Dead malls: You could shop... until they dropped
Once booming, now barren. Let’s take a peek at malls of The Triangle's past — plus hope for the future. The article discusses the plight of "dead malls" in the US, which are often left in a state that is largely vacant or dilapidated due to the increasing popularity of liminal space aesthetics. Cary Village Mall, formerly known as Cary Towne Center, was once a popular mall in the '80s and '90s, with tenants including Time-Out Arcade, Cousin’s Pizza, and a carousel. Despite Epic Games purchasing the site in 2020 with plans to use it as its headquarters, the mall has remained vacant since Sears' final anchor store left in 2019. Despite this, the Triangle still has a number of thriving shopping centers and a successful mall redevelopment.
公開済み : 10ヶ月前 沿って Brianna Williams の Lifestyle
Shopping malls across America have been left in a state that not even Paul Blart could save, and the Raleigh area is no exception.
Known as “dead malls,” these abandoned, dilapidated, or mostly vacant shopping centers have become a subject of fascination — especially thanks to the online popularity of liminal space aesthetics.
Let’s go to the mall
Cary Village Mall — later Cary Towne Center — was once an ‘80s hot spot; tenants like Time-Out Arcade, Cousin’s Pizza, and even a carousel graced the mall in its heyday. During the 2010s, tenants continued to leave, and the mall slowly became nearly vacant. Epic Games purchased the site in 2020 with plans to turn it into the company’s headquarters.
In Durham, Northgate Mall was once the picture of a quintessential indoor mall with decorations during the holidays, a theater, stores like Sears and Thalhimers, and an outdoor plaza that was added in the mid-2000s. But in 2019, the mall’s final anchor store — Sears — departed, eventually followed by its permanent closure in 2020. The mall has remained vacant since.
Despite Epic Games’ plans, the former Cary Towne Center now sits mostly demolished without much progress — and no updates from Epic Games itself. Northgate Mall also remains unchanged, with caution tape covering the vacancy inside, through there are plans for redevelopment.
Today, the Triangle still has a number of thriving shopping centers, plus a successful mall redevelopment:
• | Known as the oldest shopping center in the South, the district celebrated 75 years in 2024. Formerly known as Cameron Village, it was once home to an underground set of shops and a music venue.
• | Formerly North Hills Mall, Kane Realty Corporation purchased and redeveloped the strip mall to become the live, work, play community it is today.
• | Home to luxury + specialty stores like Brahmin, Coach, Apple, and Michael Kors, this mall has been in biz since the ‘70s.
Do you have memories of a local mall from back in the day? Share them with us and we may feature your story in a future newsletter: First date at the food court, trying on prom dresses at the department store, hitting up Orange Julius before picking up the perfect graphic tee at Hot Topic — we wanna hear it all.