So this is how it all ends. With Macy’s chugging along, and apparently the Cheesecake Factory and the movie theater locked into long leases or owning their own buildings, Chesterfield Mall seems to have finally bit the dust.
There are still maybe two stores open, but otherwise the halls are empty, and the air conditioning has been turned down, leaving the second floor stifling hot, while the ground floor, sheltered from the skylights, retains some cool temperatures.
The carousel has disappeared, having gone off to some unknown location, and the famous articulated ceiling is left with nothing below it. Unlike Crestwood Mall, which suffered from severe interior deterioration and leaking, the roof is still stable here.
In fact, the building is still in good shape, but that is irrelevant in the cutthroat world of St. Louis retail, tax abatements and TIFs.
The flora is beginning its takeover of the mall, planning its plot to usurp the planet from its heartless human overlords.
The Chesterfield Heritage Foundation has a little history museum on the upper level. Stop by some time, Fridays and Saturdays from 1-3.
I will, Erin; thank you letting me know!
I’ve only gone there 3 times. The first was in 2000 for the Pokemon tournament. The second was in 2014 for the Play Nintendo Tour. The last was the following year to see the mall as a mall, and it wasn’t in bad shape. It’s really deteriorated (store-wise) the last 5 years.
Chesterfield Mall crashed and burned in a surprisingly rapid space of time.