A Visit to Charleston Town Center (Feat. Macy's) 

I love this mall and I hope it stays in business for a while. So many childhood memories and nostalgia made here. From eating in the food court with family, to hanging out after band competitions. I love this mall. I hate to see it go downhill.

I worked in this mall for 5 years beginning in 1986. It was so fun in those early years. The fountain was great!

I miss the the water fall in the mall

It's sad, man. This mall was very busy in the 80's - mid 90's and had quite a few more stores. When the Wal-mart Supercenter/strip mall opened about 5 miles up the road, their business took a large hit and never fully recovered.

There was a Books' a Million in the town center at one point

This was a true show place in the beginning. Kaufmann's, Schwabe-May, Talbots, Bombay Company, Heaven (I recall was a store that sold mostly 50s-60s retro style items), The Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pendleton, the Coffee Bean, Crabtree & Evelyn and even Coach had a store here. And my how times have changed. There are various reasons as to why this mall has fallen apart. Crime, gangs, the economy and people/residents that just don't care what they look like so they turned their noses to decent clothing for pajamas, military and hunting gear (walk around any WV Wally World and you will see for yourself). In fact, it's very sad to see my native state and Capital City fall down the tubes. Even though I moved away ten years ago, I made it a must to visit the CTC when visiting family, but once Macy's (formally Kaufmann's) closed up shop I simply never returned and likely never will. Macy's never caught on with WV. Like in other states, folks grew fond and familiar with regional nameplates like Kaufmann's of Pittsburgh and nothing will ever replace this fact. Anyway, this mall was recently sold to an outfit in Georgia I believe that is in the business of rehabilitating dead malls. However, their history and record says otherwise and is up for debate. Good luck to the CTC. Sadly, the best days have past.

I would put a casino in one of the vacant anchors, a convention center in a second one and salvage the in line tenants as best you can

I went to the Charleston Town Center in its early days, when it opened. And it was full of promise, and in the downtown area. If that mall can’t make it, then the future of a lot of malls is in doubt. It’s shocking to me that it would ever get into any fiscal distress.

Update on this: the Macy’s store, as well as the parking garage adjacent to it (the Lee Street garage) will, over the next couple of years, be renovated into a mega sports complex. There is also some legal wrangling involved, but they’re trying to make the seers into a hotel, deciding whether or not to tear it out and make the hotel freestanding separate from the mall or build it wall adjacent.

So sad, you should have seen this place in the 90s-00s during the holiday season. It was POPPIN. When I was in high school I worked at Pac Sun and Hollister. Ended up getting fired from Pac Sun for showing up to work high (weed). What can I say, it was a 2 hour early out! It was probably a blessing in disguise, as I was being stalked by a sketchy character in the mall my friends and I liked to call, "TheRapist". One time when I was folding clothes in the front of Pac Sun he came in and told me I shouldn't be bending over like that, as it was "giving him ideas". Later in the day when the mall had closed and we shut our gate, I saw him pacing back and forth. I imagine waiting for me to leave and walk to my car. I had to get mall security to escort me to the parking garage night. Subsequent times I'd go to the mall, even with my mom, I'd see him and he'd tip his hat to me. Talk about SCARY! Overall fond memories of this mall.

Great video. Thanks for filming.

Although the Town Center was pretty nice when it was built, it went on a decline when the Southridge mall, with free parking and more modern storefronts, came into being. Combine this redirection of the traffic with an overall smaller population (around 70,000 versus 47,000) and you have the mall you see today.

Good one. Thanks Doomie G.

Bonus points for the MGS ! And music. Nice touch. Lol

At least it's still clean - even if some of the patrons aren't. Bright and airy as well. One problem, being downtown means a Tractor Supply/Rural King is unlikely.

I was just there yesterday, a lot of good stores have closed down especially the Candy Kraze and I think the books a million. I would always go here a lot when I was younger (I’m 17 now), I have a lot of good, nostalgic memories about this place and shopping. My favorite place to eat is the Sbarro’s and the Chilies on one end of the mall. Thank you so much for this video and a great choice of music as well.

god, even just looking at this mall 3 years ago is way less depressing. i went in september and it was terrible and eerie how many sealed storefronts there were.

I wanna see this mall get back on its feet

I used to go here like every day it makes me sad

You walked directly past three separate people that I know.

My Dad was the developer of this mall when I was a kid.

Summer of 92, came down from Pittsburgh for the summer. Loved this mall. Charleston had a problem with crack then.

The only reason why this mall is still alive is because of chick fil a

This mall has really went downhill since your video. There are huge amounts of former storefronts walled off. It is crazy how much it has lost so quickly. It was still doing fairly well in 2001 and 2002. It began declining soon after that, first slowly and now it is in free fall.

