Last year Youtuber Archmetal06 earned a great many views with his video documentary, "Metcalf South - A Sad But Beautiful Mall."
Recently, he created a sequel showing the current state of abandonment of Metro North Mall entitled: "Metro North Mall aka Creepy Dead Mall, This Place Should Be Torn Down"
Additionally . . . It should be noted that the decline of Metro North can't be attributed to baseless allegations of an increased minority presence. Why? Because this mall never had a influx of any other minorities than Asian people. And the wig store owned by very nice Asian ladies is the only place that seems to be consistently doing well. Go figure.
Nope, Metro Mall died all on its own and suburban sprawl and Zona Rosa didn't help the situation. It's yet another example of a Kansas City Shopping Mall on the decline or maybe a testament to a vanishing American consumer culture in the wake of The Great Recession. Either way, the video is fantastic and the footage of the mall is eerie, abandoned and awesome all at the same time.
uh, sorry, Metro North Mall has been deserted for ten years, so you can't really blame its demise on the recession. Don't bother checking facts or anything.
ReplyDeleteWrong. Metro was vibrant at least 5 years ago. I think Zona Rosa is really to blame.
ReplyDeleteWhen you subsidize something new wouldn't you suppose the old would decline. If you built something newer and nicer than Zona Rosa with taxpayer money Zona Rosa would become just like Metro North. Face the facts, cities are killing older shopping with subsidies for new building. Then they subsidize someone to replace Metro North thereby displacing some other shopping. A viscious cycle with the only winners the developers and their attorneys.
ReplyDeleteYes, malls are now simply entertainment venues. So once you've been to that particular theme park/mall a couple of times you get bored and go look for a new place to have fun. Any mall that doesn't do a "make-over" or offer new entertainment every couple of years is going to die. Since TIF money doesn't pay for "make-overs" it is easier/cheaper for developers/mall owners to ask for city money to build a new one than come up with their own money to turn the old one into an ever-changing entertainment venue. heme parks learned this lesson; hence the "new, exciting" rides, constantly changing shows, etc., designed to entice you to come back and check it out anew. Mall owners never got the message. . . .
ReplyDeleteThe footage seems to have been shot when nothing was open / after-hours.
ReplyDeleteApplecart, actually there is just nothing there anymore. Same with Antioch mall. Demolish that place too. Metro North's food court has been under construction for almost a decade.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out that factors other than dark-skinned shoppers are to blame for the demise of most malls. There just aren't that many mall-shopping dollars to go around. The 80s overspending is over. People also don't go nuts over indoor venues anymore. So let's stop whinning and move on to the next phase of shopping. I grew up in the 80s too and lament the passing of my youth but let it go.
ReplyDeleteI was in Metro North just yesterday for the first time since the Dillards was being used as an "outlet" store. Kinda creepy when the most active thing in that mall is the balloons that still go up and down by the water area.
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