Abandoned LA mall that spans 10 square blocks where ‘Fast and Furious’ was filmed is finally being demolished

Nypost · Aug 19, 2026 · 479 words · By Aurielle Weiss

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What to know about Urban Redevelopment

Abandoned LA mall that spans 10 square blocks where ‘Fast and Furious’ was filmed is finally being demolished See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Abandoned LA mall that spans 10 square blocks where ‘Fast and Furious’ was filmed is finally being demolished See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on Google Another one bites the dust.

Common ground

A once-bustling mall in Los Angeles will quickly be turned into rubble after lying vacant for about three decades.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Urban Redevelopment story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Hawthorne Plaza — a 35-acre shopping center in Hawthorne — shut down back in the 1990s?
How does this story connect Urban Redevelopment with City Governance over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/19/real-estate/abandoned-los-angeles-mall-hawthorne-p…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 4

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Hawthorne Plaza — a 35-acre shopping center in Hawthorne — shut down back in the 1990s”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Hawthorne Plaza is a 35-acre shopping center in Hawthorne that closed in the 1990s (specifically 1999).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hawthorne Municipal Airport (IATA: HHR, ICAO: KHHR) (also known as Jack Northrop Field) is a public use airport in Hawthorne, California, United States. US air taxi firm Archer Aviation signed a long-…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_Municipal_Airport_(C…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hawthorne Plaza was an enclosed shopping mall along Hawthorne Boulevard between 120th Street and El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California. Since closing in 1999, the structure was often used to f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_Plaza

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is part of a seventeen-city subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area commonly known as the South Bay. As of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne,_California

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Hawthorne Plaza opened back in early 1977”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the mall opened in 1977, with one source specifying February 21, 1977.

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web search NEUTRAL — Hawthorne Plaza is an abandoned enclosed shopping mall along Hawthorne Boulevard between 120th Street and El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California. Since closing in 1999, the structure has often …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_Plaza

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web search NEUTRAL — Hawthorne Plaza in California, the abandoned mega mall built in 1977, is finally being demolished after decades of decline. Once home to more than 130 stores, the mall later became a Hollywood filming…
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/glob…

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web search NEUTRAL — 18, 1977]: The Hawthorne Plaza shopping center opens to the public on Monday, February 21.Hawthorne’s downtown shopping district consisted largely of small, individually-owned businesses in buildings …
https://hawthornehistoricalsociety.org/the-story-of-the-hawt…

info

Claim 3: “It would also have 600 housing units, 500,000 square feet of commercial space and a grocery store.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about American Express, providing no information about housing units or commercial square footage.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to American Express United Kingdom, provider of Credit Cards, Charge Cards, Travel & Insurance products. Apply for a Card or login to your Account.
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/

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web search NEUTRAL — American Express offers world-class Charge and Credit Cards, Gift Cards, Rewards, Travel, Personal Savings, Business Services, Insurance and more.
https://www.americanexpress.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — About American Express Newsroom Investor Relations Careers Global Network Contact Us Products & Services Credit Cards Business Credit Cards Corporate Programs View All Gift Cards Savings Accounts & CD…
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/account/login/

info

Claim 4: “Back in 2016, renderings revealed a mixed-used development that would be something of an outdoor mini-mall with an entire office complex, retail strips and upper-level homes.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about Yahoo and MLB, providing no information about 2016 development renderings.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — It provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, [5] and its advertising platform, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahoo

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web search NEUTRAL — Yahoo Mail: Your smarter, faster, free email solution. Organize your inbox, protect your privacy, and tackle tasks efficiently with AI-powered features and robust security tools.
https://mail.yahoo.com/;_ylt=AwrE.nndz6pqKwIAuYxXNyoA;_ylu=Y…

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web search NEUTRAL — Yahoo Sports Staff MLB playoff picture: AL and NL wild card standings, postseason bracket Jesse Yomtov, Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY
https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/?fr=sycsrp_catchall

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Claim 5: “The massive property was also in blockbuster hits like “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and “Gone Girl.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the mall was used as a filming location for 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' and 'Gone Girl'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mark Machado, better known as Mister Cartoon or more commonly just Cartoon or Toon, is an American tattoo artist and graffiti artist based in Los Angeles, California. He has been described by the New …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Cartoon

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vincent Laresca (born January 21, 1974) is an American actor and restaurant owner.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Laresca

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “it housed almost 135 stores including popular retailers like JCPenney, The Broadway and an AMC Movie Theatre.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific detail about 'almost 135 stores' and the list of retailers (JCPenney, The Broadway, AMC) is found in one web search result. While the mall's existence is verified, the exact store count and specific list are not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Hawthorne Plaza — a 35-acre shopping center in Hawthorne — shut down back in the 1990s where it housed almost 135 stores including popular retailers like JCPenney, The Broadway and an AMC Movie Theatr…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/abandoned-la-mall-spans-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Join Tom as he explores the Hawthorne Plaza; a mall that closed over 15 years but remains standing as a post modern cathedral to failed commerce.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPIhxXYfScw

info

Claim 7: “The site is owned by The Charles Co. and affiliate M&A Gabaee and covers over 10 square blocks in Hawthorne.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The ownership by The Charles Co. and M&A Gabaee and the size of '10 square blocks' is mentioned in one specific web search result. Other sources mention Gabaee but not the specific '10 square blocks' or 'The Charles Co.' combination.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hawthorne is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located between Broad Street and 11th Street, and extends from South Street to Washing…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne,_Philadelphia

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1896 by English-born Arthur Letts Sr., and named after what was once the city's main shopping s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broadway

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “the City of Hawthorne scored a court order requiring the Hawthorne Mall owners to start tear down no later than August 14, 2026.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results confirm a court order requiring demolition to begin by August 14, 2026.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following page is a list of shopping malls in the U.S. state of California. The largest malls, with a gross leasable area of at least 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m2), are in bold font, with a ranking nu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shopping_malls_in_Cali…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Julian Hawthorne (June 22, 1846 – July 14, 1934) was an American writer and journalist, the son of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sophia Peabody. He wrote numerous poems, novels, short stories, myst…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Hawthorne

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 9: “It closed a short 20 years later in 1999 when Gabaee bought the property”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this specific claim in the evidence section.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.