DEAD MALL: THREE STAR MALL - MCMINNVILLE, TN: A Wooden Wonderland
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
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I've always lived here. Soo many fond memories. Star wars figures at the KB toy store .... Buying a set of Bird Weapons at the Outdoor Shop. Eating at J's restaurant since the mid to late 80's. Working at the Show Sensation in the early 90's. Hitting the arcade before and after the movies along with Mr. Gatti's pizza complete with a Tron video game. Getting caught out back by a cop with a girl when I wasn't even brave or smooth enough to kiss here. Spending an inordinate amount of money for a teenager in the late 80's for an remote control Audi Quattro from the Radio Shack. Eating at the Kmart snack bar.
Yes I remember all this
I grew up in this town, actually worked in this mall in the late 90s / early 2000s.
Then it was a very busy mall. Fridays and Saturdays were packed. There was at that time a Maurices, Radio Shack, Soundshop, an arcade, a cookie shop, a Claire's.
Roses opened in 2008. I actually worked there as part of the "opening and set up" crew.
At one point, the mall was filled with little set ups for Christmas. Made you really "feel" the season.
I have lived here since 2000 and the mall was packed back then. It's almost barren now.
I lived here and remember this mall has seen it's fair share of changes. They had an arcade once, a KB toy store and a waldens. This mall even if it's dead now, it's a part of my childhood and will be a place of fond memories. So sad to see how dead it is now.
I love hearing from people for whom these malls are “theirs”. You are who I make these videos for; thanks for (both of) your comments! ❤️
@@UniCommProductions thank you for making me smile today. Happy Halloween 🎃
3 Star Mall is still open, drop by Jay’s Restaurant for a great meal!
Not part of my childhood but I have to respect the designers for leaving that bare wood instead of putting drywall cladding with a gaudy pebble texture or something else. Let the architecture speak for itself and if it is good people will appreciate it all the more.
@@briantucker7133 Oh yes!! We love Jay's Restaurant
Awesome video awesome wooden ceiling mall. I so want that alternate reality where i ride around in a wood grained space ship with macrame hangings.
THE CUTEST CRUISE DIRECTOR KRISTIN!!! SHIP AHOY!!!
You're too kind, Snake
@@UniCommProductions THX. ...BUT I DON'T DO KIND! I JUST SPEAK MY MIND!!! AND U ROCK LADY!!!!
I worked at Kmart there for a few months in 1981-82. For decades now most of the locals have nicknamed the place "Three Store Mall"
I would have just been 1 and 2 years on in 81 and 82, but I remember KMart had a cafe in the back
Definitely seems like a nice cozy place. Can’t accuse whoever built it of going too big.
There's something to be said for that...if it was a million square feet this would be a VERY different video!
Wow, the interior ceiling reminds me a lot of West Oaks Mall in Houston. I know it's not the same 'Texas Ranch' style, but its use of natural light and wood lends it the same warmth and coziness.
Texas Ranch Style is lovely!
My grandpa built those ceilings 🥰
@@kaylamilstead3623 Wow, he's quite the craftsman; amazing work!
Great video! It’s always nice to see malls with natural materials used to build, and I believe it makes the architecture here look absolutely incredible!
Wow this a beauty. That wood fronted JC Penny against that ceiling is amazing. Hope I can go see this one in the near future.
Yeah, Penny's had some awesome architecture in the late-70s. The wood was substituted with mirrors in more modern/upscale malls but I prefer the ol' woodies myself.
It *did* have a Radio Shack! And a Waldenbooks. I grew up in McMinnville and was 14 years old when this mall opened. I still go there to walk with my mother when I'm back in town.
This is where I live the green building in the middle of the mall use to be a jewelry store yes the mall had a radio shack at one time and Kroger was there before the mall was built
Thank you! I can always count on people with first hand experience to help me fill in the gaps!
Wow! That wood is absolutely stunning, especially the ceiling! Another great video, Kristin! Can’t wait to see what else you’ve been working on.
You are amazing!!! I don’t understand how you don’t have more views. You do great work and your voice is infectious. It’s awesome!!!
No, YOU'RE amazing! Thank you so much for watching.
The Shoe Sensation (it of course wasn't the shoe sensation then) is where my Auntie worked for a long time
Honestly as soon as I saw this I could not believe it as I never seen stuff related to where I live on the internet considering I personally do not go there much it was nice to see you walk through and enjoy the place
I used to work that kiosk during the holidays for a couple years. The local building supply I worked for sold pocketknives out of it.
