Going to Regency Square in the 80s and 90s were the most exciting times. I had imagined that mall would one turn into one of those larger than life power centers were they would see a resurgence of retail shoppers.
Born and raised in Duval. the Regency Square Mall used to be the place to go, but it truly hasn’t been that way since the early 2000s once the avenues mall went up, it began to have a massive decline. Now the avenues mall is on its way out… it wouldn’t be long
The old hang out spot back in high school. I can't help but reminisce as you walk down those halls. That's my childhood, teens, and early 20's all in this video. RIP Regency Mall ❤️
I'm a native to Jacksonville FL as I myself came to this mall from age ten until it went to this. I'm 53 now. Sooo many memories stories I can say about this place.
Really sad to see, I to lived here 82-90. this was the place to hang out. Even worked in one of stores for about a year half. also sad to see how bad certain parts of town got
Yessss…it’s was our primary mall growing up. This was the most popular mall in Jacksonville for many years. This video really made me sad. I never wouldve imagine it would end up being abandoned.
Remember riding that train inside probably a 1000 times as a kid. A lot of memories from this place. Back in the early 2000s this was still the spot to go to. Once St Johns Town Center opened though, it declined rapidly. Sad to see it in such disrepair. And I’m sure that train hasn’t run in the better part of a 10 years. Funny seeing Catering by Tony. That was the Chick Fil A in the food court for the longest time. When JCP closed, I knew it would be a matter of time before it’s gone for good. The crime in the area doesn’t help. It was better when they had a police substation there near the Firestone but that’s gone now too. I’m sure when it finally does go, it’ll turn into apartments or something stupid.
this makea me sad as I grew up here and im now 52 so i spent many days of my youth here. watching you walk through brought back memories including where bought my wedding rings 32 yeara ago. thanks for sharing.
I miss the days of the late 90s early 2000s. I remember when this mall had a movie theater on the inside before they built the AMC up the street. I use to work at the Victoria secret in this mall.
Duuuvvvaaalll......lol! REAL TALK THO FR! REGENCY WAS THE SHISH. I remember My 1st n LAST time stealing, we made it all the way to Sears and just KNEW we were SCOT-FREE....NOT! 😂😂😂 They called My Dad and OMG he EMBARRASSED THE SPIRIT OUTTA MY BODY. Needless to say; I learned My lesson bcuz I've never even ATTEMPTED to steal again 😂😂😂 But I knew after that shooting it wouldn't ever be the same. The pink folk said, "Hell Nawl, we ain shopping here no more."
I grew up in Jacksonville, went to this mall in the 60’s, 70’s 80’s, 90’sand never again, was a unbelievable mall for the first 3 decades, always updating and decorated for every holiday, area around mall declined, with a change of lower income properties to. Surrounding area and the change of shoppers to the area, sad really, we actually drove around 20 something miles to go there because they had so many stores and such a wide variety, and always extra treats and forms of entertainment, thanks for the memories ❤ Sandy
When I use to frequent Jacksonville every year in the 90s & 2000s, this was the go to mall! Especially during 2005 Super Bowl! One day this mall will meet it's fate like the Jax Landing!😮
I use to have so much fun out there..Damn near got into a shoot out up there too back in the day..Brings back ALOT of good memories..Met a girl I loved out there..Bought my baby her first pair of Jordan's out there..Went to the movies..Damn and the song you play with Madonna damn near made me cry thinking about those days..Miss that tine..so much fun..Thanks for the memories..❤❤
This place started to decline heavily about 12 years ago. Prior to that it was actually pretty good. Good stores and food. They all got replaced by the knock off brands and then people just said screw it. Better to just go to the town center, avenues or orange park mall.
I frequented this mall while living in Jacksonville from 1998-2020. Visited quite often while stationed at Mayport. Then 2009-2013 I worked for a network cabling company where we worked on and installed the free wi-fi system in this mall. Lots of great memories here. It's just a shame that the people who engaged in crime here and in the area changed things for the worse. 😢
If you look at how many malls are dying it is almost the end of a cultural generation. In some ways, if you look at all the things that contributed to these dead malls and urban decay, including changes in income, the culture of interaction, how the internet age changed things, what store mergers, leveraged buyouts and private equity did to retail, how stores specialized over the years, all of the shootings in public spaces, it all contributed to the death of the traditional department store, the role online shopping played, the role the pandemic played, what our culture did for entertainment over the years, etc. In some ways, the number of dead malls is a reflection of all the changes we had over the last 50 years or so. In other ways, it shows how overgrowth of retail is not sustainable either. In other ways, it represents how the demographics of an area and who lives where change over the years. In some ways, Ace's Adventures is writing the history book on mall history and its decline.
White people just started shopping at different places. We go to St johns town center now, 😂 indoor malls don't exactly cater to us anymore 🤷🏻♂️ walking around a place that reeks of weed surrounded by footlockers doesn't exactly drawl in certain consumers.
