Home / Business and Economy / Ghost Mall's Waterfall Runs Dry: A Retail Empire's Collapse
Ghost Mall's Waterfall Runs Dry: A Retail Empire's Collapse
26 Feb
Summary
- Mall's indoor waterfall and artificial river are long gone.
- Anchor stores like Macy's and Sears are closing or have closed.
- Safety concerns and declining foot traffic plague the mall.
Triangle Town Center, which opened in 2002 with grand ambitions of becoming Raleigh's second downtown, has significantly decayed over two decades. Once boasting an 18-foot indoor waterfall and an artificial river, the mall now features locked stores and signs of neglect. Major anchor tenants like Macy's and Sears are closing, following Saks Global's bankruptcy filing, leaving the mall's future uncertain.
Despite nationwide mall traffic declines due to online shopping, Triangle Town Center's deterioration is seen as an "outlier" compared to nearby successful malls like Crabtree Valley and Streets of Southpoint. This decay has attracted "urban explorers" who document the abandoned spaces on YouTube.
The mall has also faced safety concerns, including a 2008 gang-related brawl and a 2022 fatal shooting in the parking lot. These incidents have made potential tenants apprehensive, a reputation some argue is unfair given similar events at other malls.
Analysts suggest the mall's original location and the rise of mixed-use developments like North Hills may have contributed to its struggles. However, its surrounding big-box stores indicate potential for redevelopment into a hybrid, open-air center or a mixed-use property, rather than remaining a "zombie mall."
