall wasn't always like that, idiot prone violence can show up anywhere these days 😢. Thanks for your coverage material.
As a young sailor, MC was one of my many stomping grounds. I give away my age now when I say that I used to get on the legacy TRT on my liberty weekends to get there. I took the 31 from Dam Neck and transferred to the 20 @ Lynnhaven & Virginia Beach Blvd. This was back when the anchor tenants were there. I frequently took lunch at the Wendy's that was there. I can vividly remember when the Sheraton was there. The on_premises restaurant was a premium venue for weekend entertainment. One Friday night I had a meal there when a jazz quartet was in residence. What a time that was! It seemed like it was every weekend that the mall was packed. Now there are only spectres and memories. Hopefully, the city can replicate the kind of success that has happened just across the water with the PTC in Hampton. We'll see.
Unfortunately, I don’t hold faith in norfolk economic folks doing anything good. They took over waterside and it died. Fortunately, they found a new owner who reinvented the site and it’s doing very well the last I heard.
@@DyingRetail indeed. The city leadership that is presently in place seems to move more by legislation rather than inspiration. They've gotten a good deal of negative press of late because they seem to be indiscriminately and arbitrarily revoking C U P s for businesses in and around Granby Street. Somebody at City Hall just really needs to get a good idea
I’m trying to remember 🤔 late 70s early 80s? WCMS, at the time still one of the top country music stations in the US did a promotion, the giggle jump contest at a packed Military Circle mall. She was Tidewater’s best mall, the place to be, like cruzing at Shoney’s, or dancing at the Rogue’s gallery, or Peppermint beach club. There was a lot of people there, and of course, live on the radio! 50 keys sat at the bottom of a large hot tub full of orange gelatin. One key started a brand new Dodge Ramcharger! I was 38th of 50 people getting into the tub with a shot at grabbing that key and starting that beautiful truck! I managed to find a key with HT stamped on it that won the hot tub, but not before having some fun and slinging orange gelatin all over a few people. Those were the days!
I was on the team from Richmond that worked on the conversion of the JB Hunter stores here and at Coliseum Mall to Thalhimers back in 1976. JB Hunter had become less of a traditional department store and more of a discounter, didn't really fit the market that those mall operators were interested in attracting. The footage at 0:26 really took me back - that's exactly as I recall the building, except for that boxy element that apparently had the Macy's logo (and was probably put up to cover the labelscars from JB Hunter, Thalhimers and Hecht's).
It’s funny because as a kid. I would have been 6 then, don’t remember JB Hunter. Of course at that time I was in Gloucester for a couple of years. I am glad you enjoyed the video. I just finished the video for MacArthur Mall and I’m pooped. It’s closed to 40 minutes and don’t think I could cram anymore history of the place into a video LOL! Will be uploading sometime over the weekend.
Used to go to this mall in the early 2000s when I stationed at Little Creek naval base. One afternoon I was there alone and had bought a movie ticket, a guy opened fire on the steps to the movie theater!!! I went running out the nearest exits was one of the first people out of the mall and told a couple of security guards and a policeman that there was a shooting in progress. They didn’t believe me and laughed it off. I booked it across the parking lot as several more shots rang out inside and panicked people were rushing out of the mall. Those security guards and the cops faces drained of all color and they went running inside as I jumped onto a city bus and went back to the military base
I'm glad that you made it out safely. It almost goes without saying that those 'public safety' folks ought to have taken your report a good deal more seriously than they did. It's the same attitude that apparently pervaded city council at the time. What is really sad is that in recent times, they've gone to the other extreme in dealing with crime in downtown Norfolk by punishing business owners for shootings that happen OFF_PREMISES !!! It seems that a restaurant or lounge owner can have their CUP revoked for any criminal activity occurring just outside their establishment. I don't think that city leadership is making decisions based on facts and logic.
Good evening @livingroomjazz_by_william3791 my apologies for not replying. Yeah, things seem crazy with a lot of their decisions lately. That’s for sure.
I worked at the Waldenbooks for a few years there in the mid-80s. What a great era that was for MC! I saw a lot of movies in the circle 10 and circle 4 theaters. RIP...
I witnessed a shooting on the steps going up to the theater at Military Circle Mall sometime in 2003-2004. This was in the early afternoon too!! The shooter killed 1 guy and wounded 2 or 3 others!! It was on the new the next morning.
When I lived on the ship (which sucked) in the 80s I would go to this mall and watch 3 or 4 movies in a row. Anything was better than staying on the ship.
People started going to MacArthur center downtown Norfolk Virginia and I heard right now it is a dead Mall itself now so I think the malls people are going to in this area is lynnhaven out in Virginia Beach
And Patrick Henry. MacArthur has had gun violence issues inside the mall last few years. Last one was really bad. People started feeling they had to stay away. Apple closed their store there because of that last incident.
I worked at the Sears back in 2005 and the mall was dead before dead malls became a thing. All I can remember is mall walkers and more employees eating at the food court than customers.