Malls killed the downtowns of America. The internet killed the mall. Maybe we'll see a renaissance of the great American downtown. I doubt it, but wishful thinking.
@@MuneageDaydream downtowns are definitely making a comeback. When you look at hot cities they have booming night lives and active strips. Austin, Nashville , Raleigh, Huntsville
@@andrewtaylor1737 yeah white flight pretty much killed most of the malls in america. white people are too scared to see pookie and juan walking down the street minding their own business so they run and take their money with them
mannnnnn used to go here a lot as a kid in the 90's when I was out visiting relatives. Now that I live here, whenever I drive by it, it makes me a little sad
Just went there a few weeks ago, the video doesn't do justice to the yellow tape and cones, if u look up, u see how bad the roof is. I actually went through the front entrance and out of the food court for a shortcut. Surprised that the video showed no people or movement, because when I walked there, there were open kiosks, and a few open businesses in the food court. Still very depressing
Remember that shoplifter getting shot. He actually shot the cop chasing him first in the face. He went back to kill him, and the cop shot him. Was described as a good boy, who just like to make people laugh.
@@djwavepad420 yea, I believe that was the one where a dude shot a cop in the jaw. That cop was a buddy of mine he survived it but I think you're right that may have caused the initial fall!
What a shame, it looks like a cool place. Good lighting, big food court, too bad idiots with bad intentions ruined it for themselves and everyone else, dummies.
I remember this place in the late 80s early 90s. Place was constantly busy, alive, I spent so many afternoons and weekends hanging out around that mall. Seeing it in that shape is just sad.
I lived in Jax FL for a couple years a decade ago. I used to drive by this mall once in a while and it looked desolate back then. Like you said, the amount of leaks and the vast amount of ceiling damage is crazy, almost like no maintenance has been done for years. I never went in there but I lived closer to a Orange Park, on the other side of Jax and used to go in the Orange Park mall, which was kept up quite well and still bustling with activity- although that may have leveled off recently.
The sad thing is this is the most popular mall back in the day. All my life, until the early 00s, I’ve shopped at this mall. How the hell did this happen?? 😮😳😳😳
As a Jacksonville resident since birth, Regency Square and Orange Park mall were the only major shopping malls in the 80's. When we would go see either of my Grandmother's we would go to one of these two malls as they each lived near one. Then in the 90's the Avenues mall opened near my parents house. So if we wanted to go to "the mall" we typically went there because it was much closer. Crime in the Arlington area got much worse, and people quit going. The last time I was at Regency Square I went to see Skyfall at the AMC theater there, and even then, it was sketchy AF. Now everyone just buys there stuff from Amazon. Zoomers and later generations will never get to experience spending all of a Saturday at the mall with their friends like many of us did. Not a cellphone in sight, just people living in the moment.... Kinda sad when you really think about it.
@@thegrandinquisitor8239 It's EXTREMELY sad honestly. Those were the good ole days, when life was so simple. This is pretty much the only mall I went to growing up. I remember going to this mall, especially around Christmas time and back to school time, and spending all day in it. It was always so crowded, because you didn't have many options for shopping in Jacksonville. During the holidays, it was always decorated so nicely on the inside, and the people always seemed so happy!!! Crime wasn't an issue back then. I was so surprised to hear of all that started happening in the area and in this mall, itself in the early 00's. And I became even more brokenhearted once I saw this video and realized that it is now pretty much just an abandoned building. SMH.
Every time I see a pic of Wicks-n-Sticks I'm reminded my tween self was convinced carved candles were going to form a significant part of my "grown up" décor. 🤣 Great video!
Wicks-N-Sticks wasn't a store where I lived I know it wasn't in Maple Hill Mall or The Crossroads Mall in Kazoo. I think Wick_N-Sticks was in Lakeview Square Mall in BC back in its heyday it is pretty much dead.
Suprised its still open, I used to go as a kid a lot. I worked at the nearby Home Depot in 2020, so i went there now and then after work to get some boba tea. Malls and movie theaters and parks made me feel more together with the rest of my community but now everything is being left to rot and I think people just stay at home way way more spending most of their time thinking about things they are seeing on a screen, in a more compressed manner than cable TV ever was.
Thanks for the video. It's bitter sweet to see the mall in ruins. I grew up right around the corner from this mall and went there regularly in the 80s (PS: also turning 40 this year). I remember the water features and the living trees inside this mall very well. I also remember the "Orange"-something store in one of the earlier photos ... Maybe 'Sweet Orange" with the hot dogs, having a very weird smell to it. I hated that smell. The movie theater was adjacent to the food court, and the food court had the earliest Chick FIL A I've ever seen plus an area where you could climb stairs and eat on a higher level. I think things started to go down hill for Regency Square when The Avenues was built in '89. Now that mall isn't doing so great, either, but is still hanging in there. In the scheme of things, Regency Square has had a longer life. One of the small malls on Baymeadows and Southside BLVD was turned into a community college.
