The Death Of A Shopping Mall

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The death of a shopping mall

By Jeff Hoayun    | Published June 15, 2012

I live in Arlington and absolutely adore the Regency Square Mall.

Yes, I adore the mall known for its shootings, rampant shoplifting and roving bands of unscrupulous-looking youths.

But as a kid, all those things seemed so far away, and frankly, I didn’t notice them. All I have are warm memories of this place as it was in the past.

Having lived in this fair city my entire life, I’ve come to think of two places outside of school as hallmarks to the experience of growing up in Jacksonville: the beach and the mall.

The beach is first because not every city has a beach, and well, every city has malls.

But in spite of malls inhabiting every city, I think they play a special role in Jacksonville. Maybe it has to do with just the sheer number of friends I had who would always seem to lament on there just being nothing to do in Jacksonville.

After all, Jacksonville isn’t so much a city as it is a giant collection of suburbs, with stores sprinkled in between miles and miles of green, cozy residential areas.

I never necessarily agreed with my friends’ assessments of their being nothing to do, but I do remember a lot of our time together involved shuffling around the Regency Square Mall. We looked at nice things we couldn’t buy, loitered and wasted quarters at the arcade.

Before the eerily sophisticated and decidedly bourgeois St. Johns Town Center opened, Regency was the place to hang out. If I was not already planning to meet school friends at Regency, we were crossing paths randomly â€" simply because everyone just went there.

This was the place where friendships bloomed, love burned and where hearts went to be broken.

But alas, this was the Regency of the past. Its current self is merely a shell of its former glory. A large portion of the stores have closed, including some of my favorites such as B. Dalton Bookseller, Zensations and Montgomery Ward.

And as a result, visiting the place is not unlike being in a ghost town. The once almost suffocating crowds seem to have long moved on, presumably to the fancier St. Johns Town Center, and, yet, I can still see the ghosts of a prosperous memory past.

So while the Regency Square Mall still lives on as a place that is home to much of my youthful memories, it’s a bit saddening to see it slowly die.

Source: http://unfspinnaker.com/the-death-of-a-shopping-mall/

[coredumped]

I've never understood why people thought the town center was "sophisticated." Sure, they have "upscale" chains (that are, well, just chains), but they also have a dollar store, a target, and a mcdonalds. Hardly upscale.

[Dapperdan]

That is true Core but it also has numerous stores located nowhere else in Jacksonville, and it does have several high end stores. More than any other palce I can think of in Jacksonville.  Like it or not, this is usually the place that a  new store or chain tests in Jacksonville.

[carpnter]

I too grew up with Regency Mall being the premier mall in Jacksonville.  Arlington changed and the customers at the mall changed.  Gangs moved in and even though they try to control them, there is more crime there than any of the other malls in town, so the customers who spend money no longer frequent the mall.  I'll drive by the mall more often than not to go to the Avenues or Town Center just because I would prefer to have a lower chance of being a crime victim. 

[duvaldude08]

I too grew up with Regency Mall being the premier mall in Jacksonville.  Arlington changed and the customers at the mall changed.  Gangs moved in and even though they try to control them, there is more crime there than any of the other malls in town, so the customers who spend money no longer frequent the mall.  I'll drive by the mall more often than not to go to the Avenues or Town Center just because I would prefer to have a lower chance of being a crime victim.

I think its about about perception. There having been mugging and robberies at the town center. The most recent when a store was robbed in broad day light and the clerk pretty much got punched in the face... Crime is not limited to one area of town. Another situation is when a lady and her dagugther was kidnapped at gunpoint and robbed... at the beloved town center. I personally, have no problem with Regency. I can not wear anything at the town center, thus have no reason to even go there. I only go there to eat.

BTW, what "gangs" are you referring to? Jacksonville has no real "gangs"

[Timkin]

I've never understood why people thought the town center was "sophisticated." Sure, they have "upscale" chains (that are, well, just chains), but they also have a dollar store, a target, and a mcdonalds. Hardly upscale.

Upscale compared to Town and Country Shopping Center or South Gate Plaza.   

[Arlingtondude]

I agree duvaldude, it is about perception. I have lived in Arlington for the last 10 years. I have shopped at Regency during those same 10 years. I have yet to see the "gangs" that everyone always mentions.
carpnter, if you check SpotCrime online for the actual crimes at the different malls you might be suprised. I checked today. For the last two months the Town Center had 2 assaults, 2 ARMED robberies and 12 thefts. The Avenues had 1 assault and 2 thefts. Regency had 0. So I guess Regency does not have more crime than all the other malls in town.

