I grew up in Minneapolis. We did not need a mega-mall. And that was the 90's when shopping malls were still popular.

[shortylickens]

In 2020 we absolutely did not need a mega-mall ANYWHERE in America.

American Dream Mall Teeters On Brink of Bankruptcy

This has nothing to do with quarantine. It was a very stupid idea to begin with. People dont shop at malls any more. They walk around, look at garbage they dont need, then buy it online for less money. And those malls use tons of electricity. Lighting and air conditioning and fancy signs that look pretty and accomplish nothing.

 

[UNCjigga]

Couldn’t have picked a more apt name for that mega-mall.

 

[Moonbeam]

Maybe pandemics, the collapse of democracy, global warming, and the constant struggle to keep afloat are taking the edge of of the American Dream. Seems like all my dreams are going into somebody else's pocket. I have limited my dreams to propping up the local gun stores.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Syracuse has Destiny USA, but the locals knew her when she was named Carousel Mall, and EVERYONE had a ride.

 

[shortylickens]

Couldn’t have picked a more apt name for that mega-mall.

Oh yeah. I grew up in the 80's and with Reagan in the white house it was all about the American Dream and most of us believed it. Not cuz it was true, cuz we wanted to believe it.
Well, the Dream was a lie for most people and sadly even just a couple years ago tons of Americans were falling for it. Most of us work way too hard so the top one percent can buy two or three yachts per year and its ridiculous. Calling that place the American Dream Mall should have been a red flag. Big fat waste and its failure is going to cause a ripple effect on middle class Americans, because I promise the rich will not allow themselves to be inconvenienced by that things collapse.

 

[SmCaudata]

Unfortunately the pandemic increased spending. Americans cannot occupy themselves in productive ways, they need to consume to sustain.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Unfortunately the pandemic increased spending. Americans cannot occupy themselves in productive ways, they need to consume to sustain.

Define productive. Because spending means people were being productive.

 

[K1052]

Malls have, mostly, been falling out of favor for the last 20 years and dumping piles of cash into a giant new one in a difficult location always seemed dubious. This particular properly has a long troubled history which seems set to continue.

 

[SmCaudata]

Define productive. Because spending means people were being productive.

I mean productive for humankind. Our consumerism and waste is a significant societal problem. I'm aware that our entire economic structure is based on people buying more than they need all the time. My comment was speaking to that.

 

[trenchfoot]

Our state's biggest mall is surviving by catering to the tourists visiting the state, to the consternation of many locals who have seen a lot of their favorite stores turn into high end iconic luxury venues. The tradeoff being the jobs provided to the locals from these stores. Of course, only multi-lingual properly cultured salespersons need apply.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I mean productive for humankind. Our consumerism and waste is a significant societal problem. I'm aware that our entire economic structure is based on people buying more than they need all the time. My comment was speaking to that.

that's fair. we're not at star-trek utopia work towards the collective good of mankind by any means.

 

[BoomerD]

Malls have, mostly, been falling out of favor for the last 20 years and dumping piles of cash into a giant new one in a difficult location always seemed dubious. This particular properly has a long troubled history which seems set to continue.

I think the only time I've set foot in a mall in the last 20 years was when my wife ordered something and instead of shipping it to our house, they shipped it to the local store. I had to go pick it up. I've never been "mall friendly," and will bulldoze my way through the crowds of stupid people that always seem to congregate and block the walkways. "MOVE, asshole! Want to hold a meeting? Rent a fucking hall."

 

[Thump553]

I lived in Milwaukee back in the 80's and they (and other cities) had special deals on round trip one day flights to Minneapolis to shop at the mall, and they were pretty popular.

I had a meeting recently in a restaurant in a smaller local second-tier mall last week. I walked around the mall afterwards. Their anchor tenant (Kohl's) was still there but I would say at least two thirds of the stores were empty, and most of what was left were things like (several) gyms, an indoor play area for little kids, etc. It's just a matter of time until the wrecking ball comes.

 

[Juiblex]

Yeah I grew up in Minneapolis too.... Malls were fine until people started getting stabbed, thrown from the 4th floor, etc etc etc... Then nobody wanted to spend their money there anymore.

 

[soundforbjt]

Yeah I grew up in Minneapolis too.... Malls were fine until people started getting stabbed, thrown from the 4th floor, etc etc etc... Then nobody wanted to spend their money there anymore.

