In one of my inaugural posts about the Billerica Mall, I noted that it was one of four malls around the Boston area constructed with the same basic design. Mystic Mall is another, and it’s in the process of being torn down.
Before I wax poetic about the ol’ Mystic Mall, let me add a pair of disclaimers: I’m sorry for a) talking so much about Massachusetts and b) focusing so heavily on dead malls lately. The former is something of a necessity on my part given my location, but I do branch out often. Similarly, these two have converged in part because news has dictated it so: demolition efforts have begun at both the Billerica Mall and the Mystic Mall very recently, and I wanted to get these pictures up and send out an alert for any soul who may wish to swing by and take a look before it’s too late.
OK, now that we’ve got business out of the way, we can talk about Mystic Mall, a largely forgotten inner city mall that’s been shuttered for four years. Unlike the nearby Assembly Square Mall, which has made constant news since closing in 1999, the Mystic Mall is not located in a desirable location and its redevelopment hasn’t captured the imagination of ambitious New Urbanists. Like the Billerica Mall, the Mystic Mall was constructed in the early 1970s, and it housed a Market Basket (without a mall entrance) and a Kmart. While Billerica is deep in the northwestern suburbs of Boston, however, Mystic Mall is located in the heart of the dense urban city of Chelsea, built as part of a redevelopment effort in the middle of an eighteen-block swath of land that was destroyed by the Second Great Chelsea Fire of 1973.
From the outset, the little Mystic Mall had the deck stacked against it. Located on Everett Street a half mile off busy route 16–the main retail corridor for the area–and buried deep in a section of Chelsea known for gas fields, warehouses, strip clubs, and scrap yards–it wasn’t exactly in the middle of a shopping mecca. Like its three sister malls (the Billerica Mall, the Woburn Mall, and Weymouth’s Harbourlight Mall), Mystic Mall sports a brutalist, ’70s modern decor that’s heavy on such out-of-favor architectural characteristics as corduroy concrete. All four malls had about as much charm as a subway station, with dark interiors and exposed concrete walls. Furthermore, it was located within a few miles of several larger, more successful malls, mainly the Meadow Glen Mall in Medford and the Assembly Square Mall in Somerville. Lastly, crime in the area (or at least the impression of it being unsafe) largely kept away everyone but local residents.
What is weird about this place is that it hummed along relatively well until 2002. Granted, towards the end of its life, most of the stores inside were local, secondary tenants catering to the largely Latino local clientele, but it was mostly leased. Then in early 2002, it was announced that the mall was going to be redeveloped and it was rather abruptly shuttered and all of the stores vacated. The lone exception was one cross wing in front of the old Kmart, which had long since been taken over by a local furniture and housewares store called Adam’s, and two other local stores adjacent to it within the center. At the opposite end of the mall the Market Basket and Brooks Pharmacy stores, which both had exterior entrances, remained open. After this initial buzz of activity, however, the news on the center stopped coming, and it was just left to rot, making its abrupt abandonment even sadder.
While details are still hard to come by, it does seem as though the Mystic Mall is actually going to be demolished in the very near future. Several of the last remaining tenants have vacated the center (and Adam’s Furniture is apparently moving out) and the entire center of the mall has been gutted. Reportedly the two anchor buildings, which sit at opposite sides of the lot, will remain while the entire center of the mall is demolished.
I’m not really sure about Mystic Mall’s redevelopment prospects. Given its location, it wouldn’t make sense for residential and most of the successful retail development in the area is clustered a bit to the west, around busy Wellington Circle at routes 16 and 28. The best bet is probably to incorporate a smaller shopping center with industrial and office uses, especially since it’s difficult to find such a large and unbroken piece of real estate so close to the center of Boston.
The pictures below were all taken in late May, 2006. I wanted to highlight the one above in particular, because it’s kind of neat. You can (clearly!) see that this building was once a Speedy Muffler location, but before that it was the Kmart Auto Service center. It’s actually part of the main Kmart building in the mall.
