By Manny Otiko | IVN

The San Bernardino City Council has announced plans for the demolition and redevelopment of Carousel Mall. The only council member to oppose the demolition was Ben Reynoso. The contract for the demolition will be awarded in October. The city council has awarded the contract for the redevelopment project to Lincoln Property Company. It was a unanimous vote.  

According to a presentation at the city council meeting last week, Lincoln Property Company is a nationwide real estate firm and the second largest apartment management company in the country. 

The firm will develop Carousel Mall as a “mixed use project.” Carousel Mall has been closed since 2017 and has been the site of several crimes. 

Last month, a Rialto woman was fatally shot at the mall. And in May, a three-alarm fire broke out at the mall. 

According to Deadmalls.com, the mall was first named Central City Mall when it opened in 1972. At its height, it housed 117 stores. But over the years, the mall faced several economic problems as it was challenged by Inland Center Mall.  

In the 1970s, the mall became a gathering point for local gangs. 

The mall was reopened and rebranded as Carousel Mall, since it featured a large carousel. This was a deliberate move to attract a more family-friendly audience. 

According to Deadmalls.com, Carousel Mall started losing business in the 1990s and more stores started moving out. JC Penney left in 2003 and the CineStar movie theater closed its doors in 2008. 

At one point, the mall housed San Bernardino County and San Bernardino schools employees. 

Inland Valley News coverage of local news in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers across California.