Dive Brief:

• A Cook County, IL, judge has ordered the Lincoln Mall in suburban Chicago to close Jan. 7, a tough time for the retailers, which have been given little notice.

• The mall has been in receivership and has not been able to meet its obligations, the owners said. That includes necessary repairs to ensure patrons' safety and comfort.

• While individual stores maintain good reviews from many shoppers, the mall itself has been noticeably deteriorating for a while, according to public reviews.  "This place now looks like they could film the next scooby doo movie in it," says one reviewer. "Hauntingly quiet, empty and dark. Entire sections of this mall are dark."

Dive Insight:

What happens before malls actually die? They suffer and struggle, and the Lincoln Mall in suburban Chicago has done for a while now. In order to compete with increasing urbanization and e-commerce and to fight declines in mall traffic, many mall owners and developers in America have had to get creative. That includes mixing up traditional retail stores with amenities like gyms and health care centers and innovative approaches that appeal to the members of the local community. Even Sears is planning a multi-use “open air village” in Florida to bring shoppers a new experience.

But the owners of the Lincoln Mall in Chicago’s Southland weren’t able to do that, or never tried to, at least not in time to save it. In fact, they weren't able to keep the place in decent repair. The Jan. 7 closing date, although mercifully after the holiday shopping rush, will nevertheless challenge many of the retailers there, which will have little time to make relocation plans.