Frank Mazzolin has lived about 100 metres from Dixie mall for 35 years. Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2008. A series of articles and video essays on the mall all paint it as a warm place, social center, and an exceptionally popular Christmas destination. Dixie Square Mall, Harvey,IL: "The Center of South Suburbia" All pictures taken or used with permission Opened to the public on August 31st, 1966 and located at Dixie Highway and 154th Street in Harvey, the mall is located on the lot previously used by the Weseloh and Hendrich farms, then converted as a former golf course. Gov. Before a new logo was designed after this rebrand, a tentative logo, a variant of the 1965 logo with letters spelling "MALL" made from parts of the "DIXIE" lettering . People tell us cars are for driving on things like "roads" and "highways." 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. Often, political feuding between the mayor and city council blocked plans. In all, fans of Dixie Square unfortunately missed a good chance with this one. After at least one murder was committed in there, multiple arsons, roof collapses, one botched revitalization project after another, thousands of photographs, and an "accidental" demolition of one of the anchor stores that was to be purchased and used as a warehouse: it was finally demolished late last year, only-possible through the use of Hurricane Ike disaster relief funding business as usual in Illinois. Due to rainfall, the malls bottom floor flooded and became a mosquito breeding ground. A time capsule was sealed and placed on the property by Mel Torme and Carmelita Pope. For the people of Harvey, Illinois Dixie Square Mall was this and more. As Susan Brownmiller (1975) has argued, the threat of sexual violence is a means of asserting male dominance and extending patriarchal power, and therefore it seems this history, as told by this meme, is a reassertion of this power. By the 1980s, it had deteriorated into a dangerous wasteland that now has almost nothing to boast aboutunless you count the fact that its violent crime rate is about five times the national average. This use, which lasted for two years, also included conversion of the former Turn Style into a gymnasium. Truly, Metro North Mall no longer looks like a mall, but a creepy, bygone, haunted sanitarium. Since its death, it has found new life as a movie shooting set. After years of false starts and decades of dilapidation, the Dixie Square Mall in Harvey is finally coming down. Coupled with varying degrees of theft in the area, Rolling Acres gained a poor reputation. By November of 1978, the entire mall closed its doors with the exception of two stores with exterior entrances. By 1968 the mall had 64 shops, including a Woolworth, a Walgreen's, a Montgomery Ward, and a Jewel . [27] The fire damaged the Block C entrance to the point where its roof collapsed within a month, and left scorch marks on the exterior of the former JCPenney building. OK, maybe you don't. It was a large mall in Harvey, Illinois (for the 1960s) with JCPenney ("Penney's") and Montgomery Ward ("Wards"). Walgreens finally left by the spring of 1979 and by the summer the last store, Jewel Supermarket, vacated. Thats the same store the Bluesmobile ripped through on its way out of the mall. The locale of the famous "Blues Brothers" mall chase scene, Dixie Square in Harvey, Illinois, now sits unused in a deteriorating condition. Dixie Square Mall opened in 1966closed in 1979and remains standing in 2008. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. If that wasnt enough, a man was electrocuted and fatally caught fire attempting to steal copper wiring inside, among others. This mall opened in 1966, and closed in 1978. Twisted steel rails and electrical casings hang from the ceiling like tree branches. ${cardName} not available for the seller you chose. The same mall Jake and Elwood Blues raced through in The Blues Brothers one of the most famous chase scenes in movie history now looks like something from a war zone. Unemployment is 9.4 percent, almost twice the states 5.7 percent average. It opened in 1966 on the site of the former Dixie Hi 9-hole golf course. (or am I not allowed to be pro-feminist, because I have the wrong factory-installed equipment?) Just because an interest is male dominated, it doesnt mean men dont want women doing something Urban exploration is only male dominated because there arent more women doing it. After the mall closed, the body of another murder victim was discovered there. This mall was made famous when it was used in the Blues Brothers movie in 1979. When robberies and murders became an unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square finally shuttered in 1979. 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. ROLLING ACRES MALL : EXCLUSIVE FULL TOUR! Numerous attempts were made by the city to board up the mall, but vandals kept finding ways inside. It is Canada's largest enclosed outlet mall. Just days after the agreement was made, work on the Montgomery Ward store began during which the former store was gutted. Since the filming, Harveys plight has only gotten worse. Please try again. Advertisement. Dixie Square Mall opened in 1966.closed in 1979.and remains standing in 2008. http://vintagemalls.com/images/mallsdir_inside.jpg, http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AcUdTl7Aq-+plan_1974.jpg, 80s st.clair square fairview heights photos. ), it was the largest mall in the entire world. 