06.28.2024

Today’s Forecast

77º | 49% chance of rain | Sunrise 5:20 a.m. | Sunset 8:41 p.m.

🎶 Let’s go to the mall, everybody!

Dead malls: You could shop... until they dropped

The inside of a mall with yellow lighting overhead. One person is walking down the mall towards a store labeled "Steinhafels Furnitire." Pink and orange kiddie carts are seen available for rent to the side.

East Towne Mall’s Steinhafels Furniture location closed in 2017 and gave way to Flix Cinema, which is still operating. | Photo by Corey Coyle via Wikimedia Commons

Shopping malls across America have been left in a state that not even Paul Blart could save, and Madison is no exception.

Known as “dead malls,” these abandoned, dilapidated, or mostly vacant shopping centers have become a subject of fascination — especially thanks to the online popularity of liminal space aesthetics.

Let’s go to the mall

Though not quite dead, much of Madison’s East Towne Mall sits empty. When the mall opened in 1971, however, it was bursting with life — stores like The Record Shop, Sears, and Gimbels department store graced the enclosed mall.

Across town nearly one year prior, Westgate Shopping Center opened to similar fanfare as Madison’s very first mall. Later named Westgate Mall, the 240,000-sqft shopping center underwent major renovations in the ‘90s before eventually declining to the point of near-total vacancy. By 2019, the mall’s few tenants included offices, State Farm Insurance, and T.J. Maxx.

A vacant department store with an empty parking lot in the foreground.JPG — The former location of the Boston Store at the East Towne Mall went up for sale in March 2024.
|
Photo by 608today

Back to the future

Today, the former Westgate Mall is part of a major mixed-use redevelopment plan to bring in additional housing.

The city recently rezoned parts of the East Towne Mall property to allow for mixed-use developments as well; the now-closed Boston Store site went up for sale in March.

Though these malls have changed, Madison still has a number of thriving shopping centers or districts where you can make like NSYNC and buy, buy, buy:

Greenway Station | With well-kept landscaping and design, this shopping center prides itself on its outdoor space. Check out the Greenway Station Farmers’ Market every Thursday, May-September.
Hilldale Shopping Center | Similar to Greenway Station, Hilldale’s indoor/outdoor vibe is a draw for many shoppers. The AMC Movie Theater closed in 2022 and come fall, the 25,000-sqft space will be filled with new retail stores.
West Towne Mall | While West Towne has faced similar hardships to East Towne regarding empty storefronts and pandemic woes, the recent addition of Von Mauer has given the mall a much-needed boost.

Asked

Do you have memories of a local mall from back in the day?

First date at the food court, trying on prom dresses at the department store, hitting up Orange Julius before picking up the perfect graphic tee at Hot Topic — we wanna hear it all.

Share with us

Events

Friday, June 28

Garver Food Truck Friday | Friday, June 28 | 5-8 p.m. | Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green, Madison | Cost of purchase | Enjoy food trucks, fine beverages, and live music on the patio.

Saturday, June 29

Madison Comic Book Convention | Saturday, June 29 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Hawthorn Suites, 5421 Caddis Bend, Fitchburg | Free | Browse vendors selling vintage and current comics.
The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness Annual Block Party | Saturday, June 29 | 12-4 p.m. | Brittingham Park, 829 W. Washington Ave. | Free | Complimentary lunch will be provided by Rib Masters, and among other activities, lakeside yoga will be led by FFBWW’s Director of Health and Wellness Programs.

Sunday, June 30

Monroe Street Farmers Market | Sunday, June 30 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Edgewood High School Parking Lot, 2219 Monroe St., Madison | Free | Stock up on goodies from your favorite local vendors.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” | Sunday, June 30 | 2 p.m. | Crucible, 3116 Commercial Ave., Madison | $8-$13 | Wrap up Pride Month with a matinee showing of the classic movie accompanied by a live performance by Madison’s Velvet Darkness shadow cast.

Monday, July 1

Shut Up and Write! | Monday, July 1 | 9:45-11:15 a.m. | Lakeside Street Coffeehouse, 402 W. Lakeside St., Madison | Free | Get moral support from fellow local writers while working on your current project, whatever that may be.
Personal Archiving Lab | Monday, July 1 | 2-4 p.m. | Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin St., Madison | Free | Drop-in or a tutorial on how to use equipment to digitize analog materials like home movies, cassettes, and photographs.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Drink

Award-winning wines shipped right to your door

A person holds a box that says "Wine Insiders" and a few bottles of wine.

Wine Insiders makes wine shopping easy, convenient, and affordable. | Photo by Wine Insiders

Thanks to Wine Insiders, treating yourself to a great bottle of wine after a long day doesn’t take a trip to the store.

Shop 40 varietals from 15 top wine regions around the world on Wine Insiders without any commitment — unlike online wine clubs, Wine Insiders doesn’t require a membership. Bonus: You’ll skip the retail markups.

Enjoy 40% off your first order at checkout, plus get free shipping on orders of six bottles or more.

Get your first order 40% off

News Notes

Development

Those eager for the Buc-ee’s to open in DeForest will have to wait. City officials are in negotiations with Buc-ee’s on how to share costs for necessary road improvements. Construction will likely begin in 2025 at the intersection of Highway V and Interstate 30-90-94. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Holiday

DNR conservation wardens and area law enforcement will increase patrols on the water during the upcoming holiday weekend as part of its Operation Dry Water campaign. Here are some ways to celebrate on land.

Open

The new Middleton Pump Track opened this week. Located at 4351 Schwartz Rd., the course allows bikers to simulate mountain biking with asphalt hills, dips, ridges, and more. Think: A skate park just for bikes.

Coming Soon

The Mekong, a Hmong-owned event venue and restaurant, will open by Labor Day in McFarland. Co-owners Nengher N. Vang and Choua Her will offer Hmong, Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese dishes, and live music. (Cap Times)

Pets

Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) is opening a 24/7 emergency facility on Monday, July 8. VEG Madison, located at 7456 Mineral Point Rd., will provide emergency care including surgeries, ultrasounds, and X-rays. It is the first VEG hospital in Wisconsin.

Outdoors

An abandoned railroad track tying Dane and Sauk County together may soon become a new public trail connecting the Great Sauk-Walking Iron Trail to other scenic routes along the Wisconsin River. The $10 million project should be completed by 2027. (WKOW)

Finance

Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*

Civic

🗳️ Fulfill your civic duties

How to vote absentee in Madison

Now’s the time to double-check if you’re registered to vote in Madison. | Photo by 608today

The Partisan Primary election is about a month away (Tuesday, Aug. 13), but the City has already sent out over 14,000 absentee ballots.

To get in on the absentee action, there are three options:

Send a written request to the Clerk’s Office via email with your name, address, signature, and a copy of your voter ID
Submit an absentee request online via My Vote Wisconsin
Fill out this absentee ballot request form, and drop it off or mail it to the Clerk’s Office

Mailing address:

Madison City Clerk

210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room #103

Madison, WI 53703

Dates to remember:

Tuesday, July 30 | In-person absentee voting begins
Thursday, Aug. 8 | Deadline for absentee ballot requests
Tuesday, Aug. 13 | Partisan Primary election

The Buy

The Buy 6.28.24 (Affiliate)

A Prime membership — because Amazon Prime Day is coming Tuesday, July 16 + Wednesday, July 17. You need a membership to be eligible for the sale prices (which are usually pretty great).

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Ally

From the editor

Online shopping is definitely one of my vices; it’s just too convenient. However, I do appreciate a good mall walk every now and then — headphones on, Diet Coke in hand, the ideal retail therapy experience.

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