Dead Mall ||| Hutchinson, Kansas

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After I posted my video about the dead mall in Wichita, Kansas (Towne West Mall), I got several requests to go to nearby Hutchinson. It's about a 45 minute drive from Wichita. I had no expectations when I arrived, but what I found was interesting. It definitely qualifies as a "dead mall" but has some things going for it. It is very clean and well taken care of. And it has several anchor stores still open with a few national brand stores inside. Although the future is probably a big question mark, because as you'll see in the video, most of it is empty. I still enjoyed my visit and hope they are able to figure out something successful to do with this massive space.
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[@continuallyblessed44]

Dying malls depress me. They used to be so full of life and were fun to go and hang out.

[@thisshouldbeentertaining3386]

Same , But now they resemble a dead ghost town that you see in a western movie. Only thing missing is the hanging saloon door blowing in the wind creaking.

[@PolPotsPieHole]

growing up 80s ad 90s , spent so much time in the malls, this is so sad. Glad I got to live through it

[@MasonA1702]

This mall was pretty filled up to the early 2010’s then started to dwindle from there. Lots of childhood memories at this mall.

[@emanon2794]

I went there 2 years ago, I asked what happened to it. I asked five people, they all said that the mall price gouged and the businesses couldn't afford the rent. I would drive an hour to come here, I had so many good memories here. Saddens me.

[@Itz_Babbitz]

Explains what happened to Rue21

[@douglaswinze699]

Lot of reason why our mall is so dead is due to rental space prices

[@badbirdkc]

Damn. That is a big mall for such a small town. I know it's nostalgia, but, man, it is so sad to see the death of these.

[@troyjenkins2332]

It was great in the 80's and 90's. Would take my Grandma when we went to visit. Had a good Orange Julius I enjoyed.

[@JohnnyUtah13]

I live about an hour away in central kansas. This was THE mall to go to for us in the late 90's - early 00's. Went back last year and it was shocking lol. I like malls. Wish they would make a comeback!

[@thisshouldbeentertaining3386]

As someone who grew up going to malls in the 80's and 90's I'd love to see that happen. But there are several reasons why that most likely will never happen. Online shopping is a big reason. But one that doesn't get mentioned hardly is , Most of the stores that filled the malls have either closed entirely or have reduced their store count significantly. Such as SEARS , Radio Shack , Circuit City , Best Buy , The Gap , Border's, GameStop , Fye , Sam Goody , Tower Records , Panda Express , Payless Shoes Hallmark, Sabbaro. And dozens more.

[@ronfullerton3162]

So well kept and so clean! Seems like such a crying shame to have this quality of a building going to waste. But there are so many sayings and songs about how time marches on, and time has seem d to leave "The Mall" behind as a social & commercial gathering place. Our local mall slid down hill to where there were just a workout places, a museum, and possibly another similar shop or two. It was bought, and is under a complete work over. Part of it was demolished, and an apartment building erected in that area. The part left has been refashioned as a strip mall. And a few other buildings erected as small shops strip malls. We will see how that works out once it is opened.

[@lindafreeman1687]

Another thought I have on the Hutchinson Mall is...I like how they are revamping and giving the few remaining stores an outside entrance instead of having to go in a specified entrance and then walking a long way to the store of choice. It's making it more like a strip mall where you can park and enter the store you want to shop at directly from the parking lot. I think that is a plus for a lot of people...me included.

[@Thi-Nguyen]

That’s what they did for the Wichita Mall in Kansas back in the 1990s. It didn’t help and by the early 2000s it was pretty much a ghost mall. Now, the building has been repurposed as a strip mall where there is a community college office, a branch of our sheriffs office and a Big Lots. I think there’s also a jail in there as well. It’s a small one (about half of the building) and serves more as a transitioning location I think.

[@CaptainSeamus]

@@Thi-Nguyen yeah Wichita Mall is sure different these days... weirdly we drove around it on Friday night (the same night this video was made) after eating at Shanghai out front - hadn't been there in several years, so we drove all the way around it. Times have changed.

