The Backwash

It is a sad thing when economic downturn meets retail. Last week, I drove through the parking lot of North Little Rock’s McCain Mall – still marketed as one of the largest enclosed shopping areas in Arkansas. It wasn’t until I had torn up my suspension driving through the parking lot (which resembled a street in Iraq or Afghanistan pockmarked by mortar fire) that I realized that this once lauded bastion of retail bliss in central Arkansas is now past its prime. I would love to see a turnaround, but I simply don’t see Simon properties investing in any revamp.

So, for those of us who remember McCain Boulevard and the excitement of the opening of the mall, here is a quick trip down memory lane:

• When it first opened, the mall’s logo included the use of a rainbow.
• It was originally “anchored” by Sears (still there), Pfeifer Blass (purchased and still in existence as Dillard’s), JC Penney (still there) and MM Cohn (recently closed).
• The early 70’s architecture still exists in a small form today, with its then “new wave” use of skylights.
• Part of the early days NOT there include the fountains. The entire open area in the food court on the first floor used to be one very large body of water with fountains. There were also banners that hung from the ceiling (the hooks of which can still be seen today in the corner of the open area closest to the new Victoria’s Secret).
• There was also a smaller fountain in front of the MM Cohn entrance.
• The same area originally housed the Bamboo Tree – the store for collectors that had more dollars than sense. Yes, my mother actually spent who knows how much on a crystal CAT. There goes the inheritance.
• Anyone able to name the music stores? At that time, you could find Musicland on the first floor; and if you ambled to the Sears entrance on the upper level, you would see “Moses.” They had a really cool conveyor belt security system whereby you would reach your hand through a plexiglass window, grab the 8-track you wanted, drop it to the conveyor and then meet it at the register. (I am not aware of any music stores in operation today in the mall.)
• The lower level had such treats as the Castle Shop (long gone), Aladdin’s Castle (still around and taking people’s quarters one token at a time), Frankie’s cafeteria (which had a wall that looked like someone’s front door in the dining room); and the end-all…Farrell’s (no longer there, but made it to about the late 80’s / early 90’s after a name change to “Porter’s.”) Oh, the fun in Farrell’s. Food and Fountain. How many of us bought one of the ridiculous styrofoam hats? Remember the famous logo?

• Where the (recently closed) Luby’s still stands used to be the Mall Cinema I and II. This is a big part of my history, for it is where I first saw Star Wars. I also took-in a couple of Herbie and Apple Dumpling Gang flicks, along with Rocky III. It was the only cinema I recall with recessed blue screens.

Through the years, the mall has seen economic downturn, a small renovation or two, shops come and go, kiosks and more kiosks, and now possibly more vacant space than it has ever had. The parking lot itself is in such disrepair you will have to visit Sears Automotive to even have suspension to get back on the road – that is if you can forge yourself through the weeds coming through countless cracks in the pavement. Now, a couple of murders and several muggings later, the mall is (at least in my mind) certainly on Simon’s chopping block. It is in the death spiral that we saw happen with Little Rock’s University Mall – now a pile of rubble. The area around it has not seen a lot of positive growth recently, either. From the closing of Tia’s (which I still mourn) to the closing of Steak and Shake to the closing of Luby’s to the closing of Lone Star to the closing of Roadhouse….we are seeing more things close than open. Who would have thought that there would be more interest in going across the street to “The Other Center” to hit Barnes and Noble, Chili’s and Target?

Believe me – (and this post is purely economic today, folks) – my interest is in seeing that shopping area thrive. But, I think McCain Mall has milked about all it can from it’s original design. It’s time to either step-up to be a big-time mall with a massive refurbish and.. yes… adding on (and throw a Cheesecake Factory in with the deal, please!); or it is time to go the route of scrapbook and yarn and dollar tree stores and watch the average spend continue to go south.

What will the choice be??

-MH

This week I get to experience March Madness in Little Rock. My family and I will be a few of the many thousands getting to enjoy the tourney for the first time live and in color from Alltel Arena in North Little Rock. It’s been a long time coming, but this just may give Little Rock / NLR the status of “actual small city.”

I know… it is certainly no deep spiritual thought, but hey…it’s one of those things God lets you enjoy as part of life.

On other fronts, it is also Easter weekend. Never mind that many in the religious heritage I have been a part of all my life will be doing their dead-level best not to acknowledge it. Fortunately, though, many of our congregations have finally realized that (shock) it’s actually a good idea to talk about the resurrection on Easter. Why embargo the topic? Truly, the logic has escaped me for many years. We tend to do the same thing on Christmas. In our effort to point out that we don’t know the actual dates, we avoid the topics altogether. I’m old enough now, I get a right to say it – that thinking is a combination of stupid and childish. Since when did God’s people ever feel like it was not a good idea to talk about Christ on days others have called special when we may think they are not?

I have never been more embarrassed to be part of my heritage than about five years ago on Christmas day. I cannot remember the exact year, but there was a year since the turn of the millenium where Christmas fell on a Sunday. What was preached? A sermon on instrumental music. No, I’m not kidding. On a day when we have people in attendance who need the Christ – many of who may not see the inside of a church building for the next seven years – and we choose to waste air talking about instrumental music?! Again, I call it what it is… childish stupidity.

Forgive my passion, but I think that when we fail to talk openly about the one event that saves us on Easter, we commit the ultimate kind of March Madness. So here’s a thought…this coming Sunday, let’s all resolve to tell the world about what makes our savior so different from Allah, Muhammed, Buddha and other false gods – Our savior’s tomb is EMPTY.

-MH