Bristol Center Mall

[dayville81]

There is an Ocean State Job Lot here. I heard the town wants to tear down the mall but the Job Lot offered to buy it. The town previously asked tenants to leave so they could tear down the mall but some have stayed since they dont want to break their lease.....what's the latest on this issue? Is this the only Ocean State Job Lot that has a mall entrance?

[XISMZERO]

I visited the place today and I'm going back tomorrow to take a slew of pictures. I remembered this dumpy mall as a kid and I'm *shocked* to see it alive and abled to visit today.

This mall is amazing for those looking for a unique "time travel" experience. The interior smells like some 1960's basement. Furthermore, the mall is lacking lighting, there are very few tenants left, and there's tons of old signage there. I snapped a few today after looking through one of the only stores operating (an Ocean State Job Lot). It's a scary mall... there's a bunch of old people and weirdos walking around there. Take a look towards the end of the album...

http://ccsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007808&l=f9207&id=48807574

[Caldor1999]

what were teh rogal ancors?

[XISMZERO]

According to an old map, a Sears Outlet Center anchored this place. I know that a Railroad Salvage store used to own the Job Lot end of the building. Either way, Railroad Salvage used to be part of the mall.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
According to an old map, a Sears Outlet Center anchored this place. I know that a Railroad Salvage store used to own the Job Lot end of the building. Either way, Railroad Salvage used to be part of the mall.

i liekd teh pics lol ive never seen a mall look sooo old before i mean i have seen tacky 80's and 90's dezied but never anything like u saw

[powersbt]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
I visited the place today and I'm going back tomorrow to take a slew of pictures. I remembered this dumpy mall as a kid and I'm *shocked* to see it alive and abled to visit today.

This mall is amazing for those looking for a unique "time travel" experience. The interior smells like some 1960's basement. Furthermore, the mall is lacking lighting, there are very few tenants left, and there's tons of old signage there. I snapped a few today after looking through one of the only stores operating (an Ocean State Job Lot). It's a scary mall... there's a bunch of old people and weirdos walking around there. Take a look towards the end of the album...

http://ccsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007808&l=f9207&id=48807574

Photos were great!! Look forward to seeing more of your photos in the future.

[XISMZERO]

Behold. My journey to the Bristol Centre Mall with commentary. Enjoy!

http://ccsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007936&l=9b6a9&id=48807574

[store215]

Very creepy! What were the anchor stores when the mall opened?

[AmesNewington]

Take a look at this article I found on WFSB.com today.

Follow this link:

http://www.wfsb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4717856

Pretty interesting.

I also think that if Bristol wants to take the mall down and Ocean State doesn't want to leave, I think they should keep Job Lot standing, and tear the rest of the mall down and re-vamp the outside if they were to build new buildings around it.

[XISMZERO]

I went down there this afternoon and the mall was still open to the public. The main tenant, Eagle Auctions, had stripped their signage away pending the "vacate by March 31" mandate set by the town of Bristol but still have lots of stuff left inside. There's something going on here and I'll make sure I do one final shoot of this bizarre mall before any demolition plans.

Furthermore, the restaurant which still operates there was open as was the Ocean State Job Lot which anchors the otherside of the mall - everyone else left there is closed or closing soon.

Also, as AmesNewington said, if they destroy the mall, I believe Ocean State should go along with it (which is what the town of Brisol wants too). The building is as decrepit as the eyesore mall itself not to mention they have a location five minutes up the road which they bought from a recent Stop & Shop closure in the Bristol Plaza (they also painted the facade recently too!). It's all very complicated as I don't know the ins and outs of what's legal here.

I have a feeling the whole property is in it's final days.

[XISMZERO]

Here's a look at the attract sign seen from the road as of March 21, 2006.

[XISMZERO]

The mall has three weeks to live.

I went by today and took a slew of more photos of the mall which will soon fall into the hands of Bristol and demolition. It's finally the mall's time to go but that doesn't mean it's remaining tenants will go willingly.

There's an article in today's Bristol Press (Bristol's local paper) about the main tenant, Center Mall Pizza, which refuses to leave. Appearently they will be fighting it, but resistence is most likely futile.

[XISMZERO]

I had the chance to speak to personnel of the mall who I sighted walking around the mall today and he was completely fine with me photographing what was left of it. He also let me up on the second floor, where I had gone before :) which was now locked off from the public. He allowed me to photograph some areas not available to everyone!

Here's a blurb of the article from today's Bristol Press about the restaurant which refuses to vacate.

[XISMZERO]

I've managed to gather more information regarding the state of the mall. Appearently it will shut off to the public in approximately three (possibly four) weeks and demolitions will be slated for year's end.

I'm going to be uploading my return gallery very soon so stay tuned!

[XISMZERO]

I've finally uploaded and completed commentaries for My Return To The Bristol Centre Mall. I'll be going back in a few weeks to see if the mall actually gets locked up. Enjoy!

[Marc82]

Update: The city of Bristol is now working to relocate the four businesses located in outparcels of the Bristol Centre Mall Property. Those four businesses are: McDonald's, Sherwin Williams, Rent-A-Center, and Discount Food Outlet.