[@Thi-Nguyen]

@@CaptainSeamus Most definitely! I remember when there was a Montgomery Wards on the west end. There was a drug store called Osco. There were a bunch of other fun little shops inside too.

[@rebarnes2215]

I'm disabled and haven't been to a mall in years. I can't walk long distances without pain and there are no electric carts in malls. Having to walk through a huge courtyard to reach the store I need is impossible, so strip malls, places that have electric carts (like Walmart, Target, and grocery stores), or stand-alone stores are my only option.

[@janicelabuda8540]

Lived in Hutchinson many years ago. Saw snow for the first time there! Thank you for posting this; we always enjoy your low key vlogs. ..🌻🌻🌻

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks - always enjoy visiting Hutch!

[@naturetrails8357]

I grew up in Hutchinson the mall was built after I moved in 85 , I have gone back to visit, I love the Cosmophere ! The mall is a beautiful mall and the pizza ranch is great place to eat nearby. Hutch just doesn’t seem to have a strong economy, I look forward to next time to come and visit salt city.

[@crownofthecrow7368]

The story I've heard is that Hutchinson was considered too small for a mall even at the time that it was built. It was some sort of a test mall and the original anchors were Walmart, Sears, Dillard's and JCPenney with a KB Toys placed strategically in the center. The mall was consistently packed until Walmart moved to its own location on the same property. Then when internet shopping picked up and the remaining anchors treated their stores more like a clearance outlet for bigger locations it dwindled until all those anchors left town. I remember as a kid for the launch of the TMNT movie they did a promotion with fox Kansas for a race between the tortoise (Michelangelo) and the hare (the easter bunny.) That food court was so packed you could barely move through it and the line for the movie was over a 100 yards long outside the door for the 4 screen theater.

[@Kyle-0262]

You are exact right. 90s and early 2000s the place was PACKED all the time.

[@NotKR-10z]

not to mention they charged out the ass for rent on the outlets

[@juanitagarcia958]

"I do all my shopping at the Vintage market". Great sign 😊 This mall was sparkling clean and I saw a lady mopping as you walked by. 😂 This mall is huge. Thanks for documenting it.

[@brendacejda7069]

I'm planning a trip to Hutch in the near future, just to shop at the Vintage shop. Thanks for the endorsement!

[@xTakumEx]

@@brendacejda7069 Check out the Salt mine, and Cosmosphere.

[@tinman7130]

On line shopping, to the door delivery and the fact a lot of people have made their lives so busy on line has made malls anachronisms. Just like large dinosaurs with climatic change they were bound to become extinct. In my large metro area with several million people to draw from, several malls have succumbed. You are right John, this one is kept clean. If it were in my metro area, they would scrape it and build several hundred two story tacky people boxes

[@illthuggin]

I spent countless hours in "game on" growing up. Glad to see its still open!

[@Itz_Babbitz]

Dunno how their prices are outrageous

[@blueponygt]

I live in Hutch. I remember the mall in the 90s. It was the place to be in town. I wish it could go back to then.

[@anderander5662]

We all do

[@angrytexan666]

I'm originally from Hutch and used to go there often. I would also sometimes go to Towne West and Towne East in Wichita. The last time I was in Hutch the entire city seemed to have less traffic than I remember from 20 years ago when I lived there.

[@TerryKirk]

I was a "day one" employee of Dillard's when the mall first opened. Then when Hastings opened in the mall, I took a job there and worked there several years. The mall, even in it's hay day, was never completely full. There were always several spots that were never rented. But it was still a hoping place back in the late 80's and early 90's.

[@jenc7017]

I remember when that mall was opened. Then in the early 90s I would go and walk the mall every morning. I sure miss it

[@MichelleColeMicaela]

As somebody who lives in Hutchinson, that place used to be awesome, and they try so hard to bring it back but it is not working. it is actually pretty sad. Loved the food court!