It's sad that progress has taken its toll on our way of life. We have a generation that prefers to shop online instead of leaving the house, kids into gaming instead of sports, and people who prefer texting over talking on the phone. I'm an old-school guy and I hate seeing things become more convenient and making people lazy.
Being a Daytona native I only knew about the Avenue’s Mall on the other side of Jacksonville and I didn’t even learn about Regency Square until 2017 and I was hooked ever since.
Me and my family came to the United States in 1992. This was one of the first places my dad took us to. It was larger than life. The movie theater was inside the mall. AMC 6. There was a mini arcade in front of it. The first movie I watched there was Aladdin. In fact, it was the first time I was in a movie theater. Then we discovered the second half of the mall. It had the Tilt arcade. Later on, Tilt moved across from AMC. As I started to learn more English I made new friends in school and we would meet every weekend at the mall. Particularly the Tilt. We would play Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat. We would play for pride. Then we'd walk around and visit stores and chase girls. We'd get tired and sit on a bench and people watch. Till our allowance runs out and we'd feel tired. Bu that time it's 9 o'clock and we'd ve ready to go home. We'd call our parents collect, and of course, when it asks for the name, we'd say dad come get us. Lol. I remember buying every single gaming console from there at launch. I sure do miss those days. Unfortunately, between Amazon and the St. John's town mall declined dramatically. It'll be bulldozed in time. All there will be left of it are goid memories.
So sad i lived here in the late 90s early 2000s rave was my go to store & hanging out in the arcade and meeting boyfriends there, oh the memories, i remember when the movie theater was in the mall by the food court. Oh to my mrmories
When I moved my family here to Jacksonville... Regency Mall was a beautiful place.. It was a mall like none we were used to up north. Sad that It looks like it does now. It took it's final toll with gangs moving in and straight down from there. People we're just to scared to go anymore... Let alone to allow their children to go alone or even in groups.
@Deborah Hernandez nah it started when every other mall in the country start closing down, why go to a mall walk 5 miles for a pair of shoes when I can go right in a shoe store, bullets flying never closed down a white school, ijs
Growing up in Jacksonville and graduating from Mandarin High in 2000, Regency Mall was the ghetto mall to avoid even in the late 90s. As inflation destroys discretionary spending, even high-end experiential retail spaces are increasingly empty, so a mall that was trash a quarter century ago is doomed with absolute certainty.
I graduated in 2009 from mandarin, I just remember we would always comment on how we didn’t understand why that mall was still open, this video brought it all back. The avenues mall and orange park mall have gotten worse because of the death of this mall. Crime has gotten way worse.
Don't agree with your perception of reality. Regency Square Mall had not yet deteriorated to "ghetto" status in the late 1990s. It was still in pretty good shape. It took at least until after 2005 for the mall to start really going downhill.
Hey, you failed to acknowledge that Impact Church Jacksonville has moved into the anchor position. They are big enough to have multiple services. There's a turnaround possibility.
ive only been here once in the 10 years ive lived here, dont remember much since the last time i was there was like 2015 and was only able to go in the side with the jcpenney and food court so i might go there soon just to see it before my family moves out of florida
You ain't missing much with the other side of the mall. During the beginning of COVID feds came in and converted it into a huge temporary space for vaccinations and testing. It was pretty much stripped clean and temporary walls were placed all throughout. It's basically a maze of hastily constructed halls and rooms to allow a large number of people to filter through while maintaining distance from each other. It's also used from time to time after hurricanes for emergency relief.
As someone who used to frequent this exact mall growing up it's always such a shame to have to drive by this location every day to go to work, but it was an inevitable scenario once those shootings happened, it wasn't exactly the best place to just frequent anymore and I have a feeling while it wasn't the only reason this mall went under, it definitely didn't help he situation
Arlington area used to to be thriving with businesses and families. Govt bought up every apartment and condo to re-locate all the low income out of the downtown area. Wow! Look what happened!
I delivered to that mall in 86-87 when I worked for Purolator Courier, it was a very busy mall and the traffic during Christmas was horrific! Oh, the memories…farewell Regency Mall..🙁
I have lived here in Jax most of my life. This mall was the place to go! It was beautiful. Then gang issues and crime came to this mall and people stopped coming here. It's happening in the Orange park Mall over the last two years also. It's time to scrap Regency Square. I haven't been there in 10!years or more.
I went to this mall as a child in the late eighties and early nineties. Also did work in there 2011-2018 for a telecommunications company. Shooting in the food court was indeed the mail in the coffin for an already dying mall.
They should've been shut this down! It's a serious health code and they still allow stores and food shops in there. There's mold everywhere! Jax is sad!
There is such potential here to turn this into housing but it would need some money pumped into it to make it happen. Little apartments would be cool with a few little coffee spots or boutique or something for the residents. Of course crime makes that difficult.
The real problem is that DEMOLITION actually costs a lot of money. Same reason that there are many old buildings in downtown Jacksonville that have not been used in decades still standing. This is commonplace in many cities. "Zombie town" areas.
