Dying Retail

07/30/2026

8:30 tonight. The last walkthrough of MacArthur Mall. Hope to catch you all in the YouTube channel chat.

Built in 1999 MacArthur Center Mall in Norfolk, Virginia was the ho...

07/29/2026

I had a problem with my upload to YouTube. Fixed everything and sent it back up. Still premiering Thursday at 8:30 PM. Here is the new link:

Built in 1999 MacArthur Center Mall in Norfolk, Virginia was the ho...

07/25/2026

Here’s a sneak peek of the MacArthur Mall video. It’s 99% completed. I am hoping to have it premiering on YouTube next weekend. An hour long tribute and last look to the latest property Norfolk has bumbled handling.

06/27/2026

They lied. Mall closed at 5.

06/27/2026

If you’re not doing anything this evening, come out to MacArthur Mall for the last time closes at 8 PM unless they’ve changed that but I’m gonna be out trying to get some more footage. Someone told me today the security guards weren’t giving people any problems so I probably should’ve brought my gimbal for the camera, but I gotta charge it up anyway so if you’re out there and see me say hello would love to meet you. Take care.

06/17/2026

Chesapeake City Council approves Costco at Greenbrier Mall.

06/16/2026

Wow! I am amazed at all the comments on the photos. Really see how much this mall impacted Hampton Roads in its brief life.

Someone made a post with a WTKR link to the demolition that made way to the mall. If that person reads this can you share that link again? I am trying to pull any historical footage for the upcoming final video.

06/16/2026

Part two - Pictures of MacArthur Mall in Norfolk, VA. 27 years and promise is gone. This mall was supposed to be the crown jewel of Norfolk's downtown revitalization efforts. Even with voices saying the mail should not have been built. That a suburban designed mall in a downtown would not spill out and cause growth in the surrounding area. The city went ahead with the project anyway and Hampton Roads got the Taubman treatment. A mall that reminded you of being in Atlanta or some other larger metropolitan areas of the country. Bringing in retail that was new to the area as well.

Then one after another, those businesses started to leave, not seeing the growth and opportunity that was expected.

Nordstroms came and found themselves being caught in the local politics and being pressured to hire employees from the surrounding low income community. After a period of time, they announced they were no longer going to try and hire from the low income areas because they were not getting the qualified applicants to provide the service they were known for. Then. They left leaving Dillards as the remaining anchor.

The mall started showing more wear and tear. Covid came and the lockdowns didn't make things better. Around this time you had the defund the police fights across the country. The city pulled their police presence from the downtown areas and crime increased, especially in the mall. A few instances of gunfire in the mall, with one resulting in a death in the mall, created the stigma that the mall was unsafe. Several stores closed the mall location, most notably, Apple, saying the safety of their patrons was their prime concern.

Shortly after, the city had a more noticeable police presence downtown. Violence overall went down, especially in the mall. Did not matter. The damage was done. Word spread fast you were not safe in the mall.

The writing was on the wall.

Dillards finally closed their east coast flagship location leaving no anchors. The City of Norfolk purchased the store and had total control of the mall.

Now the final curtain call has been made. June 27th, MacArthur mall is going to close for the final time. The area is going to lose what can be described as the most beautiful retail structure in the 757. The downtown dream was not fully realized.

06/15/2026

Part one - Pictures of MacArthur Mall in Norfolk, VA. 27 years and promise is gone. This mall was supposed to be the crown jewel of Norfolk's downtown revitalization efforts. Even with voices saying the mail should not have been built. That a suburban designed mall in a downtown would not spill out and cause growth in the surrounding area. The city went ahead with the project anyway and Hampton Roads got the Taubman treatment. A mall that reminded you of being in Atlanta or some other larger metropolitan areas of the country. Bringing in retail that was new to the area as well.

Then one after another, those businesses started to leave, not seeing the growth and opportunity that was expected.

Nordstroms came and found themselves being caught in the local politics and being pressured to hire employees from the surrounding low income community. After a period of time, they announced they were no longer going to try and hire from the low income areas because they were not getting the qualified applicants to provide the service they were known for. Then. They left leaving Dillards as the remaining anchor.

The mall started showing more wear and tear. Covid came and the lockdowns didn't make things better. Around this time you had the defund the police fights across the country. The city pulled their police presence from the downtown areas and crime increased, especially in the mall. A few instances of gunfire in the mall, with one resulting in a death in the mall, created the stigma that the mall was unsafe. Several stores closed the mall location, most notably, Apple, saying the safety of their patrons was their prime concern.

Shortly after, the city had a more noticeable police presence downtown. Violence overall went down, especially in the mall. Did not matter. The damage was done. Word spread fast you were not safe in the mall.

The writing was on the wall.

Dillards finally closed their east coast flagship location leaving no anchors. The City of Norfolk purchased the store and had total control of the mall.

Now the final curtain call has been made. June 27th, MacArthur mall is going to close for the final time. The area is going to lose what can be described as the most beautiful retail structure in the 757. The downtown dream was not fully realized.