[@WeAreAllStardust79]

Maurice's and The Buckle have been there forever. I grew up in Hutch... I remember when it was built. (now I live in Wichita and I love Town East Mall. It's thriving and I am grateful for that.)

[@robertfinnegan1829]

When I was a kid, this place was poppin’ 🥲

[@1959Edsel]

I've lived in Hutchinson most of my life, and I can remember when this mall was a lively place. Their radio ads used to say "things are really hummin' at the Hutchinson Mall." Yeah, the fluorescent lights, which you can hear because nothing is happening. King Wok was the last holdout in the food court, but even they had to call it quits.

[@nathancoulombe8308]

I don’t know why but I get so depressed when I see these malls completely empty, a ghost of the past

[@SGIABC]

I live just north of here and our mall is heading in this direction as well. Every weekend I would go hang out as a kid, whether it'd be a movie, or checking out the latest video games at KB Toys or GameStop, buying new clothes at JC Penney for the new school year, or hanging out in the arcade playing some Time Crysis or Killer Instinct. Man. Such great memories. But now everything is dead and the online world is king. It's sad.

[@rachelkrug6761]

We have a mall in my town and it's very full of life. It makes me happy to see it thriving and see young kids going there on a Friday night. Some malls are still going strong. But it's so sad to see malls like this.

[@raysplays1312]

Sad to see it but I honestly love coming here just to enjoy the general aura of such a liminal space. Very calming, very back room vibe

[@masonpoepperling4450]

Fun fact: That first empty store that you see across the hall in that entrance he used is host to a Spirit Halloween around October

[@doddseman3]

Yeah, it used to be here in Manhattan >:[ you bastards lol!

[@IOSALive]

Travel with a Wiseguy, Yay! I liked this video so much, it made me smile!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@davidabernathy4553]

Well now this is a interesting video and I have been a long time resident of Hutchinson Kansas. When the mall first came to town. It killed our once. Vibrant downtown shopping area. Now the mall itself is dead. It is hard to say what is going on with the mall that had many businesses and seemed to be prospering. I think part of the problem is that the rent is very high at the mall.

[@edwinreece438]

I was raised in Hutch, left in 1962 to go to college. I still have relatives there. I was aware that all the businesses were downtown and all the merchants were complaning about the taxes they had to pay. I guess the mall was started out of all that. I assume shifting politics has affected the mall.

[@speedbuggy16v]

That and needing a monster truck to avoid suspension damage in the parking lot.

[@CaptainSeamus]

@@speedbuggy16v I won't say I broke a ball joint in the mall parking lot... but I won't say I did NOT break a ball joint in the Mall parking lot (and did $2k worth of body damage to my fender)

[@DallaS.88]

I was in high school in mid 2000s, and many of my classmate families would drive to Wichita on the weekends to get their fill of mall shopping. The development of west wichita and maize makes it an even easier trip to major retailers all while vehicles have gotten more fuel efficient over time. I also think sales tax has generally been lower in wichita (now 7.5%) than hutch (now 8.6%) which majorly factors in your bigger ticket item purchases as well.

[@rickfowler273]

When I was a little kid the mall here in Salina used to be not bad to go to. We went every Saturday after my guitar lessons and got something to eat and walked through Sears and JC Pennys. My Dad would always buy me a flannel or something or a game at GameStop. And people would go see movies all the time. Used to be fun.

[@paulcuellarnews4166]

and the food or snack area that you mentioned used to be my favorite spot... it was a fresh pretzel making area! watching the employees make fresh pretzels was the best as a kid!

[@benjamingraber4446]

I grew up in Hutch... In the 90's the Hutchinson Mall was actually a Mall. There was sort of a night life... Now there's not a lot of fun in Hutch😒

[@tomcat-tango]

I was there memorial day weekend! Was leaving Hutch after visiting the cosmodome, saw the dead mall and immediately knew I had to go. Seeing the totally empty (and boarded up) food court was an experience. It was kinda peaceful end to the little day trip....did leave with 3 games for my old 360 lol.