Got to love the mall walkers 😂 Back when I worked at greenbrier mall in the early 90’s You could go up to pay phones and dial a #. Believe it was 276 and last four of the phone number. You’d get dial tone and when you hung up the pay phone would start ringing. So I would walk behind them and get each pay phone to ring so as they walked by a phone was ringing. Then I would listen to them try and figure out what was going on. 😂
@@DyingRetail my greatest pay phone memories were the endless banks of pay phones in the World Trade Center and waiting on a pay phone when my Navy ship pulled into port. Those guys would like give you five minutes before they were knocking on the booth.
Definitely a far cry from when I went to Military Circle Mall for the very first time with my parents when I was still a kid living in Norfolk, VA back in the 1980s. Military Circle was one of my mom's go to places to get clothes for both me & my two older brothers back then in the late 1980s to early 1990s. In Military Circle, I frequented JCPENNEY, Thalheimer's, Leggett's, Waldenbooks, K & K Toys, McCrory's, Legends, Suncoast Motion Picture Company, Mother's Records & Tapes (later became The Wall), & Piccadilly Cafeteria. I could go on and on about Military Circle Mall as it's history now.
I visited MCM frequently when I was stationed in Norfolk, from '88 to '91. I tried to translate the footage from the video relative to how I remember it from back then, but really wasn't able to. I remember a Subway (which was close to the entrance where the TRT bus dropped you off), Waldenbooks, Wendy's, a movie theatre, a bigger dept. store (can't remember the name, but don't think it was Penney's, that was close to the Waldenbooks). Also remember Flipper McCoys arcade, which was located in a separate building at edge of the parking lot, by the inner loop...played many video games there, while waiting for the TRT.
The last Flippers is at the oceanfront on Atlantic Ave. guess the home gaming systems killed then off. The movie theater you remembered was closed then they built the big cinemarx further down. They did a major renovation in the mid 90’s so that’s probably why a lot of what you remember looks so different.
I actually was mistaken when I told you I haven't been in there. I did go in there once, a month and a half ago or something, to return something to Bath and Body Works. I was creeped out the whole time.
The very latest ( per WAVY TV-10 ) is that the entire mall is to be demolished by the end of 2022. The remaining tenants have already been given notice.
Thanks for correcting me on that. I have had to force myself to get comfortable doing voice overs on the videos and I should have caught that right away.
The city is so dead set on tearing this mall down, that they are planning on running light rail there to support whatever gets built in its place. Personally I prefer Pharrell's plan, but anything would be better then what's there now. The only reason I have been to this mall recently, was to get my free covid shots at the fema clinic, set up in the old Macies. The city is even starting to consider tearing down MacArthur Center, as some of there future plans show downtown without the mall, but its still too early to call that one. MacArthur Center, along with lynhaven mall are the only two traditional malls I can see remaining open, and lynhaven mall is the only one that seems to be doing alright, and they recantly downsized by removing the 2nd flore.
@@kazeryu17 actually it’s probably going to end up being Lynnhaven and Patrick Henry. I have footage of Patrick Henry I will be working soon. Traffic there was heavy like Lynnhaven. In this area we suffer from all cities having to have what the others have and I think we now see the folly in that.
The only reason they would close MacArthur would be because of covid but it’s too early to tell Whether or not they would keep them all open or close before right now it is most likely open it is still in the heart of downtown Norfolk so be mindful of that
@@syedahbowden1512 Covid probably drove nail in but people being gunned down in the mall doesn’t help things. The area is over saturated with these outdated concepts and need to adjust to changing shopping trends. Who knows, MacArthur might pull the rabbit out of the hat yet.
The end is coming. January 31st Military Circle is no more. Tenants are worried what will they do. www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/military-circle-mall-closing-tenants-future-uncertain/291-b0a8d545-8ab3-4de0-8931-5e4f1ff2cd7e?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR1ddeyIqW6K9T-wzDfpHzeD3WRwyaIKuMqpCVM9diBwnIOQeX3X9RsnPjk#lbvgusg6332mh8jeimf
It would be a great thing to have a skating night for kids to roll around all through it! Have music and food, keep them entertained. Even adults could do that.
I walked around back in December 2022,I posted a small video on IG,just sharing some memories that I had,me and my late brother, I stopped past the Toy n Co company and scooped up those old school stretchy wrestlers
See the Cinemark used to open at 11:00 a.m. on the weekdays and 10:00 a.m. on the weekends and if you got your movie ticket before noon you only paid $2 for it even if it was a premium movie so I have done premium movie watching there just because of the low cost to see first run movies
I wonder if the owners already started defaulting on the electric bill and on the other utilities that'll be the first sign they're going to be closing soon is if the electric bill is not paid
It may unfortunately. I think the Sears leaving really hammered it. Plus the city saying no to Rosie’s coming spelled it out. Did you see the Greenbrier mall video I did recently?
The intro music is too loud. It sounds super distorted on my speakers. Actually all of the music is too loud and your voice is too quiet. I have to keep turning my volume up to hear your voice and then down when the music starts playing.
Yeah I've been 2015 the public auction that's when I bidded $500 for the mall I just knew there was so much hazardous materials in it that I think all I could recoup after the cost of that cleanup in recyclable materials was anywhere from 550 to $1,000
Well for a while they were trying to think about bringing an NFL team to the area and using the mall property to build the stadium I think that fell through pretty quickly but it looks like it's costing more to keep it open than just to close its doors unless they're not going to close it because of the cost of removing all the hazardous materials that was used to construct them all and the hotel
I went back and listened. There were a couple of spots I see some of the background sounds in the music might have gotten high but overall I was able to hear everything. Unfortunately, since video is live there isn’t anymore I can do in my end. Hopefully, the videos after sounded better. I have been making adjustments as I’ve gone on to try and have good audio.
