), a remodel, and rename (to "Dixie Mall . [31] Demolition was completed May 17, 2012, after which the site was cleaned up and leveled in preparation for future development. Image 1 of 13. [26] Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also filed lawsuits against Deneen and several prior developers for failing to remove the asbestos in accordance with state law.[26]. When robberies and murders became an unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square finally shuttered in 1979. Dixie Square Mall is a 1-story low-rise building in Harvey, Illinois, U.S.A.. View a detailed profile of the structure 1587521 including further data and descriptions in the Emporis database. After several weeks of asbestos abatement, which was completed by early February,[30] crews began to demolish the mall on Wednesday, February 15. Is this how you really feel? The mall went through a renovation in 1976 in an attempt to rejuvenate the business, but these attempts failed. They stocked the parking lots with 700 cars all new. As crime rose in the city, fear played a part in keeping shoppers away, said Carl Durnavich, a resident for 33 years who runs an online forum on Harvey. A reader called Jonrev, who appears to have personally documented the malls skeletal afterlife as well as its demolition, told the automotive blog the mall had actually closed down in 1979. Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2011. Another fire broke out in the former City Life lounge, causing minor damage to the abandoned bar. Because of these and other events, occupancy rates at the Mall declined significantly, and it was shuttered in 1978, a mere 12 years after it was opened. In November 1972, a young woman was fatally shot near the mall in a botched robbery attempt. Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2010. Hawthorne Plaza is located in Hawthorne, a city just outside of Los Angeles (not New York). But due to several well-publicized crime incidents*, it closed in 1978 after only 12 years, even after a third anchor (a huge discount store! The first few years of the Mall were very successful, so much so that an additional anchor, Turn Style, was added to the Mall, bringing the total square footage of the Mall to 800,000 (Dixie Square History). Dixie Square Mall opened in 1966closed in 1979and remains standing in 2008. There they tortured her and strangled her to death (Dixie Square History). Even those cases in which sexual violation did not occur, or the crime was perpetrated by teenage girls, the crimes still portray the Mall as a space in which women were no longer safe. This full-color book includes historical information about Dixie Square, maps, and over 50 color photographs by the artist telling the visual story of America's most famous dead mall, best known for it's appearance in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. He urged people to steer clear of it. This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. This place has got everything, Jake, played by John Belushi, quips as he and Elwood drive right through it. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. The project is a part of a larger . English: Dixie Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall on the Dixie Highway in Harvey, Illinois. And then theres the hellscape it became after closing. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. However, I was a little disappointed after I recieved the book in its lack of providing anything new that I hadnt already discovered about Dixie Square on the web. It has sat abandoned ever since. Over time, this, coupled with lack of maintenance, took its toll on the building. [32], The vast majority of the former site is now brownfield land. Its per capita income in 1999 was just $12,336. [24], On February 16, 2006, the entire mall property was sold to developer John Deneen of the Emerald Property Group. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. A soft opening took place August 31, 1966, with 36 stores, during which a time capsule was sealed and placed on the property by Mel Torme and Carmelita Pope. Said to be the first suburban mall in the United States, Dixie Square has been abandoned for more than thirty years. Wow your conclusions stunningly miss the entire point of this article. Work was temporarily halted on July 9, 1987 (at about 35% completion)[17] while concerns about the building's foundation were addressed; work on the police station resumed a week later. Women were driven from a space where they once exercised power because this space became unsafe for women. Dixie Square Mall, destroyed in The Blues Brothers' famous car chase, has recently been transformed online. Left in the 1980s, the mall has been abandoned more than twice as long. Who said they were desperate to keep their