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Tag: mall

  • Troubled Moreno Valley Mall closed for safety violations

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    The Moreno Valley Mall in Riverside County remained closed Wednesday as owners faced fire safety violations that led the city to shut down most of the vast retail center.

    The sprawling indoor regional mall is a centerpiece of Moreno Valley serving customers from Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It was built in 1992 on the former site of Riverside International Raceway, once considered one of the finest automotive racing tracks in the country and a regular draw across Southern California for decades before it closed in 1989.

    On Feb. 19, city officials “red-tagged” the mall for the owners’ failure to resolve a multitude of unresolved issues related to its fire protection systems.

    The owners said they are “working hard to end this interruption.”

    Portions of the two-level, 1.1-million-square-foot mall were deemed unsafe by county and state fire inspectors who recommended the city shut them down “until all live-saving measures are addressed,” the city said in a statement.

    Department stores Macy’s and JCPenney are independently owned buildings at the mall with appropriately maintained fire protection systems that are separate from the mall’s systems, allowing them to stay open, the city said.

    The16-screen Harkins Theatres movie cineplex is also open.

    City Councilwoman Elena Baca-Santa Cruz told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that the mall has “hundreds of violations,” though nine of them are preventing it from reopening.

    “For example, there’s no backup generator. If there was a power failure, the whole place will go dark, and that’s a safety violation,” Baca-Santa Cruz said last week.

    The owners of the mall, IGP Business Group, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but owner Matt Ilbak said in a recent Instagram post that a new generator has been installed. The company has upgraded the fire sprinkler system and is working on resolving “all of the city’s issues.”

    Other city complaints about IGP’s operation of the mall were outlined in a January letter to Ilbak that cited fire code violations and also complained about “property maintenance violations” that included severely cracked pavement and curbing, as well as dead plants outside. The mall had insufficient exterior lighting, the city said, and graffiti resulting from deferred or neglected maintenance.

    In Orange County, Westminster Mall, a once-popular shopping center that has been tarnished by graffiti and vandalism since it closed last year, is on track for demolition soon.

    It will be replaced with housing, a hotel and some shops and stores, part of a nationwide trend that is seeing outdated, failed malls in high-traffic locations swapped for mixed-use development that typically includes apartments. The process is often lengthy, leaving empty malls in danger of abuse.

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    Roger Vincent

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  • Notorious dead mall in Westminster is on track for redevelopment

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    Westminster Mall, a once-popular shopping center that has been desecrated by graffiti and vandalism since it closed last year, is on track for demolition soon.

    It will be replaced with housing, a hotel and some shops and stores, part of a nationwide trend that is seeing outdated, failed malls in high-traffic locations swapped for mixed-use development that typically includes apartments. The process is often lengthy, leaving empty malls in danger of abuse

    In recent weeks, videos have circulated on social media showing rampant paint tagging and destruction inside the structure that was a cultural touchstone in the Orange County city of Westminster for decades after it opened in 1974.

    In its heyday, the mall was a gathering spot when there were few other places to hang out. It was where kids found the latest fashions and where “mall rats” roamed in packs after school.

    The owner, Irvine-based Shopoff Realty Investments, has formally finished acquiring the property visible from the 405 Freeway and announced last week that demolition of the massive indoor mall would begin by April. Target will continue to operate during this time, the owners said.

    The company paid nearly $93 million for the bulk of the old mall, according to real estate data provider CoStar. Shopoff Realty acquired the mall’s former Sears and Macy’s parcels in 2022.

    Shopoff Realty now controls the mall and surrounding retail properties on an 89.3-acre site that it plans to turn into a mixed-use complex called Bolsa Pacific at Westminster.

    Plans for Bolsa Pacific call for 2,250 residences involving a mix of for-sale housing and market-rate and affordable rental housing, the developer said.

    Since its closing, vandals have broke into the mall, covered it in graffiti and destroyed the interior.

    (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

    The project is also to include a 120-room hotel and more than 220,000 square feet of shops and restaurants. Bolsa Pacific is to include more than 15 acres of open space, including private spaces for residents, open-air promenades and a network of walking trails.

    Shopoff Realty anticipates that city officials will approve its plans in the months ahead and that construction will begin by the end of the year after demolition is complete.

