We came to this mall with our Mom to go Christmas shopping and to spend time with her as we do each year. We came in at one end of the mall and decided to walk to the other end first and then make our way back to where we Parkes. We were nearly at the other end of the mall when a security person told us we had to leave unless we worked there. We said we were walking to the other end before the mall stores open at 9am. He then informed us that the mall opens at 10am, which we were unaware of. He then asked how we got in and we said the door was open. He then said we had to leave, so we began walking back to the door where we parked by. He left and then caught up to us when my Mom had to sit for literally a minute because her hip was hurting. He told us again that we had to leave and we told him we were on our way out, but that Mom's hip hurt and we were just letting her sit for a moment. He said thar "they" were telling him that we had to leave, at which point, I told him that we were on our way out, and "they" would have to wait an extra minute for Mom to relax for just a minute. He then left and we began walking back to the door we parked by when another man came up to is who we figured to be "they". I told him to not tell us to leave as we were leaving, but we're walking slower due to Mom's bad hip. If the mall security was in such a rush to have us leave, they should have brought us a wheelchair for Mom and walked us out. Maybe they should make sure their doors are locked before 10am.​​ read more

Large mall with lots of stores. Good for walking. Not too crowded. We were there on a Saturday afternoon and plenty of room to walk around. Ice skating rink is a great feature. Stores are meh. No sailors cruising the mall, maybe they don't do that anymore. read more

Needs some updates. Cheap stores for the most part. Back in the day it was a cheap spot that brought in tons of visitors. Quality is lacking. read more

I stopped at Gurnee Mills upon entering back into Illinois from Wisconsin. Gurnee Mills is known as the largest shopping mall in the state of Illinois and provides over 200 indoor shopping stores including everything from H&M, Bath and Body Works, Macy's Neiman Marcus and many more. This mall is just absolutely massive! Quick tip: stop at the customer service desk to obtain a map of the mall. Gurnee Mills can be found right off the highway with varies different signs to point you in the right directions. You can find everything you need at this shopping mall; it's huge! Plan to spend about 2-3 hours if you are interested in stepping into most of the shops. The parking can be a challenge as the mall is so big, you literally have to remember where you parked your car. Depending on what time you arrive, you may be walking quite a distance to get to the front of the mall. The mall is pretty unique and is built similar to an "S" shape; luckily, everything is on the first floor. I noticed that when I wanted to get to a certain store, and I wasn't parked in the right area, I found myself walking miles just to get to the store I wanted. Make sure you plan accordingly. During the weekends, good luck! This place is a packed house! Hungry? No worries! Gurnee Mills offers four different food courts as well as fun activities for the young children. Did I mention the big arcade and the ice rink inside the mall, along with a movie theater? Its kid's heaven up in here*! My favorite shops in this store you may ask? Oh, I love me some Bath and Body works, Off the Broadway (shoe store), H&M, Forever 21 and Vicky Secret! This mall is always growing with new stores, even though some of the stores have either closed or moved. *Rainforest Café is always a good stop for the kids! I promise you they will love it! Shop till you DROP! read more

It's gurnee mills. What do you expect. Mall is often over run with young teens and gentleman on leave from Great Lakes Naval. Has a few great shops, Bass Pro, Portillos (technically our of mall) Would be nice if you could make a square or circle lap. Several recent closures are leaving big dead space. Rinkside is a cool feature but the arcade has gone down hill. Expensive movie theater (they all are) The Escape Room is pretty cool. read more

Big malls drive me crazy. It sends me back to the days when kids trolled the mall on Friday nights and checked out the latest gag gifts at Spencer's. Gurnee Mills is not a place I would chose to go to. On weekends, it can be crowded, loud and uncomfortable. . However, if you need something, undoubtedly you can get it here! Just be sure to look it up on the mall map before you leave or you could spend a ridiculous amount of time walking to your destination. read more

