Hawthorne says empty mall must be redeveloped or razed

Hawthorne city officials are fed up with the owners of long-vacant Hawthorne Plaza and have obtained a permanent court injunction requiring them to either redevelop or demolish it by August 2026.

- ROGER VINCENT

CHRISTINA HOUSE Los Angeles Times HAWTHORNE PLAZA closed in 1999. It has faced trespassing, graffiti, trash and safety issues, the city said.

The sprawling mall, once the pride of the South Bay city in Los Angeles County, has been empty for two decades. It is so decrepit that it has served as a post-apocalyptic setting for music videos by stars such as Drake, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.