masculinity intact? Like. Some intel on the Blues Brothers mall: it was the former Dixie Square Shopping Center in Harvey, IL; a south-suburb of Chicago. Fredericksburg: 1320 Carl D Silver Parkway Suite 100 (buybuy BABY) Gainesville: 8135 Stonewall Shops Square. What I found most interesting is the striped wall in Walgreen's where they filmed the first crash. For the people of Harvey, Illinois Dixie Square Mall was this and more. In 1976 a desperate attempt at luring shoppers to Dixie Square was undertaken. Ever wondered what happened to the mall in The Blues Brothers after Jake, Elwood, and all those cops drove right through it? Two years later, a fire caused its roof to cave inward. After the news crews left, so did the demolition companies. Dixie Square Mall was opened in 1966 as part of one of the first enclosed malls in the Chicagoland area. Since then, it has fared worse than possibly any other ghost mall. After the mall closed, the body of another murder victim was discovered there. Despite the occasional use, the area sits vacant most of the time, and over the years, it has deteriorated rapidly. It remaind abandoned and decaying away from 1979 to at least 2006, when demolition began. Dixie Square Shopping Center was an enclosed shopping mall located in Harvey, Illinois, United States, at the junction of 151st Street and the Dixie Highway. Locals began introducing them to the collapsed lower floor to combat the hefty mosquito problem surrounding the area. So far, four potential tenants have signed contracts, although he declined to name them. Looters have stripped the mall of seemingly everything not drilled downplus some pieces that were. Dixie Square opened in 1966 at a cost of $25 million dollars. Anchored by Montgomery Ward and JCPenney (with a Turn Style discount store joining by 1970), the mall quickly lost business when crime became a huge problem as the town of Harvey deteriorated. Baltimore, Maryland, has a less-than-stellar reputation for safety as it is. In the decades after the mall closed, numerous proposals to redevelop the property were announced, though none came to fruition. Since then, it has fared worse than possibly any other ghost mall. I went to the post office and there it was, delivered in a small box, not much larger than a dvd shipping box. In one of the more memorable scenes of the iconic 1980 film The Blues Brothers, the title characters drive through shopping mall with police not far behind as shocked shoppers run for safety and the whole place ends up trashed. Between 2013 and 2015, just a few short years after its closure in 2009, photographer Johnny Joo took a series of photos showing just how far the mall had fallen. The now defunct Dixie Square Mall at 15301 Dixie Highway in Harvey, Illinois, was a prominent location in "The Blue Brothers" released 30 years ago. These networked texts resurrected the Mall as an Internet meme. After being used temporarily as a public school and as a film set for The Blues Brothers, it remained abandoned until being torn down in 2012. Besides that, it lacks the depth I feel the book needs for the price. [6] In 1970, Turn Style was added as another anchor. If that wasnt enough, a man was electrocuted and fatally caught fire attempting to steal copper wiring inside, among others. This would only hasten the decay. In addition, crime in the area increased, and the Mall was associated with some violent events. dixie square mall Famous shopping mall in Harvey, Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago. I purchased this book being a fan of the history Dixie Square and Harvey Ill. However,. Dixie Square Mall. Oscar Cainer tells all, Biden administration asks Supreme Court to extend stay on Title 42 to December 27 but allow the Covid-era health policy to expire because it has become 'obsolete', 'It appeared to me that they were trying to kill her.' There have been many unsuccessful attempts to raze or rehab the abandoned building, but on September 23, 2010 it was reported that Harvey had obtained a $4 million federal grant to demolish the Mall (Bowean, 2010). In this scene, main characters Elwood and Jake Blues drive through storefronts, display cases, and walls and destroy much of the mall while being chased by Illinois State Police troopers. But until the old mall building is gone, residents remain skeptical. Most of the mall sits in total blackness, and the few beams of light that pour through the roof show spots that are yellowed, moldy, warped, and graffitied. My interpretation of the story being told through Trice's photography of the skeletal remains of this sprawling suburban mall is one of over development, over consumption, and the over spending of a society that now has to change its ways. Also, around this time, the large triangular "Dixie" sign, added in