I opened the Radio Shack store next to Sears as manager in 1981. My father worked at Sears. I would grab him for a burger 🍔 in the food court once a week or so. Those were the days. So many memories. My uncles were the contractors for the concrete foundation for the mall’s construction. This is as sad as anything I have ever seen. So vibrant in the early 80’s. There has to be a purpose for these malls now. They should not be cast off as uninhabitable. This is fixable. Where is the will?
This is so sad this was my 90’s hangout spot. When it had Spencer’s, game rooms and good food. I heard there is a plan in place to bring it back to life. Such a sad story!
Sad to see all of this stuff. I managed the Radio Shack in the early 1990s (where Slackers is) - and it was amazing how busy it was. Those were the days.
You can really hear the birds as Ace goes into the former Carson’s. Hate to be the unlucky maintenance guy who might have to go on top checking some of the HVAC systems that be on the roof.
I live in Metro Detroit but I pass thru Benton Harbor sometimes to visit family. This mall failed mostly because of crime and white flight. However if those weren't factors, Benton Harbor/St.Joseph is just too small to support a mall. I kind of wish the town could just tear it down and turn it into a park. Heck they could remidate the property and turn it back into an apple orchard/cider mill for locals.
In the 90's this was a fun place to be. My cousin's and I ALWAYS wanted to be there. Nothing was better than grabbing a new outfit, quick photobooth sticker photo and going out to Ramona's to skate!
"Ruff's Soup and Stuff." Anyone remember that? It was the mid 80s, and some my favorite early, and mid-childhood memories take place at this mall. When I was young, eating out was occasional, and special, and I thought their broccoli cheese soup with croutons was the best thing I ever tasted. I used to go with my mom, just me and her. It was before my brother was born, and those memories are so precious. I loved the chocolate covered bananas, down the way at the ice cream shop on the corner, too. I would always get that or a scoop of bubblegum ice cream on a waffle cone. I have memories of going there with my dad, before he and my mom divorced. These were some of the best times in my life. I was so innocent to the world and it's cruelty. This video makes me want to cry. I miss it so much.
I've lived in this area my entire life. I can remember in the mid/late 90's going there and it just being a huge bustling place with tons of people, food, shops, everything. Over the years I watched it slowly turn to this. Haven't gone in in many years.
We were talking about what malls should be repurposed for while watching your vid, and the common consensus was,, to turn these into housing, with all the retail that would be common in a neighborhood, restaurants, markets and small business, so much unused space and so many people with no where to go, were really surprised that no developer has thought to do something like that with these spaces/places, with how much civilization shift that is occurring the world over, it's time to reinvent and reinvest to existing brick mortar, Liked your vid, Fullview, Staysafe
This mall was pretty surreal..all the bird noises combined with the humming lights give it a eerie feeling..the layout of that mall reminds me allot of my local mall..the tile colors too. If your ever in Indiana check out the Muncie Mall simular aesthetics but without the seagulls lol
This breaks my heart as this was my Mall growing up. Most of my Arcade memories were from here. KB Toys, JCPenny's, B. Dalton books, all of it. I met friends I still have to this day in there. I read comics in there, eat pizza, and as a Teenager I worked at Imperial Sports and KB Toys later on in my 20's. Back to School shopping, spending birthday money in here, you name it. This pains me to see.
Hey, awesome video! Loved the Flock of Seagulls remix in the video. Can't believe how loud the rain of seagull droppings really is in some parts of that mall. Keep up the great work and stay safe (and dry lol)
In the 80s I cruised Southridge Mall in Milwaukee as a college student working out complex problems. Being around people helped and although I wasn’t really there for shopping, I found a strange comfort being among people that helped my thinking. Later in my studies it was the Philly suburbs and the now defunct Echelon Mall. Security would occasionally question but they understood ‘this is me workin’ it out’.
I opened the Radio Shack store next to Sears as manager in 1981. My father worked at Sears. I would grab him for a burger 🍔 in the food court once a week or so. Those were the days. So many memories. My uncles were the contractors for the concrete foundation for the mall’s construction. This is as sad as anything I have ever seen. So vibrant in the early 80’s. There has to be a purpose for these malls now. They should not be cast off as uninhabitable. This is fixable. Where is the will?