This mall was great in the 80s. Why do people not like shopping in malls anymore? There's all these town centers now with outdoor shopping. 🥵 I preferred the air conditioned malls personally.
This is so sad I was born in 2000 which i know was the start of the downfall but I really loved going here still as a kid. It was where I grew up and got candy, played, and even got a turtle. genuinely its really sad it was exciting going inside for covid testing in sears!!
Would make a great place for a horror movie production. I have made short films there lately too. Regency Square Mall did not perform any worse than thousands of malls across the U.S. that have gone under. It had it's run and faded out of popularity slowly after 2000. Note that strip malls are not really dying out like enclosed malls. They recycle the tenants over and over again fairly well.
A running joke for the last 20 years at this mall has been “if you’re going to Dillard’s at Regency make sure you carry.” The criminal element was so bad there they put a police substation in the parking lot.
It really isn't that bad. I have been in Regency Square Mall many times over the past few years. A decrepit old mess but I did not feel unsafe around that area.
I moved to Jax in the early 90's and didn't feel safe in that mall even in the day although the worst activity was at night. Gang activity and just unruly juveniles started to take over and that's why they had the sheriff sub-station put there. From what I've heard, they are going to demolish it and build a soccer stadium there.
If you visit Northridge again we should have lunch if our schedules can line up, I live in central Wisconsin so I'm only a few hours away from Northridge.
I'm here at the dentist office here. I'm terrified.. The reviews but this where Medicaid sends is 2 cops told me to go back to car. 😢.. Thinking nooooopeee just leave!
I last went there about 2017 to see a matinee at the AMC there. Went to the food court and ordered from one of only five food stands there. AC wasn't working, I heard the lady at the counter tell the guy in front of me that it hadn't been working for a month. There were only a couple of stores open near the food court, the rest of the mall was deader than the one in that George Romero flick. Rising crime, the opening of the Avenues Mall and eventually the Town Center in the Tinseltown area killed Regency Square Mall.
Some clarification for your synopsis. The "fatally wounded shoplifter" wasn't just some innocent teenage honor student. The reason he was shot and killed is because he shot the police officer in the jaw during his pursuit.
The epitome of the late 80s and 90s decade, teal, pink and purple color schemes in literally everything architecture.
Going to Regency Square in the 80s and 90s were the most exciting times. I had imagined that mall would one turn into one of those larger than life power centers were they would see a resurgence of retail shoppers.
I remember when this was The Mall. It's sad to see this video of it now. 😢😢
Born and raised in Duval. the Regency Square Mall used to be the place to go, but it truly hasn’t been that way since the early 2000s once the avenues mall went up, it began to have a massive decline. Now the avenues mall is on its way out… it wouldn’t be long
Having grown up in Orange Park, I'm surprised the OP Mall has lasted as long as it has. It was always the red-headed step child of Jax's mall scene.
@@DanielDavis1973facts, all of our malls are completely fucked now. We have nothing. Town center really ain’t shit either compared to other cities
I remember the Gateway Mall back in the 90s!😊
The old hang out spot back in high school. I can't help but reminisce as you walk down those halls. That's my childhood, teens, and early 20's all in this video. RIP Regency Mall ❤️
You right
Yep, definitely a hangout spot for me also when I was in my 20"s
I'm a native to Jacksonville FL as I myself came to this mall from age ten until it went to this. I'm 53 now. Sooo many memories stories I can say about this place.
Really sad to see, I to lived here 82-90. this was the place to hang out. Even worked in one of stores for about a year half. also sad to see how bad certain parts of town got
Man... This place used to be jumping when I was a kid and a teen.
It dying is a piece of my childhood dying. 😢
Yessss…it’s was our primary mall growing up. This was the most popular mall in Jacksonville for many years. This video really made me sad. I never wouldve imagine it would end up being abandoned.
Lots of great memories going to Regency Square mall from 1990-2000. Sad to see it this way. 😔
Wow this is nothing like when I was growing up
Worked at Furchgotts in 1970, good memories there. Thanks for posting.
Nice music choice and nice job on this video
Thanks!
Would be great for a zombie movie set
Remember riding that train inside probably a 1000 times as a kid. A lot of memories from this place. Back in the early 2000s this was still the spot to go to. Once St Johns Town Center opened though, it declined rapidly. Sad to see it in such disrepair. And I’m sure that train hasn’t run in the better part of a 10 years. Funny seeing Catering by Tony. That was the Chick Fil A in the food court for the longest time. When JCP closed, I knew it would be a matter of time before it’s gone for good. The crime in the area doesn’t help. It was better when they had a police substation there near the Firestone but that’s gone now too. I’m sure when it finally does go, it’ll turn into apartments or something stupid.
I’m not a fan of town center are you?
this makea me sad as I grew up here and im now 52 so i spent many days of my youth here. watching you walk through brought back memories including where bought my wedding rings 32 yeara ago. thanks for sharing.
I miss the days of the late 90s early 2000s. I remember when this mall had a movie theater on the inside before they built the AMC up the street. I use to work at the Victoria secret in this mall.
