It’s been a widely debated topic recently that teens no longer have safe third spaces to hang out at. Malls were all the rage in the 70s throughout the 2000s and began to die out in the 2010s and 2020s. 

Every time I drive around Galesburg with my grandma, she tells me stories about how she used to drive up there to go to the mall with my mom and aunts— and I too recall going there as a kid. Going to the mall has always been a fond memory for me, getting those hard candies from the little quarter machines or riding on those machines for about a minute.

As far as I can tell whenever I drive by, the mall is now desolate and ultimately likely just decaying as it’s abandoned. And after doing research, it’s not a shocker to anyone why they’d close down with the stores they had. Sears, Bergner's, JCPenney, and Kmart? Really? Now don’t get me wrong, JCPenney has some banger clothes!! But those other stores are chopped. It doesn’t surprise me that people stopped going.

Galesburg is a fairly big town, with a lot of traction. Recently, we’ve had some nice new openings that have received attention like; Chipotle, 7Brew, Dunkin Donuts, Freddy’s, ect. These places have proved that brand new openings bring more people to town. As someone not even from Galesburg myself, the only times I come from Monmouth ARE for those news fast foods/restaurants. 

Times change, and throughout history we’ve proven that change is necessary and is typically for the better. People say malls are dying out, but that doesn’t have to happen. Teens yearn for third spaces, somewhere other than home or school where they can hang out with their friends! In places like Monmouth it’s hard to do. In places like Little York— a literal VILLAGE, it is hard to do. Galesburg reopening the Sandburg Mall could be a huge change for our communities, giving us somewhere closer we could all hang out and shop at. The next closest malls are about 30 minutes to an hour away.

And we ALL know what gas prices look like. And speaking of gas prices, there’s a lot of kids out there who drive but can’t afford that gas. A lot of teens, myself included, can’t find work. It’s harder and harder to find jobs now, and reopening this mall could provide work opportunities for so many young teens, or even adults or elderly people!

Now is the perfect time for Galesburg to expand even more! There are so many trendy stores we could get super close to us (like Claire’s, Spencer’s, Hot Topic, Barnes & Nobles, and Bath & Body Works) that would bring in a big market of people, and other fast food chains that people have been asking for anyways! It’s also a great opportunity for small businesses to kick off and find somewhere to start!

If you care about Galesburg, it’s community and especially the teens, or just wanting to help a “small” town grow bigger and begin to thrive, then this petition is very much for you!!