This is my 2nd most frequented mall. It is weird to see it now as it was a big place when I was a kid. But now, it literally has less anchors than my mall in my much smaller city, Beckley. At least my mall has all is anchors slots filled. It often seems more crowded too. It’s weird tbh.

I remember christmas shopping for my siblings over there when I was 13! Best Christmas ever!

It's really sad on what happening to the Charleston Town Center, with crime and various deals going on and how 2020 was like to everything. I don't see the mall surviving for much longer, various tenants have already left and the mall itself has been up for sale for quite a while. I do hope the mall gets a new owner soon because it's only a matter of time before the once-lively mall itself becomes a dead mall. Unless Hull Property Group finds a new owner for the Charleston Town Center, I only see it dying within the next 5 years after this comment is posted. A miracle needs to happen or else the once vibrant shopping destination of Charleston becomes another shell.

Very nice looking mall. I felt this was one of the best you'd been to. Surprised me it was W. Virginia. Liked the glitter pillows, should have put a cuss word on it.

That mall was kind of lit when I moved there in 99. Had to park on 3rd floor on the weekends and holidays. I moved back to Florida in 21 and the mall was barely hanging on by then. They're still breathing I think. Best of luck to Town Center. Miss ya, Charleston

We used to go to Charleston for conventions and always shopped and are at the mall.

Put a hardware store, a grocery store and build condos inside just have a few stores with basics and professional services.

sad fate for this mall. i remember when it was lively, but now it’s dying so quickly and it’s becoming a ghost town.

BrickStreet/Encova bought the Montgomery Ward property and leases the WOWK Channel 13 space. They do not lease the property.

Yikes!!! Don’t come back now (2021). It’s booming here compared to today. Very sad.

I live about an hour away and would visit this mall and one other down the road when I was a kids Ive know for probably a few years now that this mall was going away soon and have actually been filming just for the memories you know. You want to know what the deal is with the needles well they opened a needle exchange RIGHT NEXT DOOR. So yes there was a big problem with needles in the mall even though the program only lasted a few months before they shut down the exchange after police and locals protested against its usefulness. Sears is supposedly getting torn down and a Holiday Inn is going in to replace it.

Wow, I didn't Realize they still Existed, our malls Died years ago, It use to be practically a weekend social event, especially Around Christmas, very sad.... One of ours actually became a community college, In Austin Texas.

Need to come back and compare. You wouldn't believe.

Kanawha is pronounced by most people in this area as 2 syllables: Kuh-Naw. Also, occasionally with a very brief 3rd syllable: Kuh-Naw-uh.

I miss how the mall use to be jam packed with people and now I went there In a recent trip, It was lifeless, barely any people and it was scattered with homeless people.

It’s a lot worse now, it’s officially a dead mall. A lot of wings and empty store fronts is walled off.

I went there earlier this month and bro it was dead af there was barely anything in the mall

The Sears building was taken down. With a new hotel going up in it place.

It appears this mall has really went downhill since you made this video

Doomie Gear?

Downtown is pretty trashy, but if you go on the other side of the Kanawha (by the college and corridor g) its pretty nice. (not including s. charelston)

Personally I've Been There 5 Times Mostly Late 90's Good Memories. Also Really Like The Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake Virginia. Lynnhaven Mall Just Outside Virginia Beach. Enjoyed The Mall in downtown Lexington Kentucky in Between The Hyatt Hotel & Rupp Arena Seen Several WWE Shows There. Live About 20 to 30 Minutes From Huntington Mall or Ashland Town Center Mall.

Maybe Marshall's can fill up an anchor slot?

Doom my ass this mall is doing good

A little inside info… Brickstreet insurance (now Encova), was formally the West Virginia state workers compensation commission until Governor Joe Manchin privatized them in 2006. Also, the reason that the Dillards department store did not occupy the mall was that the city of Charleston would not cave into their demands for $5 million in tax payer “seed money“ to locate there. Yes folks, we live in a society where governments now pay upscale department stores tax money to “develop jobs in the economy“.) WOWKTV 13 is the CBS affiliate in Charleston.

Boscov’s need to come to Charleston town center also along with JD Sports, HIBBETT SPORTS, Maurices and Donna’s Unique Gifts to go along with other stores if still there. That could help try and bring people back to the mall and check out West Virginia’s capital city. Both Boscov’s and JD Sports just opened at the end of last week at Meadowbrook Mall. Now if only Meadowbrook Mall could find some use for the old Gardfield’s restaurant and coffee shop at the beginning of the Boscov court and try and figure out what to do with the old elder-beerman home store. If planet fitness wasn’t in the way expecting Meadowbrook Mall could be an option also if they could they could flatten the large mountain with parking spaces in front just like on Jerry Dove to bring Menards also could bring more business right beside the mall like how in Huntington and Saint Clairesville there’s other stores and shopping places , restaurants and hotels beside the malls

The Charleston Town Center is going to converted into a Sports Center.

