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Go here for other mall memories http://deadmalls.com
I use to go to Brookdale in Minnesota. I visited the area in 2004 and was shocked at how rundown the mall was. It looked like a swap meet place with only Sears still looking the same.
The comments I read when searching at google was that the area around it and the bus stop that was added brought in all kinds of gang members and other low lifes which drove out the good people.

It has been mostly bulldozed and another mall (more open) being built in it’s place.

Anyone familiar with Landover Mall in the Washington, DC area?

That was a beautiful suburban mall when it opened. But, the area around the mall went downhill, and gang types went to the mall. Their presence in big numbers scared away legitimate shoppers. Stores pulled out of the mall, leaving vacancies or low end retail such as dollar stores.

Eventually the mall was torn down.

Some black leaders in that area blame the owners of the mall for not having adequate security, or for not doing more to attract high end stores. But, unfortunately, critical masses of shoppers voted with their feet, and decided to avoid Landover Mall as it went downhill.

Nobody wants to go shopping in gang country. Probably it is politically incorrect or even racist to say anything. But the mall went under. You can’t survive in retail without legitimate paying customers.

The comments I read when searching at google was that the area around it and the bus stop that was added brought in all kinds of gang members and other low lifes which drove out the good people.

That’s a common theme I’m afraid to say. And it is everywhere the thugs are. And from my own point of view I point the finger directly at the police and the Politicians of the town and cities where this happens over and over again. They would rather see the ‘good’ people leave and the businesses they were customers at close down than push back against the Political Correctness and the fear of being called a Racist by the Thugs and their ‘lobbyists’ aka Community organizers.

When I was a kid, Mom took us downtown to shop. At the time there were 5 department stores, 3 discount stores (the five and dime stores) plus a slew of shoe stores, hat shops, men's stores and a few theaters. Then downtown deteriorated. Most of the department stores closed. The five and dimes, the other stores and the movie theaters disappeared. Crime and gangs had taken over.

Then the malls were built and they became THE places to shop. Some malls had multiplex movie theaters either on the property or adjacent. I remember taking my mother one Saturday a month to the biggest mall. It had a food court, 3 sit down restaurants plus all the department stores that used to be in town and so many others. Mom and I would go early in the morning and not leave till evening.

Well, that big mall is all but deserted now. Gangs and crime moved from the city to the suburban malls. Malls didn't bother maintaining a competent and effective security force. When people don't feel safe, they will stay away in droves.

I know of only mall that's doing sorta ok. It's relatively new. The owners did spend some money on good security and there is even a local police substation in the mall. Crime isn't the problem here, but rather, it's the economy. Every year after Christmas, you can count on 1 store closing. After Christmas, 2013, it was 3 stores. People just don't have the money to spend.

I'm old fashioned. I still like to go to a store and buy things in person. But as malls close and stores fade away, I'm finding myself ordering merchandise online more and more. It's a shame.