These malls are declining, but their retail district is still going strong

The malls on this list are ones that even though the mall itself is struggling or has closed down (less than 75% full), the surrounding retail plazas around the mall aren't experiencing the same amount of struggle, that still have the major chain stores (Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble/Books A Million, Dick's Sporting Goods, Michaels, Office Depot/Max/Staples, and TJ Maxx to name a few) , are mostly full, and when stores do close in that center, they are replaced by other name brand chain stores.

Arizona:

Metrocenter, Phoenix, Arizona (District is Surviving) (mall has been demolished and is being redeveloped as a mixed use property. But the area is a mixed bag. North and east sides of the district are thriving with name brand stores, restaurants, hotels, and the Castles n Coasters park, while the stores on the south and west sides of the mall have departed and are either empty or have been replaced by non-traditional places.)

Paradise Valley Mall, Phoenix, Arizona (District is Surviving) (mall has been demolished and is being redeveloped as a mixed use property)

California:

Hilltop Mall, Richmond, California (District is Hit and Miss. The Richmond side has seen some distress, but the Pinole side is thriving) (mall is closed)

Laguna Hills Mall, Laguna Hills, California (mall has been demolished and is getting redeveloped as a mixed use property) (District is Thriving).

Puente Hills Mall, City of Industry, California (District is Thriving)

Sunrise Mall, Citrus Heights, California (District is Surviving) (Even though the major stores around the mall are still open, the area has seen better days. Many of the major sit down restaurants around the mall have closed and no major sit down restaurants have taken their place. Some of them are empty and some of them have been replaced by local establishments. Since this was the major retail district in the area in the 80s, it has lost its luster since the Westfield Galleria at Roseville opened in 2000).

Vallco Mall, Cupertino, California (District is Thriving) (mall has been demolished. But there is a thriving mixed use development next door, similar to what the mall is planned to become)

Colorado:

Foothills Mall, Fort Collins, Colorado (District is Thriving)

The Peaks Mall, Longmont, Colorado (District is Thriving) (mall has been demolished and replaced by a thriving power center)

Westminster Mall, Westminster, Colorado (District is in the middle between Surviving and Thriving) (mall has been demolished and is being redeveloped as a downtown for the city)

Connecticut:

Enfield Square, Enfield, Connecticut

Florida:

Orlando Fashion Square, Orlando, Florida

Sarasota Square, Sarasota, Florida

Idaho:

Silver Lake Mall, Couer d Alene, Idaho

Illinois:

Stratford Square Mall, Bloomingdale, Illinois

Indiana:

Marquette Mall, Michigan City, Indiana (mall has closed) (The city as a whole isn't exactly thriving, so the area has seen decline. But maybe not any more than other areas around the Great Lakes).

Iowa:

Valley West Mall, West Des Moines, Iowa

Michigan:

Lansing Mall, Lansing, Michigan

Lakeside Mall, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Midland Mall, Midland, Michigan

The Orchards Mall, Benton Harbor, Michigan

Westshore Mall, Holland, Michigan (the mall has been redeveloped as a strip mall)

Minnesota:

Burnsville Center, Burnsville, Minnesota

Missouri:

Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, Missouri (District is Thriving) (mall is closed)

Crestwood Mall, Crestwood, Missouri (mall has been demolished and is being redeveloped).

Metro North Mall, Kansas City, Missouri (mall has been demolished and is being redeveloped as a mixed-use development. But unlike the other ones, this district has seen more distress since some of the retailers around it have moved to the Zona Rosa/Barrywoods area. But the retailers that haven’t moved to those areas are choosing to stay open and new quality businesses have taken the place of those that have moved.)

Nebraska:

Crossroads Mall, Omaha, Nebraska (mall has been demolished and is getting redeveloped)

Nevada:

Boulevard Mall, Las Vegas, Nevada (mall isn’t dead. It is filled with more local shops and unusual uses rather than typical mall stores).

New Hampshire:

Steeplegate Mall, Concord, New Hampshire (mall has closed)

New York:

Boulevard Mall, Buffalo, New York

Eastern Hills Mall, Williamsville, New York

Great Northern Mall, Clay, New York (mall is closed)

Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston, New York

ShoppingTown Mall, DeWitt, New York (mall is closed)

Sunrise Mall, Massapequa, New York (mall is closed and is getting redeveloped)

Wilton Mall, Saratoga Springs, New York (mall isn’t exactly dead. It is filled with more local shops and unusual uses rather than typical mall stores).

