COTTONWOOD MALL: HOLLADAY, UT
Stephen Colbert's Commentary
Posted July 27,2009 (user submitted)
I've been a frequent reader of deadmalls.com for a while now and wanted to send you some info on the Cottonwood Mall. I have lived out here for 2 years now, having moved from the Bay Area of California. The one time that I went there, there were many labelscars throughout. The kids loved it as well since a local toy store was still operating. One of 10-15 stores scattered throughout the mall, not including the anchors.
I hit the jackpot inside the toy store since he person behind the counter had worked there for years. According to him, Cottonwood Mall was the 2nd enclosed mall ever constructed in the US. I have never verified this claim however. The cooler thing was that there was a trolley that went up and down the mall at one point. I would love to find pictures of it.
Next to the Mall was a 2 or so screen theater that had been abandoned, until a local theatrical group started to do plays there.
Links
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmdspk/sets/72157603996007376/ - A photoblog of the mall.
Have information on 
Check out Deadmalls.com's Dead Malls Media archive!
Brian Walbeck’s Commentary:
User submitted Feb 2007Back in the 1980's Cottonwood mall was the place to be.
Anchored by JC Penney and what was then ZCMI (now Macy's)Cottonwood Mall was a hub of activity. There was also a dance club (The Power Plant) on the property as well as movie theaters.
In the mid 90's something changed. A few shops started closing up shop. Nothing major just a sign of the times, but for some reason the mall never rebounded.
I have been going to the mall for the last few years and watched as stores slowly die off one by one.
I just went this past weekend and was surprised at the amount of stores that are either closed or in the process of closing. Apparenly leases are only being renewed on a month to month basis and the tenants don't know what is going on with the mall
Some of the more recent casualties have been the Hallmark store that has been at the mall forever, Pac Sun, Bath & Body Works, Kiddie Kandids, West Valley Music just to name a few. For now both anchors are still in place but who knows how long that will last.
I hope that they are doing some redevelopment and eventually it will be brought back to it's former glory days but who knows.