Norwichtown Mall in Norwich, Connecticut Redevelopment Plans Far Off

Barren hallways, empty benches, and bare shells of chain stores are the norm at the Norwichtown Mall which apparently won't be changed anytime in the near future. Plant holders which used to hold plants sit vacant with dirt while a Hallmark logo still can be seen on the window of the former 10,100-square-foot Suburban Stationeries store while bolted stools sit idly in the former 1,200-square-foot Cutting Crew salon and shelving fixtures which used to display shoes still sit in the former 3,023-square-foot Westies Shoes outlet.

The former 2,957-square-foot Waldenbooks store has a small ladder in the middle of its former shell while the former 2,200-square-foot Radio Shack still shows the labelscar above its metal gate and some remaining fixtures still remain in the store.

The later two stores have existed in the 241,451-square-foot community shopping mall since it opened in 1968 and during most of its history has always featured at least one anchor department store.

Several people could be seen taking a walk around the perimeter of the ghost-town of a mall lamenting times when the mall was bustling with customers and when it was hard to find an empty bench. Even the community bulletin board, located in a hallway toward the restrooms, is void of any announcements, while all the pay telephones across the hallway have been ripped out by mall management probably from the high cost of having phones that were barely used.

The mall, managed by Edens and Avant, has steadily went downhill since Caldor Department Store went bankrupt and its replacement, Bob's Discount Furniture, closed in 2007 allowing the enclosed mall to lose the ability to have an anchor store.