[@marisa5359]

Yep. Our dead mall. Like Vintage Market very much as well as Game On. Sad to see so much emptiness. Also, used to work at Towne West in Wichita back when it was a busy place. Been there in recent times and felt sad there too.

[@charlesyell6318]

It's sad . Malls pretty much put downtowns out of business , now the malls are being abandoned.

[@Jason-fb5gs]

Born and raised in Hutch, was a great mall in the 80's and early 90's. I worked at the Sears for a couple years. It's just depressing to see every time I go back to Hutch now.

[@davidlewis6699]

My entire family lives there, what’s left of my family I guess. Haven’t seen them in a years. I did goto this mall as a kid. My cousin worked at Lerner… I did goto a movie there as well. Thanks for the memories!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for sharing!

[@rgreed20081]

The father of the American Mall had wanted the malls to mix-use areas which focus mainly social centers. The true American should be like a lot of European mall, Third Places. Unfortunately the main focus of American Malls are strictly retail. While malls may have set aside sections for social and entertain, they continue to mostly focus on RETAIL. The focus primary on retail is one of the reasons why there are lot of dead malls and dying malls. Yet as usual, there will be malls who are survivors. Right now, one of the problems for many survivors is that many people continue to believed them to believed to be dying malls. The mall in Hutchison can become a survivor if its owners focus on transforming the mall into a third place. A quarter of the mall can be torn down and set aside for affordable apartments. Or for entertainment. offices and social areas. Wichita's Town West Square can become a survivor if its owners notice who are coming to the mall. Oddly hobbyists are among the people who are coming to the mall. While Town West Square attracts Hobbyists, it can still evolved into a third place. The surviving malls are going to become third places. Oddly the best ways of a survivor mall to really survived are focus on image and LOCATION, LOCATION & LOCATION.

[@CaptainSeamus]

One of the interesting things they have used the Hutch Mall for (but Coach didn't mention it, though he showed it) was the Essdack center and their Makerspace. Essdack is an educational cooperative, and they use that space very well. They just happened to be shut down after 5 on a Friday night. But to my mind, that is a use plan like you are mentioning.

[@oyerkproto]

i was here a few years back. it was dying, but not yet dead. there were still some stores that were active, but not nearly as dead to the degree of it right now. its really sad to see this happen to this mall.

[@mtnjak]

My family passes thru Hutchinson every once in a while headed to Texas. We usually stop at the Cosmosphere. I didn't realize or remember that there was a mall here. Some malls here in Illinois look the same. It's sad to see them as ghost towns. Every time I see one I think of my childhood when we got our mall (Decatur). It was a mecca for many and my family would often go there on a Friday night if for nothing else than to go for a stroll. Memories.

[@HarveyFunkenstein]

They need to rezone these old malls so they can be used as mixed use with residential and retail the way it should have been in the first place.

[@sueelliott3206]

Nice mall! Too bad it's so empty. Thanks for sharing.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😊

[@Aztec73]

Back in the 80s in my skateboarding days.I would have given anything to stumble across an empty mall like that.😊 6:26

[@NR-gp2il]

THps map for sure

[@speedbuggy16v]

It was full then, and if I recall correctly boards were not allowed, if they were I would have been skating in there every day, the giant trash can/ash trays would have been awesome to pop up on.

[@jeffsmith846]

What a shame to see so much empty space in such a well kept mall. When I lived in Marysville California the local mall was shut down after it had been under water during the 1986 flood. They tried to make a comeback but just couldn't make it. Here in Kansas City when they finally close a mall it is usually about 100 gunshots too late.

[@jackstandmafia8611]

Thanks for covering the mall at Hutch!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

You bet!

[@maxwellhowig510]

I live in A town 20 miles south of Hutchinson, but my mom and I would visit my grandparents living in Hutch every month or so. I remember going to this mall when I was a little boy, from 4 years old (in 1990) to the present day. The food court had 3 or 4 restaurants as recently as 2018, I think. "Game On" has been in the mall since 2007-08, and I think ght the movie theatre was still there...maybe not. Anyway, I remember this mall was a pretty happening place up until 2009-10ish. I think the videogame store has been there the longest now, weird...