Prangeway: Here are some vintage photos of Mystic Mall from August 24, 2001. They feature more of the interior of the mall, which was vacated and closed off in 2002 except for the area by Adam’s furniture. Also, one of the pictures is a candid of Caldor laughing at a vacated Deb Shop in the mall after we reminisced about how Deb’s fixtures and overall design in general were ridiculous up until the 1990s. The hanging metal trapeze-looking things and the store’s color scheme of purple, magenta, and sometimes bright green were very new-wave and would be considered kind of outrageous (and maybe a little S&M, if you know what I mean) today.
Personally I’d like to see this area redeveloped into a small office park or something similar. You’re right in that the location is less than optimal for housing – I drive behind the Mystic Mall every day to and from work and oh man is it ever filthy. As for retail, it’s definitely off the beaten path and is an enormous hassle to get in and out of. And certainly, people usually prefer not to shop in places where “Local Color” refers to the spray paint that appears on anything that’s stationary for more than a few hours. So, I think it would make sense to create the sort of business environment that doesn’t rely on customer traffic that wouldn’t come anyway. They could also reconnect Third St. to Spruce St.
Or, in typical Chelsea style, they could just let trash accumulate in the empty lot for decades. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.)
I live in Chelsea, not too far from the Mystic Mall. I do all of my food shopping there and it fulfills my needs for getting my simple shopping needs met. I agree with Rick that it is filthy. I don’t agree with much else. Chelsea is a small city and despite it seeing a lot of hard times it would be helpful for me and may of the neighbors (who don’t drive) to have somewhere to do more extensive shopping. We have very few places to sit and eat that do not have “local color.” Something that I would like to see added even in the most strip mall way with a Unos or the likes. We could take a page from the South Bay Shopping Center and add a clothing store. Another office park will just mean more people will be coming into town to work, with out taking into account that the American born (okay educated) population that currently lives or might want to move here. Admiral hill will not continue to be a “high rent district” if we don’t start catering to the needs of the community. I thought that buying here (not far from the T station) was a good idea, I got a house that was easy to afford, but after 3 years I am starting to question if “people” really want to see Chelsea clean up.
I think that that the future viability of the Mystic Mall site as a retail property is affected adversely by its location. Everett St. is really only a cut-through for people who live in Chelsea proper, whereas route 16–only half a mile to the north–is a major corridor for all of the inner northern suburbs. The addition of the large Gateway Center in Everett in 2000 also probably means there’s less of a need for retail at the Mystic Mall site.
I do think that the site should host a smaller, more community-based center, and restaurants or a clothing store may well be a part of it. I just don’t see it being a major retail destination due to its location off of the main drag.
I went by this mall last week and they were tearing everything down except market basket, brooks and half of the former Stuart’s / Kmart. the said stuarts and stuarts replaced kmart like in 1983 or 1984 and stuarts closed in mid 1995.
Market Basket bought the entire property, and are demolishing everything and building another store in the center, where K-Mart used to be. Brooks will probably then remodel and build a new store. Market Basket wants to then attract new stores by doing this.
I know this site seems more about the future and past devolopmental aspect of Mystic Mall, but these pictures (found while searching for pictures of Chelsea on Google) brought back so many memories. Unfortunately (being that I wasn’t able to witness the “flourishing times” of this mall in the 70’s and early 80’s) I grew up at the time of this mall’s decline, but the memories remain priceless: The “bubble mirror wall” as we’d like to call it, the small arcade section that I used to go to until 2001, the “death walk” to the bathroom (a long corridor that became horrifically quiet with every step you took) where you’d watch the corners for anything that might pop out due to the many rumors/stories it had, the people on the blocks (the inside benches) that were smoking, people break dancing in the 80’s on the parking lots… Sorry for reminiscing, but as tacky as this Mall was, this was part of many people’s experience living in Chelsea, even if we don’t like to admit. At the end, it was more used for its parking lot (for Market Basket shoppers and, in the back, for the annual Latin Festival) at the end, but people hated to see it leave. With that said, great post and thanks for the pictures.
