After Taylor Swift and Beyoncé used it for shoots — the old mall in Los Angeles will be demolished
Hawthorne Plaza closed back in 1999, but has since served as a filming location for music videos by stars, cinematic scenes by Spielberg, and a sought-after location for wild races in the "Fast & Furious" movies. Now it is finally being demolished to make way for a residential area.
When it opened in 1977, developers believed Hawthorne Plaza would become one of the most prestigious malls in Los Angeles. With a variety of well-known stores, movie theaters, and a massive parking lot, many expected it to attract over 25,000 visitors a day. Just 22 years later, it closed completely, and the structure was abandoned.
As it fell into disrepair—becoming a site for looting, urban decay, and a refuge for the homeless—the mall found a new life as a cinematic backdrop. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift famously used the unique abandoned structure for music videos. Later, Steven Spielberg utilized the location for scenes in "Minority Report," and the "Fast & Furious" film series used the site for racing sequences.
Now, that era is coming to an end. According to a report in the LA Times, a court order has forced the property owners to begin final demolition. The crumbling structure, spanning 140,000 square meters, will finally be cleared, allowing the Hawthorne area in South Los Angeles to begin redevelopment.
In reality, Hawthorne Plaza was closed longer than it was ever open. It debuted at the peak of the mall boom, when every city wanted its own air-conditioned main street. Despite closing in 1999, large signs for The Broadway and Montgomery Ward—department store chains that vanished decades ago—still hang on the facade. In recent years, the site became a destination for urban explorers and social media creators who broke in to document the decay.
Demolition began last week, with trucks hauling away rusted metal scraps. Local complaints regarding the site’s neglect, including illegal activity and graffiti, had been mounting for years.
In 2001, the property was sold to Charles Co, a real estate firm, for $7 million. Tensions between the company and the city escalated in 2021 when the municipality filed a lawsuit over health and safety violations. The situation worsened when Armen Gabay, a managing partner at Charles Co, was sentenced to four years in prison for bribing county officials to secure lucrative lease contracts.
In 2025, Los Angeles building officials declared the site a public nuisance. The city secured a permanent injunction requiring the owners to proceed with demolition or redevelopment by August 14. The demolition will proceed in five phases, starting from the south. While the timeline for completion remains unclear, Hawthorne city officials are currently considering plans to build hundreds of apartments on the property.