I was working Dairy Queen directly across from Forever 21. Those were the days lol
Do you remember working with a girl name Ronnie?
So u were who I’d watch from the bench with my Orange Tree hot dog.
Duuuvvvaaalll......lol! REAL TALK THO FR! REGENCY WAS THE SHISH. I remember My 1st n LAST time stealing, we made it all the way to Sears and just KNEW we were SCOT-FREE....NOT! 😂😂😂 They called My Dad and OMG he EMBARRASSED THE SPIRIT OUTTA MY BODY. Needless to say; I learned My lesson bcuz I've never even ATTEMPTED to steal again 😂😂😂
But I knew after that shooting it wouldn't ever be the same. The pink folk said, "Hell Nawl, we ain shopping here no more."
All the gang shootings scared everybody off
I grew up in Jacksonville, went to this mall in the 60’s, 70’s 80’s, 90’sand never again, was a unbelievable mall for the first 3 decades, always updating and decorated for every holiday, area around mall declined, with a change of lower income properties to. Surrounding area and the change of shoppers to the area, sad really, we actually drove around 20 something miles to go there because they had so many stores and such a wide variety, and always extra treats and forms of entertainment, thanks for the memories ❤ Sandy
As soon as I saw the leaky ceiling and the millions of trash cans, I knew this mall had to be owned by Namdar or Moonbeam. What a shame.
Or Kohan.
Namdar owns it. Sadly.
When I use to frequent Jacksonville every year in the 90s & 2000s, this was the go to mall! Especially during 2005 Super Bowl! One day this mall will meet it's fate like the Jax Landing!😮
I use to have so much fun out there..Damn near got into a shoot out up there too back in the day..Brings back ALOT of good memories..Met a girl I loved out there..Bought my baby her first pair of Jordan's out there..Went to the movies..Damn and the song you play with Madonna damn near made me cry thinking about those days..Miss that tine..so much fun..Thanks for the memories..❤❤
Those happy times in this mall of yesteryears...is just a reflection that nothing lasts forever 🌓🌗
This place started to decline heavily about 12 years ago. Prior to that it was actually pretty good. Good stores and food. They all got replaced by the knock off brands and then people just said screw it. Better to just go to the town center, avenues or orange park mall.
What a dump, I can’t believe it’s open looking like that!
Sad.. good memories as a kid n teen there for me .
Dude, this channel is criminally undersubscribed! He puts so much in to each video this is a pleasure to watch and feel the nostalgia
You're right, gives people nostalgia at his own expense!
agree 100%
I frequented this mall while living in Jacksonville from 1998-2020. Visited quite often while stationed at Mayport. Then 2009-2013 I worked for a network cabling company where we worked on and installed the free wi-fi system in this mall. Lots of great memories here. It's just a shame that the people who engaged in crime here and in the area changed things for the worse. 😢
No one wants to shop in a mall anymore. They should have figured out what to do with it 10 years ago.
If you look at how many malls are dying it is almost the end of a cultural generation. In some ways, if you look at all the things that contributed to these dead malls and urban decay, including changes in income, the culture of interaction, how the internet age changed things, what store mergers, leveraged buyouts and private equity did to retail, how stores specialized over the years, all of the shootings in public spaces, it all contributed to the death of the traditional department store, the role online shopping played, the role the pandemic played, what our culture did for entertainment over the years, etc. In some ways, the number of dead malls is a reflection of all the changes we had over the last 50 years or so. In other ways, it shows how overgrowth of retail is not sustainable either. In other ways, it represents how the demographics of an area and who lives where change over the years. In some ways, Ace's Adventures is writing the history book on mall history and its decline.
White people just started shopping at different places. We go to St johns town center now, 😂 indoor malls don't exactly cater to us anymore 🤷🏻♂️ walking around a place that reeks of weed surrounded by footlockers doesn't exactly drawl in certain consumers.
Malls killed the downtowns of America. The internet killed the mall. Maybe we'll see a renaissance of the great American downtown. I doubt it, but wishful thinking.
@@MuneageDaydream downtowns are definitely making a comeback. When you look at hot cities they have booming night lives and active strips. Austin, Nashville , Raleigh, Huntsville
@@andrewtaylor1737 yeah white flight pretty much killed most of the malls in america. white people are too scared to see pookie and juan walking down the street minding their own business so they run and take their money with them
The open-air strip malls are doing better than the enclosed malls. Many are able to shuffle around tenants and keep up operations.
mannnnnn used to go here a lot as a kid in the 90's when I was out visiting relatives. Now that I live here, whenever I drive by it, it makes me a little sad
Went here alot as a kid especially between the mid 90s - early 00's. Kills me to see it like this now 😔
Omg i grew up at this mall
Just went there a few weeks ago, the video doesn't do justice to the yellow tape and cones, if u look up, u see how bad the roof is. I actually went through the front entrance and out of the food court for a shortcut. Surprised that the video showed no people or movement, because when I walked there, there were open kiosks, and a few open businesses in the food court. Still very depressing
Remember that shoplifter getting shot. He actually shot the cop chasing him first in the face. He went back to kill him, and the cop shot him. Was described as a good boy, who just like to make people laugh.
