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Date: 7/19/2023
SPRINGFIELD — The sounds of conversation and laughter bounced off vacant storefronts and carried through the empty halls of the Eastfield Mall on July 12 — days before its permanent closing. Aside from the last-minute shoppers, a few employees and individuals taking photos of the building before its demolition, the only people to be found in the mall were members of the walking club gathered in the food court for one final celebration.
Wilbraham resident Jim Ellithorpe has been walking at the Eastfield Mall for 52 years. “I come here Monday through Sunday — every day — between 9 and 10 a.m.,” he told Reminder Publishing. Here, he meets up with friends to accompany him on his walk.
Over the years, Ellithorpe has watched the mall change with the addition of new stores and departure of others. “It will be hard” to see the mall go, he said.
Ludlow resident Bill Boulanger has been a part of the walking club for about six years. “I walk about 5 ½ miles in the morning,” he said. “I come mostly every day.”
“It’s sad to see [it go],” he added.
Connie O’Brien from Ludlow shared that while she is not a part of the walking club, her husband, Mike Ghazil, is. Accompanying him to the final celebration, O’Brien carried around an Eastfield Mall logo pin that her mother had received as one of the nearly 72 original store managers in the mall when it opened.
O’Brien reflected on some changes the mall has seen over the years and reminisced on her visits. “This was a dream come true,” she said.
The Eastfield Mall closed to the public on July 15. The structure will be demolished, and the new development will be known as the Springfield Crossing.
With the demolition comes big concern, especially for the walking club that has been around for nearly 30 years.
Ward 6 City Councilor and Chair of the Committee on Elder Affairs Victor Davila called a meeting at the Eastfield Mall on May 18 to discuss options for maintaining the walking club. While several ideas were shared such as moving to Western New England University, Interskate 91 South in Wilbraham and the Greenleaf Community Center in Springfield, a new location had not been determined as of press time.