This is so sad this was my 90’s hangout spot. When it had Spencer’s, game rooms and good food. I heard there is a plan in place to bring it back to life. Such a sad story!
"A flock of seagulls" (literally) really adds to the mall era aesthetic...
Alfred Hitchcock would have loved the creepy birds aspect of this place
Sad to see all of this stuff. I managed the Radio Shack in the early 1990s (where Slackers is) - and it was amazing how busy it was. Those were the days.
You can really hear the birds as Ace goes into the former Carson’s. Hate to be the unlucky maintenance guy who might have to go on top checking some of the HVAC systems that be on the roof.
The combination of sounds make the mall sound like a horror movie. I loved the archival photos in the beginning. Great video!
I live in Metro Detroit but I pass thru Benton Harbor sometimes to visit family. This mall failed mostly because of crime and white flight. However if those weren't factors, Benton Harbor/St.Joseph is just too small to support a mall. I kind of wish the town could just tear it down and turn it into a park. Heck they could remidate the property and turn it back into an apple orchard/cider mill for locals.
I'm from Benton Harbor and this is coming out on my 23rd birthday lmao. 🎂🥳
In the 90's this was a fun place to be. My cousin's and I ALWAYS wanted to be there. Nothing was better than grabbing a new outfit, quick photobooth sticker photo and going out to Ramona's to skate!
"Ruff's Soup and Stuff." Anyone remember that? It was the mid 80s, and some my favorite early, and mid-childhood memories take place at this mall. When I was young, eating out was occasional, and special, and I thought their broccoli cheese soup with croutons was the best thing I ever tasted. I used to go with my mom, just me and her. It was before my brother was born, and those memories are so precious. I loved the chocolate covered bananas, down the way at the ice cream shop on the corner, too. I would always get that or a scoop of bubblegum ice cream on a waffle cone. I have memories of going there with my dad, before he and my mom divorced. These were some of the best times in my life. I was so innocent to the world and it's cruelty. This video makes me want to cry. I miss it so much.
I've lived in this area my entire life. I can remember in the mid/late 90's going there and it just being a huge bustling place with tons of people, food, shops, everything. Over the years I watched it slowly turn to this. Haven't gone in in many years.
That poor mall. They just let the birds destroy it.
This Mall is a Aesthetic Asset! I love the 90's style salmon, turquoise colors!👍
We were talking about what malls should be repurposed for while watching your vid, and the common consensus was,, to turn these into housing, with all the retail that would be common in a neighborhood, restaurants, markets and small business, so much unused space and so many people with no where to go, were really surprised that no developer has thought to do something like that with these spaces/places, with how much civilization shift that is occurring the world over, it's time to reinvent and reinvest to existing brick mortar, Liked your vid, Fullview, Staysafe
This mall was pretty surreal..all the bird noises combined with the humming lights give it a eerie feeling..the layout of that mall reminds me allot of my local mall..the tile colors too. If your ever in Indiana check out the Muncie Mall simular aesthetics but without the seagulls lol
This breaks my heart as this was my Mall growing up. Most of my Arcade memories were from here. KB Toys, JCPenny's, B. Dalton books, all of it. I met friends I still have to this day in there. I read comics in there, eat pizza, and as a Teenager I worked at Imperial Sports and KB Toys later on in my 20's. Back to School shopping, spending birthday money in here, you name it. This pains me to see.
Wow---so very sad what has happened to this country
Hey, awesome video! Loved the Flock of Seagulls remix in the video. Can't believe how loud the rain of seagull droppings really is in some parts of that mall. Keep up the great work and stay safe (and dry lol)
In the 80s I cruised Southridge Mall in Milwaukee as a college student working out complex problems. Being around people helped and although I wasn’t really there for shopping, I found a strange comfort being among people that helped my thinking. Later in my studies it was the Philly suburbs and the now defunct Echelon Mall. Security would occasionally question but they understood ‘this is me workin’ it out’.