Man I really love this musical opening! The shot of the skylight?? 💯
The increase of crime was a major factor of closure to this mall! This generation is destroying the outdoors shopping lifestyle!
They had a shooting in 2011 and that's when it went down hill
@@djwavepad420 yea, I believe that was the one where a dude shot a cop in the jaw. That cop was a buddy of mine he survived it but I think you're right that may have caused the initial fall!
Did a video here about a year ago. It’s crazy to Think back in the day this mall use to be packed like town center.
What a shame, it looks like a cool place. Good lighting, big food court, too bad idiots with bad intentions ruined it for themselves and everyone else, dummies.
Damn this Mall is rad OMG!
When I went there back in 1970,it was a hoping place!
I remember this place in the late 80s early 90s. Place was constantly busy, alive, I spent so many afternoons and weekends hanging out around that mall. Seeing it in that shape is just sad.
I lived in Jax FL for a couple years a decade ago. I used to drive by this mall once in a while and it looked desolate back then. Like you said, the amount of leaks and the vast amount of ceiling damage is crazy, almost like no maintenance has been done for years. I never went in there but I lived closer to a Orange Park, on the other side of Jax and used to go in the Orange Park mall, which was kept up quite well and still bustling with activity- although that may have leveled off recently.
Orange Park Mall is still pretty popular, I live about 5 minutes away, imo it's really nothing special though.
The sad thing is this is the most popular mall back in the day. All my life, until the early 00s, I’ve shopped at this mall. How the hell did this happen?? 😮😳😳😳
As a Jacksonville resident since birth, Regency Square and Orange Park mall were the only major shopping malls in the 80's. When we would go see either of my Grandmother's we would go to one of these two malls as they each lived near one. Then in the 90's the Avenues mall opened near my parents house. So if we wanted to go to "the mall" we typically went there because it was much closer. Crime in the Arlington area got much worse, and people quit going. The last time I was at Regency Square I went to see Skyfall at the AMC theater there, and even then, it was sketchy AF.
Now everyone just buys there stuff from Amazon.
Zoomers and later generations will never get to experience spending all of a Saturday at the mall with their friends like many of us did. Not a cellphone in sight, just people living in the moment....
Kinda sad when you really think about it.
@@thegrandinquisitor8239 It's EXTREMELY sad honestly. Those were the good ole days, when life was so simple. This is pretty much the only mall I went to growing up. I remember going to this mall, especially around Christmas time and back to school time, and spending all day in it. It was always so crowded, because you didn't have many options for shopping in Jacksonville. During the holidays, it was always decorated so nicely on the inside, and the people always seemed so happy!!! Crime wasn't an issue back then. I was so surprised to hear of all that started happening in the area and in this mall, itself in the early 00's. And I became even more brokenhearted once I saw this video and realized that it is now pretty much just an abandoned building. SMH.
I used to go to that mall whenever I visited my grandparents in that area.
Same.
🫰 someone isn't from Jax and it shows.
DUUUVAAAAAAAAAAAAAL
Every time I see a pic of Wicks-n-Sticks I'm reminded my tween self was convinced carved candles were going to form a significant part of my "grown up" décor. 🤣 Great video!
Wicks-N-Sticks wasn't a store where I lived I know it wasn't in Maple Hill Mall or The Crossroads Mall in Kazoo. I think Wick_N-Sticks was in Lakeview Square Mall in BC back in its heyday it is pretty much dead.
Grew up in and around Jacksonville. Kind of sad to see one of the places I remember so well so empty.
Suprised its still open, I used to go as a kid a lot. I worked at the nearby Home Depot in 2020, so i went there now and then after work to get some boba tea. Malls and movie theaters and parks made me feel more together with the rest of my community but now everything is being left to rot and I think people just stay at home way way more spending most of their time thinking about things they are seeing on a screen, in a more compressed manner than cable TV ever was.
Thanks for the video. It's bitter sweet to see the mall in ruins. I grew up right around the corner from this mall and went there regularly in the 80s (PS: also turning 40 this year). I remember the water features and the living trees inside this mall very well. I also remember the "Orange"-something store in one of the earlier photos ... Maybe 'Sweet Orange" with the hot dogs, having a very weird smell to it. I hated that smell. The movie theater was adjacent to the food court, and the food court had the earliest Chick FIL A I've ever seen plus an area where you could climb stairs and eat on a higher level. I think things started to go down hill for Regency Square when The Avenues was built in '89. Now that mall isn't doing so great, either, but is still hanging in there. In the scheme of things, Regency Square has had a longer life. One of the small malls on Baymeadows and Southside BLVD was turned into a community college.
Orange Julius
It's sad that progress has taken its toll on our way of life. We have a generation that prefers to shop online instead of leaving the house, kids into gaming instead of sports, and people who prefer texting over talking on the phone. I'm an old-school guy and I hate seeing things become more convenient and making people lazy.