[@evieschultz5230]

I spent a lot of time with friends at this mall, just people watching and walking around. We had our high school after prom party there. Fun memories.

[@Itz_Babbitz]

No one works at the theater there so i just sneak in every time a new movie comes out

[@rockingamer100]

My grandma and my dad both worked at dillards when we had one years ago growing up here in hutch 25 years ago it was packed and always fun to goto the arcades we had!

[@vanessaswarb315]

Grew up in central ks, used to go this mall all the time when I was a teen. Malls are dying, it kinda makes me sad.

[@braho4998]

They should put the DMV in this mall….drives foot traffic, people can shop while they wait for their number to get called.

[@elbmiKtnarg]

So weird to see now. My grandma lived near Hutchinson and I've been there probably about 30 years ago. I remembered the floor patterns. Just wild to compare with memories.

[@paulcuellarnews4166]

i was dying when i saw the thumbail and saw it was my hometown!! BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARSSSS!!!! businesses try to start up insdie like personal training, group fitensss, baseball practice areas and all end up going out of business. This mall use to be so lively when i was a kid. (im 30 now) still have the memories but get soo depressed when i go in. Only barely step in when my wife wants to go to the attached and only thriving business of TJ max LOL

[@Rew123]

Indoor malls were in denial for so long about the rise of outdoor malls. They waited it out... all the way to their demise.

[@lindafreeman1687]

It is very sad to see malls like this sitting almost empty. I remember hearing way back when this one was first starting to decline it was because the owner increase the rent to almost doubled for the spaces. Another drawback for me was stores couldn't set their own hours so didn't open until mid morning. I liked to shop early to beat the crowds. LOL Companies could go to strip malls and get cheaper rent and could set their own hours. Also, Hutchinson wanted a 'bedroom city' and they got it. Older people don't buy as much as the younger ones do...we just don't need a lot of things as we get older. I think the final straw was when Sears closed. When I moved back to Hutch in 2017 sales tax was higher in the mall stores. I'm not sure the reason behind that but to my understanding it was to help the owner fix the parking lot. Not sure that ever happened because it is still horrible. Thanks for the video.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you!

[@CaptainSeamus]

The mall improvement district tax was indeed for the parking lot and other city maintenance of the space. It actually has been fixed some - just not very great, and definitely not all of it. IIRC it's a 1/2c sales tax on that area. I can't remember for sure, but I think even Wal-Mart is in it.

[@travis303]

I will be honest, I spent my entire childhood in Wichita and never once did I know anything about this mall until now. When we went to the mall it was always Towne West or in the rare occasion East. My mom's parents are buried in Hutch and really that was the only time we ever went there was to visit her parents. The occasional school field trip to the Cosmosphere but I have never even heard of this mall until this video.

[@jerrysullivan8424]

Is there more than one Mall in Huth's? thank you

[@davebuser]

Sounds like we grew up around the same time in Wichita. Cheers

[@speedbuggy16v]

@@jerrysullivan8424 no, that was the only "mall" there have been a few open air type shopping centers over the years, but that has been the only under one roof mall.

[@speedbuggy16v]

Town West and Town East even now are better than the Hutchinson mall was in its heyday so you didnt miss much.

[@stripedassape8148]

Christmas in the 1980s the hutch mall was just as hopping as town west and towne east was, and thick with holiday lights and decorations

[@talesfromthetoiletseat8295]

We had three malls where I live (a city of roughly 300k) Two have closed but one is still full and always packed (thankfully) The two that closed have become call centers and stuff like that so the building can be used and not fall into disrepair. Something both sad and magical about the mall the way it is. Empty quite and has a vibe of it own

[@nicholascabral]

My home town mall, we love to see it. So many memories

[@andianderson3017]

I lived in Hutchinson and so left when this mall was still in its heyday. I have no idea why this hurt so much. My memories left it unblemished. Ouch. My childhood.

