You have to give it to the expert groundskeeping team. They went above and beyond with this tree repair. You'll notice the duct tape used to hold the broken top of the tree to the main trunk. This repair easily costs in the hundreds of cents.
Not all of the parking spaces at the Carrolltown Mall are safe for parking. Fortunately for us, the security team at Carrolltown Mall used this 20 ft dropped tree limb to mark off some spots that are unsafe. If you haven't read the safety policy of Carrolltown Mall, section 8 reads, "Do not park in spots containing 20 ft dropped dead tree limbs. These spots are unsafe."
On the west side of the mall between the empty and decaying K-Mart and Hemlock Drive near the Eldersburg Library, you'll notice a row of dead evergreen trees. Ironic that they call them evergreens. They're all black and brown. Perhaps they are now black oaks. I suspect that Black Oak has decided to keep the dead trees there as it offers a natural barrier between the mall parking lot and the street. This will help keep the throngs of pedestrians and car traffic from making inadvertent ingresses and egresses.
Black Oak, not satisfied to just offer the upper middle class Eldersburg fine Class-A shopping establishments like Big Lots, K-Mart, and Dollar General, they now offer top tier 1 storage. This desirable rusted mobile storage unit is located next to the derelict movie theater. If you are interested in storing your personal treasures in this convenient parking lot storage unit, please contact Storage Trailers at 410-287-5277.
So the next time you're in Eldersburg, take a minute and thank Black Oak Associates for the wonderful unused crumbling pile of shit mall laying in the middle of our town. You can call them at (410) 356-5820 and ask for Dixon Harvey or send an email to steve@blackoakusa.com. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you!
22 comments:
BRAVO!!! Excellent posting, my friend...so true, and yet, extremely sad at the same time. It is a tremendous eyesore and NOTHING is being done about it. I know the whole issue with Sears, but someone from Black Oak needs to step up and at least clean the place up, provide better lighting and more security (not a 85 year old guy cruising around in his 85 Reliant K car...)
It does not take a genius to see or know why Carrolltown Mall is in its current state. Instead of wasting your time complaining and posting pictures why don't you call retail chain corporations to find an anchor store. [If you're not part of the solution... You're part of the problem.]
Dear dumrogers, you say I'm part of the problem? You obviously know nothing of the situation at Carrolltown Mall, but yet you certainly feel free to criticize. Therefore, YOU are the problem.
CM is owned by Black Oak Assoc. They bought the mall with the intention of demolishing it and rebuilding a nice new big box mall. However, K-Mart\Sears has a long-term lease and refuses a buyout and will not cooperate with a renovation. BOA has then decided to sit on the mall until they can figure out what to do.
While they sit the mall continues to fall apart. They don't need tenants. They need to rebuild. Higher-end retailers (not the piece of crap inner-city discount stores which are there) are not interested in a mall of this failed 1970's configuration.
Please feel free to come back when you can provide an educated response.
Common Sense must be Eludius-ing you.
We all know what has been going on there, hence my comment "It does not take a genius to see or know why Carrolltown Mall is in its current state." Therefore, yapping about the same old stuff does absolutely no good. I will not make anymore posts until someone comes up with some fresh "educated" ideas.
So are you saying that continuous pressure on Black Oak is not going to help? We should just roll over and die until someone comes up with a better idea? What kind of response is that? This is my outlet to push for change. It sounds like your only response is to throw up your hands and give up. What have you done to try and make a difference? Sounds like it's just to complain about others that are trying.
I don't hide behind an alias. My name is Dan Rogers and I am the president of the Hilltop HOA behind the mall. So obviously I care about what happens there, however, I strongly feel that you and some others are wasting your time with the current approach. What we should do is get the community to boycott Kmart. If people stop using Kmart then they might leave.
I am sure you are a fine individual, I have read some of your other blogs, I simply disagree with your approach to the Carrolltowne Mall situation.
Dan - fair enough. However, for the most part people of Eldersburg are not shopping at K-Mart. Their clientelle are coming from Randallstown. How do we communicate to them that we don't want people from Randallstown to come here and shop so that we can get a better mall? You do that and next thing you know you're a racist.
I'll continue to bash Black Oak. It can't be good for them to have dozens of blog posts show up in a Google search for "Black Oak" and visuals of the crap they are providing.