Being a Daytona native I only knew about the Avenue’s Mall on the other side of Jacksonville and I didn’t even learn about Regency Square until 2017 and I was hooked ever since.
Kinda sad to see Regency mall go down hill. I remember back in the mid to late 80s, it was a place to shop and hang out.
Grew up going there.. was very lively back then..
Me and my family came to the United States in 1992. This was one of the first places my dad took us to. It was larger than life. The movie theater was inside the mall. AMC 6. There was a mini arcade in front of it. The first movie I watched there was Aladdin. In fact, it was the first time I was in a movie theater. Then we discovered the second half of the mall. It had the Tilt arcade. Later on, Tilt moved across from AMC. As I started to learn more English I made new friends in school and we would meet every weekend at the mall. Particularly the Tilt. We would play Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat. We would play for pride. Then we'd walk around and visit stores and chase girls. We'd get tired and sit on a bench and people watch. Till our allowance runs out and we'd feel tired. Bu that time it's 9 o'clock and we'd ve ready to go home. We'd call our parents collect, and of course, when it asks for the name, we'd say dad come get us. Lol. I remember buying every single gaming console from there at launch. I sure do miss those days. Unfortunately, between Amazon and the St. John's town mall declined dramatically. It'll be bulldozed in time. All there will be left of it are goid memories.
Oh how I miss Jacksonville Florida
Believe me, you’re not missing anything now.
I bet. It's a great place. I went kayaking on the first day of February. Can't beat that.
@@ECUCHRIS904 that was my home town I miss the st John's river
@Big C A very fast growing metropolitan area....Somehow you would say it's not....
@@overbanked oh it's not small when I moved away from there back in 1969 when I was 5 years old
I went there many times back in '91-92 when I was stationed at Jacksonville NAS and Mayport Naval Base and, it was really nice.
Old malls make great skate parks. Would be good to be able to repurpose the.
So sad i lived here in the late 90s early 2000s rave was my go to store & hanging out in the arcade and meeting boyfriends there, oh the memories, i remember when the movie theater was in the mall by the food court. Oh to my mrmories
Wow. Beautiful mall. Screams Miami Vice.
Enjoy your birthday trip, Ace!! 🎉
But when the zombies come dat shit gone be heaven so whatever
When I moved my family here to Jacksonville... Regency Mall was a beautiful place.. It was a mall like none we were used to up north. Sad that It looks like it does now. It took it's final toll with gangs moving in and straight down from there. People we're just to scared to go anymore... Let alone to allow their children to go alone or even in groups.
Gangs? Dude the damn roof is leaking all over the mall
@@brothercode2488 I believe it... Must have started with all those ricocheting bullets!! 😁🤣
@Deborah Hernandez nah it started when every other mall in the country start closing down, why go to a mall walk 5 miles for a pair of shoes when I can go right in a shoe store, bullets flying never closed down a white school, ijs
Growing up in Jacksonville and graduating from Mandarin High in 2000, Regency Mall was the ghetto mall to avoid even in the late 90s. As inflation destroys discretionary spending, even high-end experiential retail spaces are increasingly empty, so a mall that was trash a quarter century ago is doomed with absolute certainty.
I graduated in 2009 from mandarin, I just remember we would always comment on how we didn’t understand why that mall was still open, this video brought it all back. The avenues mall and orange park mall have gotten worse because of the death of this mall. Crime has gotten way worse.
@@Kailynplayz88888 Yeah this whole collapse is a spectacle to behold
Don't agree with your perception of reality. Regency Square Mall had not yet deteriorated to "ghetto" status in the late 1990s. It was still in pretty good shape. It took at least until after 2005 for the mall to start really going downhill.
Great content, Thank you for all this awesome footage and spot on editing & music🎶
Hey, you failed to acknowledge that Impact Church Jacksonville has moved into the anchor position. They are big enough to have multiple services. There's a turnaround possibility.
Should have included a Giant Ceiling Hole counter.
ive only been here once in the 10 years ive lived here, dont remember much since the last time i was there was like 2015 and was only able to go in the side with the jcpenney and food court so i might go there soon just to see it before my family moves out of florida
This was one of the biggest malls in the country way back when
I believe it was the first air conditioned mall in the southeast
Pretty disgusting to think that a mall with so much obvious mold issues could remain open to the public.
It's open, but no stores or customers.
I grew up shopping there with my nannie and papa
You ain't missing much with the other side of the mall. During the beginning of COVID feds came in and converted it into a huge temporary space for vaccinations and testing. It was pretty much stripped clean and temporary walls were placed all throughout. It's basically a maze of hastily constructed halls and rooms to allow a large number of people to filter through while maintaining distance from each other. It's also used from time to time after hurricanes for emergency relief.
As someone who used to frequent this exact mall growing up it's always such a shame to have to drive by this location every day to go to work, but it was an inevitable scenario once those shootings happened, it wasn't exactly the best place to just frequent anymore and I have a feeling while it wasn't the only reason this mall went under, it definitely didn't help he situation
I don’t understand that. I remember it as a gun free zone.
