CROSSROADS MALL: CLEARWATER, FL
Crossroads Mall sold, will be razed
Article in St. Petersburg Times (posted May 6, 2005
Andrew Morse's Commentary:
Posted March 5, 2005 (user submitted February 5, 2005)
This outlet mall looks deceptively modern and tidy as you drive by it on Route 19, but the inside is a depressing, desolate wasteland.
It would appear that this mall only started to die out recently, as many of the vacated stores still have their signs up.
It is anchored by TJ Maxx, Dockside Imports (a low-budget version of Pier One), and a Bealls (Florida-based department store) outlet, and a clothing store called Pants Towne, which is in the process of going out of business. The sign outside the mall also includes Ross Dress for Less, but that store appears to have closed up some time ago.
The Bealls Outlet and TJ Maxx seemed to be pretty busy.
Former tenants of the mall include Toy Liquidator, a dollar store, a discount book store, and a sports collectible shop, as well as a post office and the Humane Society.
There was also a cafeteria-type food court.
The only stores within this mall are an art store(which is closing), a Bass Shoe Outlet, a nail salon, a kitchen supply store and a sporting goods store similar to Foot Locker.
There is a center courtyard area with a fountain, which of course is empty, and there are plenty of benches around the mall where weary shoppers could have rested.
Most of the shoppers at the mall the day that I was there were elderly.
There is a Ruby Tuesday restaurant located in the parking lot, but it doesn't appear to be doing too well itself.
It's pretty sad that Crossroads is dying. It looks like a pretty nice place, and it's in a pretty good location.
This mall has obviously lost lots of business to the nearby Tri-City, as well as the more modern malls in Clearwater, Largo, and Safety Harbor.
I wish this one would recover, but it seems unlikely.
ADDENDUM: MARCH 12, 2005
I overlooked some stores the first time I was in there. Among current tenants, there is also Vitamin World, a beauty supply shop, Van Heusen, and a couple other clothing stores still in operation. There's also a bridal store, but it was shuttered. I'm not sure if it's out of business or if it was just closed.
Other former tenants were Rack Room Shoes, Sunglass Hut, Claire's, GNC (which moved to a nearby plaza), a swimwear store, a cell phone store, and a novelty store called Funny Farm (I tried to take pics of those last two, but my camera sucks), as well as one of those places selling 99 cent panty hose.
Also, there was a good amount of shoppers there this time around, plus I've noticed that the mall's customer service desk was still active, so perhaps there's still a little hope left for this mall.