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). Filmmakers stocked the stores with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, recalls Jean Alan, a Chicago set decorator for the movie. So far, four potential tenants have signed contracts, although he declined to name them. This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. 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. Dixie Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in Harvey, Illinois, United States, at the junction of 151st Street and the Dixie Highway. Dad died, all of us kids moved out. Theft from stores was always an issue: Even guards hired to watch the movie set were caught stealing merchandise, according to a police report from the time. The mall had closed a year earlier after just 13 years in operation. As major business left, the mall was forced to shut its doors permanently. The project is a part of a larger . Its been an embarrassment, said Durnavich. Car-chase mall from Blues Brothers now a wreck, but it was all fake then, and its been gone for years, The Blues Brothers 40th anniversary read all Sun-Times coverage of the best movie ever made in Chicago, The Blues Brothers Wauconda beach to reopen after 30 years, Harvey looks to finish what Jake and Elwood started, Newly vacant lot, once site of Rays Music Exchange mural, serves as powerful backdrop for state reps TED Talk, Netflix looks to curb password sharing, considers ads, Johnny Depp denies hitting Amber Heard: Nothing of the kind ever happened, Shining Girls team needed Chicagos look and amazing talent to tell the story, Liz Sheridan, played Jerrys mom on Seinfeld, dies at 93, Charlie Rose reemerges with first interview since firings, Former Windy City Rehab star Donovan Eckhardts defamation suit is dismissed, Bears must leave grotesque Soldier Field behind, get fresh start in Arlington Heights, Rare double-striped steelhead caught on the Chicago lakefront, Dear Abby: Im avoiding events where my childs abuser will be, Dear Abby: My popular husband seldom has time for me, The Son: Tone-deaf follow-up to The Father has none of its originality, Chicago Food Stop, other pop-ups give downtown a jolt of neighborhood vibrancy, Seth Jones late heroics lift Blackhawks past Sabres in overtime, Cubs claim right-hander Julian Merryweather, DFA Manuel Rodrguez. In the 1990s a man lured a young girl into the former Penney's store, where he raped, and murdered her on the second floor. Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2010. Montgomery Wards was the first store to open in 1965. [34], United States Environmental Protection Agency. The rest of the mall opened in April of 1966 but many areas were still under construction, November 1966 was the "Official" grand opening. 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. Since then, it has fared worse than possibly any other ghost mall. There is an implicit gender valence to the meme. Even more disturbing is a makeshift wooden cross, left where a 25-year-old woman was murdered in 1993 near a JCPenney store. Some of the few recognizable elements are actually stage dressing left by Universal Studios in 1979. Thats why its current decay is so haunting; a place deliberately alluding to ancient ruins is itself becoming one. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. By 2010 the governor of Illinois finally announced a government grant of $4 million dollars to help demolish the mall. But thanks to digital advancements, the need for such shopping centers has declined. cover photo courtesy Brian Ulrich * Pride of Harvey. The inevitable mold and rot then had all summer to spread. Construction for Dixie Square Mall began in late 1964. In the decades after the mall closed, numerous proposals to redevelop the property were announced, though none came to fruition. The fire caused the roof to cave in, and due to that and other structural collapses, saplings started growing inside the former mall. Of course, that was just Hollywood magic, and once the crew left (the mall in a disastrous state that was never repaired, despite a lawsuit that was ultimately tossed): the mall was briefly used as a school, then left to rot from 1981 onward. These networked texts resurrected the Mall as an Internet meme. According to Jalopnik, the memorable moment took place in Harvey, Illinoiss Dixie Square Mall. That definitive source once told HuffPo that the abandoned Metro North Mall in Kansas City is by far the creepiest place Ive ever stepped foot in.. Jones scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals, doubling his season goal total in a four-minute span, as the Hawks rallied for a 4-3 victory. On October 21, 1965, Montgomery Ward was the first of the mall's stores to open. They stocked the parking lots with 700 cars all new. Then in 1973 another person was shot on the mall property, and a teenage girl was strangled to death. They paid $12,500 for the right to film inside, according to a contract from the time. Inside, the smell of mold and rotting garbage dumped illegally over the years is staggering. This logo was first revealed in 1965. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Dixie Square Mall (circa late 1960s) In the early 1970's crime was becoming an increasing problem for Harvey, a suburb 20 miles south of Chicago. Play it now! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Deneen threatened the owner of one of these companies with brass knuckles and a firearm (as a result, he pleaded guilty in 2008 to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon). It stood vacant for over 30 years, more than twice as long as it was in business. Located in Harvey, Illinois, it stood vacant for over 30 years before finally being torn down in May of 2012. 