With all due respect, you fight your way (if there's any fight in you) and I'll fight my way. I will not give up.
"Just bury your head in the sand..."
Dan - you said the same thing when I mentioned signing the FACC petition, and your attitude was similar when there were group homes sprouting up in the neighborhood where you are the president of the HOA. I find it amazing that a person in your position, who should be looking out for the residents in your neighborhood, would not seem to care much about the community he lives in.
Obviously, you need retail establishments to move into Carrolltown Center. However, even if we found retailers tomorrow, they CAN'T move in because Kmart/Sears has an airtight lease that they will not give up (they are paying next to nothing to be there, so why would they? Who cares if the mall looks like a ghetto?? As long as the rents cheap!!).
And while I sympathize with Black Oak and their situation, they are doing NOTHING to help the situation at this point. I understand they don't want to spend money when they hope to tear down the structure and rebuild. However, because of Kmart/Sears and their lease, redevelopment may be years/decades away. Until then, Black Oak, as owners of the property, need to clean the place up and install better lighting and hire real security. That is something that Kmart/Sears has NO control over.
You said you were not making any more posts, so I'm going to hold you to that. I assume you won't respond, and that's fine. I'm not trying to get into an argument with you, I just find it incredulous that you continually throw your arms up on various local issues and say things like, "It's a money thing", and "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem"...move along, nothing to see here. You seem to talk in cliches.
I'm extremely angry about this - I wish more people were angry enough to post things like my friend Eludius. I'm upset the signatures didn't have an affect on either Black Oak or Kmart/Sears, but at least we got people involved, and hopefully we can take more steps to let both parties know that we, as residents of Eldersburg, deserve better.
Eludius, you are getting there, however, with all due respect I wish you would redirect your "fight" efforts. Now understand I have absolutely no affiliation with Black Oak, however, I do know that they are trying to bring us Main Street Eldersburg. Basically, "Don't Bite the hand that feeds you"
In this economy should we be at all shocked about Carrolltowne? Do you think Black Oak meant for this to happen? If people keep complaining in a wasteful manner they might just say screw Eldersburg and concentrate on other projects. Therefore, I strongly feel that we need to come up with a better "fight" plan.
Mdduckman, Ok I continue to post, but I was right about your petition wasn't I? It is not that I do not care; I probably care more than you or Eludius because I know we need to work harder in coming up with a plan that will actually work. Instead of continuing to argue on this blog, let's hear some new ideas. That is my challenge to you and anyone else reading this.
Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. And I agree with Eludius - boycotting Kmart, while a nice idea, probably wouldn't work because (a) they pay next to nothing in rent, and so they can afford to do very little business...after all, they only have a handful of employees anyway, and (b) most of the people who shop there are from Randallstown anyway (they used to have a Kmart there until it was replaced with a Home Depot).
Speaking of Randallstown, you should take a drive down Liberty Road towards that once nice community, and check out either Liberty Court or Randallstown Plaza shopping center. The one shopping center has been waiting for Walmart to come in for years, and that will more than likely never happen. However, that shopping center is a ghost town, and they've even put up fences that continue to be torn down. The sad part is - take a photo of Carrolltown Center, and compare it to either of those places, and it looks the same or WORSE.
How's that Main Street Eldersburg coming along? Oh, that's right - it's a Black Oak property, so it's not coming along at all. If I were Black Oak, I'd be publicizing major milestones instead of keeping people in the dark about what is going on there. Communication is key, and there doesn't seem to be any on their part.
Good luck with your boycott - I don't think it will work, but I'd support it because I personally don't shop at Kmart. I won't support that dump, or anything in that so called mall.
And one more thing - you taking credit for telling me the petition wouldn't "work" is clever. I didn't expect to magically hit a certain number of signatures and have that cause Kmart and Black Oak to suddenly realize - "HEY! We need to do something! The residents here are angry!" However, I DID want the get the support of the community, esp in writing. Seeing as how easy it was to get the signatures (I only found 2 people who wouldn't sign it...well, 3...I forgot about you...), I know that the community is sick and tired of that dump and wants something to be done.
And please explain to me how you can tell me that you care more than me because a) your the president of your HOA, and b) you know we need to work harder to come up with a plan that will work.
