Henry Fisher’s Commentary:

The death knell has certainly rung for the Mall of the Mainland. It is quite sad as I spent a lot of time in my formative years at this mall. As of 2012, the mall is down to two anchor stores (Palais Royal and Sears) out of the five original anchors opened. Macy's (formally Foley's) closed down in the spring of this year. Dillards closed their doors after $4 million of uninsured damage caused by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Most of the national chain stores inside the mall have closed down. My favorite was Waldenbooks, which closed after the main chain Borders went bankrupt in 2011. A tornado hit the mall in January of 2012 and caused some extensive damage.

As a little kid, it was exciting to see the plot of land cleared out and then the mall getting built (c. 1990-1991). The first time my family entered the place, it was pretty awe inspiring with the tall ceilings and the grandness of the food court with the natural light flowing in from the windows above. The mall attracted decent foot traffic in those first few years. It was never at the level of the nearby Baybrook Mall. I was certainly excited about the promise of new store openings posted on the walls, but the mall never seemed to gain any traction. Within a few years, I started seeing independently owned stores opening up in tenant spaces. When I returned home from college, I hardly went to Mall of the Mainland for shopping purposes. I would drive the extra 10 minutes to go to Baybrook Mall, which has a wider selection of stores and even inventory in the anchor stores.

The one redeeming quality is the Movies 12 at Mainland Mall. You can see an evening new release for around $4.50. It's around $2.00 for a matinee. Afterwards I would get a jumbo corndog or a cheese on a stick (cheese dipped in corn dog batter and fried- so good, but I digress) at the Corn Dog 7. I liked the pizza at Villa PIzza too. I believe these two tenants are still at the mall to this day.

In terms of the life of the mall, it is relatively young at 21 years old. The mall itself is kept in good condition (well lit, clean, etc.). I think it is a beautiful retail space. Unfortunately, it never could attract the amount/type of clientele needed to attract more national chains to open. I think shutting down the mall and converting it to storefront space might be a way to go (ie. Grocery store, Bed Bath and Beyond, Sports Authority, Academy, etc.).

Tammy Rodriguez’s Commentary:

Macy's (formerly Foley's) has announced they are closing their store at Mall of the Mainland in early 2012. Macy's and Sears are the only anchors left in this mall, and the closing of Macy's will surely signal the end of what is left of the mall.

Gerald Campbell’s Commentary:

Hurricane Ike has eliminated the retail industry along the Texas Gulf Coast. Except Mall of the Mainland. Now the fastest growing in the area, Mall of the Mainland is experiencing the boom Houston saw after the Hurricane of 1900 that created a population there. With little chance of a retail return to Galveston withgout major casino or development capitol, Mall of the Mainland is the closest to the Hurricane effected area that is not talking receivership. Looks like happy days for Mall of the Mainland.