Cool video (I would have skipped the music it took away too much from the whole atmosphere of the dying mall) The whole mall concept is dead in America. Is not on only the well known enemy of Online shopping there are way too many activities as alternative for the 80s "lets go to the mall" (even if it was just for walking and getting ice cream) everybody was at the mall. Nowadays there is streaming, video games, social media, dining out (in real restaurants not in the food court), bigger and better big box stores like Wal Mart and Target, etc Add to that the never ending shrinking of the middle class (the big buyer at the malls)
Actually one thing I think I’d hurting them is the overdevelopment. You have too many on top of each other. I think we will still have malls but the herd is going to really get thinned out. The ones that remain will be the ones that have learned to adapt to all of the changes.
I think they need to scratch the arena idea cuz in Virginia beach at the old pavilion that's what they're building right now so would be just the same thing just a few miles down the road and one is already complete and established already and the one that will be coming to military circle would still have to fight for those same customers that would use to Virginia Beach one plus it's only a few steps from the ocean so why would you come to the Norfolk arena when the Virginia Beach arena has so much more to offer and I'm in Norfolk resident so I'm not dissing Norfolk I'm just stating a reality I think the best thing is to return the land back to its original use which was residential a mix of single family homes duplexes and apartments
City planners see a star promoting this and care about nothing else. They are also usually not good at running a retail establishment. Look at Waterside that got worse until they sold it off and it was redesigned.
I think when they built them all they tore down a huge residential neighborhood to get the land for it I guess that would be the best thing to put back up would be a combination of single family homes and apartments back on the property if they tear them all down and restore the property to its original use
Malls are like the population of a country which can tolerate a small portion of its people being from an urban background but as the urban population increases the non urban population leaves or stops spending causing the economic foundation to be destroyed and die. It takes time but like countries there is no mall that has a majority urban population thrive economically . When the aid or tax breaks wear out the mall is shut down
Well I could have told you that the mall is nothing but a shooting gallery for gang members it's had its share problems lately but I don't think they can afford to close it because of all the hazardous materials it's made out of . then they would be under pressure to get rid of the structure if they close them mall
@nixbeamish757 I wish you two would let you take a video down and fix it put it back up without losing your views and stats. Plus you had to be careful because there’s people that have done that and then they gave us strike against the creator saying they were trying to game the system.
And they squabble with each other instead of getting together and trying to make things better for the rest of the community they inhabit I used to live in Hampton during the '80s lived over sea during the 90s and early 2000s moved back to the area but 2004 and I'm a Norfolk resident and the infighting between the cities has not changed since I've been born
True. Although Norfolk trying to grab up all the surrounding counties and forcing other mergers to stop them helped with the attitudes I think. Portsmouth got shafted in terms of expanding their borders in the process.
@@DyingRetail it an impossible situation for Norfolk to grab any more territory since Virginia is unique with independent cities separate from counties. Hampton Roads is a mess.
True. But the other counties were forced into becoming cities to stop their expansion. Norfolk went off on the light rail expecting the other cities to foot bills and that was a miscalculation on their part. However, Norfolk could expand it into other parts of Norfolk. That might encourage others to connect to it.
Which is sad. A lot of people blame online shopping when I think a lot of it was the mall owners using all their properties for collateral on other projects. Then the bill came due.
Norfolk doesn't know what to do with that land...they want to put an arena there....but this area is notorious for cities to cooperate with each other so that arena probably won't be built.... this area will remain a bush league minor leagues
www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-military-circle-checks-20220707-t6lr3gdn2vaa5fojahzginegju-story.html Not surprised City hasn’t made a decision yet. They could mess up a bucket.
Sept 2021 the mall was not as bad. Last month it was a lot worse. So yes. I do not planning on going back there by myself and it’s not many places I would have that feeling. It’s as if those that run the mall know it’s days are numbered and don’t care anymore.
Let me tell you stupid people something this mall is in the heart of many communities they have failed back in 1970 when the mall went for another redevelopment back in the early 2000 if you look at the video they had it wasn’t doing so well they had to be developed more in order to put a series where the hatchet was mind you they also did not have a cinema café theater theater was all smaller than that so they had to re-develop the whole entire mall for the next generation unfortunately it didn’t work out that way when the Sears ended up going bankrupt retail started to decline throughout the years of not only just the small but others in the United States of America wants JC pennies left then Macy’s then that’s when Covid hit and it kind of destroyed retail from here on out. If youNEVER GREW UP AROUND THE AREA YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THIS MALL. Simple as that
Wasn’t aware anyone out of the area commenting. Military Circle was having problems long before the general decline in malls in general. Comes down to people no longer felt safe going there and everything else just keep driving nails in. Overall problem is there are too many malls here. Each city has to have what the city next door has etc.
