A walk through Westminster’s Ghost Mall

Brian Resendiz

It’s not unheard of that the traditional shopping mall is becoming outphased. Shopping centers all over the United States have been affected by this plague, either becoming abandoned, demolished or at the very least, devoid of consumer life. These are commonly referred to as “ghost malls” or “zombie malls.” There are many across the state, but there is a recent, notable addition to this plague, and it can be found here in Orange County.

Opening in 1974, the acclaimed Westminster Mall has been enjoyed for decades, not only by local Westminster residents but also citizens all over Orange County and undoubtedly OCSA students, who have fond memories of the mall. The mall has even been used as a filming location for the 2019 Netflix film Rim of the World, directed by music video director McG. While it has a diverse selection of stores, it has recently found visitor attraction for its Sky Zone location. 

Early onset signs of the death of the mall were the closing of Sears in accordance with a deal that shut down 103 stores nationwide. Westminster was the last of these locations to close. The COVID-19 pandemic played a large role in the general loss of popularity of many other shopping malls across California as well. Westminster Mall is set to close in 2025, preceding its demolition and plans to reconstruct it into a new shopping center with apartments, similar to the functions of Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. Visiting the mall today, there is almost no one walking about. The vast majority of the shops are closed down, and some are in the process of moving out. Major outlets, such as Target and Sky Zone, are still open, but the Target entrance is blocked off from the rest of the mall, as if to detach itself. Many of the employee-only zones are unblocked and unsecured, and there tends to be more total employees than customers. 

The mall isn’t the only part of the city to lose its life. The Westminster Center is a small,  but popular shopping outlet with two more locations subject to perish. Rite Aid, a pharmacy popular for its Thrifty Ice Cream chains, has been subject to a lawsuit which forces them to close many locations across the country, including locations in Tustin, Lakewood, San Diego and Los Angeles. The cause of these closures has been cited as a method of combat against bankruptcy, perpetuated by declining sales and countless opioid-related lawsuits. Along with the loss of the Rite Aid, the Regency Theater in the Center has also been losing business, calling for employees to get scheduled for less hours and pay.

Perhaps the shopping mall isn’t dead and is instead going through a rebirth. Society is constantly evolving, and its infrastructures are no different. Perhaps big market shopping will continue to take on a new direction, such as VHS tapes having been outphased without ending video media. The renovation must be seen as a good thing, and there is excitement to be had as to what could possibly come next with these renovation plans. Nonetheless, it is always heart-aching to watch, in real time, the present becoming the past. All in all, the best is wished for the future of this shopping mall.