Dixie Square Mall is a ruin in Harvey, Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1966, the Dixie Square Mall which is currently an eye-sore, was the pride of Harvey. It went down with the record of having the shortest life span in Chicago. The mall operated for 12 years before it was abandoned.

Early days of Dixie Square Mall 

Dixie Square Mall was constructed in 1966 with a capacity of over 60 stores. Though the mall never lasted, it was the pride of the residents of Harvey, Chicago who praised and loved it. The organization and management company parted with 25 million US dollars to get the job done. Dixie Square Mall was the town's pride and most preferred shopping and recreation center for the locals. Stores such as the Woolworth, Walgreen, and jewel supermarket were some of the many tenants it hosted.  Despite being a mall, the buildings were used in 1979 to host school children from the nearby Harvey-Dixmoor School District. It served as a school for two years as a new school was being constructed. Universal Pictures (a film production company) also used the premise to shoot the famous “The Blues Brothers” movie. Controversies later came up after the school blamed the film production company for vandalizing the premise with their activities. No one was held accountable. 

Closure and abandonment 

By the beginning of the 1970s, the town of Harvey’s crime rate rose at extreme heights. This did not only slow the business when working hours were reduced but also reduced the number of tenants who sought alternative safe neighborhoods to establish their stores. The mall struggled all through the decade until it closed its doors permanently in 1978. A year later efforts to renovate the building came up but this never came to fruition. By the 1980s and better parts of the 1990s, the mall was a favorite spot for all legal activities and vandals. The property was looted and the interior of The Mall was destroyed beyond restoration. In 2000, several fire outbreaks caused further destruction causing the roof to cave in. 

What remains of the mall? 

After over 30 years of desertion, the city of Harvey made a decision to demolish the mall. The demolition process began in 2005 and later finished in May 2012. What remains of the building are concrete ruins forming a shell of its former self. To this date, the site has been replaced by new and modern business stores offices. To see the building in the heydays, one can go through historical books and articles. Some museums in the state of Illinois have artifacts that were collected from the building before it was brought down.