    “The Westminster Mall meant a lot of things for a lot of people for many years,” Shopoff Realty President Willliam A. Shopoff said. “it was a gathering place and it was a place where people had their first jobs, or first dates or first kiss — or all of the above. We envision a new kind of gathering place that can have the same kind of meaning for people for the next 50 or 75 years.”

    As many as 8,000 people will live there, he said, and hundreds will be employed at the hotel.

    “It’s hard to accumulate this much land in Orange County,” Shopoff said. “This is a really special opportunity.”

    The Westminster Mall opened in 1974 on the former site of the world’s largest goldfish farm, according to city documents. It underwent major renovations in the 1980s and in 2008.

    As malls have closed because of shifting consumer shopping habits and a desire for more lucrative development opportunities, the expansive empty buildings have taken on a new draw as a kind of postapocalyptic wasteland, much to the chagrin of local officials. Leveling such large structures and building something new in their place often take years, leaving the malls vacant and ripe for abuse.

    Videos on social media and YouTube show people tagging empty storefronts, skateboarding or riding bicycles indoors and urban explorers touring the abandoned spaces for posterity or to look for signs of paranormal activity.

    After the Hawthorne Plaza closed in 1999, it became the eerie setting for music videos for artists including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Travis Scott. Graffiti, trash, trespassing and safety issues at the sprawling mall vexed local officials for so many years that they secured an injunction forcing the property owners to redevelop it or demolish it by August.

    Valley Plaza in North Hollywood, once touted as the largest shopping center on the West Coast, had been abandoned for nearly a decade, becoming a hot spot for fires and criminal activity, before it was demolished last year.

    Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.

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    Roger Vincent

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  • Man shot by officers pointed gun before they fired, Northglenn police say

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    Northglenn police said Monday that a man their officers shot Friday night near a mall had pointed a gun at them while fleeing.

    At about 9:15 p.m. Friday, police responded to a call about a suspicious person near Northglenn Marketplace. A man fled on foot and pointed a gun at officers during the pursuit, the department said. The shooting happened on the south side of the mall, near W. 104th Avenue and Bannock Street.

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    Meg Wingerter

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  • Four arrested in another Sunvalley Shopping Center theft — all suspects under 18

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    CONCORD — Four juveniles were arrested on suspicion of theft Monday night in what police said was the second high-value store invasion by a group of under-18 boys at the Sunvalley Shopping Center this month.

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    Rick Hurd

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  • Orange County shoppers say goodbye to Westminster Mall

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    After serving for decades as a community hub and popular shopping center, the Westminster Mall in Orange County is getting ready to close its doors.

    Most of the shops in the mall will shut down on Oct. 29 when leases expire, according to Westminster City Manager Christine Cordon. The City Council approved a redevelopment plan in 2022 to turn the mall into a mixed-use site for housing, leisure and retail.

    The 100-acre property, situated on the south side of the 405 Freeway, could soon offer 3,000 housing units and at least 600,000 square feet of upscale retail space.

    The city’s Westminster Mall Specific Plan also sets aside more than 9 acres for parks and recreation.

    “The community has expressed a strong desire to revitalize this important commercial center,” the redevelopment plan says. “The project site provides a unique opportunity to reposition the mall into the thriving activity center that it once was and to accommodate the future growth of the city.”

    Community members gathered last week to say their goodbyes to the mall, which already has shuttered stores and empty parking lots. According to the mall’s online directory, popular shops such as Victoria’s Secret, Vans and Kay Jewelers are still open.

    JCPenney, the mall’s oldest anchor store, is slated to close by Nov. 21. Best Buy and Target are expected to remain open for a few more years as the property undergoes redevelopment.

    Alexis Malatesta, who frequented the mall as a teenager and now runs a Westminster Mall fan account on Instagram, hosted a farewell karaoke party at the mall on Friday.

    She posted videos of the gathering, where several community members came to reminisce and sing songs in the mall’s honor.

    Malatesta’s Instagram says it’s “a page dedicated solely to the Westminster Mall’s battle with terminal illness,” referencing the mall’s long, rocky fall from its prime.