We had time to kill so I looked up shopping malls in the area and Gurnee Mills came up. From what I read, it's the "biggest" shopping mall in IL. There is a Bass Pro Shop there! Hubby was happy since he's a big fan of theirs. Unfortunately, we didn't have too much time at the mall before meeting up with friends for dinner. We spent too much time in Bass Pro and Marshalls haha. We did like the mall though. I would come back if I ever had to come to IL again. It has a lot of stores that are in a lot of malls - Bath & Body Works, Victoria Secret, Apple, H&M, etc. 7/2019 read more

Eh. Gurnee mills is ok. It's certainly NOT my go-to spot for shopping. For starters, this place is about 45 minutes away from where I live. But... if I'm in the neighborhood, I'll occasionally stop in (maybe once a year). I think the problem with Gurnee Mills is that it has a reputation of being a low-end mall, and that's partially to blame for the types of stores they have in there. A lot of them were outlets, or just ticky-tacky places. From what I understand, they're trying to clean the place up. I was there last week, and see they've opened a brand new BEAUTIFUL Macy's store. It looks like they're also trying to change the stores that are opening, in an attempt to make it a better place. I think the Macy's will definitely help with that, along with their anchor store of Bass Pro shop. If they continue to open higher-end stores, it will become a better place to go! It's indoors, it's HUGE, and the inner "common area" of the mall is very clean! There's a lot to look at, and certainly good people-watching! I do recommend coming here every so often, just to see what's out there. And I hope, that as I continue to come that there will be more stores that I am interested in. read more

I had to review this mall....because it has a sister mall here in Arizona where I live now. Just like the Arizona Mills mall out here in Tempe, AZ the gurnee mills mall has all the same or most of the same stores. This is a bargain mall....with great deals....and pretty good service. It is very large like the one here in AZ....and it is the only shopping locale in the area so hence it is always crowded. It is surrounded by several restaurants and other various activities you do with your family.....all at great prices as well. Now if you are visiting Chicago....this will not be your shopping destination....because you have to stay the entire day do to the long drive to gurnee. However if you are in the area....then like I said before this is going to be your absolutely one and only place to shop. So if your ever in gurnee or locales near by please visit the mall and get your shopping on....and as always Eat, Drink, and be Merry my Friends!!!! read more

Safe, large mall area with large department stores and smaller stores as well. There are loads of restaurants inside and all around area seems clean and safe. Free parkimg. read more

Worst Macy's ever. Outdated clothes and shoes. Trust me ladies go elsewhere. And I don't usually give bad reviews but this mall and Macy's is the worst. read more

Save yourself the trouble and avoid this mall. I used to enjoy going here but in the last three years it has gone so downhill. The security is an absolute joke. We had the back window of our car smashed in, along with three other cars in the parking lot. No bystanders called it in or said anything about it and the security woman claimed that there were no cameras pointed at the parking lot, just at the doors and anything that may be pointed at the parking lot would be "blurry at best". They didn't even try to sound like they were going to make any effort to help the situation and just did not seem to care much at all. They basically just said "it happens but you're not getting your stuff back." She claimed that this is something that does not happen often when, in fact, anybody else that we talked to said that it happens all the time and that there was even a shooting right outside of the mall a week prior. It's not a safe place to be and it's not good people. This mall needs better security and more cameras because this is not something they should be letting happen. It's not safe for the people that visit or the employees that work there every single day. read more

Gurnee Mills - Shopping Centers Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Have not been here in almost 20 years. Came here because my nephew graduated bootcamp and he wanted to go shopping. The mall is very dirty. Especially the restrooms. They are disgusting!! Like it hasnt been cleaned in a week. There's 2 food courts. Lots of store choices. And a very long mall. read more

