Empty

Ruskin, Florida

Nearly evening, trespassing on the grounds of an almost deserted shopping center at the Apollo Beach north side of the Ruskin area. I'm not an expert on shopping malls (though I'm becoming interested enough in this element of the American landscape to do some serious research) but this open plan (not an enclosed mall) shopping center is now about one-tenth occupied, and that by a seemingly temporary tenant. My guess is that it was built twenty-five years ago, give or take, and may have been a main center in the area for quite some time.

Ruskin, Florida

At another shopping center, again not an enclosed mall. This can't have been built more than five years ago by the look of it, but is not more than 25% occupied, though it's kept up immaculately. Only a skip and a jump from its elder neighbor.

Ruskin, Florida

Adjacent to the drive-in theater which, stubbornly and happily, survives, a little closer to town than either of the shopping centers, this stand-alone small store must date back decades earlier than the others. Maybe before shopping centers and malls were necessary to draw customers. I wonder what they sold here—it's not big enough for a furniture showroom, but maybe flooring, where you only need samples. Something like that. Whatever it was, either nobody wants what they sold anymore, or they buy it somewhere else. Certainly, the second answer.