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Ruth Warren was people-watching at the Carson Mall, just as she has nearly every week since the shopping center opened in 1973. "I like to watch people's expressions as they stop by store windows," the 66-year-old Carson resident said.
Warren, like many other Carson residents, shops at the mall because it's close to her home. But she and other shoppers often define the mall by what it lacks: movie theaters, escalators and fancy decor. The mall also lacks the crowds of shoppers that flock to many other shopping centers. In the weeks before Christmas there was rarely a line to have a picture taken with Santa or a hassle to find a parking space.
Over the years, the Carson Mall has reported disappointing sales figures and a high vacancy rate, problems...