Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedHawthorne Plaza was an enclosed shopping mall in Hawthorne, California, that closed in 1999 and later became an abandoned property and filming location.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hawthorne Plaza was an enclosed shopping mall on Hawthorne Boulevard between 120th Street and El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California. Developed as part of the Hawthorne Plaza Redevelopment Project, the 35-acre site was approved for redevelopment in 1969, construction began in January 1974, and most of the mall’s 134 stores opened in February 1977. Its original anchor tenants were Montgomery Ward, The Broadway, and J.C. Penney, supplemented by freestanding stores at the southern end of the property. The mall primarily served middle-class residents of Hawthorne and nearby communities. Its tenant mix emphasized relatively affordable merchandise, positioning it below nearby competitors such as South Bay Galleria, Manhattan Village, and Del Amo Fashion Center in price and market profile. Hawthorne Plaza initially attracted substantial local activity, but its long-term performance was affected by broader economic and demographic changes. Aerospace employment reductions weakened the surrounding economy, while white flight and competition from newer regional shopping centers reduced the mall’s customer base. The property also experienced serious security and social disruption. Two shootings occurred at the mall in 1979. It was heavily looted and damaged during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, although sales remained comparatively steady for a period afterward. Occupancy subsequently deteriorated: the number of occupied stores fell from approximately 130 in the late 1980s to 87 in 1994 and roughly 70 by 1998. The Broadway was replaced by a Macy’s Clearance Center after Federated Department Stores acquired The Broadway. That clearance operation closed in December 1997. Proposals followed to add an AMC theater and convert the enclosed mall into an open-air shopping center, but the plans were not completed. J.C. Penney, the last remaining anchor, closed in 1998, and the mall ceased operating in 1999. Part of the southern section was demolished in 1998 and redeveloped as a strip center containing a supermarket, pharmacy, and small restaurants. After closure, most of the main structure and its multistory parking facilities remained unused. The former Montgomery Ward portion was adapted for a police training center, while a northern section became an administrative annex for the Hawthorne School District. A southern parking structure and adjacent lot were used for Tesla vehicle storage. Much of the interior was gutted during the 2000s. In January 2022, a fire associated with a makeshift homeless encampment severely damaged the former Broadway entrance and central entrance. Hawthorne Plaza’s abandoned architecture later gave it a second identity as a production location. Its empty corridors, damaged storefronts, parking structures, and industrial atmosphere appeared in films, television programs, trailers, and music videos, including Evolution, Minority Report, The Green Hornet, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Teen Wolf, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Gone Girl, Westworld, Tenet, and works by Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Drake, and other artists. The site has been the subject of repeated redevelopment proposals since the late 1990s. Concepts announced in the 2010s included an outlet mall, a power center, outdoor retail, offices, dining, and approximately 500 housing units. Hawthorne’s specific plan for revitalization was approved in March 2016, but the property owner did not begin construction. A later proposal contemplated demolition and a destination resembling the Los Angeles Farmers Market. The property was placed on the market for redevelopment after Cushman & Wakefield acquired it in 2023, with residential apartments identified as an initial concept. In 2025, the city reportedly obtained an injunction requiring redevelopment or demolition, with demolition described as beginning in August 2026 and proceeding in phases. The mall’s long-term future is therefore tied to redevelopment rather than retail operation.
