For a mall whose opening day in 1973 was so ceremonious, the DeSoto Square Mall had a quiet death. On Friday, its last day in business, only four stores were open, and a handful of shoppers walked the halls – honestly, not too different from any other day at the Bradenton shopping center in the 21st century. My colleague, Jesse Mendoza, who was there for its last day in my absence, found a lot of those same familiar sights – empty hallways, boarded-up storefronts and a handful of shoppers. There wasn’t even a formal announcement about the end of DeSoto Square, just a sign posted at the door that said “MALL CLOSING FRIDAY 4/30/2021.”