Radio Shack good times. I used to buy a radio then upgraded to a an airplane scanner when I lived in Miami Florida. ✈️😁
It did indeed have a Radio Shack until it went under.
your work is beautiful. thank you for documenting. and you are a great narrator btw.
Thank you so much! That’s very sweet,
HOLY HELL, UNI you have a time machine at home and went 30 years into the past for this mall.
The Green marble, Gold cladded. Kiosk. Once sold Jewlrey and a large veriety of mid level watches. I rember standing at this looking over the selection back in 2009. I have no idea what the name was but they had a lot to look at. and good quality stuff at that. this was the era of the blinking Nokia cell phone antenna caps, that took no batteries, and lit up by the GSM signal transmitted when the call comes in. its one of those things "if ya know, ya know" what i'm reffering to. Oh' those were the days.
I also love here and yes it did have a Radio Shack
Great video once again.
Wow those wood ceilings are incredible!
As mall ceilings go, are these the best you've ever seen?
1976-1982 was PEAK architecture, as far as I'm concerned. I graduated from an all original 1981 high school 20 years ago. The duct-taped carpeting came in orange, red, green and blue (depending on the room) but the countertops only came in orange or yellow. The teacher's lounge looked like the Brady Bunch kitchen. I loved that place and I have a strong fondness for that era in buildings. They had such a mass and presence to them and I love what you said about the soft earth tones combining with the sharp futuristic elements. That was when you saw a lot of wood and stainless steel, I LOVE that look.
But yeah, I bet when you walked into a carpet store in 1980, they didn't even ask you what color you wanted. They knew it was orange. They didn't even carry anything else.
I think we’re well overdue for primary colors to return to school decor. I’ve been in some wild college libraries over the years.
Kristen an awesome production as always! Love the country vibe of this mall. So looking forward to your next series. Hoping all is well with you!
Things are going splendidly! I hope the same for you as well!
@@UniCommProductions thank you and they are.😀
Lived there! Bought so many tapes at that Sound Shop that was in there.
A bunch of the more rural malls around MN have Shoe Sensations, too.
I live in this town and grew up with this mall. The funny part about the radio shack comment is, there was a radio shack there beside the bath and body works.
I KNEW IT!
Love the old Bath & Body Works!
BBW is life!
That's a beautiful mall, i really enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing it with us.
The green and gold kiosk was Tee's Jewelry. They opened that when they downsized from a traditional storefront in the mall.
Thank you for helping me solve the mystery!!
@@UniCommProductions You are welcome. The mall originally housed places like Artley's Clothing, B&H Shoes, a bookstore, Jennings Jewelry, Tee's Jewelry, Cook's Mens Store Radio Shack, a sporting goods store, Kmart, The Cookie Shop, Voyager Children's Clothing, Mr. Gatti's Pizza was housed in the area between Kroger and JC Penney. I was in third grade when it opened . Everyone in town felt very special to shop there. It was the year of Izod (purchased at Goodys), Member's Only Jackets and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.
As you filmed this a year ago, it should be interesting to see what's there now. And we have a mid-sized mall right down the street where, The old JC Penny has a Spirit Halloween temp store while the former Sears is now a distribution center for various Food pantries in the area. The mall is still open, but only has a Dillards as the sole anchor.
I live there, what you see in the video is what you gone get
i promise you it’s even more dead than this video…
You see I used to go there with my mom always and I hate it cause she forced me to go there for hours lol
My grandfather actually built this mall. Him, my grandmother, father, and uncles used to live in a house that was directly behind the mall. Unfortunately the house burnt down and they lost the property and the mall due to legal issues. Our driveway, which is technically a public road, is Three Star Drive and was named after the mall
Wood is good!! I seriously love all the wood of this mall. I love wood so much, that the entire great room(Kitchen/dinning room/den with fireplace in one long rectangle)of my home is covered in stained pine wood paneling 😁
Far as Rose's for me these days it gives me the mixed vibes of Dollar General quality, and Kmart in it's dying days, and in my area there is a Roses that took up 1/2 of an old Walmart(other 1/2 is Tractor Supply) that was built in the mid 80's before Walmart went SuperCenter, and SuperCenter strip mall plaza crazy, but I am glad they are filling these empty spaces in malls, and other places that would otherwise be rotting husk.
