Retiring Guy's Digest: The dead side of East Towne Mall in Madison Wisconsin

Shuttered Sears (2020) at left,

shuttered Boston Store (2018) at left

Photos by Retiring Guy

Channel 3000, 3/29/2026

Braden Ross reports:

One of the largest vacant retail spaces at East Towne Mall is officially up for sale, and the City of Madison hopes the next owner can bring much needed housing to the area.
The old Boston Store space at East Towne Mall has sat vacant for more than five years since the big box store moved out in 2018. Since then, the city rezoned the property to allow for mixed-use developments to go in on the site.
The listing for the site says the nearly 15 acre property could host more than 1,000 apartments, housing Madison desperately needs.
"There isn't much low residential within the East Towne Mall, but we do see the potential of changing those big boxes, expansive parking lots and disconnected street network into totally the opposite, something that is more walkable, that changes from regional mall, regional area, to a more community, mixed-use walkable area with well connected street network," said Madison city planner Angela Puerta.