OK It had nothing to do with how people felt if they didn’t feel safe the mall would have been closed that’s for one. Secondly the Mall went through two redevelopment projects one in 1970 and the other in the early 2000. Military Circle, Mall was packed full of people from the time it was built till the time it decline. It had nothing to do with the crime that you read on an article. As someone who grew up in this area once the Sears left that’s when it put them all in jeopardy because they lost an anchor. Not long after that JCPenney‘s went out of business and the only store that was left was Macy’s. And at that time being Macy’s went out of business and the mall was only open for the movie theater. Once Cinemark left due to covid the mall has been trashed. And that was recently due to Covid the mall did not decline Because of what you read when the crime rate was at %10 an all time high. That mall had all kinds of business and kids parents all kinds of people there enjoying fun rides shopping food court and the movie theatre it was all of that. Check your information again
Yes. The mall was in decline before Covid. And when people don’t feel safe going to them to shop and anchors hurting for money and looking to close stores will close underperforming stores. It’s not just one particular issue that caused it. It’s all of the above. Let’s face it. The mall sucked for years. Management also didn’t help it.
The entire city of Norfolk is gross except for a few areas. If you have money to buy expensive homes then those are the only decent areas left. it seems like the city is full of thugs and street trash. Sadly these people are ruining Va. Beach and parts of Chesapeake. the only place worse than Norfolk is Portsmouth with Hampton and Newport News getting worse also, Very sad it used to be very different and full of nice places to go. The best place to go is another metro area full of educated people...
Sadly it was a lot of “educated” people making boneheaded decisions that the area is stuck with now. However, just because someone is in the military or works a blue collar job doesn’t mean they don’t have positive contributions to make to society.
@@DyingRetail i agree with you ! i was only focusing on the stereotypical blue collar or military not the exceptional and that was a mistake, You are correct= my miss!
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ruclips.net/video/SODq4_svaMM/видео.html news Channel 3. Last Christmas Military Circle Mall
Hello, I live near the mall and plan on making an "in memoriam " video and was curious if I would be allowed to use some of your footage walking in the video. Thank you
Hello. Sorry, didn’t see notification for your question. Sure, all I ask is if you’d give credit in the comments.
I have a farewell video as well. Don’t know if you saw that.
Stopped by Military Circle this evening and did a live walkthrough. Wanted to see what stores were doing with pending closure of the mall. Unfortunately, the video didn’t save. It’s worse now since this video was posted. I will be going back soon to get footage for an update.
This mall was amazing back in the day. I remember when the mall was packed to the gills busy. The hotel, Hecht’s, Sears, and JCPenney. Great times!!
Also the beautiful fountains that were here were amazing.
Yeah they were fun back then.
@@DyingRetailI’ll never forget the Electronic Babbage’s on the 2nd Floor. Saw Sonic there for the very first time in May of 1991.
@@plawson8577 military circle was one story except for the anchors. Are you thinking the right mall?
Despite, it will be missed 😢, that beautiful mall wasn't always like that, idiot prone violence can show up anywhere these days 😢. Thanks for your coverage material.
Yes. It’s a shame that people no longer value life anymore. It’s going to be weird not seeing it there.
Good video. Interesting and sad. Thanks for filming.
I am glad you enjoyed. I hope to have some more up soon. Life has been getting in the way lately of completing some of what I have to finish :)
As a young sailor, MC was one of my many stomping grounds. I give away my age now when I say that I used to get on the legacy TRT on my liberty weekends to get there. I took the 31 from Dam Neck and transferred to the 20 @ Lynnhaven & Virginia Beach Blvd. This was back when the anchor tenants were there. I frequently took lunch at the Wendy's that was there. I can vividly remember when the Sheraton was there. The on_premises restaurant was a premium venue for weekend entertainment. One Friday night I had a meal there when a jazz quartet was in residence. What a time that was! It seemed like it was every weekend that the mall was packed. Now there are only spectres and memories. Hopefully, the city can replicate the kind of success that has happened just across the water with the PTC in Hampton. We'll see.
Unfortunately, I don’t hold faith in norfolk economic folks doing anything good. They took over waterside and it died. Fortunately, they found a new owner who reinvented the site and it’s doing very well the last I heard.
@@DyingRetail indeed. The city leadership that is presently in place seems to move more by legislation rather than inspiration. They've gotten a good deal of negative press of late because they seem to be indiscriminately and arbitrarily revoking C U P s for businesses in and around Granby Street. Somebody at City Hall just really needs to get a good idea
The bad thing is a lot of the issues are from those elected. Unfortunately, the workers have to do what’s been laid out.
@@DyingRetail yup
I hope to have some additional mall content soon.
I’m trying to remember 🤔 late 70s early 80s? WCMS, at the time still one of the top country music stations in the US did a promotion, the giggle jump contest at a packed Military Circle mall. She was Tidewater’s best mall, the place to be, like cruzing at Shoney’s, or dancing at the Rogue’s gallery, or Peppermint beach club. There was a lot of people there, and of course, live on the radio! 50 keys sat at the bottom of a large hot tub full of orange gelatin. One key started a brand new Dodge Ramcharger! I was 38th of 50 people getting into the tub with a shot at grabbing that key and starting that beautiful truck! I managed to find a key with HT stamped on it that won the hot tub, but not before having some fun and slinging orange gelatin all over a few people. Those were the days!
Yeah. People had more fun and stuff back then that’s for sure. What happened with the hot tub?