I always think of Cousin Eddie saying "Gas gave out in Gurnee" in Christmas Vacation when I hear Gurnee. We stopped here on the way back to Milwaukee. I'll take J's word that it used to be a little nicer. It wasn't completely tragic, I just saw a lot of ho-hum.. Quince stores, a store that specialized in nothing but Grilz (teeth) and some other interesting stores. Nothing wrong with those if that's what you're looking for. Mall itself is quite big, but nothing that really stood out as a must stop at. It was a nice respite from the drive back to Milwaukee. I don't know why, but I expected something a lot different than what I saw. read more

Huge mall, with two food courts a giant arcade for your husband and kids to hang out at when they don't want to go shopping with you. The place wears me down with all the different stores and department stores. They have Macy's Sears, Kohl's and Sears. They also have a toy store, game store, kitchen store as well as my faves Forever 21 and H&M. I can be here all day walk off my lunch and do my workout sweating while walking up and down the mall. read more

Huge Mall - terrible lay out. It may as well be laid out in a straight line because if you come in one door, you will have to find your way back to that door and this place is huge. They have all the major factory outlet names - Nike Factory Store, Oakley Vault, Nautica, etc They also have a Bed Bath and Beyond, Sears, Marshalls, and a couple other biggies. The food court lacks, but they do have a Rainforest cafe and numerous fast food eateries just outside the mall. There is also a Toys R Us and Babies R Us close to the entrances. The place is continuously crowded, it's as if they did not make the halls large enough. I don't like crowded malls... eh. You can smell everyone as you walk around - it's an assault to the senses. The decor is "outlet" mall over the top and silly colorful. The ramps and stairs are convenient but why did they have to put them in at all??? It should have been all flat! The Bass pro shop is huge and an attraction of it's own. There are many information desks around the mall to help you find stuff. They seemed undermanned. There is a movie theater, but we didnt' bother to check that out. read more

I go here often, considering it's a five minute drive. Although a bit dated, the variety of stores are pretty decent, but some are a bit dodgy. The food court is great too. Personally, I'd stay away from the Chinese food. It's clumpy and a bit cold... It's a clean mall, and lines don't seem to be a problem here. read more

The place is ghetto. The place is extremely hot, I was so uncomfortable. All the stores are a mess. I understand it's outlet mall, could be kept up better! read more

I've been coming to Gurnee Mills for a long time now. Shoot, I even worked at a couple places in here (lol) The mills is a great mall with lots of variety! It's been known to be an outlet mall but they have been slowly converting it to a regular mall with new stores and anchor stores (Macys) Prices are very reasonable, you don't have to break the bank to get a few things! read more

Gurnee Mills - The mills ... - Shopping Centers Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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I went to Chicago Locker Room By Lids and was asked if I was shopping for someone or for myself. He asked the same question twice while blocking my way to leave. I said I was just browsing, particularly for myself but didn't find anything I liked. It was a worker with tattoos, juiced up, and a jersey that was just a little too tight for him. I just recommend to the manager not to hire inconsiderate bums like him. And yea I got plenty of time to type this. read more

Spent 2 days shopping and I'm loving that they had all my stores!! I can't to visit again next summer

Gurnee Mills Mall is DUMPED and HORRIBLE! It is most boring depressing mall ever been in. No entertainments, no decent fine dining restaurants, and no shopping brands besides Kohl's, Macy's, Bass Pro Shop, and Dick's Sporting good. Noticed the exterior/interior styles have been remodeling but it still not impressive because it still look bad as crap. Indoors: The floors is not in good shape as it should. Nearly trip over myself because floors isn't safe and not in properly good shape. Lights are dark and way too small. Walls are too boring. Store logo signs are really pathetic, it obviously must be cheap design for store's logo. Outdoors: parking lot is in very bad shape! Way too many pop holes. landscapes is really horrible shape. Painting are in very bad shape. Accessible to get into mall is really lame as pathetic. Movie theater is a rip off prices. Rink Side/tilt Studio??? I wouldn't go there. It is too depressing and boring. That place should have closed business for good because they do not deserve it at all. Mall should file bankruptcy read more