[@curiousjon]

Since you are in Kansas, I'd be interested in you checking out the mall in Manhattan. It's not exactly thriving, but it's holding its own. Wonder if because it is located downtown instead of on the edge of town. The irony being that when it opened, it destroyed most of downtown, but it's surviving now because it is in downtown.

[@Waizzerrr]

Went to Hutchinson for my wisdom teeth removal lol, I live all the way in independence, I can't remember were the mall is, but I know there's a mall in a nearby place that's got like a plane statue outside, the fountain is literally padded up and off, but there's a Claire's, a sports shop, an antique shop that I and my friends get our DND dice from, its a dead mall, but overall still a pretty good place, and I do believe that they have some carnival rides in the parking lot now, but I may be thinking of a different store lol

[@markmark2080]

I remember back in 1960 or 61 when Crossroads Mall in Boulder first opened and old downtown became a 'has been', It's been interesting watching the retail marketing changes over the decades... It would be hard to count the malls I've seen come and go, that structure has no future.

[@TheHaloBlader]

Hey, that’s my dead mall! It makes me sad to think about some of the stores that used to be there when I was a kid. That storefront with metal gateway about halfway through the video used to be a Hot Topic, which was used for several unfitting things after that, including some kind of exercise studio. My emo friend mourned seeing that every time we passed by, lol. There was a hobby shop near that Makerplace area that I have fond memories of, it was called Whippersnappers, it was run by a picturesque kindly old man and me and dad would buy packs of Yu Gi Oh cards there and open them up on the bench outside. Such a big part of my childhood and early teenage years, I pass through to reminisce and check out the Game On still.

[@emanon2794]

Hastings falling too sucked.

[@crackeddomain]

I remember it in the 80's it was awesome then i was going to liberty middle school at that time,i moved bk to hutch in 2016 thrue 2019 worked at Inman had my last baby girl

[@mlane48]

i swear as a kansan we have so many liminal space type malls. it's creepy.

[@blackknightdavesgarage6918]

I spent many a day in this mall as a kid, there was an Arcade with video games such as Killer Instinct and Mortal Kombat. My wife and I would have date night there in the late 90's.

[@CaseyRHarper]

The very late 90s and Early 2000s was such fun in the mall. There used to be a toy store and candy shop that I remember going to often with my grandma. Every Tuesday we'd eat at he Pretzel Place before going into stores. Her favorite was Angels Among Us. And the foodcourt used to be bustling! So sad that there's hardly anything still there

[@travis303]

I'll be interested (assuming you haven't already said something and I missed it) in finding out what road trip you're going to be taking us on this summer! Those summer road trips with you are always fun!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

No long 2 weeks road trips but I’m gonna be in Alaska for 11 days in July. That’s my big trip!

[@bertholini2810]

Sadly, it's an exact photo of the 80's. But, I like a dead mall and goodness there are a lot of them. Very nice video, thank you for posting !! Be good, be safe. I was hoping for a Merry-go-round in there but no luck.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! It’s a strange and interesting place to visit!

[@brianengel9487]

I grew up going there as a kid!

[@takemeback70s]

Our mall killed the downtown stores, but now the mall is dead and Wal-Mart has taken over. Time changes everything. Love these videos, watch all the time.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you 😊

[@travis303]

This is going to sound weird but I still love VHS tapes and still have a working VCR

[@travis303]

Speaking of, I just saw this in Today in History and thought "wow!" "Sony unveiled Betamax, the first home videocassette recorder, or VCR, format to capture video from a television. The format later saw competition from JVC, which launched the longer-playing video home system, or VHS, in 1976. VHS ultimately became the industry standard. Sony discontinued making Betamax players in 2002, but it continued making tapes into 2016." I had no idea the Betamax had been being produced as recently as 2002. I thought they were dead when I was a kid. My parents talked about Beta in the past tense like they used to be a thing but everybody goes with VHS so Beta is dead. That is unreal that they were still being produced. And tapes were made all the way into 2016? Where? I've never seen these in any store that I been to. 🤔😮

[@thecman26]

At least the lights are still on! Lol

[@PaulP1982]

Really like the 'dead' mall videos from time to time! Nice (literal) change of scenery. Again, cheers from your biggest fans out of Rotterdam, Netherlands

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Wow thank you for watching from so far away! Much appreciated!!

