Middlesboro Mall
- Feb 18
- 6 min read
The Middlesboro Mall, which is located in Middlesboro, Kentucky, is a stunning example of a 1980s mall that has remained open all the way until now (2026). I visited the property for the first time after my first trip to Harlan, Kentucky in 2022, and I was not disappointed.
Middlesboro, Kentucky is a small town that resides near the border of Tennessee, that today is connected to Tennessee by the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. Like many cities in Appalachia, the primary industry of the area throughout its entire history and into the 1960's and 1970's was based on coal mining, which experienced a resurgence in the 1970's. The population peaked in the 1950s at 14,000 people, but remained relatively solid through the 1980s with over 12,000 people. This steady population and promising industry at the time would lead to the creation of the first mall in the city, Village Square. Village Square opened in the early 1970s, and was a smaller more locally focused mall. Eventually, as many malls popped up across the US in cities of all sizes, Middlesboro would get their true regional mall known as the Middlesboro Mall.
Middlesboro Mall was planned by David Hocker in the early 1980's, and would be placed off of US 25E. Originally, the town did not want the new mall to be built. A state oversight committee struck down the malls original 10 million dollar bond financing in March 1981. This was because the mall's proposed anchors, JCPenney, Belk and K-mart, would largely wipe out the towns surveyed 147,000 square feet of retail space, leaving about 12,000 square feet before the market would be considered 'saturated.' Concerns were also being raised about the fate of downtown Middlesboro if a new mall was constructed. David Hocker protested, stating that the shopping center wouldn’t affect downtown shopping and would provide 800 new jobs in an area of 12.4% unemployment. In May of 1981, a resurvey of the area was done and the Industrial Revenue Bond Oversight Committee approved the malls construction.
The mall had its grand opening during October of 1983, anchored by Belk Simpson, Kmart, and JCPenney, standing at roughly 317,000 square feet in size. Some stores that occupied the mall in the 1980's included junior anchors SupeRX Drug and a small format Sears Hardline store, and inline tenants Playland Toys, Sophia’s Hallmark, Clifford Jewelers, and Aladdin’s Castle.
Despite David Hocker's statement, like most malls that were built, it gutted downtown Middlesboro and had a negative effect on the existing Village Square mall that was located not even a mile away. But it didn't matter, because these regional malls were a sign of "progress," and it would be massively successful throughout the 1980's and into the 1990's.
Though the mall initially was successful, like many towns in the region, the coal and mining industries sharply declined after the 1990s, and the effects on the region were devastating. It is during this time that the population decline of Middlesboro would begin, and into the late 2000's the mall would begin to struggle.
In 2000, the mall did boast familiar names like Dawahares, CATO Fashions, Regis, Fashion Bug, Bookland, Merle Norman and more. But if you pay attention, many of these stores are names that would either scale back operations or go completely under in the 2000's.
Long standing mall-based chains disappearing, and the decline of the prominent industry of Middlesboro led to the mall dying out over the 2000's and into the 2010's. It seemingly is really hard to keep a rural mall in the south occupied, since usually the region is in economic decline.
This issue was made worse when the Kmart store number #9783 closed in 2002. Mall anchor hermit Steve & Barrys, which sold sports-ware, would open in the former Kmart anchor in 2004. However, the entire company went out of business in 2009. Roses replaced the old Steve & Barry's on November 18th, 2010, and a portion of the former anchor was also subdivided for a church venue called Locus Church.
In the 2010's, the mall would see more longstanding store closures. Jamie Middleton, a local of the area, notes that Disc Jockey closed in 2010, and that Footlocker and Claires both closed in 2014. The mall would receive another blow, when JCPenney closed at the mall as part of the '154 store closing wave' in 2020.
During the visit where I recorded the mall in April 2024, the only chain stores left were Show Show Megastore, Dollar Tree, Factory Connection, and Bath & Body Works.
During a revisit in late 2025, I discovered that Bath & Body Works had closed. The inline occupancy of the mall is dismal, but the property has found success with its anchor stores. Belk is still here, as is Roses. The mall would even gain a Hobby Lobby store, replacing JCPenney. The store celebrated a grand opening on May 10th, 2024. There is also a four screen Golden Ticket Cinemas that during my various visits always seems very busy.
For a long period of the malls life, it was owned by an entity known as Ershig Properties, who used to own several more rural malls across the southern US. The mall was then sold in 2023 to a Texas based group known as Commercial Retail Group (CRG).
I unfortunately did have a negative run in with security at this mall. They caught me as I was filming some b-roll shots of the Belk wing, and I unfortunately told them what I did as a hobby: Documenting older malls. They proceeded to be rather rude, and escorted me out of the mall, asking me to delete my footage, which I politely declined. I was not told to never return, however.
I love the Middlesboro Mall, for its gorgeous architecture and amazing location in the mountains of Appalachia. I would love if the interior concourse could stay open, but I don't see the interior mall portion remaining open for much longer. The anchor situation is promising, but the dire interior situation at Middlesboro Mall is a reminder that this malls golden years are well behind her.
Check out my YouTube video on the mall for a full walkthrough and history on the property. Recorded in April 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlbFGnIKFGA
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