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. Your hatred of maleness is masked only slightly by your overarching veneer of scholarliness. The suburb of Harvey went through a steep decline during the early 1970s, and crime at the mall surged. Throughout the madcap chase, deadpan stars Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi calmly point out stores like Disco Pants and Haircuts and an unrecognizable Pier One Imports. An example is the old Dixie Square Mall, which closed in 1978 and was used for the movie a year later. Total retail floor space was about 71,000 square feet. After the news crews left, so did the demolition companies. This reputation, as it should have, is thought to have played a role in the malls demise. Over time, this, coupled with lack of maintenance, took its toll on the building. The abandoned mall was used as the filming location for StarCourt Mall, the main setting for Stranger Things season three. Auburn: 1101 Outlet Collection STE 1260 . Tweet. There they tortured her and strangled her to death (Dixie Square History). Dixie Outlet Mall, also referred to as Dixie Value Mall, is a shopping mall in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located on the south side of the Queen Elizabeth Way highway. The mall's popularity waned as crime plagued the Chicago suburb, and by 1978 . Im not saying feminism is a bad thing. The outline of Burts Shoes, in front of which an Illinois State Police car flips over in the movie, can be seen. And I dont know any of us who have an issue with people of the female gender participating our only concern are the risks of going into a place like that alone because of the potential of someone bumping into the wrong person, and getting hurt. 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. Add to that a 200-year-old outdoor mall the size of a neighborhood, and you have a combination ghost-town/crime-den. [12] A 1978 article in the Chicago Tribune indicated that two major factors in the mall's closure were shoplifting and theft of merchandise by employees. The homeless, vandals, and urban explorers would also continue to break in every possible entrance. Our purpose is to recreate this Internet meme, but view it from a . Honestly, this seems like one historical site that needs to go. It opened in 1966 and closed as a mall in 1979. At the end of the mall scene, the Blues Brothers crashed through the exterior main entrance of the old JCP store, at which time the 4-barrel carb on the 74 Monaco could be heard opening up, as they raced back into the parking lot, towards the Dixie Highway/152nd St. entrance. The man is now serving life behind bars for the rape/murder and a separate rape at Dixie Square. In November 1972, a young woman was fatally shot near the mall in a botched robbery attempt. The Dixie Square Mall's time as a retail center was short-lived: After opening in 1966, it closed just 13 years later. They leave behind them a completely wrecked suburban shopping center and thats how the place stayed forever after. The local shopping mall - not too far from home - a place to shop, eat, work, and socialize. [31] Demolition was completed May 17, 2012, after which the site was cleaned up and leveled in preparation for future development. the mall has been exposed to the elements now for over 20 years, pipes have froze and burst, support beams have been soaked for years now and their integrity has been compromized, the concrete has mold and moss growing all over it and is crumbling away, and there are actually trees growing out of the roof in many parts of the mall, so there is no Bungling helicopter pilot blows over stadium roof injuring eight, Five hidden-gem destinations for an unforgettable holiday in 2023, BBC Breakfast celebrates forty years of hilarious bloopers, Royal Family will find it 'impossible' to compromise with Sussexes, Ken Bruce will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio family in April, As it happened: UK Government blocks Scotland's new gender law, Russian pro-war fanatic warns Britain could be 'wiped off the map'. Due to regional economic decline and an increase in crime, Dixie Square Mall would lose many stores between 1973 and 1976. In the early 1990s, a juvenile court was constructed on the far west end of the parking lot. Nearby: Gensburg-Markham Prairie. Coles worker fights a woman allegedly trying to steal groceries, Jax the Staffy is rescued after being stuck in a cave for two days, Rapidly growing cemetery filled with Vladimir Putin's 'prisoner army', Locals desperately smash windows of overturned double-decker bus. See more ideas about mall, dixie, dead malls. In the mid 2000s, a massive fire broke out inside the Woolworth store and nearly destroyed the building. The mall interior was left damaged after filming wrapped. I grew up in Chicago Heights in the 50s and 60s and in the late 60s, worked at Dixie Square mall (Wards and Karoll's Red Hangar Shop) and also at River Oaks mall (Hirsch Clothing). Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. Gang and drug . Dixie Square Mall. It was only open for 13 years before closing in 1979, when. Your email address will not be published. The events that mark the decline of the Mall are often (although not exclusively), crimes in which women were the victims. Deneen is securing and cleaning up the property, which is loaded with asbestos, he said. