Rise and Fall of the St. Louis Mills Mall

Take a trip down memory lane as we explore the rise and fall of the St. Louis Mills Mall, a beloved shopping destination that has seen many transformations over the years. From its grand opening to its transition into the St. Louis PowerPlex, we'll uncover the challenges and triumphs that shaped its story. The mall's journey, marked by changing ownership and challenges, has taken a new turn with a potential industrial complex. Join us for a brief history of this iconic mall and its exciting future prospects. Don't forget to like, comment, and share if you enjoyed this video, and subscribe for more captivating stories.
Links to equipment i used in this video:
DJI Mavic 3 Pro: bit.ly/45OR8lK
512 GB SD card: amzn.to/3QmsKlB
Resources - Videos:
• Powerplex Facility to ...
• Ferguson protests: Nat...
• Plan Nine Mini Ramp Jam
• St. Louis Mills Mall r...
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Research Resources:
St. Louis Post Dispatch May 3rd, 1997
St. Louis Post Dispatch May 8th, 2000, pg 112
St. Louis Post Dispatch November 8th, 2002, pages 1&4
Missouri Courts SC84842 - MO COALITION FOR ENVIR, APP v THOMAS HERRMANN, RES
www.bizjournal...
fox2now.com/ne...

[@rosemaryj]

I used to love to go to the Mills mall and I got to take my sister to it before it went downhill. I met Emeril Lagasse at Books a Million.

[@sarahrogers3701]

Wow, me and my brother where just at the cabelas the other day for Christmas shopping and decided to drive around the building just to see how things were different. And now I get this video in my feed. I used to love going to the mills all the time. It's so sad to see how it is now.

[@fireghostExplores]

Thanks for the comment. It is really sad to see how it's turned out, the mills is where I used to hang out all the time. I'm just hoping it finally has a long term owner instead of continuously changing hands.

[@Tlavite]

its completely empty inside now. was working in there yesterday. its literally one giant room now. going to divide it up and make it warehouse units. @@fireghostExplores

[@mac4678]

Like someone else said earlier in the comments. Thugs and crooks closed this mall down and nothing else! Good people quit going there in fear of being harrased or worse, so the dirt bags took over. Crestwood mall met the same demise. South County mall is heading in the same direction.

[@bobbyrivera2951]

Just like most malls in trouble or closed. Online shopping is also a thing

[@fireghostExplores]

Hi @mac4678, I appreciate your perspective, but it's important to consider the broader context mentioned in the video. While security concerns might have played a role, the decline of St. Louis Mills Mall, like many other malls, was largely influenced by a combination of economic shifts, changing consumer habits, and the rise of online shopping. These factors, along with the challenges in maintaining adequate security, contributed to the mall's decline. It's a complex situation that goes beyond the actions of a few individuals. The story of this mall, and others like it, reflects broader trends in retail and society.

[@mac4678]

@fireghostExplores I appreciate your perspective too. But yours is perspective. Mine is the truth. I live here. I grew up going to all these malls, and watched first hand what occurred. Online shopping doesn't have as big as an affect you think it does. Many people liked going to the mall just for something to do. They might not buy a single thing. Older people went there just for a place to walk for exercise. But when the no good dirt bags started going just to harass people and rob them in the parking lot, they felt it wasn't a safe place to go anymore. A mall is a fun place to go just to see the stores and decorations during the holidays. But when you have to worry about some bum holding you up or car jacking you then you stay at home and order it online. FACT!

[@fireghostExplores]

@@mac4678 I understand what you're saying, and if you look at the rest of the videos I make. I live here as well, the mills is where I went and grew up going too as well. But crime is not the only reason. Crime went up because of some of the reasons I listed above. But since mills told security not to chase or stop people, it helped expedite the issues. It was manageable if the mall took the correct steps.

[@edvaedan9161]

@@mac4678truth. We stopped going after someone stole from our baby stroller at the playground. Pretty low.

[@tshinotu145]

Great video FireGhost! It was great to learn all this information about St Louis Mills, because the Wikipedia article is honestly pretty bare in my opinion. All the Mills malls always fascinate me because I stumbled upon Cincinatti Mills one day and was shocked at how big and vacant it was. I like the themes that Mills would lay their malls out with. They were always so colorful and vibrant. Awesome drone footage of the mall too! Sad to see how ugly and grey the mall is after being converted into Industrial. Interesting seeing the old NASCAR track sitting there vacant. Very sad to see PowerPlex didn't work out,I think it would have brought a lot of people to the mall and gave it a bit of new life.

