As the holiday season shifts into high gear, struggles are mounting for the Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, with more stores shutting their doors.

The holiday magic might be no more, but it's still open.

"It's almost a ghost town," said Ione resident Manuela Hays.

The Sunrise Mall is well past its prime. These days, the empty echo of footsteps is one of the few sounds left in the mall. It's a stark contrast to the holiday crowds that once packed the mall.

"I was shopping for Christmas gifts. I was hoping to get into Macy's to get my husband something, but no can do," said Hays. "It took almost an hour to get here and it doesn't really lift your spirits to be in this mall."

Hays made the drive from Ione, hoping to feel some holiday nostalgia and reminisce about when she used to take her children there.

"There was all the Christmas decorations. There was a fountain in the middle of this with a train going around. We had a couple little boys. We loved to sit here and watch the people go by, did our shopping," she said.

"I'm just taking a walk, I'll probably do two or three laps and then go home," said Dave Tarquino, who was using the mall for exercising.

We noticed some people using the mall not for shopping, but to get their steps in.

After a walk through, we counted roughly a dozen open stores.

"I happened to be by a week and a half, two weeks ago and there was the jewelry store just right here. It was open, he had all his products out, and it looks like now they're all closed up," said Roseville resident John Martin.

The city wants to redevelop the property, under the Sunrise Tomorrow Plan, turning it into an urban village with new housing and businesses. But that project is still in the planning stages.

"It's tough because you don't know what the plan for the mall is. You're kind of stuck in limbo deciding how long do you take it before a) you close down or b) you relocate," said Kevin Cadinha, owner of Perfumes Luxe.

Cadinha says he's in a wait-and-see period, speculating that if the remaining JCPenney closes down, he might have to, too.

And with the food court closed down, he even keeps a few items for sale in his shop for anyone who might need a snack. But he's staying optimistic and hoping shoppers see the silver lining.

"Regardless of how many stores are left in the mall, it's still the holiday season and I still think people are going to come in and shop," he said. "It's a slower mall, yes, but you don't have to deal with the people. You don't have to deal with the traffic."

CBS Sacrameno reached out to the mall for an interview, but didn't hear back.