Berkshire Mall, MA | a dead mall in its final days before abandonment | ExLog 110 

Lol grow up.

I cried like a baby when they tore down my Granite Run Mall. Now its a stupid strip mall. They should have kept it like it was. Lol

@@mr.constitution dont be rude

@@jimfaust6342 They did the same thing with Scottsdale Mall in South Bend, Indiana years ago. I really like the strip mall, but the tearing down of Scottsdale was heartbreaking.

@@mr.constitution Lol grow up.

I'm from Amherst and just about everyone is shopping at the Holyoke mall. Hampshire mall has hardly anything left. It's turning into a fun zone mall. I have a lot of stories to share.

"There was nowhere else to shop.." because the mall millionaires made sure that no other store could stay open in the area. You might want to start blaming the mall instead of praising it.

@@princeofcupspoc9073 I am just fond of the mall. I’m not blaming anyone for anything

I was realizing that alot of malls were going out. The last Massachusetts malls to be built was the Solomon pond mall in Marlboro in 1996. owned by the Simon properties group it use to be busy I live in Hudson so it is close by. The only malls that had a redevelopment in Massachusetts were Natick and Burlington alot of new stuff. It draws people back again Burlington mall area is over all better when comes to restaurants and shopping more people are going back to store front business. Then again the east side of the state is much more thriving business scene. there is always construction and development everywhere you go. You will notice alot more foot traffic especially in the Boston area.

@@scottbrenham1341 I live in Worcester and shop at Solomon Pond regularly. Thats interesting that is the last of the malls built here in Mass! Didn’t know that

I have a scar on the back of my head from being a kid and playing/flipping on the metal rails in the check out lines at hills. I fell and cracked my head and was taken away by ambulance

I’m in high school, tbh I like to go to my local mall. And my friend, it’s sad that era is slowly dying.

Ya but hopefully not more low income housing

sometimes they revive them but the biggest issues are often that upkeep and maintenance are the frst things to be sacrificed when a property gets in financial trouble.. ie they might band-aid a broken A/C with parts from out of a closed store.. no PM's get done.. roof leaks are simply patched with roof-patch or flex-seal.. leaky plumbing in empty storefronts is just shut off and not fixed. bugs and vermin become an issue in shuttered and boarded up former food-court spaces.. at some point the building goes so far down that it loses grandfather status when it comes to codes.. so to revive it means that it needs to beroight up to current year building codes vs being able to stay at its original codes.. this often is the kiss of death for revival as it costs more than flattening the building and building something else.. or just abandoning it and letting the city repo it for back-taxes.. the cities dont want them, the banks dont want them so they sit abandoned.. in the case of one of our malls, the government (state) itself ended up wanting the property to build a new office so they flattened the mall .. but no developer wanted to touch what couldve been a quagmire of asbestos and lead paint, etc from a building built in the 60s / early 70s

I think the "better outcome" idea of a huge weed-growing complex is doomed to failure, if it ever even happens. It's laughable really. The video was really well researched I will say.

Do you remember any of the games they had? I sadly didn't go all the way into the arcade when I went to that mall the only time I went there years ago.

@@awoc123 It's all a bit hazy since I'm working off 15+ year old memories, but I think I remember across the years playing Mortal Kombat 2, Dragon's Lair, Time Killers, Silent Scope, and Time Crisis 2 in there. Obviously not all at the same time X)

Correct

Yeah I used to work here too back in the day at TJ cinnamons

I miss the old Natick Mall. What is now there is not of interest.

This was my local mall and well...at least it's getting a chance at a second life, unlike many closed malls.

True!

Word.

Thank goodness it's not gonna be destroyed. Happy ending?

I think so! But plans can always change…

footage?

I was in 8th grade at Amherst middle school. I can't remember if I've been to the Fairfield mall. I'll ask my mom her memory is better than mine. Lol

I should make a bingo game for the other 108 episodes too…

I love that fact this mall was built in the mountains. ⛰ That sounds like somewhere I’d put a mall.🤎

"Ground Round-Free Popcorn 🍿😁, Record Town, Radio Shack" ❤️👍

Thanks for watching, Jody!

😢

My whole goal is to preserve what *was*…for future generations. But…to also preserve what previous generations experienced. Thanks so much for watching :)

Of course!! A few benches can’t stop me :)

They are going to have to do a massive overhaul of the indoor space in order to turn it into a grow operation which won't be cheap. Has this re-use met all permit and legal obligations necessary for this type of operation? Security will be a big issue too. Seems like a nice idea, and I hope it works out, but it doesn't seem very realistic to me.

