BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- East Hills Mall has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and many people are wondering how things got to this point and what it means for the mall's future.

The holiday season is supposed to mean booming business for shopping malls, but that's not the case at East Hills Mall where many shops sit empty or their doors closed, and it's been that way for years.

Commercial Real Estate Broker and former East Hills Mall general manager Tommie Sparks says that's because the mall is in a bad location on the outskirts of town.

She believes the mall's success was dependent upon new housing in the northeast. But that growth has been slowed by the bad housing market.

Now, all of the mall's anchor stores are gone as a result of bankruptcy, and the mall is bankrupt too after the owner defaulted on a $3.2 million loan.

Despite the bankruptcy and lull in shopping traffic, East Hills tenants are remaining optimistic.

"We feel the mall will do all right. We don't feel that it's going to go completely out of business," said mall tenant Ken Mattlin.

"The mall management knows what they're doing and good hopes of bringing this mall around. We need a mall at this end of Bakersfield," said mall tenant Vicky Suppiah.