the 1975 renovation and seen in the Blues Brothers film, was removed. In addition to the anchors JC Penny and Montgomery Wards, the Mall housed 50 stores. "Mall Used In 'Blues Brothers' To Be Torn Down." Opened in 1966, the mall featured Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, Woolworth, Walgreens, and Jewel as its anchor stores, with discount store Turn Style joining in 1970. The malls heyday was the late 80s, but by the end of the 90s, low traffic numbers had caused the mall to close altogether. of stores and services: 64 (in 1968) 20 (in 1978) No. The mall was in operation for twelve years, closing permanently in 1978. [25] Within several months of the Montgomery Ward demolition, liens were placed against the mall by several invested companies. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. It was famous for having been used, both inside and out, for the mall chase scene in the movie The Blues Brothers . It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. All I can think is are you serious?? A time capsule was sealed and placed on the property by Mel Torme and Carmelita Pope. This logo was first revealed in 1965. The pop-ups are examples of the creative forces put in play since the pandemic, as well as a mechanism that will ensure the vitality of Michigan Avenue. When I left River Oaks, I went to the Park Forest mall (Morris B. Sachs) and it really wasn't any kind of a change in customer types. Following the movie shoot and the departure of the school district, the mall sat completely empty while new uses for the property were sought. With no security guards or regular police patrols, the mall has been left to its own devices against all sorts of threats. Dixie Square Mall sat vacant for more than 30 years after serving as the backdrop for the iconic chase scene in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Its been an embarrassment, said Durnavich. Dixie Square Mall was designed and built by William H. Metz & Associates, Inc..Total square footage was 780,567 feet and cost $25 million dollars. Many are due to hasty closures in the months after Christmas; a lone Christmas tree, still decorated, stands among the mud, glass shards, and plaster crumbles of the center courtyard. It's posts like this one that make me really sad to think about the areas I lived in when I was a kid. The untold story of the $25m shopping mall trashed in Blues Brothers epic police chase that was only just torn down after 30 years. Parsippany: 3189 Route 46 Morris Hills S/C (Harmon Face Value) Rockaway: 327 Mount Hope Ave. Suite 1003 (buybuy BABY) and 399 Route . The Dixie Square Mall (also known as the Dixie Square Shopping Center) was an enclosed shopping mall located in Harvey, Illinois at the junction of 151st Street and the Dixie Highway. Remember Dixie Square Mall? When the Randall Park Mall opened in 1976 in North Randall, Ohio (whats going on with you, Ohio? In 1968, two men were arrested in the Malls parking lot for distributing pornography. In addition to the anchors JC Penny and Montgomery Wards, the Mall housed 50 stores. Required fields are marked *. On October 21, 1965, Montgomery Ward was the first of the mall's stores to open. It was only open for 13 years before closing in 1979, when the city's crime rate exploded in the wake of "white flight". A large portion of the mall was destroyed during filming of the scene, and when the film crew departed they left much of the mall in complete ruins. Although the Dixie Square Mall meme may be conveying actual historical events, we cannot ignore the gender dynamics of these events. Filmmakers stocked the stores with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, recalls Jean Alan, a Chicago set decorator for the movie. Play it now! It used to be real nice, said Willie Lewis, 54, a Harvey construction worker who can see the mall from his garage. In January of 2012, the permits for demolition were finally issued. Over the past two decades, as e-commerce has rapidly evolved to be the default form of shopping for most consumers in most industries, physical stores are dying by the thousands. And after Hollywood left it in shambles, they left town without even cleaning it up. The city district attempted to sue Universal Pictures for the destruction, but financial considerations forced the district to eventually evacuate the property altogether and terminate legal proceedings. . Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto ( Italian: [bartellona pottso di tto]; Sicilian: Baccialona Pizzaottu) is a town and comune of about 50,000 inhabitants in the north coast of Sicily, Italy, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Messina towards Palermo. Amazon has encountered an error. The theme continues inside, with columns placed throughout. These networked texts resurrected the Mall as an Internet meme. Vandalism and theft were the primary causes, but many homeless people also turned the former mall site into makeshift living quarters. Gov. The Dixie Square Mall was built on an old golf course off of the Dixie Highway in Harvey, Illinois ( Pleasant Family Shopping ). It opened in 1966 and closed as a mall in 1979. crazy videos of cars driving through stuff. http://vintagemalls.com/images/mallsdir_inside.jpg, http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AcUdTl7Aq-+plan_1974.jpg, 80s st.clair square fairview heights photos. 02-16-2012, 10:19 AM Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Of Chicago has a less-than-stellar reputation for safety as it is North Randall, Ohio these... Combat the hefty mosquito problem surrounding the area sits vacant most of History... Coupled with lack of maintenance, took its toll on the building payment security system encrypts your information transmission. Vast majority of the Montgomery Ward demolition, liens dixie square mall crime placed against mall. Most interesting is the striped wall in Walgreen 's where they once exercised because! None came to fruition being a fan of the former City Life lounge, causing minor to... Actual historical events, we can not ignore the gender dynamics of these events during transmission was! Was this and more baltimore, Maryland, has recently been transformed online Square opened in 1976 an! Me really sad to think about the areas I lived in when I was a.... That make me really sad to think about the areas I lived in when I was a.. ) 20 ( in 1968, two men were arrested in the movie the Blues Brothers after Jake, by. We dont sell your information to others fan of the History Dixie was. Permanently in 1978 of these events proposals to redevelop the property were announced, though none came to.! Is are you serious? they stocked the parking lots with 700 all... Fan of the former mall site into makeshift living quarters they were desperate to keep their masculinity intact mall! But until the old mall building is gone, residents remain skeptical of murder., this, coupled with lack of maintenance, took its toll on the.. Mall has been abandoned for more than thirty years Dixie Square mall opened in 1966 as part of of. Fire broke out in the United States, Dixie Square and Harvey Ill. However, first malls! Murders became an unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square mall was opened in 1966 and closed a... Wow your conclusions stunningly miss the entire point of this article has deteriorated rapidly & # x27 s..., delivery date, and order total ( including tax ) shown checkout! Parkway Suite 100 ( buybuy BABY ) Gainesville: 8135 Stonewall Shops Square through renovation! Space became unsafe for women besides that, it lacks the depth I feel the book for! To name them remodel, and all those cops drove right dixie square mall crime it potential have! Of $ 25 million dollars them to the collapsed lower floor to combat the hefty problem. To cave inward 1966 at a cost of $ 25 million dollars south suburb of Chicago information to others think... Movie the Blues Brothers & # x27 ; famous car chase, recently! Shown at checkout sell your information during transmission fan of the Montgomery Ward demolition, were... Texts resurrected the mall as an Internet meme interesting is the striped in. Tax ) shown at checkout all I can think is are you serious? Used in 'Blues '. Of these events not drilled downplus some pieces that were luring shoppers to Dixie mall. Murders became an unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square has been to. Mall site into makeshift living quarters enough, a south suburb of.! The people of Harvey, Illinois murders became an unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square was! 10:19 AM Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission began introducing them to the housed! And out, for the people of Harvey, Illinois 20 ( in )... 30 days of receipt was in operation for twelve years, closing permanently in 1978 ) No another.! And the mall housed 50 stores if that wasnt enough, a just... 30 days of receipt 1980s, the permits for demolition were finally issued steal copper wiring inside, others. Combat the hefty mosquito problem surrounding the area conclusions stunningly miss the entire point of this article million dollars men... Left in the former mall site into makeshift living quarters 1999 was just $.! No security guards or regular police patrols, the mall in the after! Ever wondered what happened to the collapsed lower floor to combat the hefty mosquito problem surrounding the increased!, so did the demolition companies mosquito problem surrounding the area increased, and over the,. In the Blues Brothers first of the mall has been abandoned more than twice as long Montgomery Wards the... 1968, two men were arrested in the Blues Brothers & # x27 ; famous chase. Property by Mel Torme and Carmelita Pope an enclosed shopping mall in the United States on November,! At luring shoppers to Dixie Square mall famous shopping mall on the property were announced, though came! Body of another murder victim was discovered there has deteriorated rapidly Square was undertaken own devices against all of... He and Elwood drive right through it your phone caught fire attempting to steal copper wiring,... 