[@GuyReed-mh6sv]

The parking lot was empty when it opened and white counter with the black gate used to be a huge candy counter

[@darkmachine165]

Man Hutch mall, and Salina mall hold a lot of memories of my teenage years. Breaks my heart to see what it's become.

[@matthewkline7842]

The mall used to be packing when I was younger. Now it's just sad. It's dead because of the city of hutchinson they raised the taxes and rent so high most businesses in the mall just couldn't afford it anymore and left.

[@brendacejda7069]

Your videos are always well done, always! But I have to admit, this makes me sad. I grew up in an era that appreciated seeing products in person, and the socialization that shopping offered. Hutchinson is a wonderful community, with much to offer. I encourage folks to shop local as much as possible. It's up to us to keep our communities going. Thank you, Coach.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! It’s definitely a sad situation.

[@jerrilynhenson9024]

I’m tired of not being able to go to actual physical stores to look for what I want. I bought a wire shelving rack. Had to get “silver” because they didn’t have chrome. Silver looks more gray and I’m not happy with it. But sending it back is a hassle. I’m sure they count on that. I may not be a people person, but sometimes being in a store with other people is nice. I live alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not lonely.

[@nickbrim7902]

You should go to the Central Mall in Salina, KS next! It's only in a slightly better state than this one is.

[@roberteltze4850]

A friend was considering moving his store to the Manhattan Mall but the lease was insane. The base rent was reasonable to entice stores to move in but they also asked for a percentage of gross sales and the percentage increased as sales increased. He did the math and it was far beyond his reach to sell enough just to break even on the rent. If that kind of lease is typical it's clear to see why malls are dying.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Really good comment - thank you

[@stevemccoy8138]

I wonder why it's so empty ? Maybe Amazon has basically killed it.. We used to go to the mall in Joplin some years ago, it was very busy. Thanks for Sharing 😊

[@TheMikester307]

Damn shame! We used to visit there visiting friends in Hutch! I think I still have a pair of jeans shorts I bought there years ago. (Can't fit in them now!)

[@colingeorgeh]

I used to shop there. It is about 25 miles from my home. I will have to visit it next time I am in Hutchinson. I like to eat at Carlos O’Kelly restaurant in Hutch. Great video and thanks for sharing.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you!

[@WonkoSane-jf4qm]

Watch out for the rolling giant!

[@TheMikester307]

I remember bumming around there!

[@mathewtorres5920]

Moved here four years ago in 2020 and I love going to "game on" such a bargain place for retro and semi modern to modern games. Not super expensive stuff other than the figures in the glass cases, got a few movies from there a few days ago that I was looking for all over other places.

[@animalmother8037]

The west mall in Witchita is a ghost mall?! Wow had no idea

[@masonpoepperling4450]

I swear, Cindy Lou's is never opened. I've pulled up to there during the hours that are posted and even without a note on the door explaining anything, there's nobody there and the lights are off

[@CaptainSeamus]

I got to drive through this mall a few times... literally... the car dealer I worked for used to display new cars there... and yeah, I got to change displays out. Felt like the Blues Brothers! I still get by there nearly every week or 2 - mostly to Harbor Freight (who has an outside entrance next to TJ Maxx) and yeah, credit to the new owners of the mall, at least they are keeping it clean and maintained - the AC is back working - which was part of why Dillards pulled out a few years ago...

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Wow that would be interesting driving through a mall!

