What a bore!
I'm from Aiken, and I would even rather drive to the Augusta Mall. First things first, the only renovation the Aiken Mall has received in at least 10-15 years was the recent addition of a Books-A-Million. In reality, if it wasn't for the Belk, the whole mall would likely close. There are many closed stores, at last visit 14 out of the total 40. There is no food court people, there's a sub shop and a horrible chinese take-out place. I once thought the place was getting better when Pac-Sun, Aeropostale, Kirklands, and Sam Goody opened. The Pac-Sun and Kirklands have since closed. And of the other stores left, most are crappy local clothes stores. No reason to sugar coat it, the mall isn't dying, it's already dead. My family was eating lunch at a restaurant nearby one day, and overheard a man from out of town as the waitress if there was a mall nearby, she told him about the Aiken Mall but told him there really was no reason for him to go there. Maybe the recent opening of the Books-A-Million will do something for the mall, but if the stores keep closing, I wouldn't be surprised to see the place close.