Thank you!! I grew up in DuBois (doo boys) I haven't been to this mall in years! The big lots use to be Ames in the early 90s and Montgomery Ward was where Ross is now I believe.
I have no problem with vintage as long as it's not falling apart. There's another dead mall that threw $70 million on one renovation alone, and there were more to come and now you have high rents and a dead mall.
Very Interesting Mall! It looks to me like different parts of the mall were added on at various periods. Parts of the mall look very much late '70's, other parts look like late '80's, and some parts look like mid '90's. Very strange.
DuBois Mall really isn't too bad compared to a lot of other ones. In your video you can only see one empty store (I think there might be a few more in the other wing you don't show). Warren and Clearfield are true ghost malls...
It still has stores but almost no foot traffic. The "Dollar Smart" with a cheap banner tacked up outside is another bad sign as well. In the age of less money and online shopping it's very hard to figure out a way to save these malls. Once they go into decline it may take years for them to finally close but it's usually a downward spiral they can not escape from. They end up renting to "place holder" stores hoping one day the quality stores will return but they never do.
I grew up in this area! The clarion mall has always been a joke, but when i was a kid, we would have trouble finding parking at the dubois mall on the weekends. It was always busy. I remember having to stand in line at the restaurant. Every store space was filled and there were even more vendor tables with people selling items in the hallways, and lots of them too. It's nothing but a shell these days.
It was really nice when it opened, in 1982 iirc. I was in high school then and really liked going there on Sundays. I mainly hung out at National Record Mart, where the sporting goods store is, and the book store that was to the immediate left of Pennys. I sat at that round seating area numerous times. As sad as the state of shopping malls makes me, this one really was the downfall of Main Street. I still miss many of the wonderful stores of downtown Clarion, too.
I could picture being at this mall in 1985 with DeBarge’s - Who’s Holding Donna Now playing over the speakers, wearing a white blazer with baby blue muscleshirt and white fashion trousers! 😎
Wow I remember going here often when I was younger. Grew up in Rimersburg PA class of 2001 and have since in 2004 moved to NC I've always wondered what the area is like haven't been that way in ages. I remember walden books hallmark and the CD/Music store that used to be where the Sports shop is if i'm correct heck even got word Clarion Staples is now closed darn shame. Miss my hometown area and friends
Brandon Lewis the mall in Clarion is pretty Dead but the Roadhouse and movie theater keeps it going. We recently lost kmart. Clarion downtown has really changed. They tore an entire block down to build a new CVS. They tore down 2 dorms on east main street and built the suites on main which has shops and a starbucks also a movie theater. It has dorms rooms in upper levels. The university has been tearing buildings down and rebuilding. If you haven't been here even for a few years so much has changed. My sisters were visiting from Columbus Ohio and took a drive just to see what has changed. Oh and they closed Bilo and it's a car lot. They tore down Emerson's awhile ago and built a new Sheets and now it's torn down a second time and they are rebuilding it and making it bigger. The Corner restaurant in Sligo burned down a few years ago. They reopened it on a country road about a mile outside of Rimersburgh. There is a dollar general and a new bank and also a subway in Rimersburgh but it's still mostly the same.
@@libimyheart7855 Yeah I heard about the Corner restaurant they ended up moving on lawsonham road which is where T and B Ice cream used to be I remember Brenda and Tom Connor but also had heard that Brenda Passed from Covid such a darn shame I'll have to make my way up there from NC to check out the old homestead this summer. Appreciate your info Libi.
What vintage aesthetics. Both look like smaller city malls that don't spend the money to make it a big white box which most malls look like today. Valley Dairy screams 1970s.
You should come back now. More empty spots than stores. Traffic down TREMENDOUSLY between this year and last, cant imagine what it's down since you've been.
I was at that mall once in 2005 (visiting the city) and I remember seeing more people then. Do you think the decline is from people moving away from the area, or is it from internet sales? I thought the town was charming and had a lot of character.
Yes they they are pretty Dead even more now as kmart went from clarion. I was 4 when Clarion Mall opened and went there with my friends and saw and actually met a lot of people. If it wasn't for the rrr road house restaurant and the movie theaters and JCPENNY it probably wouldn't be open at all. Everyone wants to shop online.
Just wondering if you ever considered doing the Cranberry mall by Seneca pa. Im originally from the area. With bon ton closing there is no original anchors left. Dunham's is the only store front that you can walk into the mall. Theres only two food options a pizza place and a Chinese place. Its truly becoming a dead mall.
I was at the Dubois mall last year. It was terrible! It didn't even seem like a mall. It wasn't even 2 floors. It reminded me of a hospital or retirement home. It gave me a weird feeling. There's no well known clothing chains. The pretzel place was good though. Nothing compared to the mall near me...and hardly any people live around here. The mall near me is beautiful. I'm going back to Dubois the end of this month. At least Dubois has a Target while I don't. Btw it's pronounced Dooboyz. I don't remember a JC Penneys there
But here it is pronounced Do Boys. Just like Versailles, PA is pronounced Ver-sails not Ver-si, but I think Duquesne is pronounced the same Du-cane. I think when I wrote that 9 months ago it was sort of a joke. Maybe I should have said Pennsylvania French. :)