I was on the team from Richmond that worked on the conversion of the JB Hunter stores here and at Coliseum Mall to Thalhimers back in 1976. JB Hunter had become less of a traditional department store and more of a discounter, didn't really fit the market that those mall operators were interested in attracting. The footage at 0:26 really took me back - that's exactly as I recall the building, except for that boxy element that apparently had the Macy's logo (and was probably put up to cover the labelscars from JB Hunter, Thalhimers and Hecht's).
It’s funny because as a kid. I would have been 6 then, don’t remember JB Hunter. Of course at that time I was in Gloucester for a couple of years. I am glad you enjoyed the video. I just finished the video for MacArthur Mall and I’m pooped. It’s closed to 40 minutes and don’t think I could cram anymore history of the place into a video LOL! Will be uploading sometime over the weekend.
Sad to see....many memories in that mall as a teenager.
The crime there has hastened the downward spiral. Shame. Especially with all the improvements that were done.
Sad ending to a once great mall.
Used to go to this mall in the early 2000s when I stationed at Little Creek naval base.
One afternoon I was there alone and had bought a movie ticket, a guy opened fire on the steps to the movie theater!!! I went running out the nearest exits was one of the first people out of the mall and told a couple of security guards and a policeman that there was a shooting in progress. They didn’t believe me and laughed it off. I booked it across the parking lot as several more shots rang out inside and panicked people were rushing out of the mall.
Those security guards and the cops faces drained of all color and they went running inside as I jumped onto a city bus and went back to the military base
Oh my! I am glad you made it through ok. That would be enough to keep me from going back there. Crime is main reason for this mall’s demise.
I'm glad that you made it out safely. It almost goes without saying that those 'public safety' folks ought to have taken your report a good deal more seriously than they did. It's the same attitude that apparently pervaded city council at the time. What is really sad is that in recent times, they've gone to the other extreme in dealing with crime in downtown Norfolk by punishing business owners for shootings that happen OFF_PREMISES !!! It seems that a restaurant or lounge owner can have their CUP revoked for any criminal activity occurring just outside their establishment. I don't think that city leadership is making decisions based on facts and logic.
Good evening @livingroomjazz_by_william3791 my apologies for not replying. Yeah, things seem crazy with a lot of their decisions lately. That’s for sure.
I was stationed at ft. Eustis and would come here with my few minutes of freedom each month...sorry to see it go.
If you are in the area it’s open til end of year.
Sounds like with the bad neighborhood, a prison might be the best use of the property. Crime will kill a mall faster than anything.
Thanks for this vid. I'm actually surprised that this mall survived this long.
Yep.
I worked at the Waldenbooks for a few years there in the mid-80s. What a great era that was for MC! I saw a lot of movies in the circle 10 and circle 4 theaters. RIP...
I miss the bookstores.
I witnessed a shooting on the steps going up to the theater at Military Circle Mall sometime in 2003-2004. This was in the early afternoon too!! The shooter killed 1 guy and wounded 2 or 3 others!! It was on the new the next morning.
Oh wow! Can’t imagine being right in the middle of that. Glad you made it out of that situation ok.
The reason why they called it military circle is there used to be a roundabout right near the mall now it's just a tea road they changed back in '99
The one down near Princess Ann Rd?
I used to visit Mothers Records and The Music Man music store bank in the late 80s.
That’s a name I haven’t heard in years. Keep following. I’m on getting another video. Fingers 🤞
When I lived on the ship (which sucked) in the 80s I would go to this mall and watch 3 or 4 movies in a row. Anything was better than staying on the ship.
Same here, John.
I spent many a liberty weekend there, as well
People started going to MacArthur center downtown Norfolk Virginia and I heard right now it is a dead Mall itself now so I think the malls people are going to in this area is lynnhaven out in Virginia Beach
And Patrick Henry. MacArthur has had gun violence issues inside the mall last few years. Last one was really bad. People started feeling they had to stay away. Apple closed their store there because of that last incident.
Outside the mall you had the best of both worlds,Flipper Mcoys and Putt Putt Golf and Games ,the weekend was chilled mode
Flippers was a lot of fun.
I worked at the Sears back in 2005 and the mall was dead before dead malls became a thing. All I can remember is mall walkers and more employees eating at the food court than customers.
Got to love the mall walkers 😂 Back when I worked at greenbrier mall in the early 90’s You could go up to pay phones and dial a #. Believe it was 276 and last four of the phone number. You’d get dial tone and when you hung up the pay phone would start ringing. So I would walk behind them and get each pay phone to ring so as they walked by a phone was ringing. Then I would listen to them try and figure out what was going on. 😂
@@DyingRetail my greatest pay phone memories were the endless banks of pay phones in the World Trade Center and waiting on a pay phone when my Navy ship pulled into port. Those guys would like give you five minutes before they were knocking on the booth.
I sometimes miss those booths you would go in and close the door.
Definitely a far cry from when I went to Military Circle Mall for the very first time with my parents when I was still a kid living in Norfolk, VA back in the 1980s. Military Circle was one of my mom's go to places to get clothes for both me & my two older brothers back then in the late 1980s to early 1990s. In Military Circle, I frequented JCPENNEY, Thalheimer's, Leggett's, Waldenbooks, K & K Toys, McCrory's, Legends, Suncoast Motion Picture Company, Mother's Records & Tapes (later became The Wall), & Piccadilly Cafeteria. I could go on and on about Military Circle Mall as it's history now.