History
Hawthorne Plaza originated in a municipal redevelopment effort approved in 1969 for a 35-acre site in Hawthorne, California. Construction began in January 1974. The enclosed mall opened in February 1977 with most of its planned 134 stores operating. Montgomery Ward, The Broadway, and J.C. Penney served as the principal anchors, while additional freestanding retail occupied the southern portion of the property. The mall was designed for the local middle-class market and competed partly through affordability. Its stores generally offered lower-priced merchandise than several newer or more upscale shopping destinations in the South Bay area. The center was initially popular, but its prospects weakened over the following decades. Aerospace-sector employment reductions damaged the regional economy, demographic change reduced the nearby customer base, and competing shopping centers drew shoppers away. Two shootings in 1979 marked an early period of security concerns. In 1992, Hawthorne Plaza suffered extensive looting and physical damage during the Los Angeles riots. Although sales remained relatively stable for a short time after the unrest, occupancy continued to decline. The mall reportedly had about 130 occupied stores in the late 1980s, 87 in 1994, and approximately 70 in 1998. The Broadway was eventually replaced by a Macy’s Clearance Center following Federated Department Stores’ acquisition of The Broadway. Macy’s closed the clearance operation in December 1997. Plans were then discussed for an AMC theater and a conversion to an open-air retail format, but the proposed renovation did not proceed. J.C. Penney closed in 1998, the final anchor departed, and the mall closed in 1999. The southern section across from the parking structure was demolished in 1998 and rebuilt as a smaller strip-center development with a supermarket, pharmacy, and restaurants. Following closure, the central mall became an abandoned structure. The former Montgomery Ward section was reused as a police training center, and a northern portion housed an administrative office for the Hawthorne School District. The southern parking structure and adjacent lot were used to store Tesla vehicles. Most of the interior was stripped during the mid-2000s, leaving a deteriorated complex of empty retail spaces, corridors, entrances, and parking facilities. The abandoned site acquired cultural visibility through film and music production. Its vacant interiors and stark exterior spaces were used for productions including Evolution, Minority Report, The Green Hornet, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Teen Wolf, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Gone Girl, Rush Hour, Colony, Westworld, and Tenet. Music-video and promotional productions associated with Beyoncé, Lindsey Stirling, David Guetta, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, Travis Scott, and Drake also used the location. Redevelopment discussions continued for decades without producing a completed project. A 2014 proposal described an outlet mall. In 2016, a larger power-center concept included an outdoor mini-mall, offices, walkable retail strips, outdoor dining, and high-end housing. Hawthorne’s specific plan, approved on March 10, 2016, contemplated approximately 500 housing units alongside commercial and office uses, but the property owner did not commence construction. Later city discussions considered demolishing the mall and replacing it with a development inspired by the Los Angeles Farmers Market. The property remained unresolved into the 2020s. A January 2022 fire associated with a makeshift homeless encampment severely damaged two major entrances. In December 2022, owner Arman Gabaee received a four-year prison sentence in a bribery case concerning a proposed tenancy agreement for the abandoned mall. Cushman & Wakefield acquired the property and placed it on the market for redevelopment in October 2023; apartments were identified as an initial concept. A reported 2025 court injunction required the owner either to redevelop or demolish the property by August 2026. Demolition was reported as beginning in August 2026 in phases from south to north, marking the likely end of the surviving mall structure.
- 2026
Reported phased demolition begins
[1]Demolition was reported as beginning in August and proceeding from the southern portion toward the north.
- 2025
City obtains redevelopment or demolition injunction
[1]The city reportedly secured a court order requiring redevelopment or demolition by August 2026.
- 2023
Property marketed for redevelopment
[1]Cushman & Wakefield acquired and marketed the property, initially identifying residential apartments as a possible redevelopment direction.
- 2022
Fire damages abandoned structure
[1]A January fire severely damaged two principal entrances.
- 2016
Power-center plan and specific-plan approval
[1]A power-center concept was announced in February, and Hawthorne’s related specific plan was approved in March.
- 2014
Outlet-mall revitalization proposed
[1]A proposal was announced to revitalize the abandoned property as an outlet mall.
- 1999
Mall closes
[1]Hawthorne Plaza ceased operating as an enclosed shopping mall.
- 1998
Final anchor closes
[1]J.C. Penney closed, while part of the southern mall section was demolished and rebuilt as a strip center.
- 1997
Macy’s clearance operation closes
[1]The Macy’s Clearance Center occupying the former Broadway location closed in December.
- 1992
Mall damaged during Los Angeles riots
[1]Hawthorne Plaza was heavily looted and damaged during the unrest.
Products and positioning
A locally oriented, value-focused shopping center serving Hawthorne and surrounding South Bay communities; after closure, it became primarily an abandoned redevelopment site and recognizable filming location.
Product categories. Retail merchandise · Department-store goods · Discount and clearance merchandise · Supermarket and pharmacy goods · Food-service offerings
Controversies
Brand decisions
2025
Court-required redevelopment or demolitionOtherBackground
The abandoned and deteriorating structure continued to pose redevelopment and property-management concerns.
Action taken
The city obtained an injunction requiring the owner to redevelop or demolish the mall by August 2026.
Aftermath
Demolition was subsequently reported as beginning in August 2026 in multiple phases.
2023
Property offered for redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The mall remained largely abandoned and required a new use after decades of unrealized redevelopment proposals.
Action taken
Following its acquisition, Cushman & Wakefield placed the property on the market and identified residential apartments as an initial redevelopment concept.
Aftermath
The property’s future remained subject to further redevelopment action and later city enforcement.
2016
Hawthorne Plaza revitalization specific planStrategyBackground
The enclosed mall had been vacant since 1999 and multiple earlier redevelopment proposals had failed to materialize.
Action taken
Hawthorne approved a plan involving approximately 500 high-end housing units, office space, commercial outlets facing Hawthorne Boulevard, outdoor retail areas, and dining.
Aftermath
The property owner did not begin construction, and the plan did not result in a completed redevelopment.
Sources1 sources
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