From the 7/7/06 Bristol Press:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16887297&BRD=1643&PAG=461&dept_id=571108&rfi=6

[beachgal26]

You know that you never really think of what happens to the stores that want to stay inside a mall once the decision is made to tear it down.  I have never seen a case like this where the stores are fighting so hard to stay in such a deserted place.

In the case of the Mall of Memphis, the few remaining stores all relocated to a newest strip mall across the street so it didn't really matter to them about having to move.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

[beachgal26]

Many thanks to you, Xismzero, for all your reporting and the great photo albums!!

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[XISMZERO]

I apprechiate that!

I think the reason why Job Lot and Centre Mall Pizza are fighting so hard is probably because they've been there for such a long time and are seen as familiar places on Bristol's Main Street. To relocate means moving to another part of town, possibly lesser scope of people will see them and business might hurt. Now for the case of Job Lot, well they have another brand new store right on Rt. 6 and approximately two minutes away.

We're keeping our eyes open to the status of the mall.

[XISMZERO]

Here's some pictures of the Bristol Centre Mall taken today. This is the former Sears Outlet Center (became a Railroad Salvage Outlet then a local auction site) now a vacant space as of earlier this year.

[XISMZERO]

The side of the former Sears Outlet Center facing North Main Street. This almost looks like it contained a few garage bays from a possible former auto center.

[XISMZERO]

A sunset glare from the outdated 1960's tiles.

[XISMZERO]

Looking to the sidewalk towards the other end of the mall.

[XISMZERO]

Ocean State Job Lot, still in business, but not for too much longer. Their unusual, withering facade was a former/originally Sage-Allen department store which closed in 1993. Sage-Allen was a Hartford-based business which collapsed in around the early 90's and anchored a few malls in Connecticut.

[XISMZERO]

The Mall's attract sign responding to recent press about Centre Mall Pizza and their reluctance to vacate this dying mall.

[beachgal26]

Thanks for the updates.  Have you heard anything else about when the mall will be closed for good and when they plan to tear it down?  Also, have you heard or seen anything about what they plan to do with the land after the mall is gone?

:question::question::question::question::question::question:

[XISMZERO]

Originally posted by beachgal26
Thanks for the updates.  Have you heard anything else about when the mall will be closed for good and when they plan to tear it down?  Also, have you heard or seen anything about what they plan to do with the land after the mall is gone?

:question::question::question::question::question::question:

While I'm not certain on anything, I've heard many things. The city wanted all the tenants out by March's end but the two anchors are still there (Ocean State and Centre Mall Pizza). I've heard that the city wants to make it a recreation/arts center but more recently I heard they want to make the lot a throughway for traffic.

The building is supposedly going bye-bye by Winter of this year but it doesn't seem too believable. I assume once the two unwilling businesses finally leave (or the town finds an area to relocate them), they'll start pronto. The McDonald's in the plaza has already agreed for the town to move them but they haven't found spaces for Job Lot or the Discount Food store.

I'll keep an eye out as will some of our other local reporters.

[Marc82]

My family and I lived in Bristol from 1983 until 2003. Sears Outlet did not have an Auto Center. I don't know if Sears used that space for anything or not, but Railroad Salvage used it for their garden center. When Railroad Salvage closed they sealed it off making it a small little space to rent out, albeit with no access to the mall. It was a nail salon called Today's Nails.

Centre Mall Pizza is opening their new location 7/31/06. It's across the street in the building that says Lynn's Restaurant. Centre Mall Pizza bought Lynn's from it's owner Rodd, who owns Rodd's Restaurant on Route 6 across from CVS. Lynn's is now across the street from Price Chopper in Southington. From September 2005 until April or May 2006 that was also Rodds. The new name for Centre Mall Pizza is gonna be "Centre Pizza."

I wonder where they're gonna put that McDonald's. You know what's shocking? That run down dump McDoanld's is owned by the same guy who owns that gorgeous shiny one in the Lowes Plaza in Plainville. I nearly caused a friend of mine to choke when I told him that.

As for Discount Food Outlet they can move into the abandoned grocery store up on Divinity Street. It's only a few miles from there.

Funny that's gonna be the second time that Rent-A-Center's been relocated. They were originally in Bradlee's Plaza. They moved in next to Sherwin Williams as the part of Bradlees Plaza where they were was torn down.

There used to be two Rentowns in Bristol. The on next to Walgreens and one inside the Centre Mall itself. It's the store front who's exterior is painted yellow. They shut down the one in the mall years ago.  The one next to Walgreens stayed open. Then Rent-A-Center opened in the Bradlees Plaza. Then Rentown next to Walgreeens became Rent-A-Center too. Two locations right near one another. Weird.

[Marc82]

A judge ruled Job Lot Has to get out of the Mall by August 15th, but they're appealing the ruling.

Hartford Courant: http://www.courant.com/news/local/nb/hc-brimall0801.artaug01%2C0%2C6634234.story

Bristol Press:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16990774&BRD=1643&PAG=461&dept_id=10486&rfi=6

[XISMZERO]

I am reporting that the Bristol Centre Mall is now officially closed. I went by the mall yesterday, took some photos, and tried to get back into the mall - to my dismay the entire inside portion of it is now closed. Centre Mall Pizza and Ocean State Job Lot are still conducting business as usual and attracting a decent amount of customers though.