Glad you enjoyed. That’s the reason I wanted to document it so much. To keep as much of a record as I could get.
I visited MCM frequently when I was stationed in Norfolk, from '88 to '91. I tried to translate the footage from the video relative to how I remember it from back then, but really wasn't able to. I remember a Subway (which was close to the entrance where the TRT bus dropped you off), Waldenbooks, Wendy's, a movie theatre, a bigger dept. store (can't remember the name, but don't think it was Penney's, that was close to the Waldenbooks).
Also remember Flipper McCoys arcade, which was located in a separate building at edge of the parking lot, by the inner loop...played many video games there, while waiting for the TRT.
The last Flippers is at the oceanfront on Atlantic Ave. guess the home gaming systems killed then off. The movie theater you remembered was closed then they built the big cinemarx further down. They did a major renovation in the mid 90’s so that’s probably why a lot of what you remember looks so different.
Thanks for the info, and the video! I have good memories of MCM, and Lynnhaven! I miss them (and will continue to)!
Lynnhaven appears to be doing well. Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News is also doing well.
I actually was mistaken when I told you I haven't been in there. I did go in there once, a month and a half ago or something, to return something to Bath and Body Works. I was creeped out the whole time.
I was little unnerved the last time I was in there. The vibe had changed a lot.
10:07 That shuttered store was a Sears, the Macy's section is blocked off and inaccessible to the public
The entire section to Sears is completely blocked off. I believe that section is going to be razed.
The very latest ( per WAVY TV-10 ) is that the entire mall is to be demolished by the end of 2022. The remaining tenants have already been given notice.
Thanks for correcting me on that. I have had to force myself to get comfortable doing voice overs on the videos and I should have caught that right away.
I hope that they do something soon for military circle mall it sad too see it go
Pray the Norfolk Economic development people are smart this time. Seems every time they try and run a retail establishment it goes South.
The city is so dead set on tearing this mall down, that they are planning on running light rail there to support whatever gets built in its place. Personally I prefer Pharrell's plan, but anything would be better then what's there now. The only reason I have been to this mall recently, was to get my free covid shots at the fema clinic, set up in the old Macies. The city is even starting to consider tearing down MacArthur Center, as some of there future plans show downtown without the mall, but its still too early to call that one. MacArthur Center, along with lynhaven mall are the only two traditional malls I can see remaining open, and lynhaven mall is the only one that seems to be doing alright, and they recantly downsized by removing the 2nd flore.
@@kazeryu17 actually it’s probably going to end up being Lynnhaven and Patrick Henry. I have footage of Patrick Henry I will be working soon. Traffic there was heavy like Lynnhaven. In this area we suffer from all cities having to have what the others have and I think we now see the folly in that.
The only reason they would close MacArthur would be because of covid but it’s too early to tell Whether or not they would keep them all open or close before right now it is most likely open it is still in the heart of downtown Norfolk so be mindful of that
@@syedahbowden1512 Covid probably drove nail in but people being gunned down in the mall doesn’t help things. The area is over saturated with these outdated concepts and need to adjust to changing shopping trends. Who knows, MacArthur might pull the rabbit out of the hat yet.
You know it is bad when Bath & Body Works is closed. What you called a closed Macy's looks like a former Sears front.
Sears had left by then. That was the Macys. Funny didn’t think about Sears front.
Most likely the mall will be converted into a Amazon fulfillment house
Get my stuff faster? I’m for it.
The end is coming. January 31st Military Circle is no more. Tenants are worried what will they do. www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/military-circle-mall-closing-tenants-future-uncertain/291-b0a8d545-8ab3-4de0-8931-5e4f1ff2cd7e?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR1ddeyIqW6K9T-wzDfpHzeD3WRwyaIKuMqpCVM9diBwnIOQeX3X9RsnPjk#lbvgusg6332mh8jeimf
It would be a great thing to have a skating night for kids to roll around all through it! Have music and food, keep them entertained. Even adults could do that.
I walked around back in December 2022,I posted a small video on IG,just sharing some memories that I had,me and my late brother, I stopped past the Toy n Co company and scooped up those old school stretchy wrestlers
Glad you shared. Sounds like you enjoyed the video.
See the Cinemark used to open at 11:00 a.m. on the weekdays and 10:00 a.m. on the weekends and if you got your movie ticket before noon you only paid $2 for it even if it was a premium movie so I have done premium movie watching there just because of the low cost to see first run movies
It’s a nice theater. Too bad it didn’t hang on.
Looks like what happened to Virginia Center Commons
I may have to visit that one again soon. I guess the one in short pump took away from this location.
I wonder if the owners already started defaulting on the electric bill and on the other utilities that'll be the first sign they're going to be closing soon is if the electric bill is not paid
Don’t think so but it’s already announced they’re closing Dec 31st.
Great vid! Thanks for keeping people updated on how dangerous and nasty the mall has become.
Sad state of affairs in retail world. Thanks for watching. There will be more soon.
Oh sh*t! It's closing? I'm gonna have to take my kids there one last time. And it's Norfolk... It's never been "safe"
They’ve upped the closure to end of January now.