    In 1986, the mall was Orange County’s second-highest-grossing retail center. The next year, the mall announced a big renovation plan.

    In its heyday, the mall was a gathering spot when there were few other places to hang out. It was where kids found the latest fashions and where “mall rats” roamed in packs after school.

    Malatesta, who grew up in Huntington Beach, said she spent countless afternoons at the mall in the early 2000s, riding the carousel and snapping digital photos. As the mall fell into disrepair, she posted stunts on social media to try to generate business, including a fake wedding ceremony to declare her marriage to the mall.

    “I wanted to get people to go enjoy the space while it was still there,” she said in an interview. “The Westminster Mall was a huge part of my childhood and I’ve met a ton of people through our shared obsession with the mall.”

    The Westminster Mall opened in 1974 on the former site of the world’s largest goldfish farm, according to city documents.

    It underwent major renovations in the 1980s and in 2008, and is now controlled by four companies that share ownership of the property: Kaiser Permanente, Shopoff Realty, True Life Cos. and Washington Prime Group.

    True Life, a Denver-based real estate firm, has received permission from the city to build a five-story, multifamily housing structure on the 3.6 acres that was previously occupied by Babies R Us.

    Because of a pending agreement between the four companies, a demolition date for the mall has not been set.

    Though the city has ambitious redevelopment plans, the Westminster Mall will lose its nostalgic value for Malatesta, now 33 years old.

    “You can go into an indoor mall and you can forget about the outside world,” Malatesta said. “Westminster Mall was my spot.”

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    Caroline Petrow-Cohen

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  • Lego to open new store in Broomfield’s Flatiron Crossing mall

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    Lego is opening its third Denver metro area store on Friday at Broomfield’s Flatiron Crossing mall. 

    The new location is about 2,200 square feet and will open on the lower level of Flatiron Crossing, near the Apple store. 

    The Broomfield location is Lego’s third store in Colorado and its farthest north. The other two locations are at Lone Tree’s Park Meadows Mall and at Colorado Mills in Lakewood. 

    For the first nine days of the store’s opening, Lego will be giving away various promotional items to select customers. The promotions include:

    • Sept. 12-14: “I <3 LEGO Store Flatiron Crossing” tile giveaway to the first 750 customers daily, while supplies last. 
    • Sept. 12: Lego “new store opening” set for all loyalty program members with a purchase of $150 or more, while supplies last. 
    • Sept. 13: Lego Store set with all purchases of $120 or more, while supplies last. 
    • Sept. 14-21: Lego Store reusable tote with all purchases of $50 or more, while supplies last. 

    Known for plastic bricks that are painful to step on, Lego is one of the most popular toys in the world. In addition to buildable sets for a variety of ages, Lego also has TV shows, theme parks and video games. 

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  • One Dead After Shooting At Vancouver Mall – KXL

    One Dead After Shooting At Vancouver Mall – KXL

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    VANCOUVER, Wash. – A person has died and two are injured after a shooting at the Vancouver Mall Halloween night.

    Police first reported responding to a disturbance at the mall, and then later confirmed there had been a shooting.

    What happened remains under investigation.

    Police are asking people to avoid the area.

    “Anyone that has been sheltering in place inside the mall can leave through any open exit,” VPD said in a tweet. “Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to call the VPD Tip Line at 360-487-7399.”

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    Grant McHill

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  • Woman killed in robbery gone wrong at upscale Newport Beach mall, authorities say

    Woman killed in robbery gone wrong at upscale Newport Beach mall, authorities say

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    A tranquil summer afternoon at the upscale Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach disintegrated into violence Tuesday, with a woman killed after a botched robbery attempt.

    Two men accosted the 69-year-old woman and her husband close to the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the mall, authorities said. Shots were fired, but police said no one was struck by bullets.

    The couple had been walking at Fashion Island when they were approached by the two men, who attempted to rob them, according to Sgt. Steven Oberon of the Newport Beach Police Department.

    A struggle ensued, and the woman was dragged into a parking lot and subsequently run over by the suspects’ white Toyota Camry. Oberon said the woman’s husband was believed to be uninjured.

    The victims were not immediately identified.