I remember in the early 90s when this mall was packed. I saw the the original Home alone in the theater there.
Arlington area used to to be thriving with businesses and families. Govt bought up every apartment and condo to re-locate all the low income out of the downtown area. Wow! Look what happened!
I went in there it’s cool!!!
I delivered to that mall in 86-87 when I worked for Purolator Courier, it was a very busy mall and the traffic during Christmas was horrific! Oh, the memories…farewell Regency Mall..🙁
I have lived here in Jax most of my life. This mall was the place to go! It was beautiful. Then gang issues and crime came to this mall and people stopped coming here. It's happening in the Orange park Mall over the last two years also. It's time to scrap Regency Square. I haven't been there in 10!years or more.
I wonder if they could tear it down and build multistory apartment or condo units no more than maybe five stories high. Just a thought…
@@robertmoore1839 it will give the thug druggies something else to destroy
I went to this mall as a child in the late eighties and early nineties. Also did work in there 2011-2018 for a telecommunications company. Shooting in the food court was indeed the mail in the coffin for an already dying mall.
Ace nails the intros EVERY TIME! Like I BOSS!
Wow, it's terrible when they let the roof go like they have here. Mould and mildew everywhere. What a waste. Nice video Ace
They should've been shut this down! It's a serious health code and they still allow stores and food shops in there. There's mold everywhere! Jax is sad!
That's not unique at all to Jacksonville. Similar malls like that all over America.
I used to work there as a janitor
There is such potential here to turn this into housing but it would need some money pumped into it to make it happen. Little apartments would be cool with a few little coffee spots or boutique or something for the residents. Of course crime makes that difficult.
The real problem is that DEMOLITION actually costs a lot of money. Same reason that there are many old buildings in downtown Jacksonville that have not been used in decades still standing. This is commonplace in many cities. "Zombie town" areas.
There’s a carnival there right now! Powers great American midways
You should go to the turtle Creek mall in Hattiesburg Mississippi
This mall was great in the 80s. Why do people not like shopping in malls anymore? There's all these town centers now with outdoor shopping. 🥵 I preferred the air conditioned malls personally.
Great video as always!
Town center killed it
I'm going to call this Bucket Mall. All those buckets. Won't be long before that roof gives way.
The latest about this mall is that it has had no air conditioning in several months. This is at a mall in Florida…in the summer.
There was a regency square mall a hour from where I live it was renamed and renovated
Nice video
This is so sad I was born in 2000 which i know was the start of the downfall but I really loved going here still as a kid. It was where I grew up and got candy, played, and even got a turtle. genuinely its really sad it was exciting going inside for covid testing in sears!!
I think the "downfall" really started after 2005. The mall was still in good shape in 2000.
Im so sad over this, i lived here many years 😢
Would make a great place for a horror movie production. I have made short films there lately too. Regency Square Mall did not perform any worse than thousands of malls across the U.S. that have gone under. It had it's run and faded out of popularity slowly after 2000. Note that strip malls are not really dying out like enclosed malls. They recycle the tenants over and over again fairly well.
A running joke for the last 20 years at this mall has been “if you’re going to Dillard’s at Regency make sure you carry.”
The criminal element was so bad there they put a police substation in the parking lot.
It really isn't that bad. I have been in Regency Square Mall many times over the past few years. A decrepit old mess but I did not feel unsafe around that area.
I moved to Jax in the early 90's and didn't feel safe in that mall even in the day although the worst activity was at night. Gang activity and just unruly juveniles started to take over and that's why they had the sheriff sub-station put there. From what I've heard, they are going to demolish it and build a soccer stadium there.
The last sale was mostly land value. Rent is cheap, but the cam charges are extraordinary.
If you visit Northridge again we should have lunch if our schedules can line up, I live in central Wisconsin so I'm only a few hours away from Northridge.
I'm here at the dentist office here. I'm terrified.. The reviews but this where Medicaid sends is 2 cops told me to go back to car. 😢.. Thinking nooooopeee just leave!
My first job was here in 2005…. It was scary by that point, and I didn’t stay there long.
Been there lately. Really not that scary. Just mostly quiet. I was shopping there early 2000s and it wasn't that bad.
Dude I visited Jacksonville just a couple of years ago
I last went there about 2017 to see a matinee at the AMC there. Went to the food court and ordered from one of only five food stands there. AC wasn't working, I heard the lady at the counter tell the guy in front of me that it hadn't been working for a month. There were only a couple of stores open near the food court, the rest of the mall was deader than the one in that George Romero flick.
Rising crime, the opening of the Avenues Mall and eventually the Town Center in the Tinseltown area killed Regency Square Mall.
Some clarification for your synopsis. The "fatally wounded shoplifter" wasn't just some innocent teenage honor student. The reason he was shot and killed is because he shot the police officer in the jaw during his pursuit.