Mall security is disrespectful. First off, my car has automatic start, so I don't get why security had to circle my car twice while it was on and I was inside the mall. I get off work and not even 2 minutes in my car I'm asked to leave because in "the cameras" I looked "weird"??? After he leaves I stay to warm up my car, and another 5 minutes pass he comes back and flashes his lights. This is the second time something like this happens. Mall security doesn't care about its customers/ employees. The first time I thought security was a problem was when I accidentally left my headlights on while at work and realized I needed it to be jumped. An officer had driven in the lane behind me and I waved her down. She continued to drive away right next to me. Luckily my friend came to try and help and ended up flagging down the same lady with his car horn. She then told him that he needed to wait because she had to finish her route around the mall. Thirty minutes passed and she never came back. The car in front had backed up and left so my friend got to jump my car for me. How nice of security to help :) They need to get new, trained, security immediately. read more

SO BIG YOU'LL GET LOST This behemoth mall with zigzagging corridors on one level seems more of a frankenstein than a consumer friendly mall. For example, if you see that the Bed, Bath and Beyond and Marshalls Home Goods are relatively close to each other from the outside of the mall, don't be fooled that you can as easily walk between them from the inner walkways. I've made that mistake more than once here. Because of the layout, you have to walk quite a bit farther on the inside than the outside. I think they used the same architect as Dr Who's Tardis. Suppose you want to walk from one end to the other? By the time I got to the end of the mall, I dreaded walking all the way back to the other end. Hence, when I shop here, I focus on a few key places which keep me coming back. I'll often drive between locations more readily than walk between them if they are on opposite sides. A WORK IN PROGRESS This mall is so big, there is always something new there. The latest upgrades on the Macy's side include a new, upgraded facelift on the interior and a number of new shops which aren't specifically outlet stores. The food court on that end is so new that many of the stalls are yet reoccupied. THE GOODS I want a deal on quality merchandise. For that reason, I love Neiman Marcus Last Call, where you can get deep discounts on real store merchandise. I like Zumiez for sports shoes and accessories with an urban edge. You can find fun t-shirts at Hot Topic. H&M is a repeat visit shop for the incredible prices on decent styles for one season. I go back again and again to Marshalls Home Goods Stores and TJ Maxx for low prices on socks, sportswear, housewares, and luggage. I'm a fan of Ruby Tuesday for tasty, food that's often healthy. I love that they still have a salad bar. I found my wedding rings at the Zales Outlets. I love them and I'm pretty sure I got a good deal. It's no matter, I get lots of compliments on it. THE MEH Off Fifth by Saks Fifth Avenue, on the other hand, now stocks some weird mishmosh of made for Saks outlet brands labeled with colors like Blue, Black, Red, etc. I've never heard of these things. I don't know what they are. And they are overpriced for an unknown commodity. However, if you search, you can still find a few decent things there. Bed, Bath and Beyond is overpriced, stocked to the gills, and has okay merchandise. I'm no Kohl's shopper. I don't like that everyone else there has a coupon for stuff I don't. The Sears is mostly a disaster for everything except tools and appliances. Many of the designer name brand outlets are not my thing: Banana Republic, Nautica and Guess. It seems that the manufacturers create special lesser quality lines of their main line to distribute only through these outlet mall retail venues. I miss access to last year's overstock. Bass Pro outlet is pretty good for camping gear, but prices aren't alway the best compared to the big box stores across the street. At least they have a giant fish tank and lots of wacky taxidermy to spruce up the atmosphere. THE BAD The rest of the mall, probably 75%, is filled with overpriced crap. I avoid it. They also have many kiosks in the mall between stores. It's kind of a landmine, because I never want to answer any trap questions by somebody trying to sell me a hair treatment or beauty product. It can also get crowded, especially on weekends. I don't like to feel like I'm trapped in a slow lane. THE 411 Know what you want, and go specifically for that. You can find some good deals on great stuff between a lot of overpriced junk. Finding that one pearl in a sea of oysters makes it all worthwhile. read more