Caldor is right, they should redevelop that area into a small community-based center, being that every other “major” idea is close by, especially in other near-by cities. Also, many people in Chelsea (including my “independant” grandmother) are “walking” citizens and usually have everything they possibly need in walking distance. So it would only be right to have something with the latter idea in mind since anything else would definitely fail, as proven through the last few decades. Like every other major city area in the Northeast, neighborhoods are changing (for better or worse is your opinion), but that doesn’t take away the fact that many businesses won’t survive in that location regardless being that everything new residents would need is already a 5 minute drive away.
I remember the Mystic Mall as the place I first sat in Santa’s lap, spent many hours with friends, and had pizza parties at the Papa Gino’s. It was never a beautiful place. Out dated before I was born, and filled with small business merchants. Does anyone remember Suit your Self being an intimidating place to shop? Anyway. Chelsea is a black sheep city. It is an economic drain and the overall community doesn’t admit to the problem they have. From early on kids are taught to think of the city as a stop over and not a place you live your life, yet sadly not enough kids turn into adults who leave the city. Hence bad attitude, crime rate, dropouts, teen pregnancy etc. The City of Chelsea has a bigger problem then what outsiders think of it. Chelsea’s own citizens (legal or illegal) must honestly want the change. I could go on. In short. Market Basket will thrive because they sell what amounts to the basic needs of every human alive. Food, toiletries, and Cigarets. They should build a super shopping center with a movie theater and mainly. Build a new police station and squat car depot in the back. Give the community what it needs. Food, Entertainment, and Protection.
HA! Suit Yourself! A pro wrestler used to own that place. He did commercials with a beard that had lines shaved into it. I bought a shirt there for a high school dance in 88-89. I WAS intimidated.
I remember the Mystic Mall back when it was a good place to shop, back in the late ’70’s, you could do Christmas shopping there, buy new school clothes, etc. They used to have one of those telephone stores, where you could buy a telephone rather than rent one from the phone co. They had a Mickey Mouse phone promiently displayed in the window.
Anyone remember the chicken gumball machine? It had a big chicken and treats inside (if I remember correctly). I do remember that when you put the coin in the chicken would spin around, flap it’s wings and cluck while your gum or whatever it sold came out the shute. It was LOUD. It was outside the mall entrance at Osco drug, which is now Rite Aid, across from Papa Ginos.
Yeah, Market Basket owns the plaza now, and I’ve heard from some of my friends who work in that company that they have some crazy plans for their supermarket there. If you’ve ever been in there on a weekend, you’d know they need a little more space, and they’re definitely going to get it now. Last I heard they were looking at having ~40 registers, 30 aisles, overall just a massive warehouse of grocery insanity. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 70,000 sq.ft supermarket (and No, Walmart doesn’t count), but that’ll be interesting anyway.
I use to live near that mall. Strangely enough I had a dream about my childhood in Chelsea (I’m in England right now) in the 80s. I remember walking to go to the Market Basket for my mom to buy her ice tea mix and such. I use to go into the mall and go to the arcade to play double dragon and karnov.
Sad to hear that its gone… walking there use to be something of an adventure to me. Lol, I don’t like change — I wish it was still there. I plan on going back someday, to look at where I grew up and see how much is still around.
I work at a Market Basket location as well. 40 registers? Thats crazy. The Chelsea store currently has the most registers of all 62 locations (21). The company does not (and will not under its current ownership) have self checkouts, as they are VERY customer oriented. This location is one of the highest volume Market Baskets out of around 62. Of course, most of the people who shop at this MB are not paying for the food and on food stamps or wic. The Somerville MB and Danvers is also high on that list. I wonder what other stores will enter the plaza.
