This thread plus the fact that I’ve been binge watching “dead mall” videos on YouTube inspired me to head over to Sunrise Mall to see how they’re doing. The TLDR version is yeah, it’s pretty dead.
First impression: As you approach Citrus Heights from the west on Greenback Lane, the hulking, brutalist, early 1970s Macy’s store that anchors the north end of the Sunrise Mall begins to appear off to your left. Then as you get closer you start to notice that it’s got that dirty, mildewy appearance that aging brutalist buildings often get. Entering the parking lot it’s vast sea of empty, cracked, pavement. There are a small number of cars clustered near the entrances. I had no trouble finding a parking space, which is the exact opposite of the experience of going to the mall 20 years ago. At first I thought maybe it was just the time of day I was there – it was midday on a Friday. But then again the shopping center across the street, anchored by Target, looked pretty busy.
I entered through the main entrance across from JC Penny and headed to the food court for lunch, as I hadn’t eaten yet. The food court consisted of Taco Bell, an mom and pop stall serving Nigerian food, a coffee kiosk, and a whole bunch of vacant stalls. And there was a pretzel place around the corner that wasn’t part of the food court proper. I didn’t really want Taco Bell, so I went to the Nigerian place and got a plate of stewed beef, rice seasoned with West African spices, and plantains. They also had fish, chicken, and goat, and beans and yams were other side options (I wish I’d asked it the “yams” were actually sweet potatoes, or if they had managed to source real African yams). It was quite tasty (albeit a little pricy), and I am glad I went there, so I have to give a shout out to Naija Cuisine, a real bright sport in the dead mall. But I do have to admit, when most of the major chains leave and get replaced by mom and pop places serving “ethnic” food, that’s a telltale sign that a mall is dying.
At first the mall didn’t seem that empty, but that’s kind deceiving because most of the remaining businesses are clustered in the north end of the mall by Macy’s and the food court. As you walk south the businesses start to thin out. They could completely wall off the south wing of the mall and it wouldn’t matter; there’s literally nothing there. I took the photo below from the south end of the mall from in front of the former Sears. Empty, apart from one mall walker in the distance.
Of the remaining businesses, there are still a few of your typical mid-market mall stores: A Famous Footwear, a Hallmark Store, Kay Jewelers, Hot Topic, Torrid, Claire’s, and they still have a Spenser’s Gifts! But there also seems to be an overabundance of independent stores selling hats, sneakers, athletic wear, and other “urban” fashions. And an independent toy store, and a place selling prom (or other formal occasion) dresses. That’s another telltale sign of a dying mall, when the independent stores start to outnumber the chains.
Macy’s and JC Penny are still open. And I happened to need some shorts, so why not buy some from one of the anchors while I was there? I looked around Macy’s, and then wandered up the escalator just to check out the whole store. That’s now the furniture department, and it was completely deserted except for two probably very bored employees who asked it I needed help. Oh, and I was mistaken earlier when I said they moved to a smaller space; they didn’t physically move, but they closed off the third floor, which as I recall used to be the housewares section the last time I was there years ago. Then I walked over to JC Penny, found their stuff was a bit less expensive than Macy’s, and bought myself a pair of cargo shorts. And I got talked into signing up for a JC Penny credit card, just to get the 35%. As an Elder Millennial I am certain that was literally the first time I ever bought anything from a JC Penny, and I’m sure I’ll never use that credit card again, but the discount did make the shorts a real bargain.
And speaking of generational differences, there were maybe a few other younger people there, but it seemed like the majority of the shoppers at JC Penny were old ladies. That may have just been the time of day I was there, but that is my stereotype of the type of people who still shop at Penny’s. It seemed like the mall’s main clientele were the senior citizen mall walkers (and a few shoppers), and parents who brought their kids there just to get them out of the house during summer break.
Architecturally the mall got a remodel in the late 1990s, and the tile, carpet, and signage definitely had a late 1990s / early 2000s feel. But there are still some vintage 1970s touches, like lots of exposed brick. I know brutalist architecture is not particularly well liked, but I kind like those vintage mid-century features.
Well I think that’s about it for my report on Sunrise Mall. Man, that ended up being a really long post. I wish I had taken more pictures, but Google Street view does do a good job capturing the outside, and there are of course “dead mall” YouTube videos featuring it.
North entrance, looking towards Macy’s:
Main entrance from Sunrise Boulevard. Google Street View shows way more cars in the parking lot than there were when I was there, but look at when they were taken. December 2022! Christmas shopping season, and the mall parking lot is still half empty!
And the most recent video I could find on YouTube:
Sigh “You can’t embed media items in a post.” Linky to YouTube video.
From some of the deal mall videos I’ve been watching on YouTube, there a phenomenon (which I forget the name of) where a newer, nicer, place opens relatively close by, an everyone starts going there instead of the older mall. That may be part of what happened to Sunrise Mall. Probably not all of it, but one of the factors.