Gurnee Mills - It's a mall - Shopping Centers Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Whoever designed this mall is either a complete dumbass or a brilliantly mad retail strategist. You park at one end of the "Z" formation this mall has been designed after and proceed to wind your way down to the other end. By the time you get there, an entire day has gone by, you are exhausted, and the bags you are carrying have somehow tripled in weight. But GUESS WHAT! You now have to go back the *exact* way you came if you want to get back to your car! How fun! Do they think passing by a store twice will garner more revenue? Do they think travelling back whence you came makes for happy shopping memories? (ooh, remember when I bought this shirt ten minutes ago?) uh, no. To me, its more like "god frickin dammit, if and when I get back to my car I am leaving this &*^%(#% place and never coming back!!!" read more

I haven't been here in years but back then I actually liked it. Now it's worse than ever the food court was literally a garbage dump all the garbage bins were overflowing and all the open seat tables were not wiped down so everything was just filthy. Then you have the stores...Felt like a sauna in them on top of clothes racks and clothes all over the place and close together making you feel claustrophobic. I'll give it another try in a few more years and definitely not on a Sunday. read more

I used to live a stone's throw away from this mall. I had my first job here at a teen and worked here throughout college. I have a love/hate relationship with the GM. I know the short cuts through the "secret" halls so you don't have to walk the backwards Z shape to get back from the beginning. This mall is 2 miles if you walk the whole thing, insane! I was just here this past weekend and it seems like this mall is ever changing. They are opening a Victoria's Secret in a month or so. They have a mix of big box stores, outlets, regular retail stores, restaurants, fast food joints and a million kiosks down the wide walkways of the mall. It's a big mixed bag and you're sure to find something. What I cannot stand are the crowds. I know it's a "tourist" attraction but sometimes tourists get in the way. I hate the smell, it just has a funky foot stank. It gets ungodly hot in the winter so wear layers if you're planning a shopping excursion. Pack your patience to navigate this beastly mall, I'm sure you'll get frustrated at some point! read more

What a monstrosity of a mall. I've been to Gurnee Mills Mall a few times and I have NEVER finished walking the entire mall. But I still have on question: when did Gurnee Mills NOT become an outlet mall? I must've seen just a few outlet stores in the entire mall. The only reason I wanted to go here is because it was an outlet mall! I do have a favorite store here, it's the Latin Snacks shop. You know it's Latino run when you see a counter top pizza warmer that doesn't carry pizza but carries churros! How about a table top hot dog warmer that doesn't carry hot dogs but carries corn! A++ for creativity fellas. I need more outlet stores before I trek out to Gurnee Mills again. read more

I visited this monolithic retail emporium when it first opened way back in 1991, and then again just recently. Walking through the doors, I felt as if I'd taken a trip with Mr. Peabody in the Wayback Machine. No longer a true outlet mall (truthfully, I don't know if it ever was one,) with regular-priced mid-market stores sprinkled in with your outlet basics (Levi's Bally, Hanes, Corningware, etc.) a full scale Macy's and Bass Pro Shop, and topped off with a liberal scattering of cell phone, eyebrow threading, cheap body jewelry, knockoff perfume, and random crap kiosks. There are also a few high-end clearance centers, such as Nordstrom Rack and Saks off 5th Avenue. (Where I managed to find the ugliest pair of puce colored corduroy pants for a mere $250.) Back to the design. I was not exaggerating when I say it has not changed. Ever. It is also starting to show signs of age, with potholes in the parking lot, and lots of cracked and broken floor tiles on the interior. The color scheme of grey with pastel accents is predominant throughout. Seriously, it is badly in need of a face lift. If shopping is not your pleasure, there are other amusement options as well. A large arcade, huge cinema, and an ice skating rink are also housed inside the mall. Food is not an issue either. Two food courts offer a bevy of the usual suspects, and have ample seating. Hot Sam's and two Auntie Annie's for the required soft pretzel and lemonade, and a ridiculously loud and kid-friendly Rainforest Cafe round it all out. Starbucks and Gloria Jeans also reside somewhere in the depths of the mall. I'm not sure if I'd make the trek back out here. Unless some rehab work is done, and they go back to a more outlet format, the deals are just to far and few between to justify the gas mileage. read more