I don't think there's any more anchors in military circle Mall unless you count the Ross
Ross is it.
There are no more 'anchor' tenants. They were gone by the early to mid 2000s.
I think Macy’s left in the 2010’s.
Awesome video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Greenbrier mall is closing too my sister works in that mall at Sentara
It may unfortunately. I think the Sears leaving really hammered it. Plus the city saying no to Rosie’s coming spelled it out. Did you see the Greenbrier mall video I did recently?
No I haven't seen seen the Greenbrier mall video yet
I got in today. I got lots of video. Today was the last day anyone would be allowed inside. Stay tuned.
I never got a chance to visit this mall once 😭
Now I am shocked 😮
@@DyingRetail 😂
@@DyingRetail Its ok its just the way it went
@@FESPerson2974 you can still see it after closing. I have the video. :)
@@DyingRetail ok
The intro music is too loud. It sounds super distorted on my speakers. Actually all of the music is too loud and your voice is too quiet. I have to keep turning my volume up to hear your voice and then down when the music starts playing.
🤷♂️
Depressing
Yes. Very.
Yeah I've been 2015 the public auction that's when I bidded $500 for the mall I just knew there was so much hazardous materials in it that I think all I could recoup after the cost of that cleanup in recyclable materials was anywhere from 550 to $1,000
That was a low bid you think?
Well for a while they were trying to think about bringing an NFL team to the area and using the mall property to build the stadium I think that fell through pretty quickly but it looks like it's costing more to keep it open than just to close its doors unless they're not going to close it because of the cost of removing all the hazardous materials that was used to construct them all and the hotel
The interstate and roads here can’t handle an NFL team.
The background music is so loud. It's hard to hear your commentary
That’s strange. When I’ve listened the background was muted during the commentary portion.
I went back and listened. There were a couple of spots I see some of the background sounds in the music might have gotten high but overall I was able to hear everything. Unfortunately, since video is live there isn’t anymore I can do in my end. Hopefully, the videos after sounded better. I have been making adjustments as I’ve gone on to try and have good audio.
you forgot netcenter mall on mercury and newmarket near hwy 17 bridge
You mean Newmarket North?
Cool video (I would have skipped the music it took away too much from the whole atmosphere of the dying mall)
The whole mall concept is dead in America. Is not on only the well known enemy of Online shopping there are way too many activities as alternative for the 80s "lets go to the mall" (even if it was just for walking and getting ice cream) everybody was at the mall. Nowadays there is streaming, video games, social media, dining out (in real restaurants not in the food court), bigger and better big box stores like Wal Mart and Target, etc Add to that the never ending shrinking of the middle class (the big buyer at the malls)
Actually one thing I think I’d hurting them is the overdevelopment. You have too many on top of each other. I think we will still have malls but the herd is going to really get thinned out. The ones that remain will be the ones that have learned to adapt to all of the changes.
I think they need to scratch the arena idea cuz in Virginia beach at the old pavilion that's what they're building right now so would be just the same thing just a few miles down the road and one is already complete and established already and the one that will be coming to military circle would still have to fight for those same customers that would use to Virginia Beach one plus it's only a few steps from the ocean so why would you come to the Norfolk arena when the Virginia Beach arena has so much more to offer and I'm in Norfolk resident so I'm not dissing Norfolk I'm just stating a reality I think the best thing is to return the land back to its original use which was residential a mix of single family homes duplexes and apartments
City planners see a star promoting this and care about nothing else. They are also usually not good at running a retail establishment. Look at Waterside that got worse until they sold it off and it was redesigned.
that mall has been dying for the past 15+ yrs , the area that mall is located in is bad overall
Not really. In terms of crime around the area. I think economically was a bad move creating another mall.
High crime will ruin any mall or any neighborhood. Seems to be the trend. It’s a problem with society in our country
True. Was a shame.
I think when they built them all they tore down a huge residential neighborhood to get the land for it I guess that would be the best thing to put back up would be a combination of single family homes and apartments back on the property if they tear them all down and restore the property to its original use
And move in more criminals....no thanks
Any housing that came there would be too expensive.
I can definitely tell you not from the seven cities of Southeastern Virginia because of the way you pronounce Norfolk
Lived here all my life. Born in Norfolk General.
I used to go there all the time.
Remember shopping there in the 80’s for back to school.
A very sad end to a once thriving mall
Yep. Sad to see.
Malls are like the population of a country which can tolerate a small portion of its people being from an urban background but as the urban population increases the non urban population leaves or stops spending causing the economic foundation to be destroyed and die. It takes time but like countries there is no mall that has a majority urban population thrive economically . When the aid or tax breaks wear out the mall is shut down
That plus you have malls being built on top of malls stealing traffic away.
Sad.i remember an family.photo.there
Remember when the malls used to have the portrait studios?
So sad
It is. Seeing it far too often I’m afraid.
Well I could have told you that the mall is nothing but a shooting gallery for gang members it's had its share problems lately but I don't think they can afford to close it because of all the hazardous materials it's made out of . then they would be under pressure to get rid of the structure if they close them mall
Don’t forget knife fights.