[carpnter]

I too grew up with Regency Mall being the premier mall in Jacksonville.  Arlington changed and the customers at the mall changed.  Gangs moved in and even though they try to control them, there is more crime there than any of the other malls in town, so the customers who spend money no longer frequent the mall.  I'll drive by the mall more often than not to go to the Avenues or Town Center just because I would prefer to have a lower chance of being a crime victim.

I think its about about perception. There having been mugging and robberies at the town center. The most recent when a store was robbed in broad day light and the clerk pretty much got punched in the face... Crime is not limited to one area of town. Another situation is when a lady and her dagugther was kidnapped at gunpoint and robbed... at the beloved town center. I personally, have no problem with Regency. I can not wear anything at the town center, thus have no reason to even go there. I only go there to eat.

BTW, what "gangs" are you referring to? Jacksonville has no real "gangs"

Jacksonville does indeed have gangs, just talk to those involved in law enforcement.  They aren't the well organized gangs like you would find in Los Angeles, but Jacksonville does indeed have gangs. 

All of the shopping centers have crime, Regency has more incidents than the Avenues and Town Center combined.  Going to one of the other shopping centers does not mean you will not be a victim of a crime, but the chances you will be are much lower. 

[jcjohnpaint]

I too grew up with Regency Mall being the premier mall in Jacksonville.  Arlington changed and the customers at the mall changed.  Gangs moved in and even though they try to control them, there is more crime there than any of the other malls in town, so the customers who spend money no longer frequent the mall.  I'll drive by the mall more often than not to go to the Avenues or Town Center just because I would prefer to have a lower chance of being a crime victim.

I think its about about perception. There having been mugging and robberies at the town center. The most recent when a store was robbed in broad day light and the clerk pretty much got punched in the face... Crime is not limited to one area of town. Another situation is when a lady and her dagugther was kidnapped at gunpoint and robbed... at the beloved town center. I personally, have no problem with Regency. I can not wear anything at the town center, thus have no reason to even go there. I only go there to eat.

BTW, what "gangs" are you referring to? Jacksonville has no real "gangs"

What do you consider a real gang?  Do you have to kill so many people or sell so much drugs to be a real gang?  Gang style violence is gang style violence.  I don't care if such violent crime is acted by a bunch of suburban rich kids; the violent outcome looks bad for a city and makes life hell for people in these communities. 

[Arlingtondude]

carpnter... how is zero incidents for regency for the last two months more than the 19 for the Avenues and Town Center combined? Basic math 19>0.

[Ocklawaha]

No 'real' gangs in Jacksonville? ACCORDING TO FDLE:

American Nazi Party
Multiple Cities/Counties

Asian Bloods
Multiple Cities/Counties

Aryan Brotherhood
Prisons

Aryan Nations
Multiple Cities/Counties

Black Gangster Disciples
Multiple Cities/Counties

Black Guerilla Family
Multiple Cities/Counties

Bloods
Multiple Cities/Counties

Crips
Multiple Cities/Counties

Danger Zone
Palatka

Dog Pound Gangsters
Polataka

Ebony Kings
Jacksonville

El Rukn
Multiple Cities/Counties

Familia
Multiple Cities/Counties

Five Percenters
Multiple Cities/Counties

Folk Nation
Multiple Cities/Counties

G.O.D.S. MG
Multiple Cities/Counties

Gang Of 14
Jacksonville

Gangster Disciples
Multiple Cities/Counties

Grateful Dead MG
Multiple Cities/Counties

Hell's Angels
Multiple Cities/Counties

Imperial Gangsters
Multiple Cities/Counties

Imperial GD
Multiple Cities/Counties

Insane Gangster Disciples
Multiple Cities/Counties

International Posse
Multiple Cities/Counties

Jacksonville City Boys
Jacksonville

United Northern and Southern Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
Jacksonville

