Malls going by the wayside

March 19, 2021, 02:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pedropcola:
...Nothing like a semi fresh pretzel while strolling through overpriced retail...

The nearby mall has a Wetzel's Pretzels and they are delicious! That gets me to the mall maybe twice a year. And maybe one more time when Mrs. Sigmund needs to get something.

The mall in Davenport has frequent police calls for "misguided youth," though I don't recall anyone dying in recent years. In Syracuse NY (near where I grew up) the Destiny Mall has a riot close to every week.

March 19, 2021, 02:35 PM

Edmond

quote:
Originally posted by HRK:
Might be some increase in mall traffic as people look for more and more places to go, be nice to see the one near us come back, its lost Macys and Sears, just one Anchor left.

Word is it's going to be rebuilt/replaced by a retirement community...

What a shame. I really like Oviedo Mall. Bought a couple suits from Dillard's there, struck up a good friendship with one of the sales guys. It was the first mall I visited after moving to Central Florida and we would often go there on the weekends for lunch and to walk around. The kid loved the play area in the food court. Saw a few movies there.

When they opened District Eat & Play, I think that brought some decent traffic in there. We would go there for mini bowling. I always thought they would eventually turn it into more of a amusement mall than shopping mall.

I'm sure that real estate is some prime real estate being where it's at.

March 19, 2021, 03:54 PM

Graniteguy

How I miss Orange Julius.

March 19, 2021, 04:16 PM

highroundcount

quote:
Originally posted by Graniteguy:
How I miss Orange Julius.

Rat bastards at Dairy Queen had the brand for a while and got me hooked on them. Then they dropped them.

Kind of a nostalgia thing. My mom used to take me to the Orange Julius for a corn dog and orange drink when I was little.

March 19, 2021, 04:30 PM

YooperSigs

MQT at one time had two small malls. One has been 75% bulldozed and a dollar store occupies the remaining space. The other is dying and lost two of its anchors, enabling some out of stater to buy it cheap, with promises of a re-birth. Dunhams, which closed its MQT store a couple of years ago, is slated to re-open in one of the vacant spaces. The parking lot is an axle busting nightmare. The Dunhams return is good news, but I think the land has more value without the mall on it, so time will tell.

March 19, 2021, 04:30 PM

jhe888

quote:
Originally posted by Graniteguy:
How I miss Orange Julius.

Agreed, but I have not seen one in 20 or 30 years.

I almost never go to a mall. When I do, I don't like it.

I also understand malls are dying out. Maybe a few of the better placed ones will survive, but I would expect a pretty drastic pruning.

March 19, 2021, 04:40 PM

Flash-LB

quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
quote:
Originally posted by Graniteguy:
How I miss Orange Julius.

Agreed, but I have not seen one in 20 or 30 years.

I almost never go to a mall. When I do, I don't like it.

I also understand malls are dying out. Maybe a few of the better placed ones will survive, but I would expect a pretty drastic pruning.

Evidently there's still one near me.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/dairy...range-julius-gilbert

https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/menu/drinks

March 19, 2021, 04:41 PM

cparktd

The gangs and thugs hanging out drives shoppers away from some malls around here. Shame, but I just feel uncomfortable in them.

One failed and wes bought by a Medical chain that set up shop in it. At least it isn't left to fall down.

I actually like shopping them for the wife... especially at Christmas. Over priced perhaps but I head straight to the back of the store and the clearance racks. Almost always come home with about all I want to carry for a pretty good deal. I'm happy, she's happy!

Below is just one example... I found this top that my wifey has on in the photo below for about 5 bucks each. IIRC, it was marked down from around $30 so I bought it in 4 colors. Red Pink Blue and Black. SO, how did I do?

March 19, 2021, 05:44 PM

hberttmank

I have not been to a mall in years. It is a place I don't need to go.

"But, as luck would have it, he stood up. He caught that chunk of lead." Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock
"If there's one thing this last week has taught me, it's better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it." Clarence Worley

March 19, 2021, 05:56 PM

V-Tail

It has been quite a few years since I have been in a mall for anything other than the Apple store. I parked as close as I could, went in, picked up my order, and left.

Now, I won't even go to the Apple store, avoid the mall, Apple ships things with no shipping charge.

March 19, 2021, 06:11 PM

Aglifter

A) I was at an interesting presentation, a few years back, about developing the first mall in ATL.

