As online shopping has steadily taken over brick-and-mortar commerce since the early 2000s, the large pedestrian malls that once drew millions of visitors per year are approaching foreclosure. This has left structures that employed thousands and were once full of large and small businesses on the brink of failure. Once these malls are forgotten about, what happens to these places and the people who rely on them? 

Syracuse, New York, is no stranger to the death of the mall. Destiny USA, the 6th largest mall in the country, defaulted on its $300 million mortgage in the spring of 2025. The owners failed to obtain an extension of the loan’s maturity date when the mortgage came due on June 6th of last year, according to Syracuse.com. My project explores the fall of these malls as a reflection of the nationwide abandonment that has taken place over the past decade.