The city of El Paso Texas plans to demolish the old Northpark Mall soon to make room for a new bus terminal with possible retail space and condominiums.

The city bought the mall last week, and city Rep. Carl Robinson said all that will remain of it are the Kentucky Fried Chicken and Walgreen's drugstore.

The city paid $6 million for the 23-acre property that includes the shopping center and its parking lot.

"It was once a great place for residents in the Northeast to do their shopping," Robinson said. "But after a few years it began to go downhill and stores began to close down and the owners did not do much to keep it up."

The mall at 9530 Dyer opened in the 1960s with more than 50 stores and provided a shopping option for residents who did not want to make the trip Downtown to shop or to one of the city's large shopping centers.

Now, only remnants of the once bustling mall can be seen -- faded signs, dusty floors and broken windows. Many of its walls have been defaced with graffiti.

Robinson said the city will negotiate with the existing businesses at the old mall before plans to demolish the building move forward.