Market Basket is an old fashioned store, and I can not believe 30 isles. I’m sure they will have an oriental section (not organic, Chelsea people will not buy that fancy stuff), and maybe lots of household stuff. They will probably make the isles extra wide, of course, because the clientele in this MB bring their entire family of 30 shopping with them and have a reunion in the isles. I’m not just saying this, I’ve been to this MB a number of times.
If anybody knows what other stores are going in here, when MB is opening, or any info at all, please post!
I shop at the Chelsea Market Basket. I grew up in Fitchburg, and my family spent a lot of time at Market Basket. The Market Basket on Water street in Fitchburg was just remodeled. I went back over the summer, and it was really nice, with wide aisles, bright lights, and prepared food. I was pleasantly surprised.
“I’m sure they will have an oriental section (not organic, Chelsea people will not buy that fancy stuff),”
They certainly do buy “that fancy stuff”. The organic produce section at the Chelsea Market Basket is small, but popular.
Ah the chelsea mall, I grew up in Everett and used to walk down to the chelsea mall when it was in its heyday. Used to frequent the t-shirt shop there back when T-shirts with d-cals were all the rage. there was also a pet store if I recall correctly.
THE IRON MESSIAH: He owned Suite Yourself, right across for the sneaker store Fast-Action and its cousin store Fast-Reaction
suit yourself with the iron messiah that guy was a joke i bought a white suit there in 1988
Unless they change the city management nothing good will happen to this City, it’s a shame because Chelsea is very charming. I should have asked around about the City management before I bought my place, now I am trying to get out and can’t sell it. Mystic Mall would be a perfect spot for IKEA.
i live in chelsea and i never knew that that had happened
There seems to be not many people knowing what has gone on at the old Mystic Mall with the redevelopment lately. As far as I know, the entire Mystic Mall was bought by Market Basket and the entire mall was demolished, with the exception of the area where Adam’s used to be. Most of the local stores that where in the old mall are still within the city on Broadway, such as J Silver and B.D.’s. As for what remains, the place where Adam’s once stood was redeveloped to create a “super” Market Basket, like how Stop n Shop created a Super Stop and Shop. I believe the place should be fully open by the end of this year. As for the current Market Basket and Osco Drugs/Brooks Pharmacy/Rite-Aid Pharmacy, I am still unsure whether they will be remodeled and sold or demolished and made into more parking spaces.
This will be the biggest supermarket in New England!! Wal Mart is not a supermarket only.
For a little while, yes, but when Wegmans builds their new stores in Westwood and Worcester, Mass, you’ll see who’s boss 😉
I’m sure less than a year after those stores open, there will be plans for one closer to Boston, if there aren’t already.
Awww all I have to say is wow. I myself have many childhood memories of this mall. Santa, stuarts, getting the pizza at papa ginos that you needed to dab with a napkin then fold to eat. I’m 25 now and I still hear the little machine when u walked in saying “give me a quarter and I’ll tell you your fortune”. Family got its first ever cd player there in like 92, pricey lil boombox that no one could touch till dad got home. I remember the market basket too, my mom always have the same order for the deli. Now having lived in florida for 15 years I can’t remember last time I was at a mall that wasn’t two floors or a mile long. I noticed the mall is gone when I got bored and decided to google map chelsea, after seeing one childhood memory tore down I noticed down the street the park where I played little league is gone. After all that I still wouldn’t mind drivin up there someday, I hear china roma is still in business and fl has the worst chinese food.
