The decline of the small town shopping mall

Palatka Mall opened to great fanfare in 1981. Today, a walk inside exposes a post apocalyptic scene of a small town enclosed mall's struggle to stay relevant into the 21st century.

Initially, Vanguard found success by making the shopping center a quasi-government service center, mixing retail space with the offices of the Florida Department of Health, Education and Revenue and the United States Armed Forces Recruiting. Also, attracting a six-screen movie theater to the shopping center, by 2003, Vanguard increased the mall’s occupancy rate to 90 percent. At the same time, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement all opened big box stores within a stone’s throw of the mall.

Unfortunately, the added competition, a recession and being in a community, that has declined by 638 residents since 1960, proved too much to master. Today, a walk inside reveals a post apocalyptic scene of retailing dreams on life support. Despite still being an anchor tenant, JCPenney is no longer connected to the mall. On the other end, Belk Hudson’s long closed space was subdivided into big box spaces with no direct connection to the mall. As a result, the center’s once limited retailing prospects have been siphoned away, along with the pedestrian traffic inititally generated by its two original anchors.