Nearly four months since Belk left Madison Square Mall for a new store at Bridge Street Town Centre, the already struggling former "Super Mall" on University Drive is steadily hemorrhaging businesses and foot traffic.

The nearly 1 million-square-foot property is littered with vacant units and store discount signs, but in many circles is still considered "ground zero" for retail in Huntsville. For some of the mall's remaining tenants, it's an uncertain environment with no real solution in sight.

Charlotte Russe, the popular teen and young women's clothing chain, closed down Wednesday due to decreased sales. Glitter, Canvas and Wet Seal also shut their doors this month. The Sunglass Hut kiosk is on a month-to-month lease, while the upstairs food court was nearly empty during a recent lunch hour.

RadioShack, which is downsizing companywide, will shutter its Madison Square location Sunday. Manager Debbie Rodriguez said the store has been at Madison Square "since the very beginning" when the more than 30-year-old shopping center was still a destination and popular hangout for friends and families.

"It feels obvious to me that they have other plans for the mall," she said. "They're just not making it beneficial for anybody to stay. It's as though they don't care if you go."

[Related: See full AL.com coverage of Madison Square Mall]

Aggressively recruiting

Chattanooga-based mall owner CBL & Associates Properties said it is still working to lease space at Madison Square. Despite the loss of stores, Escape Pod, a puzzle-based entertainment venue, has plans to launch at the site in March.

Dan Summerlin, director of corporate relations for CBL, declined to give the mall's occupancy rate, but said the company is "aggressively working" to recruit new tenants as talks continue about the future of the property.

"The mall is well located," he said. "We are also considering other ways to utilize the available space. However, we cannot comment until any plans/contracts are official."

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said revitalizing Madison Square is a priority as the city continues to have meaningful discussions with CBL about redevelopment. Battle said they're looking at all avenues to make sure that what happens "makes sense" for the property and surrounding area.

CoStar Group, a commercial real estate information company in Washington, D.C., released a report in 2012 citing a Green Street Advisors study that said 10 percent of the country's 1,000 enclosed malls will flop by 2022 as shopping habits change and the trend toward mixed-use developments evolves.

Hopeful for a solution

While CBL-owned Parkway Place Mall is doing well, Battle said many enclosed shopping malls across the country are struggling to compete as more freestanding open-air venues enter the market.

"Right now, it's open air venues, which will last 20 to 30 years, then there will be something else coming along," he said. "It's cyclical and I think we'll see this one cycle back in also.

"I'm very hopeful that within this year's timeframe that we might know something and actually have a plan and start moving forward on that plan."

Before Cabela's landed at its current site near Bridge Street, the outdoor sports retailer had tried to put a new superstore at Madison Square, but that deal never came to fruition. Battle said a retail center makes sense for the property, which is on the corner of University Drive (U.S. 72) and Research Park Boulevard.

Madison Square was the No. 1 retail center in north Alabama for nearly two decades, Battle said. Today, the city and CBL are looking at all options for the property.

"Is it a refurbishment or is it a teardown?" he said. "There are still four owners of the property who are going to have to come together to make this happen, but we're working with CBL right now to see what we can do to bring this back as a viable retail center."

'So depressing'

Shaking her head as she walked the hallways of Madison Square on Thursday, 39-year-old New Market photographer Ashley Brewer strolled through the mall reminiscing about the place that meant so much to her as a kid. Although Parkway Place is still going strong, Madison Square will always be "The Mall" in Brewer's eyes.

"It's so sad to see all of these stores go because I grew up with this place," she said. "I have nothing against Bridge Street, but it's more for the rich people. Me, I own my own business. It's hard to get over there and shop."

Lifelong Madison Square shopper and Sunglass Hut sales associate Alexis Barnett lost her keyholder job a few days ago when Canvas closed down. She remembers visiting the mall's food court with her mom as a child and struggling to find a place to sit because it was so busy.

"It's so depressing now," she said.

Rent is too high

New Square manager Sam Eliwa said his urban-clothing store is still profitable after four years at Madison Square, but the company headquarters has given CBL until April to turn things around or they will leave. It wouldn't be the first time the retailer has tried to go.

Eliwa said New Square at one time decided to close the Madison Square store, but the mall management was able to negotiate with the company to keep them from moving. For many stores at the mall, Eliwa said the rent is too high to justify staying open.

"It's all in the management and CBL," he said. "If they really wanted to keep the mall open, trust me, they would figure something out to keep the mall going."