Milwaukee’s once-mighty Northridge Mall has been closed and abandoned since 2003. Well, calling it “abandoned” may not be entirely accurate. You see, the undead ghost mall has been a favorite spot for pesky vandals and enterprising YouTubers for years. Hell, it’s practically bustling these days! And now, it’s a go-to spot for sneaky skateboarders, too.
In a new video from Thrasher Magazine, local skaters Max Murphy, Nick Mistele, and Payne Counihan (and more) “rip the remains” of the increasingly decrepit mall. The so-called “Shopaholics” video features plenty of broken glass and debris, lots of naughty graffiti, at least one perilous pit, and oodles of great skating. Oh, and some excellent mall muzak. It rules.
The fate of Northridge Mall has been a thorn in Milwaukee’s side for more than a decade. In 2008, the 100-acre site was sold to a Chinese-based investor group called U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group Inc. But years of neglect and lack of action from Black Spruce—leading to countless break-ins and several fires—has turned Northridge into a “nuisance property.” Milwaukee is currently attempting to acquire the title to the mall so it can finally demolish it. If, of course, the city can afford it. Black Spruce, meanwhile, “has now racked up roughly $300,000 in forfeitures for failing to follow orders to properly secure the building and provide 24-7 security at the complex.”
Anyway, here’s Northridge in happier times—a.k.a. 39 years ago. [h/t Ethan Duran]
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