    Police pursued the suspects after the incident, a chase that took them into Los Angeles County. Authorities reported that the Camry reached speeds of up to 110 mph as it sped north. A television news helicopter captured video of the car speeding into the left shoulder of the 105 Freeway and at one point grazing the concrete center median.

    During the pursuit, the getaway driver allegedly let at least one accomplice out before he and another man sped on. The pair eventually jumped out of the car in South Gate, fleeing on foot around Harding and Hoover avenues, according to police and video of the chase shown on multiple local TV news stations.

    News footage showed one bare-chested man being taken into custody minutes after he jumped from the driver’s side of the car. Eventually, three suspects were taken into custody.

    The shooting occurred just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at what is known as a usually peaceful shopping center, which sits on a bluff above the ocean in the wealthy coastal community.

    The Newport Beach Fire Department said it found a person dead in the parking lot adjacent to the bookstore.

    Authorities notified nearby residents around 4 p.m. to avoid the shopping plaza as they investigated the incident. Police were seen on site guiding the public to safety, and helicopters were flying overhead.

    A woman who was shopping in the area on Tuesday described the situation as a “hullabaloo.” She said she was from Los Angeles and was thankful that police responded quickly. She declined to give her name.

    A young man who asked not to be identified said he was at Cucina enoteca in Fashion Island when the incident occurred.

    “About 20 people were running and screaming, ‘Someone’s shooting!’ They locked us in the restaurant,” he said.

    “This doesn’t happen in Newport Beach,” Mayor Will O’Neill told KCAL-9 News. “Fashion Island is an incredibly safe place. This is a tragedy, and I’m furious.”

    City News Service contributed to this report. Winton and Rainey are Times staff writers. Nguyen and Hoffman are staff writers for the Daily Pilot, a sister publication of The Times.

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    Richard Winton, James Rainey, Lilly Nguyen, Susan Hoffman

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  • In wake of youth brawls, Torrance mall set to require chaperons

    In wake of youth brawls, Torrance mall set to require chaperons

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    A major Southern California shopping center that was roiled by two youth brawls last year has announced a new policy requiring adult supervision of minors on Fridays and Saturdays.

    After 3 p.m. on those days, minors will not be allowed to enter Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance and any on the premises must leave if not accompanied by a parent or adult over 21, according to a statement from the Simon Property Group. The policy, which was first reported by other media outlets, goes into effect Friday.

    “We are committed to providing a pleasant and family friendly shopping environment for all of our guests,” Simon said in its statement. “The program is in response to feedback from the community and community leaders, as the center reinforces its commitment to the community to provide a pleasant, family friendly shopping environment.”

    The change comes roughly two months after a fight escalated into “escalating disruptive behavior” across the shopping center leading to its temporary closure and the arrest of five youths.

    To quell the disturbance, Torrance police called on nearly a dozen other law enforcement agencies for help. Officers formed a skirmish line, issued a dispersal order, and escorted the young people away from the mall and surrounding businesses, according to a news release from the department.

    Multiple police agencies also responded last summer when a brawl among juveniles drew a massive crowd of underage onlookers.

    In that incident, a witness reported that at least one gunshot was fired, but there were no reports of serious injuries or arrests. Authorities worked to clear the fight watchers from the area, but there was not a general evacuation from the mall, police said.

    Fox11 reported on Friday that signs detailing the policy were posted at the mall entrance.

    In its policy, Simon said youths and their adult chaperons may be asked to show driver’s licenses or other proof of age, and those without identification will be denied entry or asked to leave.

    Under the policy, one adult can accompany up to four youths but must remain with them at all times and is responsible for their actions.

    Underage store employees can remain during their shifts but must adhere to the youth policy when not on the job.

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    Doug Smith

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  • Torrance police activity prompts street closures around Del Amo Fashion Center

    Torrance police activity prompts street closures around Del Amo Fashion Center

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    The Del Amo Fashion Center and streets around the mall were closed on Saturday night while Torrance police officers responded to reports of growing crowds of juveniles.

    At about 12:42 p.m., Torrance police officers who were patrolling the mall saw a large group of juveniles fighting and vandalizing, said Sgt. Ron Salary, a spokesman for the Torrance Police Department.

