HAWTHORNE, Calif. (KNX) — The City of Hawthorne is suing the owner of the defunct Hawthorne mall, alleging the long-closed shopping center is an attractive nuisance and a danger to the community.
City officials said the reason for the nuisance abatement lawsuit is because the dead mall, located on Hawthorne Boulevard between 120th Street and El Segundo Boulevard, has become a magnet for homeless encampments, illegal dumping, and graffiti, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Officials also cited the mall’s hazardous conditions as an issue, including exposed plumbing and electricity.
“There is a significant safety threat that needs immediate attention, as evidenced by the repeat transient and children break-ins, among a host of other dangers,” a statement from the City of Hawthorne said about the lawsuit, which was filed on Nov. 24.
The shopping center, which opened in 1977, met its demise after losing its last big retailer in JC Penney in 1998, according to CBS L.A.
Since then, the facility has been used for a host of movies and TV shows including “Gone Girl” and “Westworld,” and has also served as a location for a number of music videos for artists such as Taylor Swift and Travis Scott.
Several plans to revive the 35-acre property–including a mixed-use development with housing units–have fallen through, according to CBS L.A.
The mall has been slapped with hundreds of citations. The city’s next step is this lawsuit against the owner, M&A Gabaee, LLC.
“The City has worked for years with the owner to address these issues plaguing the community, yet it has been met with one broken promise after another,” Hawthorne City Attorney Robert Kim said in a statement. The city says neighboring residents, school staff, and children have tried to work with police to address the issues, but many “are afraid to go outside and feel like they are prisoners in their own homes.”
“No one deserves to feel unsafe in their own home,” Kim declared. “And we will do what it takes to make this community feel safe again.”
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