[@philwhite5815]

Let me tell you back in the 90s when I was in school the Mall was hopping. I worked there in the late 90s at Sears. It was busy all the time. Saturday's we had tons of people in there and it was the place to be. Every space was occupied. Food court was full and the food was great. Two things happened. Internet shopping and new owners who don't really care. Look at the floors and the place it's kept up. I think the person who owns the Town West Mall owns a lot of Malls Nation wide. We have about 45,000 people here.

[@speedbuggy16v]

Most are owned by investment companies, SImon owns town east, Kohan Retail Investment Group owns town west, and Rock step Capital owns the Hutch mall. I forget but one of the two I think its town east cant seem to keep the lights on now days.

[@CaptainSeamus]

@@speedbuggy16v It's Towne West - Towne East is actually doing OK. And the new company that took over the Hutch Mall fixed the AC units and did some other stuff that had been neglected for years and years.

[@jumperpoint]

​​@@speedbuggy16vMany malls were financed by bonds or were given tax breaks when they were built. But the cities didn't see much ROI and weren't willing to reinvest later. It might be more accurate to say the malls are owned by a series of investment companies because it's cheaper to sell them at a loss than it would be to pay for demolition. I think what these investors really want is an F3 to do the demolition and for FEMA to write a fat check. While they wait for that to happen as long as the rent covers costs with a small profit they're satisfied but not happy. Much of the land around the malls has been developed because the mall was there. But that just means there's more retail space for rent that's less expensive than a store in the mall. It's as if malls' deaths are encoded in their genes.

[@speedbuggy16v]

@@jumperpoint pretty much covers it, especially on the investment groups. Ours if I remember right we had bonds for the construction, but after that it was on the companies to stay viable.

[@bambambundy6]

Hate to see a mall die!

[@somethingsfishy7662]

Back in the day Friday and Saturday nights were spent having fun with my friends at the Hutch Mall. Now I’m lucky if I visit once a year. So sad. This is what the result of poor management and overpriced rent looks like.

[@kyrarik]

Hutch Mall used to be the best place to shop 30 years ago. So sad.

[@kat8canary77]

One of our dead malls has a call center in it. Another closed with maybe a week notice due to structural issues. One mall got converted to outside entrances on all stores and it is doing okay. Has vacancies but is still mostly open. Southroads Mall Tulsa Oklahoma. They pretty much put doors on the outside and left the interior area shut off. I saw a tour once of the closed off part of the mall, the fountains were still there, just dry. Creepy but interesting.

[@carolynridlon3988]

I've been there twice in our rv travels & I'm surprised it's still standing. It was along with a dead mall in Prescott valley AZ that was sad. But surprisingly the one in our new hometown of Paducah KY is still going - better than Hutchinson!

[@pamelacrowe4971]

That's ashame about malls. I remember back in the day going to the mall. It was so busy and packed. And lots to see. I don't see how they stay open now days. Thanks John.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Agreed!

[@HarveyFunkenstein]

Wow, think it was 25 years ago when I visited and it was very busy. Amazing how they are dying. I was just at West Ridge Mall in Topeka that was on the way out but appears to be holding on better than most.

[@HarryTwoDogs]

They're waiting for the leases to expire then they'll sell the lot for an Amazon warehouse or truck depot. That seems to be the fate of a lot of dead east coast malls.

[@SusanHL]

I think you're right - there was a dead mall in Baton Rouge, LA (Cortana Mall), and that's what ultimately happened to it - fulfillment center.

[@speedbuggy16v]

Hutchinson's Gibson's and Target have become warehouses already, Kmart is now a farm store one Alco is a junk/discounted goods store, the other Alco is a dollar tree, the movie theater from that one is gone as well, but Browns shoe store is still there I believe.

[@CaptainSeamus]

They better be very careful on the tarmac - they'll fall through - that poor old parking lot is weak weak weak...

[@zannadguinn]

Promenade Mall in Tulsa Oklahoma closed recently. My favorite store was “Romancing the Stone “

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Great movie 😊