Just not impressed anymore with Gurnee Mills. It's no longer an outlet mall except for a few stores and it really doesn't have stores in line with my needs anymore. There's Macy's, Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls to anchor this mall, but I can find these stores anywhere and much closer to where I reside. Sorry Gurnee Mills, you're just not the mall for me... read more

This place has tons of outlets stores with great prices. It could get a little crowded during the weekend but with patience it will be ok.

Inconveniently shaped in such a way that you will need to walk several miles to get your shopping done, this mall is the epitome of a shopping nightmare. It is seriously faster to walk through the parking lots than to walk the "Z" shape. Just take a look at the map and decide for yourself if this makes sense: http://www.simon.com/mall/gurnee-mills/map Stuck between the faded glory of the nineties and the economic crash of the 2000's this mall is in dire need of a makeover. Although perhaps a complete tear down would be best. The crowds are awful and there are plenty of shady people and plenty of police officers hanging around. That's not exactly comforting. With no unique collection of stores or anything else to draw in shoppers, I'm not sure what this place actually has to offer. read more

Why does it seem that the vast majority of reviews for malls read like the following: "Wow, a bigass ghetto crap mall. worst. mall. ever. bitch. bitch. bitch.." Yes, this is a bigass outlet mall. Yes, the layout is odd and everything can seem far away. Yes, there are a few storefronts which are empty thanks to the economy. But lets be honest... this mall attracts a lot of people day in and day out. Yes things are far, but this mall is effing huge (and after walking it a few times, you may get into good enough shape and burn off lunch). Overall, I have enjoyed my visits to this mall. It was a good walk, and I did pick up some stuff now and then from the various stores. read more

Love this mall, always have a good time when I go. It's stereotypical but it's an amazing hang out spot and the mall consistently gets updated and always feels modern. If your thirsty, I strongly recommend boba tea. The Chinese and Japanese places normally have it read more

In my view there are two things wrong with this mall. First, the layout is terrible in that it can be a very long walk to and from the store you want to visit. If you don't know exactly what store your going to, or which entrance to park at, you can be in for a very long walk. It can turn into a downright, walking of a gauntlet, as you try to ply your way thru the crowds and navigating around all the kiosks situated around the narrow hallways. Perhaps the Amazing Race should use this place as a challenge in finding a store and once there, you can't go back the way you came... they all would be screwed, for that is really the only way to get back to your car. Second item is I don't see how they can call it an "outlet" mall. To me, this certainly is not the typical outlet mall and I don't see even a moderate difference in price. Not to mention, some of their anchor stores are pricy, with a great example being, Bass Pro Shop. When, outlet malls first came about, they use to have bargain prices on merchandise which has been on the selves for too long. I certainly don't see this at the vast majority of these stores. Perhaps another item is the food courts are in a serious need of an over haul. The selection is lousy and from what I've experienced, the food served is really, crappy. Okay, perhaps that is the case for many food courts, but in the case of Gurnee MIll's, they are perhaps the poster child of what not to do in having a food court. I avoid this mall as best as I can and must being doing well, for this year I've only been there twice. Instead, I go to one of the many, strip malls which dot the various neighborhoods in Lake County. Not only can you get good prices at such places, but you can always find a decent, local eatery close by as well and experience something new. read more

