16 Depressing Photos of a Dead Mall

2014-02-05T20:54:00.000Z

Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, is the latest of hundreds of malls across the U.S. to lose its last retail store after years of trying to stay afloat.

A JCPenney outlet store was the last remaining retailer in the mall, until Dec. 31, 2013, when it closed down for good.

Now, the 39-year-old building will remain an eyesore until a developer takes an interest in the real estate and finds another use for it.

We have compiled some photos of the mall in its final days that were taken by Nicholas Eckhart, who has photographed dozens of dying malls and runs the blog Dead and Dying Retail.

Rolling Acres Mall was built in 1975 and once had more than 140 stores.

This building opened in 1978 as an O'Neil's department store, Eckhart said. "This was re-branded as May Company in 1989 and as Kaufmann's in 1993. This store was re-branded, a third time, to Macy's in 2006 then closed in 2008."

This cinema was added to the mall around 1977, according to Eckhart.

This was originally the now-defunct Montgomery Ward department store before it closed in 1986. The store became Dillard's in 1992, according to Eckhart, and in 1997 it became a Clearance Center.

Weeds are taking over the parking lot.

Here's the entrance of the mall, as it looks today.

The interior of the mall is crumbling to pieces from lack of upkeep.

It has been six years since this second-story wing was closed.

This was formerly a JCPenney Auto Service.

This truck unloading center formerly belonged to Target.

Storage of America has taken over the space formerly occupied by Target.

A stop sign is engulfed by overgrown brush and weeds.

A wholesale furniture store is boarded up and empty.

The parking lot is eerily quiet. The interior of the mall was closed off in 2008, when the only two anchors in operation were Sears and the JCPenney outlet.

Sears vacated this location in early 2011.

Trash piles up around the exterior of the mall. Other than Storage of America, the only remaining business in operation at the mall is Pinnacle Recycling. No retail stores are left.

Now that you have seen Akron's ghost mall...

16 Depressing Photos Of America's Latest 'Dead' Shopping Mall

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16 Depressing Photos Of America's Latest 'Dead' Shopping Mall

Rolling Acres Mall was built in 1975 and once had more than 140 stores.

This building opened in 1978 as an O'Neil's department store, Eckhart said. "This was re-branded as May Company in 1989 and as Kaufmann's in 1993. This store was re-branded, a third time, to Macy's in 2006 then closed in 2008."

This cinema was added to the mall around 1977, according to Eckhart.

This was originally the now-defunct Montgomery Ward department store before it closed in 1986. The store became Dillard's in 1992, according to Eckhart, and in 1997 it became a Clearance Center.

Weeds are taking over the parking lot.

Here's the entrance of the mall, as it looks today.

The interior of the mall is crumbling to pieces from lack of upkeep.

It has been six years since this second-story wing was closed.

This was formerly a JCPenney Auto Service.

This truck unloading center formerly belonged to Target.

Storage of America has taken over the space formerly occupied by Target.

A stop sign is engulfed by overgrown brush and weeds.

A wholesale furniture store is boarded up and empty.

The parking lot is eerily quiet. The interior of the mall was closed off in 2008, when the only two anchors in operation were Sears and the JCPenney outlet.

Sears vacated this location in early 2011.

Trash piles up around the exterior of the mall. Other than Storage of America, the only remaining business in operation at the mall is Pinnacle Recycling. No retail stores are left.

Now that you have seen Akron's ghost mall...

Check out Sears' decaying office tower in Chicago >>

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know