This is a really cool mall, I'm glad it has good owners who are working to keep it alive while not taking away the features that make it unique.
Hometown of my favorite singer, Dottie West!
The green kiosk used to be Tee's Jewelry. The last time I remember seeing Tee's there was around 20ish years ago. And it definitely did have a Radio Shack. It was located beside Cali Nails.
I used to walk with my great grandfather in this mall in the summers in the 00's. It really started to lose business in the late 00's. The last time I was there was in 2019 to get dress pants and shirt and tie at JC Penney for my best friend's wedding. I never thought I'd ever see something about McMinnville on youtube.
We get my little girls Christmas pictures here they just recently redone the Tullahoma mall
I was about to say the same
The wood on the ceiling reminds me of my local mall, Louis Joliet Mall, built 1978.
Thinking back, Feels like when books-a-million left there was just no reason to go back.
Love the ceilings! First time I’ve seen wood plank like that doesn’t look dated. Brighten the lighting a bit and replace that carpet is all you’d need to do in terms of “modernizing”.
Recent subscriber to your channel. Love your narrations!
Welcome! This does feel oddly modern, it seems like some enterprising millennial could turn it into a hipster hot spot with very little alterations!
When I moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in 1980, I was amazed at the differences in the ceilings and floors of the malls. In Ohio every mall had tile floors and fancy ceilings. In California, every mall was carpeted and had bare girder ceilings. Very odd.
Another simply excellent video Kristin!😸
Woo !! New video. Man U really do have a great voice ! You should do audio books I’d buy em all just to sit at my screen door with it raining & a tea & have you read in my headphones haha. Killer work as always. If u ever come to New Mexico go do a video on North Plains mall it’s my childhood mall & is getting deader by the day. My Dad worked there as a kid. I love to hear a history
New Mexico is high on my list-I gotta see the Better Call Saul mall!
This has to be owned by the same people who own the Somerset Mall in Somerset Ky. It's the exact same rug, exact same gray and burgundy tiles, exact same trash cans and benches.
It is, along with South Side Mall, Parkway Plaza Mall, and Middlesboro Mall. This one had a different developer but I think a lot of the similar features were added by the current, common owner.
They could drop a bowling alley in the corridor where you did the intro. Always happy to see the notification on Patreon. Oh...looks like requisite first. Lol. Good work as always.
Those K-Mart rows of fluorescent lighting was their mark of the beast.
That mall owner seems le they want own and manage retail properties. Not like the other know names that are trying to kill them down for business losses on their tax bills.
You’re absolutely right; they do seem motivated to actually try to help these malls survive (they own Middlesboro Mall and South Side Mall too, ones I covered last year). They’re like Kohan’s Wario lol. Thank you for watching!
Love the aesthetics of this! So warm, so inviting. A vast difference compared to so many FL malls. Curious, what arcade cabinets were in there, Kristin?
I know they had Galaga!!
Great video! Nice looking mall!
KRISTIN!!!! hunter green is in fact coming back. I saw a new Chevy blazer in hunter green the other day and had a major 1990 flashback lol!!!!!!
LOVE IT!!
Those wood fittings and framing crossed with black utility fixtures are a real highlight of this place. Hasn't dated much at all.
I remember this mall and it did have a RadioShack
I remember have a house with dark green marble linoleum in the early ‘90s.
We did too!
After watching this video, I had to drive 3 hours from Knoxville to check it out. Love the wood interior, but can't believe how tiny it actually is inside. Since you were here, a VA clinic has moved into and merged most of the storefronts across from the Cato. So rather than the gates that were there, the have up white walls in those spaces instead.
Look at all that wood. 😁
So I just relocated to McMinnville from Idaho. Now I know what is in the mall. Thank you
Almost went waaay out of my way on my last US trip to visit here, and it seems small enough that it might not have been worth the trip. That said, nice to get an up to date look at this place! Enjoyed the video :)
There’s a route you can take through Southern Kentucky/Tennessee where you hit a string of four or five of these quirky little ones but it would definitely take an entire day.
Roses was nearby in a strip mall that had horrible parking. This location gave them more space and better parking for customers.