North Carolina:

Cary Towne Center, Cary, North Carolina (District is Thriving) (mall has been demolished) (The area next to the mall may not be thriving, but it is only a mile from the popular Crossroads Plaza area).

Ohio:

Chapel Hill Mall, Akron, Ohio (District is Surviving) (mall is closed. Mixed bag. Area immediately next to mall is dilapidated, but Howe Ave in Cuyahoga Falls is thriving with many name brand retailers. But being in Akron, it has been struggling. Maybe not as much as other areas)

Northgate Mall, Cincinnati, Ohio (District is Thriving) (This area is becoming more popular as West Cincinnati's retail go to. It seems like it is supplanting the Tri County and Western Hills areas).

North Towne Square, Toledo, Ohio (District is Surviving) (mall has been demolished. The Toledo area isn't thriving in general. But the area is performing much better than I expected it to be. Still has a Target and an OfficeMax operating, which is unusual for a dead mall area in the rust belt)

Tri County Mall, Cincinnati, Ohio (District is Surviving) (mall is closed. But area is a mixed bag. Some empty buildings and some closed shops from places that haven't gone out of business but have moved to other parts of town (such as West Chester), but still a healthy amount of name brand retailers).

Oklahoma:

Tulsa Promenade, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Pennsylvania:

Century III Mall, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania (mall is closed)

Colonial Park Mall, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Exton Square Mall, Exton, Pennsylvania

Nittany Mall, State College, Pennsylvania (District is Thriving) (It is a college town and one of the only major retail areas in the city, which should be thriving since the town itself is popular)

Pittsburgh Mills, Tarentum, Pennsylvania (District is Surviving) (Not much retail surrounds the mall. But what is around it still seems like it is doing well. But the area did lose their Best Buy store a few years back, which is some sort of sign of economic malaise. And it is in a struggling area. But the area still retains many of the major stores).

West Manchester Mall, York, Pennsylvania (has been converted into a thriving power center)

South Carolina:

The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina (District is Thriving) (This is not the college. Mall is named after the college)

Village at Sandhill, Columbia, South Carolina

Texas:

Valley View Center, Dallas, Texas (District is Thriving) (has been demolished and is being redeveloped as a mixed-use development. But this mall is also next to the thriving Dallas Galleria, which this area is mainly anchored by.)

Vista Ridge Mall, Lewisville, Texas (District is Surviving) (mall isn’t exactly dead. It is filled with more local shops and unusual uses rather than typical mall stores. The district still has the major chain stores around them. But it does seem like it has seen better days with some major retail vacancies nearby and areas such as Flower Mound, Frisco, and Southlake have supplanted this area in popularity. And it is overbuilt with retail buildings).

Collin Creek Mall, Plano, Texas (District is Mixed) (has been demolished and is being redeveloped as a mixed-use development.) (The district still has the major retail chains and restaurants. Even though Allen/Fairview has become a major threat to this district, retailers still want to locate to this area).

Sunrise Mall, Corpus Christi, Texas (mall is closed. But the mall is shared by the still popular La Palmera Mall next door).

Vermont:

Burlington Town Center, Burlington, Vermont (mall has closed and is getting redeveloped) (In the thriving downtown of Burlington)

Diamond Run Mall, Rutland, Vermont (mall has closed) (The only retail district in Rutland)

Virginia:

Charlottesville Fashion Square, Charlottesville, Virginia (District is Thriving) (It is in a thriving college town)

Chesapeake Square, Chesapeake, Virginia (District is Surviving)

Virginia Center Commons, Glen Allen, Virginia (mall is closed)

Washington:

Northgate Mall, Seattle, Washington (is being redeveloped into a mixed-use property. But interestingly, the buildings left at the mall are filled with businesses more associated with a thriving retail property.)

Wisconsin:

Regency Mall, Racine, Wisconsin (District is Surviving) (It still has the major retail establishments near it, since it is Racine's premier retail district. But Kenosha/Pleasant Prairie seems like it has supplanted this area.)