The “soft” Grand Opening for the new Chelsea Market Basket is slated for Wednesday, June 10. It will feature “Market’s Kitchen,” a sub, salad, and panini shop featuring made-to-order sandwiches and other appetizing foods. Chelsea will never be the same…
What a shame that so many outsiders feel so compelled to trash something they know nothing about. Born and raised in Chelsea for 25 years before I moved, I hold some of my dearest memories around that Mall, as do many other localites. So you’ve already mentioned, Suit Yourself, ( that was the store you went in if you had money!!), what about DEB, remember that! Had my 10th B-Day at Papa Ginos, got to make a pizza! I can even remember going to a bunch of events held in the Parking lot, like, hold on I’m gonna take you really far back, Coke V. Pepsi, a huge Coca Cola event where everyone got to get red shirts that said”Coke is It!” Let’s not forget Burger King, always a good stand by coming home from the Chelsea Pool if you had any extra money, just enough for a burger, split the fries with your friend! But most importantly if you grew up in Chelsea the one thing you probably remember most is the calvacade of Limos before every prom gathered behind the mall, where everyone got to see everyone and their “ride”. Now that was the best!! Good luck to the new Market Basket, and all the memories it may bring.
Market Basket is going to Oxford Ma. and we still will be the best in New England. Chelsea will not be beaten!! Check it out.
When I saw a Market Basket just off of I-10 in Vidor, TX, I thought “whoa, Market Basket stretches throughout the entire East Coast!” but Wikipedia indicates they are two different companies.
OK, yes it is old news now that the new Market Basket is open and boy it is huge. It has the new Market’s Kitchen (includes a pizza shop, coffee shop, sushi shop, salad bar, sub shop, Spanish specialty shop, and homemade food shop), a bakery, and a fish deli. I actually took pictures and I feel that it would be nice to put them on here, considering that all traces of Mystic Mall is now gone.
As for the old Market Basket, I heard that they were going to make that into a clothing store but at this time, that is just rumors.
By the way, reading about Papa Gino’s made me remember Pizza Hut. I remember I had two meals there before it was shut down.
So did they raze the old Mystic Mall or just gut it?
@Jonah Norason (Pseudo3D), It was razed. I’m not sure if the Kmart/Adam’s building was left standing and re-purposed for Market Basket but the entirety of the mall was completely demolished within a few weeks of when the 2006 pictures above were taken.
The roof deck of the old Kmart and one wall was ok to use. Everything else demolished. Lots of steel was added to expand the building.
Hi, I like to make you aware I grew up in Chelsea and do remember when the mall was in its prime however some of your information about this mall is completely incorrect. The mall never had a caldor or KMart in it. The area where the furniture store was once was Stewarts. There was also not a Deb Shop in this mall as well. There was a J. Silver, Weathervane as well. Along with a smoke shop, jewelry store, there used to be a sneaker store, a pet store and an arcade. I’m assuming you must not be from the city had you know that when researching the mall you would have correctly quoted the stores that were apart of it
i can’t believe that this mall has been demolished. the only worthwhile thing i remember coming here for were for the arcade games and papa ginos. man it was such a good time, blowing 20 bucks on that damn metal slug machine and grabbing a slice of pepperoni. it is so surreal now it’s gone.
@Ashley, there was in fact a Stuarts store in the Kmart space, but the mall originally opened with a Kmart. There was definitely a Deb shop in the mall (its even visible in the 2001 photos!!) but it might’ve closed before you even remember it. You’re right about the other tenants in the center.
You might want to check out this comment on the Woburn Mall, which was developed by the same management firm as Mystic Mall:
http://www.labelscar.com/massachusetts/woburn-mall#comment-93594
Remember the Mallside Restaurant in the mall. Great wings!!!
I bought my nintendo nes in that mall.
@Ashley,
there was a Kmart
I grew up in chelsea and I still live in chelsea , I remeber when I use to go to the mystic mall when I was a little girl with my parents. I don’t think they should have took it down they should have remodiled it. Cleaned it up I found it fun when holidays came and they has the easter bunny and santa clause at the mall. Nice memories I had. Stinks that they made it into a larger market basket.
Keep up the good work! Look forward to reading more from you in the future. I think it will be also nice if you add “send to email” tool so people can forward the articles to their friends easily.
how junky was the STuarts? and why did Kmart close?