Looking forward to continuing this conversation!! :^)
Dan, I come back to my earlier statement - what are you doing to make a difference? Sitting on your keister criticizing me and then challenging Duckman and me to do something different does not count. I challenge you to do something.
And trust me - you do not care more than me. This is not only for me, this is for the children and our future. I am blog owner and I can say whatever I want. I have power. (this is humor)
I have children also, probably younger than yours. If you take the time to actually read my comment, I am challenging everyone to come up with something better (including myself). Don't take it so personal. You sound like you have to be right all the time because you have power and you a blog owner. That and $0.75 will buy you air at the Texaco.
My better idea is - find a buyer for the whole complex.
Don't worry, Dan. The purpose of this blog is mostly for humor. I am right. I am right all the time. Why? Because it's my blog. (that's the humor)
Thanks for the spirited debate. We have the same objective. Just different opinions on ways to accomplish the objective.
First of all, Dan, I live in Hilltop Estates and as HOA president you have not impressed me.
I used to take my children to the Carrolltown Mall 10years ago, there was always something going on for the kids and security was never a problem. It seems like since they closed the inner mall area things have just gone down hill. I was up there walking a couple of weeks ago and was shocked by the trash in the parking lot. There is always broken glass in front of the movies, which by the way is so bad off, the last movie I saw there tiles fell out of the ceiling and hit people on the head. The only reason I even go on the mall property is to rent movies at Blockbuster or cut through while walking.
I agree that something needs to be done. Maybe if we get the news media involved and show the mall mess on television something might get done. At least others will know that Black Oak Ass. owns this property and maybe the bad publicity may make a small difference.
I do know that the empty stores and the trash are likely to attract rats sooner or later. I personally would rather it be never.
Guys, there's no sense in bashing each other. We all agree the situation sucks. Black Oak isn't the problem though, it's Kmart and their intractable lease situation. If we could get Sears to finally close this poorest performing store, we'd be one step closer to having this eyesore bulldozed and a new project built. Black Oak has money and in a better economy will come through for the community. I'm convinced we just need to get rid of Kmart to begin the climb up instead of the continued decline. Look for a big article in the Carroll County Times paper next week about the situation and a walking tour given by Ellen Dix of FACC.
First of all cstorm43 I agree with eludius and duckman that something needs to be done about the mall. I sincerely apologize that I have not impressed you. I will try harder or would you rather take over. I will give you triple what I am getting paid. My point about carrolltowne mall is that we need to come up with some better ideas. Instead of bitching about how things used to be there, and my wife does the same, and complaining about how I don't impress you - come up with a better solution. Feel free to contact me directly at danrrogers@gmail.com.
Thank you elderman, finally someone has shed some new light on this and agrees it is more a Kmart issue than a Black Oak issue. - and yes we should stop the bashing
Hmm... that might explain why Sears was the only remnant left of Hunt Valley Mall. The owners/developers (whoever they are, I'm too lazy to look right now) ripped down the mall except for Sears, replacing it with one of those trendy town-center things. One practically needs an act of Congress to get on the parking lot now, so I gather it's turned out pretty well. (Having Wegman's there doesn't hurt, lol.)
Also, here in HoCo, the new Gateway Overlook shopping center had a holdout little old lady who wouldn't give up her house. They built anyway, it turned out fine, you can't get on the lot now, etc.
Casinos have built around recalcitrant homeowners too. There is precedent for building around an "obstruction" — for those who are actually serious about doing it. Somebody at Black Oak is suffering from a serious lack of vision.
If I had enough money I'd buy the property myself! However, if Kmart is not willing to move I think Black Oak should just work around them. I honestly think there is a complex set of issues here. From what I understand you are all right.
1) The mall is a dump
2) I'd rather see a nice field than the craphole that's there now
3) Black Oak should work around Kmart
4) Kmart might pack up and leave if the rest of the place was upscale
5) Black Oak could find a way to get Kmart to leave if they really wanted them out
6) The economy sucks
7) Eldersburg stores have a track record of going out of business... despite the fact that the people who live here make decent money
8) A decent mall would probably help the entire community by encouraging residents to spend their money locally
boycott kmart? stop shopping their? last time i checked that was the only part that got any business and by that i mean like a whopping 25 shoppers a day sears/kmart are going to be their no matter what its going to take alot more for them to close up well either that or time
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