A circa-1994 physical layout depicts HAWTHORNE PLAZA right before the start of an "anchors away" scenario. The Broadway went dark in 1995. Its replacement, a Macy's Clearance Center, shut down in 1997. Montgomery Ward also pulled up stakes. The final operational anchor, J.C. Penney, closed for good in 1998.

The anchor-less mall officially closed in February 1999. During its long state of slumber, the deserted shopping hub became a favorite destination of urban explorers. It was also been used as a setting for several feature films, music videos and television programs.
Photo from http://www.mitchglaser.com

 

The Montgomery Ward building was reconfigured as a police training center in 2002. Over the decades, redevelopment plans for the remainder of the abandoned inner city mall came and went. This rendering of a revitalized HAWTHORNE PLAZA is from 2016. The complex, excluding the old Wards, was demolished in August 2026.
Drawing from The Charles Company