Man i remember the orange julius
+jj18057 That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
And whatever you do do not go into that double tree hotel unless you have a respirator and proper hazmat suit
You would have to break in the hotel to get access from what I saw
9:43 That's Not Macy's That's Sears
Yes. I realized after uploading I misspoke.
@@DyingRetail It's ok!!
@nixbeamish757 I wish you two would let you take a video down and fix it put it back up without losing your views and stats. Plus you had to be careful because there’s people that have done that and then they gave us strike against the creator saying they were trying to game the system.
And they squabble with each other instead of getting together and trying to make things better for the rest of the community they inhabit I used to live in Hampton during the '80s lived over sea during the 90s and early 2000s moved back to the area but 2004 and I'm a Norfolk resident and the infighting between the cities has not changed since I've been born
That is why The Tide light rail is a failure. Too much infighting between the cities. They haven’t made one extension in over 10 years.
True. Although Norfolk trying to grab up all the surrounding counties and forcing other mergers to stop them helped with the attitudes I think. Portsmouth got shafted in terms of expanding their borders in the process.
@@DyingRetail it an impossible situation for Norfolk to grab any more territory since Virginia is unique with independent cities separate from counties. Hampton Roads is a mess.
True. But the other counties were forced into becoming cities to stop their expansion. Norfolk went off on the light rail expecting the other cities to foot bills and that was a miscalculation on their part. However, Norfolk could expand it into other parts of Norfolk. That might encourage others to connect to it.
6:19
Beats that 6:20 clip 😂😂😂
An age passes.
Which is sad. A lot of people blame online shopping when I think a lot of it was the mall owners using all their properties for collateral on other projects. Then the bill came due.
Close the January 31
Yes it did. I also have video after the mall closed from April/May you might enjoy.
Norfolk doesn't know what to do with that land...they want to put an arena there....but this area is notorious for cities to cooperate with each other so that arena probably won't be built.... this area will remain a bush league minor leagues
Even if they bring in an arena… look at the transportation networks here. Would be a mess.
filming
looking
www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-military-circle-checks-20220707-t6lr3gdn2vaa5fojahzginegju-story.html
Not surprised City hasn’t made a decision yet. They could mess up a bucket.
'without being arm.................d' Says it all
Sept 2021 the mall was not as bad. Last month it was a lot worse. So yes. I do not planning on going back there by myself and it’s not many places I would have that feeling. It’s as if those that run the mall know it’s days are numbered and don’t care anymore.
ing
Let me tell you stupid people something this mall is in the heart of many communities they have failed back in 1970 when the mall went for another redevelopment back in the early 2000 if you look at the video they had it wasn’t doing so well they had to be developed more in order to put a series where the hatchet was mind you they also did not have a cinema café theater theater was all smaller than that so they had to re-develop the whole entire mall for the next generation unfortunately it didn’t work out that way when the Sears ended up going bankrupt retail started to decline throughout the years of not only just the small but others in the United States of America wants JC pennies left then Macy’s then that’s when Covid hit and it kind of destroyed retail from here on out. If youNEVER GREW UP AROUND THE AREA YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THIS MALL. Simple as that
Wasn’t aware anyone out of the area commenting. Military Circle was having problems long before the general decline in malls in general. Comes down to people no longer felt safe going there and everything else just keep driving nails in. Overall problem is there are too many malls here. Each city has to have what the city next door has etc.
OK It had nothing to do with how people felt if they didn’t feel safe the mall would have been closed that’s for one. Secondly the Mall went through two redevelopment projects one in 1970 and the other in the early 2000. Military Circle, Mall was packed full of people from the time it was built till the time it decline. It had nothing to do with the crime that you read on an article. As someone who grew up in this area once the Sears left that’s when it put them all in jeopardy because they lost an anchor. Not long after that JCPenney‘s went out of business and the only store that was left was Macy’s. And at that time being Macy’s went out of business and the mall was only open for the movie theater. Once Cinemark left due to covid the mall has been trashed. And that was recently due to Covid the mall did not decline Because of what you read when the crime rate was at %10 an all time high. That mall had all kinds of business and kids parents all kinds of people there enjoying fun rides shopping food court and the movie theatre it was all of that. Check your information again
Yes. The mall was in decline before Covid. And when people don’t feel safe going to them to shop and anchors hurting for money and looking to close stores will close underperforming stores. It’s not just one particular issue that caused it. It’s all of the above. Let’s face it. The mall sucked for years. Management also didn’t help it.
The entire city of Norfolk is gross except for a few areas. If you have money to buy expensive homes then those are the only decent areas left. it seems like the city is full of thugs and street trash. Sadly these people are ruining Va. Beach and parts of Chesapeake. the only place worse than Norfolk is Portsmouth with Hampton and Newport News getting worse also, Very sad it used to be very different and full of nice places to go. The best place to go is another metro area full of educated people...
Wow. Nice to know this is an uneducated metro area…
Lots of military and blue collar does not support an educated metro area not my opinion but a fact
Sadly it was a lot of “educated” people making boneheaded decisions that the area is stuck with now. However, just because someone is in the military or works a blue collar job doesn’t mean they don’t have positive contributions to make to society.
@@DyingRetail i agree with you ! i was only focusing on the stereotypical blue collar or military not the exceptional and that was a mistake, You are correct= my miss!
Especially VDOT road designers 😂