This mall is great! It has some awesome stores which have crazy clearance prices! Some stores include: Sak's 5th Avenue, Charlotte Rousse, Forever 21, H&M, Abercrombie Outlet, Abercrombie & Fitch Outlet, Hollister Outlet, Nike Store Outlet, Bakers, Victoria's Secret, Hot Topic, Banana Republic Outlet, Pacific Sunwear Outlet, etc. etc. It's definitely worth checking out since the prices are so low all year round, and if there are any seasonal deals you can get everything dirt cheap! It's on the way to Six Flags Great America exit West Grand :] Enjoy your shopping spree!!! :] read more

Wasn't this an outlet mall? Years ago, I would visit this mall and come out with some super duper bargains. Not so this past visit. This has turned in to an ordinary mall (albeit a ginormous one) with over priced wares. I was able to find some deals at the Disney Store and at Carter's but other than that, was sorely disappointed this trip. That being said, the mall is huge with a ton of stores (more low end than high end options) but I don't think I'll be back for awhile. read more

While the mall is nice it is NOT an outlet mall. A few miles north is an outlet mall with much cheaper sales tax. (Wisconsin 5% sales tax) Apparently Gurnee has a extra tax for being in Gurnee. Sales Tax Jurisdiction Breakdown Illinois: 6.25% Lake County: 0% Gurnee: 1% Special: 0.75% Total 8% sales tax. read more

My first outlet mall experience was the Lighthouse Outlets in Michigan City, IN. It was a beautiful day, and I scored some great discounts at some of my favorite stores. So, foolishly, I thought all outlet shopping would be dreamy, until I visited Gurnee Mills. The selection of stores is pretty lackluster, and the crowd consists of families of 6+ or big groups of teens. The mini doughnut kiosk was pretty neat, but didn't make up for the rest of the visit. The experience was a little surreal, especially once I wandered into the glow-in-the-dark mini golf/arcade portion. Now that I've seen it once, I won't return. The layout of this place is also awful. If you're thinking of checking out all the stores, I highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes. read more

What happens when you own a mall and the stores keep closing? I guess we'll find out soon enough. Gurnee Mills mall, managed by Simon, is a limping example of pending sustainability failure. Other regional malls have failed before this; it's not impossible. Ask Waukegan. Ask Elmhurst (closed for redevelopment during the current downturn). At current count (March 2009), 15 or 16 storefronts are vacant, including several anchor stores. Other long-term tenants, Sbarro, Sears Grand and the Rainforest Cafe (run by the troubled Landry's chain, (LNY,stock down 66%)) are under bankruptcy watch right now. And a good source has it that ten-year tenant Rainforest, with its pricey, themed buildout, just had its rent increased by tenfold -- almost daring them to move out. The smoke-and-mirrors routine continues well after the holiday shopping season, offering some existing tenants multiple locations within the mall just to keep up appearances. Does one mall need two A&F stores? In December, there were four different kiosks selling the same Dead Sea salt facials just to make the place seem less desolate. One large vacant retail space was transformed into a 'lounge' to turn its long stretch of bleak, darkened windows into something more inviting -- as long as you didn't look at it too closely or think about it too much. The touted new arrival: a Needless Markup, er, Neiman-Marcus outlet, appropriately named "Last Call" where you'll be able to pick among the items that everyone with big money to blow already said "No" to. Gee, doesn't that make you feel special? I think they were counting on this well-known retail name to add credibility, but it seems more like pricey hand-me-downs to me. As for their 'green' campaign -- well, I'll give them this; they have de-lamped almost everywhere and replaced what's left in the interior lighting with CFL's, no doubt cutting some the lighting-related costs by 3/4. But it's almost like congratulating a sinking ship for turning its pumps on to get some of the water out. And what about the HID lights in the parking lot? And all that empty roof space for supplemental solar or even wind power? There are things that could be done. The weird thing is -- as bleak as the place is -- we're there all the time. For locals, it's the only place to take a warm walk during the wintertime. You'd think they could capitalize on that. But hey, they know what they're doing. Just ask 'em. read more