That explains a lot! Do you know about when it opened? I wasn’t able to track that down
@@UniCommProductions That part I do not. Was in college when I learned there was even a mall there. I grew up about 75 miles north east of McMinnville. Only knew the Cookeville Tennessee and the almost defunct Crossville Tennessee outlet growing up.
There was about 15 years between roses " moving " as you put it. They closed in the late 80's at their old location. They didn't open in the mall here until 2004 I believe.
I miss this place been a happening place.. That has been many years ago.
That would have been nice to see; it’s such a pretty mall.
I live here and go to the mall quite a bit..... this must have been a dead time.... One side of the mall is pretty dead but the other side usually has quite a bit going on
Hunter green will make a comeback.
Hi, Kristin! Sorry that I couldn't reach sooner (not at home until late on Wednesday nights and Thursday afternoons).
As I've seen this "half full, half empty" mall I like the R-E-A-L W-O-O-D "warm and inviting" aesthetics (far from the bla-a-nd aesthetics you can find out there). Even one of my local malls (the one roughly the same size as this one finally rebuilt from that Hurricane almost 5 years ago) got a slapping of white (bone white?) on their most rebuilt section and looks like a "lo-o-n-g white aisle" with just a few stores opened.
Hope you're OK and send my best wishes to Ron from me, OK?
Still hope rental car rates come down so you can come to Minnesota where the modern shopping mall was born.
You and me both, they're on their way down which means I can start targeting trips for next spring!
@@UniCommProductions, well I've got suggestions depending on whether or not you just want dead/dying or more historical picks. Although Southdale is pretty well mandatory if one is talking malls in Minnesota.
Now the city has purchased it and will be moving the health department along with a few other city offices into it.
If I remember right, Goody's closed, came back, then closed again
The parent company of Goody's and a few other brands that operated similar stores like Peebles was having a bit of an identity crisis over the last decade or so, that wouldn't surprise me at all.
The mall still has great potential if stores decided to open up there. The only thing that sucked about living in McMinnville was the lack of options for jobs, shopping, and the selection of restaurants. I do miss McMinnville.
I hope two other anchors take the JC Penny and Goody's spot. Seems like an Outdoor Retailer like JAX or Camping World would do well there, as well as, Burlington Coat Factory.
I think that’s an excellent idea, they’re not far from a lot of camping, fishing areas down there.
what a nice little mall...too bad they don't have the custom needed to keep it going these days
Igenuinely like the open wood and overal layout of the mall. Carpet to me looks a bit dated but the real problem is 'nobody is in the damned thing.' I don't want to see this place closed. It has potential. It just needs tennants.
Indeed, and the intention of spotlighting some of these structurally sound malls is to encourage people to take a look at them, be they customers or potential tenants. I agree the carpet needs to go; that particular company seems awfully fond of that carpet specifically. I’ve been in 3 other malls they own that have the exact same, unappealing gray carpet.
@@UniCommProductions I'm just glad the owners are keeping it in good fashion. That has probably been what's kept it alive so long even with what we're seeing elsewhere. Tennants don't want ot rent a space that looks like it's going to get rolled for the copper wiring, or tagged by bored teenagers.
Honestly? Having a sort of pebble effect tiling (differing sizes and colors rather than rounded pebble) wouldh ave been better. Represent the main thoroughfair as a river, because rivers have been important to Tennessee. Instead rthis tired dated BORING carpeting that is a nightmare to keep clean.
i've kinda fallen down the rabbit hole of abandoned malls because I'm wanting one as a fairly major location in a thing i'm writing.
I absolutely love the idea of a river-inspired floor.
I actually miss Radio Shack.
As someone who lives nowhere near a Micro Center, I absolutely do too!
There was supposed to be a Gordman's heading into the old Goodys but not sure what happened to that. We luckily just got a Planet Fitness in this town but wish this mall would be revitalized in some way. The kroger next to it is updated on the inside, but outside still looks terrible as does the rest of the outside of the mall.
I swear if it weren't for the arcade games, I could swear this was 1985.
I am from Viola, close to McMinnville City. I believe it was built in 1985.
@@jillmatthewsphotography THX Jill 4 the info.
@@jillmatthewsphotographyme too!
I noticed discount stores like Roses or Ross are becoming more common sights in mall anchors too, I’m sure it’s nothing new but I notice it more. I bet they’re a blessing for struggling malls though, as those types of stores, kind of like bath and body works, seem like places people still go out and shop at. I’m not sure if they work in 2+ story anchors, though. Have you ever seen a discount-type store in a multi-floor anchor?