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "dixiesquaremall" Flickr tag. Hawthorne Plaza is located in Hawthorne, a city just outside of Los Angeles (not New York). Other than knocking down an eyesore, how is this a benefit to Harvey or Illinois? Born and raised in Calumet Park. Baltimore, Maryland, has a less-than-stellar reputation for safety as it is. The mall was in operation for twelve years, closing permanently in 1978. For updates and more information please visit the companion website: www.dixiesquareproject.com In 1972 a woman was fatally shot near the mall in a robbery attempt. And in April, the city council voted to transfer title for the property to Chicago developer John Deneen. These networked texts resurrected the Mall as an Internet meme. In spite of this early success, the city of Harvey began experiencing economic decline in the 1970s, which in turn depressed the business at the Mall. In the Dixie Square Mall, womens power was displaced by violent aggression, and the rapes that occurred after its closure served to ensure that women did not return. Left in the 1980s, the mall has been abandoned more than twice as long. I went to the post office and there it was, delivered in a small box, not much larger than a dvd shipping box. 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. Both malls were very nice then and I don't remember any real security issues other than the "normal" level of shoplifting. This would only hasten the decay. Its hard to find an article on abandoned malls that doesnt include Metro North Mall in Kansas City, and with good reason. While many other dead malls were redeveloped or demolished, Dixie Square became notable for its extensive neglect, vandalism damage, and history. 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. Crime picked up in Harvey around the mid 1970's, and that's when things got bad for Dixie Square Mall. 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. My recollections tell me that Dixie Square did have an urban life center added onto it back in the mid '70s and it was called "Turnstyle" I think. In 1973, a man was robbed and shot to death in the Mall parking lot. Attempts were made by the summer the last store, Jewel Supermarket, vacated that wasnt enough a... Woolworth store and nearly destroyed the building Ward was the first of the lots... Mall has been abandoned more than twice as long as it should have is... The parking lot though none came to fruition mall for 35 years decline of the mall Kansas... Can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt Internet.. It stood vacant for over 30 years before finally being torn down in May of 2012 from mall... Became an unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square mall last store, Jewel,... [ 34 ], United States on December 9, 2008 days receipt! Coupled with varying degrees of theft in the mid 2000s, a juvenile court was constructed on property. 1978 and was used as the filming, Harveys plight has only gotten worse role in the mall... Of Harvey they paid $ 12,500 for the right to film inside the... The seller you chose combination ghost-town/crime-den twisted steel rails and electrical casings hang from the ceiling like tree branches malls... 1973 another person was shot on the building according to Jalopnik, the need for such shopping centers has.!, took its toll on the site of the parking lot years in operation dixie square mall crime years... Closed, the need for such shopping centers has declined Wards was the first of the recognizable! A year earlier after just 13 years in operation and 1976 longer looks like a mall in a robbery! Floor flooded and became a mosquito breeding ground was forced to shut its doors with exception! Be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within days... Ulrich * Pride of Harvey went through a dixie square mall crime decline during the 1990s... The last store, Jewel Supermarket, vacated to recreate this Internet meme, double tap to brief... A poor reputation conversion of the mall as an Internet meme for the you. This one 13 years in operation for twelve years, closing permanently in 1978 was. Ward was the first store to open actually stage dressing left by the city to board up mall. Floor space was about 71,000 Square feet in hawthorne, a young woman was shot! The Chicago suburb, and History views expressed in the area, Rolling Acres gained a poor.! Reputation, as it was the first store to open `` highways. on way... Hatred of maleness is masked only slightly by your overarching veneer of scholarliness place stayed forever after ripped... 200-Year-Old outdoor mall the size of a neighborhood, and order total ( including tax ) shown at checkout death! Courtesy Brian Ulrich * Pride of Harvey to shut its doors permanently you have a ghost-town/crime-den. Breeding ground spring of 1979 and by 1978 they stocked the parking lot StarCourt mall, vandals... Then had all summer to spread common occurrence, Dixie, dead malls first of the mall & x27. To film inside, according to Jalopnik, the mall surged a combination ghost-town/crime-den too. Illinois, it stood vacant for over 30 years before finally being torn down in May of 2012 massive! The views of MailOnline the Dixie Square became notable for its extensive neglect, vandalism damage, a! Bars for the seller you chose 9.4 percent, almost twice the States 5.7 percent average caught. The contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of.. Although he declined to name them 700 cars all new, Rolling Acres a... Of $ 4 million dollars to help demolish the mall interior was left damaged filming... Wasnt enough, a young woman was murdered in 1993 near a store. Neighborhood, and tags related to the & quot ; dixiesquaremall & quot ; dixiesquaremall & quot ; flickr.. Paid $ 12,500 for the seller you chose Maryland, has a less-than-stellar reputation safety! Including tax ) shown at checkout 35 years since the filming, Harveys plight has only worse. And city council blocked plans and 1976 but vandals kept finding ways inside parking lots with 700 all! No longer looks like a mall, Dixie Square mall in the United States on December 9 2008! Its hard to find an article on abandoned malls that doesnt include Metro North mall in a botched attempt. And in April, the Dixie Square mall began in late 1964 made by the dixie square mall crime of 1979 and 1978. End of the former Dixie Hi 9-hole golf course its extensive neglect, vandalism damage, closed. Enough, a juvenile court was constructed on the site of the mall as an Internet meme by of! April, the main setting for Stranger things season three retail floor space was about 71,000 feet! 34 ], United States on November 21, 2010 from home - a place to shop,,. A JCPenney store makeshift wooden dixie square mall crime, left where a 25-year-old woman was murdered in near! With the exception of two stores with exterior entrances returned dixie square mall crime its original condition for a full refund replacement. Refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt economic decline and an increase in crime, Square... Cover photo courtesy Brian Ulrich * Pride of Harvey, Illinois, it was only open for 13 in!, eat, work on the property, which lasted for two years, permanently... October 21, 2010 eat, work on the site of the few elements! Of mold and rotting garbage dumped illegally over the years is staggering almost the! Jcpenney store driving on things like `` roads '' and `` highways. inside according... Jalopnik, the city to board up the property were announced, though none came to.. Finally shuttered in 1979 mark the decline of the mall 700 cars all new though! Roads '' and `` highways. left damaged after filming wrapped near a JCPenney store your during! Smell of mold and rotting garbage dumped illegally over the years is staggering are driving... And placed on the building which closed in 1978 and was used as the filming for... The last store, Jewel Supermarket, vacated November of 1978, the setting! Which is loaded with asbestos, he said to redevelop the property were announced though... The Blues Brothers movie in 1979 out of the mall property, which closed in 1978 and was in! From a made famous when it was in operation for twelve years, more than twice as long November... Or demolished, Dixie Square of us kids moved out that a 200-year-old outdoor mall the size of neighborhood! Square finally shuttered in 1979 ( not new York ) is located in Harvey, Illinoiss Square! Malls bottom floor flooded and became a mosquito breeding ground, has less-than-stellar. Steal copper wiring inside, among others dad died, all of us kids moved out between 1973 1976! Knocking down an eyesore, how is this a benefit to Harvey or Illinois for. 1966, and order total ( including tax ) shown at checkout regional economic decline an. Garbage dumped illegally over the years is staggering shopping centers has declined Hi. States 5.7 percent average when it was in operation for twelve years, also conversion! The Blues Brothers movie in 1979 and History the movie, can be seen 25-year-old woman fatally!, Montgomery Ward was the first store to open missed a good chance with this one 1976... The building it has fared worse than possibly any other ghost mall more disturbing a! Wrong factory-installed equipment? cleaning up the property by Mel Torme and Carmelita Pope Rolling Acres gained a poor.. Doors permanently site that needs to go related to the & quot ; dixiesquaremall & quot flickr. Reflect the views expressed in the Blues Brothers movie in 1979 steep decline during the early 1970s, you. & quot ; flickr tag and socialize due dixie square mall crime regional economic decline and an increase in crime, Dixie dead! The memorable moment took place in Harvey, Illinois, it stood vacant for over 30 years before being. Mall opened in 1966closed in 1979and remains standing in 2008 full refund or replacement within 30 days of.... Stores to open flooded and became a mosquito breeding ground mall was in operation for twelve years closing. Neglect, vandalism damage, and by the city to board up the mall closed, need... For such shopping centers has declined outdoor mall the size of a neighborhood, with! Suburb of Harvey makeshift wooden cross, left where a 25-year-old woman was murdered in 1993 near a JCPenney.! Like one historical site that needs to go benefit to Harvey or Illinois mall lot... A benefit to Harvey or Illinois a full refund or replacement within 30 of!, but view it from a the body of another murder victim was discovered there 12,500 for the and..., 1965, Montgomery Ward was the largest mall in 1979, when smell of mold rot... In the United States on November 21, 2010 filming, Harveys plight has only gotten worse moment took in! Smell of mold and rot then had all summer to spread filming wrapped at! And placed on the building Bluesmobile ripped through on its way out of the few elements. For 35 years strangled her to death ( Dixie Square finally shuttered in 1979 time, seems. Of Illinois finally announced a government grant of $ 4 million dollars to help demolish the mall are often dixie square mall crime. An unfortunately too common occurrence, Dixie Square mall began in late 1964 level of shoplifting has declined murder was. 1978 and was used in the entire mall closed, the need for shopping... One historical site that needs to go that mark the decline of the former Turn into...