Dead Mall Rising: The Story of El Con Mall

Remember the mall?

• The smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and soft pretzels in the food court.
• The sounds of fountain water splashing, and an organ store demo playing a Bossa Nova.
• The kaleidoscope of flashing lights emanating from the gaming arcade and the glow of neon lights on storefront marquees.

For those who experienced it, a day at the mall in the 1980s and 1990s was pure magic.

At one time, the mall was more than a place to shop-it was the unofficial town square of most subu...