There was a two level Burlington Coat Factory at Cincinnati Mills
@@UniCommProductions - my hometown also has a 2-story Burlington, but the 2nd floor is not even totally used, even after they moved their separate Baby Depot store into the regular one...
The county recently purchased this mall
We ⏃lways go in here when we go to Kroger
I think the wood design here holds up remarkably well. If not for the tiled planters, Tiananmen Square globe lights and track and rail black downlights I would have put it as being built in the 90s or even 00s. If they ditched the planters and flooring for more updated designs it could be a really modern looking place.
There are a LOT of newer restaurants doing exposed wood beams. There is absolutely no reason this place couldn't be modernized into a sort of small business incubator, which is what I really think is the future for some of these small town malls...somewhere you can get your start with lower overhead and be around other small business owners.
It did have a RadioShack
Must have been filmed long time ago, all three stores mentioned are long gone
It was shot in August 2021
Was the Prius part of a firefighting demonstration or something?
Also, all that’s left in the vending machines is Diet Coke 😹
I noticed that…and the other one is only Diet Coke, Coke Zero and gatorade. I’m not sure about the Prius…seems weird they removed the roof.
I believe the Prius was part of some TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology) project. That’s about all I know.
Three Store Mall..... 😆
You can’t make this stuff up,
Yes. It’s still a funny joke around here imo 🤣
That's what us locals call it.
Three Star Mall? It's like the Google review writes itself! All kidding aside, the history lesson of the Tennessee flag was helpful and I never knew the reason for the three stars.
I like the random arcade games in the corridors. Why bother having them in an unattended storefront when you'd probably get more people to play them this way? Smart.
Apparently the locals are known to call it “Three Store Mall”.
@@UniCommProductions As a local I can confirm this! 🤣
it really is a three star mall… I only go to the mall for CATO hibbits and b and bw
You are right about Bath & Body Work. A local semi-dead mall has a B&BW, and just about every TH-cam dead mall video have one that's still open.
Dead, dead, dead. Didn't even see a GNC.
GNC isn’t quite the survivor it used to be. Too easy to get stuff like that cheaper online, and they sell a lot of their products at Walmart now
GNC was there for many years. It closed permanently around 2020-2021
The GNC was replaced by a barber shop
Tbh this whole town is dead. We usually go to the boro or Cookeville to do anything. Moved there in 03 there was a book store and a radioshack that should tell you enough. They claimed for years there would be a gamestop in that mall. Never happened. The bakery that just opened is already closed. This town is a void. SOMEHOW Woodbury is growing yet this town is dying other than drugs and shitty fast food.
Woodbury is only seeing anything because people are running from Murfreesboro(my home town) and it's the first thing they hit. The same way most of Nashville moved to Murfreesboro. Every week on the local Facebook page 1-2 people come in asking for a house with cheap rent but even Woodbury doesn't have that anymore. I've lived here for a bit over a year and many businesses have closed, some even moved in and closed in the time I've been here. They've turned old stores into Air BnBs. People don't stay here to spend money. There's like 7 hair salons here. That's the only thing people do local. They go to Murfreesboro or McMinnville because they live so far up Walmart's ass the might as well move in. I'd like to move to around Mcminnville or further but that's too far of a drive for work. McMinnville has some gorgeous old houses that haven't been hit by the millennial grey remodel stick yet. I love this state but Nashville's growth has ruined what I loved about where I grew up.
Even in Murfreesboro the Mall is dead. People just don't physically shop as much anymore other than groceries. It isn't and never was a pretty mall so it's not even worth being filmed. The original mall before that has been a call center for a long time.
Almost 100% positive the kiosk is a 80’s Things Remembered.
THAT CHECKS OUT! Thank you for jogging my memory
It was a jeweler as she mentioned. The only other thing I know of that was in there was a man selling nachos & popcorn.
It’s boring and there’s no a lot of jobs
It’s sux and boring. It hasn’t changed a lot
This video wasn’t shot all that long ago; I wasn’t expecting a huge improvement.
Still lame AF
Yeah, this mall did have a radio shack lol
Yeah I live in McMinnville and it is a dead mall. Used to be better back in the day with the sound shop and the book store
Most people use the mail for walking now