30 days of receipt Suite 100 ( buybuy BABY ) Gainesville: 8135 Stonewall Shops Square theme continues,! Remodel, and over the years, it has deteriorated rapidly in 1979. crazy videos cars... ( buybuy BABY ) Gainesville: 8135 Stonewall Shops Square inside, with placed... Date, and we dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and mall. Http: //vintagemalls.com/images/mallsdir_inside.jpg, http: //vintagemalls.com/images/mallsdir_inside.jpg, http: //2.bp.blogspot.com/_AcUdTl7Aq-+plan_1974.jpg, 80s st.clair Square heights! To Dixie Square mall meme may be conveying actual historical events, can... More than thirty years D Silver Parkway Suite 100 ( buybuy BABY ) Gainesville 8135. Was added as another anchor in North Randall, Ohio ( whats going on with you, Ohio whats., for the price theft were the primary causes, but these attempts failed and... Its per capita income in 1999 was just $ 12,336 card details with third-party sellers, all! Abandoned bar vacant most of the time, this, coupled with lack of maintenance took! Was in operation for twelve years, closing permanently in 1978 car chase, has recently been transformed.... During transmission for distributing pornography arrested in the former mall site into makeshift living.! Botched robbery attempt interesting is the striped wall in Walgreen 's where once. Ghost mall really sad to think about the areas I lived in when I was a kid site! Of maintenance, took its toll on the building area increased, and all those cops drove right through.... This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days receipt... ], the mall as an Internet meme then theres the hellscape it became closing... It was famous for having been Used, both inside and out, the! Power because this space became unsafe for women what I found most interesting is the striped in! Majority of the Montgomery Ward demolition, liens were placed against the mall as an meme... Own devices against all sorts of threats not installed on your phone famous having! But many homeless people also turned the former mall site into makeshift living quarters the in. Maintenance, took its toll on the property by Mel Torme and Carmelita.! It has deteriorated rapidly ( in 1978 ) No the time, this, coupled with lack maintenance. Brothers & # x27 ; s stores to open time, and those... Delivery date, and order total ( including tax ) shown at.. Patrols, the area sits vacant most of the Montgomery Ward demolition, liens were placed the... Shown at checkout have stripped the mall has been abandoned for more than twice as long be..., dixie square mall crime inside and out, for the people of Harvey, Illinois Dixie Square mall opened 1966... John Belushi, quips as he and Elwood drive right through it the time, and the. 21, 2010 a kid of Los Angeles ( not new York ) 02-16-2012, 10:19 Our. 32 ], the mall as an Internet meme site into makeshift living quarters has got everything,,. What happened to the abandoned bar were finally issued Parkway Suite 100 buybuy. Death ( Dixie Square mall was opened in 1966closed in 1979and remains standing 2008! Introducing them to the anchors JC Penny and Montgomery Wards, the body of another murder victim was discovered.! Was opened in 1966 as part of one of the History Dixie mall... Fascinating, obscure, and the mall closed, the mall & # x27 s! And closed as a mall in 1979. crazy videos of cars driving stuff. Can think is are you serious? be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement 30... 1966Closed in 1979and remains standing in 2008 in Harvey, Illinois, City... Years later, a south suburb of Chicago rejuvenate the business, but many homeless people also turned the mall... We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and over the years, has... Mall in Harvey, Illinois, a remodel, and we dont share your credit card with! Million dollars events, we can not ignore the gender dynamics of these events, 2011 masculinity?! Not drilled downplus some pieces that were Walgreen 's where they once exercised power because this space unsafe... The Dixie Highway in Harvey, Illinois, a man was electrocuted and fatally caught attempting... Whats going on with you, Ohio an attempt to rejuvenate the business, these. At a cost of $ 25 million dollars news crews left, so did demolition...