They were opening it up, and turning it into mixed use.

B) I think, once the artificially high, and restrictive leases go away/AKA the mega corps that bought them to play games, die - they will have an interesting repurposing.

I think they could make an excellent maker space/places for small businesses.

March 19, 2021, 06:18 PM

Bob at the Beach

They have been on decline.
At one point they might have been a modern town square. Now not so much.

MacArthur Center shooting Norfolk
https://www.13newsnow.com/arti...7a-830c-573e3db531b6

La Galleria St. Louis
https://www.stltoday.com/news/...74-4c0b2e417a2f.html

I’m sure everyone here has read about something similar in their community.

There is nothing in a mall that I need

March 19, 2021, 06:26 PM

Scoutmaster

I dated the daughter of the contractor who built the first Mall in Utah, quite enjoyed just strolling through the place, plus all the shopping I did there.

The mall building was totally torn down some years ago, is still a somewhat wasteland.

"Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women. When it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it....While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it"
- Judge Learned Hand, May 1944

March 19, 2021, 07:34 PM

jhe888

quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
The gangs and thugs hanging out drives shoppers away from some malls around here. Shame, but I just feel uncomfortable in them.

One failed and wes bought by a Medical chain that set up shop in it. At least it isn't left to fall down.

I actually like shopping them for the wife... especially at Christmas. Over priced perhaps but I head straight to the back of the store and the clearance racks. Almost always come home with about all I want to carry for a pretty good deal. I'm happy, she's happy!

Below is just one example... I found this top that my wifey has on in the photo below for about 5 bucks each. IIRC, it was marked down from around $30 so I bought it in 4 colors. Red Pink Blue and Black. SO, how did I do?

You did good. It looks good on her.

March 19, 2021, 07:50 PM

ugeesta

quote:
B) I think, once the artificially high, and restrictive leases go away/AKA the mega corps that bought them to play games, die - they will have an interesting repurposing.

I think they could make an excellent maker space/places for small businesses.

This is happening already. With the big department stores going out or downsizing, this is owning up the potential for redevelopment. The trouble is that in order to get the big named department store to the mall originally, the Developers gave away the building pad and parking in front of the store to that tenant.

Sears may basically be out of business but they own a lot of land the developers want to repurpose. This become a headache to the redevelopment process as the the Mall owner needs to get the department stores approval as part of the redevelopment process.

Malls will eventually become office parks or multi family neighborhoods with food and entertainment services for the new neighborhood.

We will never know world peace, until three people can simultaneously look each other straight in the eye

Liberals are like pussycats and Twitter is Trump's laser pointer to keep them busy while he takes care of business - Rey HRH.

March 19, 2021, 11:51 PM

mark_a

Commercial real estate is in major crises. If that bubble pops it will make the last housing bubble look like amateur hour...

I've been involved in converting several older malls into very functional office space. They have tons of parking and the large anchor spaces make great call centers for many types of businesses.

I'm really interested to see what will happen with sky scrapers in our biggest cities. My prediction is that in a couple more years they will be available for a song and very large corporations will buy them and turn them in to live/work/shop centers for their employees. They have enough infrastructure to support hydroponic growing of food, and remodeling sections of floors in to really nice residential units

March 20, 2021, 07:33 AM

trapper189

Rumor has it, our local mall is slated to become an Amazon distribution center.

March 20, 2021, 09:44 AM

braillediver

quote:
Originally posted by trapper189:
Amazon distribution center.

Kind of ironic that amazon will take them over. Maybe put a storefront on them with automated checkout and.........

Think about all the jobs and careers those failed malls once provided for the local community. We can't all work for uber eats, amazon warehouse's and be amazon delivery drivers.

March 20, 2021, 09:54 AM

Sig209

reduction in number? sure

disappearing? no way

there will always be the physical / social aspect of shopping. especially for younger people more fashion conscious.

the population of SigForum is not the target demographic that's for sure

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March 20, 2021, 10:17 AM

BamaJeepster

The mid 90's called and wants their thread title back!!

Only half joking, but the decline started a long time ago:

NYT article from 1993:
Malls Add Services to Keep Customers

Our local mall recently lost the JCPenney, it's a shell of it's former self. They are using that JCPenney space as a mass Covid vaccination clinic now.