What’s the Mystic Mall owners the DeMoulas’ address for email ?…
Hi, I like to make you aware I grew up in Chelsea and do remember when the mall was in its prime however some of your information about this mall is completely incorrect. The mall never had a caldor or KMart in it. The area where the furniture store was once was Stewarts. There was also not a Deb Shop in this mall as well. There was a J. Silver, Weathervane as well. Along with a smoke shop, jewelry store, there used to be a sneaker store, a pet store and an arcade. I’m assuming you must not be from the city had you know that when researching the mall you would have correctly quoted the stores that were apart of it
@Lily Allen, We actually had a visit from the developer of the mall who confirmed that the original anchor (before Stuart’s) was in fact a Kmart, hence the auto center located at one end (Stuarts didn’t have auto centers; it later became a Speedy muffler). Also, there was a Deb Shops; we have a photograph of the facade right in the body of this post. It’s possible it had already closed by the time you first visited the mall, however.
One thing I remember about the Mystic Mall, is the I.D. store. Me and all of my fifteen year-old friends all bought fake i.d.’s there, where they were accepted most everywhere!
Other than that, I am disgusted by that city. It is nasty and horrifying to even talk about. YUK!!!!!
@Elizabeth, If I were you, I’d be embarassed to say that I lived in Chelsea. Eww.
they should make a movie theather
@John, The old Marketbasket is being made over into several stores,the new Marketbasket is the largest one & used part of the Kmart building.Mystic mall was built just after Woburn Mall so probably opened in`79
@Caldor, I just stumbled upon this site by accident. I managed the Radio Shack store in 1981. The KMart was open and every space was leased. I quit Radio Shack in 81 and opened/owned ‘Sonya’s Galley’ a soup, salad and sandwiche restaurant at the center court of the mall from 1981-1986. We had yellow/brown plastic cube chairs and tables in the mall court lol. I also was friends with Franco the owner and worked with him in Suit Yourself at both locations Mystic and Assembly Sq. Mall. It seemed like we knew everyone from Chelsea/Everett from owning the restaurant. I’ve had businesses in other places but my best memories are from Chelsea. Some others: Thom McAnn shoes, deb store, Hatties, Garden of Eden, Smoke shop, Frederick’s of Hollywood, Suit Yourself, Papa Ginos, Jewelry store, the Vacuum store, the Mr. Tops T-shirt and ice cream shop, Osco Drug, Waldebooks, the Record Man, Stuarts (after Kmart closed)
Some of us did very well in the Mystic Mall. I made many friends who are still friends today almost 30 years later. Great mall, great city. I miss those days. Thanks, Steve
how junky was the Stuart’s in the mall?
I have not commented on this site but I think it is time to update Mystic Mall. The last comment I wrote was in 2009 and many things have changed since then.
We all know that Market Basket is still there but many think that Mystic Mall is completely dead. This is not true at all. Here is what happened over the past 3 years since my last post.
As I stated before, where Adam’s furniture once stood became the new Market Basket and the Mall was torn down. The area where the mall stood is now a parking lot. The old Market Basket and Brooks/Osco Drugs is still up. It was remodeled into many stores. I don’t remember them all but as of now, there is a Home Goods, Five Guys, Starbucks, Radioshack, Children’s Place, a cell phone dealer, a hair salon, TJ Max, and a bar and grill.
This is where I say that saying Mystic Mall is not dead. It was a surprise to me but they put up a sign saying Mystic Mall and I am sure after the corner of Spruce and Everett is finished being under construction, they will put a Mystic Mall sign there as well.
@Mike N.,
I well know this place and this store
I
The owner was my cousin : ” the Iron Messiah ” from Medford !!!
I am in France but I really hope to move in the USA
One commercial was also made with a Santa Claus in Suit yourself
Regards
Michelangelo
Vaponetta France