Latin Counts
Multiple Cities/Counties

Latin Disciples
Multiple Cities/Counties

Latin Eagles
Multiple Cities/Counties

Latin Force
Multiple Cities/Counties

Latin Gangster Disciples
Multiple Cities/Counties

Latin Kings
Multiple Cities/Counties

Maniac Latin Disciples
Multiple Cities/Counties

MS 13
Multiple Cities/Counties

N.S.W.W.P.
Multiple Cities/Counties

******s From Lackawanna Jacksonville

Night Hawks Jacksonville

Outlaws
Multiple Cities/Counties

P Stone Nation
Multiple Cities/Counties

Pagans
Multiple Cities/Counties

Peckerwoods Jacksonville

People Nation
Multiple Cities/Counties

Shower Posse Jacksonville

Simon City Royals
Multiple Cities/Counties

Skinhead (Racist)
Multiple Cities/Counties

Solidos
Multiple Cities/Counties

Spanish Gangsters
Multiple Cities/Counties

Spanish Lords
Multiple Cities/Counties

Sureno 13
Multiple Cities/Counties

Sur XIII
Multiple Cities/Counties

Unforgiven
Multiple Cities/Counties

United Kings
Multiple Cities/Counties

Vice Lords
Multiple Cities/Counties

Westside Mafia Jacksonville

White Aryan Resistance
Multiple Cities/Counties

Worldwide Folk
Multiple Cities/Counties

Zoo ******
Multiple Cities/Counties

Zulus Multiple Cities/Counties




Meanwhile the URBAN DICTIONARY has this to say:

Jacksonville, FL   118 up, 247 down

Ever watch the show "My Name is Earl"? Well, take all the characters, multiply them by 500,000, and you got Jacksonville: the most racist, backward, inbred city of cretins in America. A NASCAR lover's utopia of mullets, beerbellies, crooked cops (see the documentary "Murder on a Sunday Morning" to know I'm not lying), and people with unforking family trees.

Jacksonville City Government is controlled by a Church/Cult/Hypocrisy center that keeps Jacksonville the badly dressed laughing stock of the other designer label Florida cities.

Full of fat chicks with supermodel attitudes. EVERY, and buddy, I mean E-V-E-R-Y girl over the age of 16 is an unwed mother. The favorite vacation spot for most inhabitants is jail. The general landscape resembles a half occupied strip mall filled with vagrants and no end in sight, but people who live there love to say that it's the hottest city in Florida (snicker).

KKK membership is mandatory to become a cop or city councilman. They have a beautiful new library that is always uncrowded, surprise, surprise.

In summary, Jacksonville, Florida is the only city that a Category 5 hurricane would actually improve.
Jacksonville, FL is a whole city populated by "Earl's" brother.

[coredumped]

As I've said in other regency threads, Arlington is the 2nd most dense neighborhood in jax (2nd only to riverside). There's million dollar homes in the area on the water (and like every where in jax, low income housing).

There's no reason a mall in the area shouldn't do well. All the residents in arlington drive past regency to go to the dreaded town center. Regency needs a makeover and some new anchor stores, something "fresh."

This sprawl is killing the city, 1st downtown, then arlington, now look at baymeadows. What's next?

[Ocklawaha]

according to your chart, only nine are in jacksonville, ock.

Actually we have quite a history with gangs, back in October of 1949, the Toledo Blade reported that Jacksonville Police were tied with 'Vice Lords.' Haydon Burns promised to clean up the 3 vice lords that controlled the police! LOL!

In reality, not only the 9, but most, if not all of the gangs with multiple cities and locations have a 'chapter' in Jacksonville. The Latin Kings, The Outlaws (chapter 337), etc... have a presence in Jax. Not to mention every skinhead weirdo group of neo-nazi's that ever came down the boardwalk.

[duvaldude08]

Okay let me rephrase what I said because I see it caused stir.  I was just asking carpenter to explain what gangs invaded Arlington and caused Regency to become the  place no one wants to go. I just wanted to hear some facts based on that comment, not just an opinon or what they perceived. The whole Regency issue always strikes a never with me because I get tired of the exaggarated over the top perception that Regency is " so dangerous". I still go there all the time and I have never felt unsafe or threaten.  The gangs have never robbed and beat me down outside the mall. True be told, Regency is just not the place to be anymore. It happens. Father time has run its course. I believe that is a more contributing factor to its decline versus the "crime". 

[thelakelander]

Regency has declined because its a 45 year old mall that hasn't updated itself in nearly two decades.   However, being realistic, it's lasted quite a long time and well above the lifespan of an average shopping mall.  The enclosed malls of Gateway, Roosevelt and Grande Boulevard have all come and gone in the time that Regency has been around.  It's still a viable market but it's time for a makeover.