​@@jeanhansel5805 honestly with how well MA and the Berkshire county is going with a lot of the Growing and store operations around the N western part of the state especially with BerkshireRoots and other State run dispenseries and shops throughout it does do well to have its use for growing and reuse, the buildings and space is in a prime location for it too I mean if you think about it they could really take a lot of the stores and the existing building parts and electrical, plumbing heating, excetra already in use for most of the smaller shops no longer there and just convert or knock out or move walls and such to have it set up things for an eco friendly market/growing set up heck its got the security for it having the Berk.Mall's location be right prime in the same direct couple miles vacinity of the MA state Police Barricks so it has enough to get it's worths Guarded and safe. being so close to them if they have need be and its in located perfectly Eco wise for growing many, many products and produce such year round to it can be a great place for local wholeistic fresh produce foods stores and restaurants to come in have a spot in the way as a food court And growing area in one and farmers market in the other with spots to show and educate people and kids around the area again about the power of local home growing markets and prod. and produce and sales and revenue of local business in the area it can actually be a great way to have the right kind of effect to get people to come in and learn something and bring in Positive tourist attention sales flow and traffic plus not only that but with the other major chain stores like target they can gain as well it still gives them business too from around here plus it can possibly open small business possibilities to team up with bigger nat. or conty. wide stores to start their own business partnerships possibly and get out and heard of and grow

Target should sue!!!! I won't be going and I'm probably going to turn down recruitment offers out there for skilled labor, no housing for working class yet this is their priorities!?! Garbage!!!! Total FAILURE. That beautiful location will STINK like the junkies addicted to it. Ridiculous!!!! Couldn't convert into condos for middle class!!!! No because that would be catering to all the right people. I was recruited for GE clean up, couldn't go due to nowhere to live. Recruited for nursing, couldn't go because nowhere to live. Let that region rot in the abyss it is. Success requires change, it requires enabling certain circumstances. It's nothing but an addicts welfare culture out there, complete with shootings and boarded up scum everywhere you turn. The clearly DON'T want anything but to drive the populous into the ground, high!!!! Try getting them educated and filling posts!!!! Outrageous joke!!!!

But you got a short cut to Rt 7 out of it.

Thanks friend!

The 10 biggest shopping malls in the world in 2022 are in China (3), Thailand (2), Philippines (3) and Iran (2).

@@scooterbob4432 wow not suprised

He probably went to NY

@@sal Yeah, he looked pretty smart too.

kinda?

That mall is in a very ruel area from what I heard. My mom lives in Chicopee and she has heard a lot of stories from neighbors.

@@kurtismckemmie4850 Chicopee is not a rural area; it's a fairly standard suburb. The Fairfield Mall was demolished in 2002 to make way for a Home Depot/Walmart plaza.

film?

Yeah, I suppose when all the malls are closed and gone, someone will open a "mall experience" entertainment center.

I used to volunteer there in high school! The history was actually really interesting and the owner (Larry) was super nice

I plan on going there next week likely. Tried the burger place last year and it was so good. Midland Mall is one of my fave malls. Since 2020 I hit up the TriCities area and the malls. I'm curious what has happened since I went last year. I know they shut off the former Sears and Planet Fitness is in the former JCPenney.

@@sirekumasutra7022 I was 11 when the Midland Mall opened, and for a kid growing up about 45 minutes northwest of there, it not knit became my closest mall, but it was like having a brand new piece and glimpse of the big city in the middle of a rural area. I was there in its first week open in (I think) 1990. I still even have the paper directory from then. I continued to go there throughout the 90’s, and it was always great. Another thing that was so refreshing about it at the time, was not only that ALL of the mall was brand new, but that the surrounding area hadn’t been built up yet. It was just nice new landscaping, trees, etc. Today it feels absolutely choked with development around it. Much of which is now older and not that well taken care of. And the mall itself practically feels like a flea market to me now. It’s so sad, for a placed that used to be so nice and almost luxurious in its first 5-8 years. Despite that, when I go back to visit my parents in the area (I’ve lived in Central Florida for 24 years now), I still like to visit the Midland Mall and try to remember those good times.

Per Google, in 1761, Sir Francis Bernard, a governor of the colony of Massachusetts, conferred the name Berkshires on the region, in honor of his home county of England.

I always try to do my homework on pronunciation! Thanks for watching :)