[@fireghostExplores]

Thank you, I was quite surprised with the lack of information about the mall all around. With as popular and vibrant the St. Louis Mills was it seemed like the mall was wiped off the Internet. I wanted to make this video so everyone could remember all the fond memories they once had at the Mills. 🙂

[@mirandamcguire810]

I worked at Cabelas! It was just a bad location. No one from south/west county is going to drive to noco for a mall.

[@fireghostExplores]

It was a really popular location for a while. But there were many reasons why the site failed. 🫤

[@bokcmeatyvstheworld8273]

I work over in that area and walked through the mall when they doors were still open brought back some fun memories.

[@fireghostExplores]

That's great, I wish I could have gone inside when I went and recorded the mall.

[@bokcmeatyvstheworld8273]

@fireghostExplores that last two things still standing ate the ice skating place and cabela's. They utilized it for awhile with that sports things and other stuff they used when covid was going on

[@artmosley3337]

We had our company Christmas Lunch there in 2003.. it was ok.. but when the Ford Plant closed down.. the area became terrible 😊

[@egyptwns89_26]

Books-A-Million, Auntie Anne's Pretzel and the Skate Park were my favorite stores at the Mills (in that order).

[@fireghostExplores]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it there, loved going to Books--Million and Auntie Anne's

[@egyptwns89_26]

@@fireghostExplores I love big bookstores. The large amounts of books of as many genres as possible under one roof makes me wish I could buy one of every book. Plus, they had a little cafe in the bookstore which made me more happy. Nothing was better than a cup of coffee with a new book in the store. Even though I'm a hermit by nature, it was nice when you could strike up a conversation with another person who was doing the same thing. Malls are very underrated nowadays and it's sad that they are dying out.

[@frankmann2899]

Love the choppy ai voice over

[@fireghostExplores]

Thanks 😂

[@ZippyThePinhead]

Sure didn't take long from being built to closing down. I remember when it was being built thinking "what a waste of money", because most every big shopping mall was being abandon.

[@asymptoticsingularity9281]

Too close to North County. Too many Mike Browns.

[@PurplePuppy2006]

I would love too see a full video on the mills cootoeration it’s not talked about much do a video about, i would too see a full video about it

[@Firedflores2016]

Thanks for the video. I heard a rumor from the skate park owner at chesterfield mall that they are closing the cabela’s in 2024.

[@fireghostExplores]

No problem, I hope you enjoyed it. That's interesting, and I'll have to do some digging because they've been fighting to stay there forever.

[@Firedflores2016]

@@fireghostExplores the skate park owner at chesterfield mall use to be at the mills mall at the the tail end of the malls life.

[@danielj9865]

We all know what happened to the mall street thugs ruin everything

[@lfxbricks7184]

Nice

[@fireghostExplores]

Thank you.

[@richardeast3328]

It was a dark time that caused the mall to fail.

[@rlrober]

Doomed from the day it was built

[@sandrahotze4616]

The thugs and crooks closed it down

[@fireghostExplores]

Hi @sandrahotze4616, it's understandable to see the impact of security concerns, but the closure of the mall is a multifaceted issue. As highlighted in the video, factors like economic shifts, the growing popularity of online shopping, and evolving consumer preferences played significant roles in the mall's decline. While security might have been a concern, it's part of a larger narrative of how traditional shopping malls are adapting (or struggling to adapt) to changing times. It's a complex blend of societal and economic trends that led to this outcome.

[@OrganicGreens]

I wish KZbin would delete all this AI generated crap.

[@fireghostExplores]

Thanks for the comment, my newer stuff doesn't use AI

[@artmosley3337]

@@fireghostExploresid rather hear you stutter, repeat yourself and make mistakes… btw.. you can get people who are amateur actors and even professionals to do these for free just to put them on their resumes…

[@fireghostExplores]

@@artmosley3337 Yeah I've listened to everyone commenting, I'm not doing the AI voices anymore in my newer videos.