One more thing… Kind of doubtful it would be purchased as a “tax write off“. At least in WV, abandon properties actually pay a higher property tax rate. It would take a special act of Charleston city council or even per hats the state Legislature to get them around this. Which, I guess given our political climate, is not totally impossible…

So what is the most upscale mall in Charleston?

I remember my mamaw and granny lineing up outside the old Macy's store whenever they had a sale there, i remember my mamaw shopping there thats where she bought most of her jewelry from, ever since my granny passed away and my mamaw passed away the mall just keeps going down hill, oh not to mention they just tour down the old macys to build a boring sports complex there now 😢😒, i remember the old days of the mall. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u2mT58ZaDKs.htmlsi=gMWCHrQ84cq2dKOv heres a video of the malls opening in 83

Looking at it now the store's are all gone sad fact I went to the mall the other everything is gone my favorite store Went gone 😭😭😭

Good times

Regis closed sadly and master cuts

ive been to the hawaiian grill that shit is good

I live in Charleston I go to that mall

Town center malls falling to its fate

To be honest, this mall didn't look too bad except for the vacancies closer to where(now former, if their store closing is now finished) Macy's is, in this mall. Still though, with a good mall owner who tried to lure new tenants into this mall, I think this mall could possibly continue to do fine. Thank goodness it isn't say like Grand Avenue Mall in Milwaukee, which is mostly dead today. I do wonder if more likely in a worse case scenario, this mall may start to have more vacancies a la Circle Centre in Indianapolis, but that it might still do okay? Like I've said before a bunch of times, I'd like to see the owner(or soon to be new owner, PLEASE do NOT let it be any of the 3 companies I don't trust: Namdar, Moonbeam, or Mike Kohan!) try to lure a new tenant into the Macy's space. Maybe for all I know, they could get lucky and lure Boscov's to this mall? Also, didn't the now out of business department store chain Dawahares, once have a store at Charleston Town Center? I do hope someday, I get to visit this mall myself.

Japanese restaurant is holding that place up 😂

Oof it hurt when they took out PacSun

It's not the Kanawha mall, it's the Charleston Town Center in Kanawha (ke-naw-wa) County. E. L. Robinson Engineering laid it out.

Did you ever go in the Kanawha Mall in Kanawha City, a neighborhood of Charleston ? It was dead as a door nail when I walked through it one time.

I wish they would leave Macy’s alone

I live near this mall

This mall now actually sucks. They are taking out the best stores here. Also, This is the mall I go to all the time and I never knew people made videos of it🤣

North Carolina Malls?

"Nice and creative videos, englightening. I can see A lot of thought has been put into the content and editing of the video， This is really my favorite channel.:) .🌴🌴🌴nice job 👍👌👍👌👍 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 " From Peterborough[note 18] Peterborough 2021

"Nice and creative videos, englightening. I can see A lot of thought has been put into the content and editing of the video， This is really my favorite channel.:) .🌴🌴🌴nice job 👍👌👍👌👍 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 " From Port Colborne Niagara 2021

Lmfao at the guy at dippy dots. It's sad the mall destroyed the city in the 80s. The city streets we so packed! Not you can walk a mile and hardly pass anyone. The diamond and all the other places all gone! Now if the mall dies all there will be is the internet...

9:56

I bought my baby clothes ar Mothercare and Mont. Wards, 1985

To be honest, you weren't stealing or destroying anything and not blatantly shooting heroine, sucking on a bong, or smoking crack. Mall security in Town Center has way bigger problems than you filming. It's been four years since you were here and the city continues to deteriorate along with the mall. There are fewer mall cops and more actual city cops patrolling around inside now. Going downtown, nevermind into the mall, is an activity best undertaken as a group or at least armed. An armed group being the ideal situation.

Well, you didn't butcher the pronunciation of Kanawha as badly as some, so... Congrats I guess.

They have no drip

It sucks. One time it was great.

they should have left Downton alone. I wish they'd never built this. If Macy's goes out this is done.

Ivnvite Kmart

We stopped here while passing through on a long distance trip. I hated this mall. It wasn’t even quite average. Salespeople talking to each other at Macy’s but not one acknowledged us. Typical Appalachia hospitality (or lack of). The sales people even looked Appalachian - mismatched clothes, bad posture, bad teeth.