Hawthorne Plaza, a once-thriving shopping mall in the South Bay suburb of Hawthorne, California, is entering a new chapter as demolition work has begun after being shuttered for more than two decades. The mall, which opened in 1977, closed its doors in 1999 amid declining business, and its long-vacant structure has since become a symbol of urban decay in the city’s central district.
Originally designed to serve as a regional shopping hub with three major department stores—The Broadway, Montgomery Ward, and JCPenney—Hawthorne Plaza was expected to attract up to 25,000 visitors daily. The mall also featured 4,200 parking spaces and numerous smaller shops and a movie theater. Despite early optimism, competition from other regional centers such as South Bay Galleria and Del Amo Fashion Center eroded its customer base. By the mid-1990s, many retailers, including See’s Candies and B. Dalton Bookseller, had left the mall, and the economic impact of layoffs at local aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman contributed to its decline.
Several revitalization efforts were proposed over the years, including plans for a light-rail line and conversion into an open-air plaza, but these efforts failed to materialize. The mall’s ownership changed hands in 2001 to a West Hollywood-based firm, Charles Co., for $7 million. Since then, the property has remained largely dormant, attracting trespassers, skateboarders, homeless encampments, and graffiti, and sparking complaints from neighbors about blight and safety concerns.
Tensions between the city and the property owner escalated in recent years. In 2021, the city filed a lawsuit alleging various health and safety code violations, including unauthorized commercial parking arrangements, claims the owners denied. The following year, Arman Gabaee, co-founder of Charles Co., was sentenced to prison for bribing a county official in connection with real estate leases, further complicating the property’s future.
In 2025, local authorities declared the site a public nuisance after years of inaction, leading to a court order mandating demolition or redevelopment by mid-August of that year. Since then, demolition has commenced in phases, with debris removal and site security measures in place. City officials have underscored the importance of the project for downtown Hawthorne’s economic recovery and neighborhood improvement, though no concrete redevelopment plans have been confirmed.
Locals reflect on Hawthorne Plaza with a mix of nostalgia and resignation. Residents recall the mall as a central gathering place where families and youth could shop, socialize, and spend leisure time. For some, demolition marks the end of an era; for others, it signals the potential for new opportunities in the city’s ongoing transformation, which has seen renewed interest driven by businesses like SpaceX locating nearby and developments in neighboring Inglewood.
As the property is cleared, its future remains uncertain, but the site’s prime location at the intersection of Hawthorne and El Segundo boulevards makes it a candidate for redevelopment. Across the region, similar defunct malls are being replaced with mixed-use housing and commercial projects, reflecting broader shifts in urban planning and retail trends. The community waits to see what will rise in place of Hawthorne Plaza's empty halls.