    Police officers escorted the juveniles off the mall’s property. Torrance police requested assistance from neighboring police agencies because of the juveniles’ “aggressive behavior” toward the officers, Salary said.

    After the fight broke out earlier in the afternoon, crowds of juveniles increased at different spots at the shopping center.

    “Some of them are different crowds of juveniles and it started to grow over time,” he said.

    Several arrests were made, according to the Torrance police department.

    Carson Street was closed from Madrona Avenue to Del Amo Circle East, Torrance police said in a Facebook post. Del Amo Circle East was closed from Carson Street to Fashion Way, and Fashion Way was closed from Madrona Avenue to Amie Avenue, the post said.

    The Torrance Police Department on Saturday told the public to avoid the area and said the length of time streets would be closed is unknown.

    “We still have the neighboring police officers who are assisting us and our Torrance police officers on scene at the mall,” Salary said.

    The Daily Breeze reported that the mall shut down early after police arrived at the shopping center at around 5 p.m. The mall was scheduled to close at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Salary confirmed the mall closed earlier than scheduled.

    The policy activity on Saturday isn’t expected to impact the mall’s hours on New Year’s Eve, Salary said. The mall is scheduled to be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, according to the shopping center’s website.

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    Queenie Wong

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  • Allen, Texas, mall shooter had 8 guns and targeted location, authorities say

    Allen, Texas, mall shooter had 8 guns and targeted location, authorities say

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    New details on Texas mall shooting victims


    Allen mall shooting victims identified, as witness describes attack as “a war zone”

    04:24

    The Allen, Texas, mall shooter had three guns on him and five more in his car when he began his attack over the weekend, authorities said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

    Mauricio Garcia, 33, who shot and killed eight people – including three children – targeted the Allen Premium Outlets mall while people were shopping on Saturday, said Hank Sibley, regional director of the North Texas region at the Texas Department of Public Safety.

    The shooter targeted the location rather than a specific group of people, Sibley said. “He just shot people,” he said.

    An Allen police officer who was at the mall for another reason was able to shoot and kill the shooter within 3-4 minutes, Sibley said, “saving countless lives.” Authorities are not releasing the police officer’s name at this time due to the ongoing investigation.

    The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was able to trace the shooter’s eight guns and found that he had purchased them legally, Sibley said.

    Authorities said the shooter had no known criminal record and was “not on the radar of police at all,” said Sibley.

    He had an expired Texas security guard license and had worked at various firms, but hadn’t worked in a while, Sibley said. Authorities wouldn’t confirm whether he previously worked at the mall.

    Sibley said the shooter had neo-Nazi ideations, which authorities determined from the patches he wore and tattoos he had. The FBI has the shooter’s computer and phone, and authorities said they are gathering information and digital evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.

    The shooter was discharged from the Army in 2008 before completing boot camp for possible mental health reasons, Sibley said, but that didn’t preclude him from purchasing firearms. “Every weapon he purchased was legal,” Sibley said.

    Cara Tabachnick

    Cara Tabachnick is a news editor for CBSNews.com. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com

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  • Texas mall shooting memorial keeps growing as officials search for motive

    Texas mall shooting memorial keeps growing as officials search for motive

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    Texas mall shooting memorial keeps growing as officials search for motive – CBS News


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    Eight people, including three children, were killed when a man opened fire at shoppers Saturday afternoon at a mall in Allen, Texas. A memorial outside the mall is growing bigger as mourners pay their respects to the victims. CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca reports.

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  • Eye Opener: 1 dead, 3 wounded in El Paso mall shooting

    Eye Opener: 1 dead, 3 wounded in El Paso mall shooting

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    Eye Opener: 1 dead, 3 wounded in El Paso mall shooting – CBS News


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    One person was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting at a mall in El Paso, Texas. Also, a gunman who killed 10 people in a racist mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket was sentenced to life in prison without parole. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener.

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  • Shopkeeper Saves Boy in Mall

    Shopkeeper Saves Boy in Mall

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    Shopkeeper Saves Boy in Mall – CBS News


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    “Caught on Tape”: A four-year old boy waiting for his father at an Istanbul shopping mall escaped injury or worse after he climbed to the top of an escalator and was caught by a quick-thinking shopkeeper.

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