Yeah...that’s what caused their demise...

 

[dawp]

Yeah...that’s what caused their demise...

I think retailers like amazon killed the mall. Why go out of your way when you can just fire up the computer and order online.

if they played their card right Sears could have been a real force in that environment as they had the infrastructure do to their catalog business.

 

[soundforbjt]

I think retailers like amazon killed the mall. Why go out of your way when you can just fire up the computer and order online.

if they played their card right Sears could have been a real force in that environment as they had the infrastructure do to their catalog business.

Of course it did. Not Amazon so much as they came later. Once the internet took hold people began shopping at the store locally and then buying online to save.
It started off slowly but look where it’s gone.

 

[shortylickens]

I was never a mall-hangout person, not even as a teenager when Mall of America was still doing well.
And I HATED driving around town, or a small section of the state, looking in stores for something I really needed. Not many young people today know what that was like. Wasting a whole day trying to find some item you really needed, and not getting it, or finding it but its way overpriced.
Yes, you could call the store and ask if they had it, but they usually lied. Either they knew they didnt have it and said they did, in an effort to get you into the store on the off chance you buy SOMETHING, or just because they thought it was fucking funny for you to waste time and gasoline.
OR, they did have it but were too lazy to go look for it, so they said they didn't and they got off the phone with you quickly.
Nope. I do not miss those days.

On top of which items in malls always cost a bit more than any other place so you're paying a premium for the privilege of walking around aimlessly in a dangerous, dirty building and wearing out your shoes.

 

[iRONic]

Syracuse has Destiny USA, but the locals knew her when she was named Carousel Mall, and EVERYONE had a ride.

Ohman... Congel & Pyramid had their way up in there for a hot minute!!!

 

[iRONic]

Yeah I grew up in Minneapolis too.... Malls were fine until people started getting stabbed, thrown from the 4th floor, etc etc etc... Then nobody wanted to spend their money there anymore.

TF are you talking about, trollio?! The solo incident in 2019?

 

[Aikouka]

Living down south, I've seen more of a transition toward open-air malls; they're kind of like upscale strip-malls. Although, I think we're starting to see more of a push away from just that as most newer developments around here have been using the new, cool buzzword: mixed-used development. This is typically a place that will have entertainment, eating, shopping, and living all in one area with the idea being that you have less of a reason to need to go outside of the development. The one newer "mall" near me has been slowly converting itself over to this with the inclusion of a plethora of apartments, but I do think it lacks one important amenity... a grocery store. Their rapid change has been spurred by the development of another mixed-use project only a few miles away that includes a lot of the same amenities but... just different ones. Amusingly enough, there was even word of another mixed-used development starting only a mile or two from the other one.

One thing that I do have to say... I do appreciate a nice, indoor mall when the weather isn't quite nice. We do still have one around here. It does still seem to be quite busy and doesn't have many empty storefronts, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it ends up declining like most do.

 

[K1052]

Living down south, I've seen more of a transition toward open-air malls; they're kind of like upscale strip-malls. Although, I think we're starting to see more of a push away from just that as most newer developments around here have been using the new, cool buzzword: mixed-used development. This is typically a place that will have entertainment, eating, shopping, and living all in one area with the idea being that you have less of a reason to need to go outside of the development. The one newer "mall" near me has been slowly converting itself over to this with the inclusion of a plethora of apartments, but I do think it lacks one important amenity... a grocery store. Their rapid change has been spurred by the development of another mixed-use project only a few miles away that includes a lot of the same amenities but... just different ones. Amusingly enough, there was even word of another mixed-used development starting only a mile or two from the other one.

One thing that I do have to say... I do appreciate a nice, indoor mall when the weather isn't quite nice. We do still have one around here. It does still seem to be quite busy and doesn't have many empty storefronts, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it ends up declining like most do.

Adding more uses also coves the landlord's ass in the case of a downturn in any single sector. Like in person retail has gone even further in the dumper but apartment rents are skyrocketing nationwide. Municipalities generally see the value in this too now because if retail dries up so does the sales tax money so better have something else coming in like oodles of property taxes from hundreds of new apartments.

 

[nOOky]

Yea I stopped going into malls when Victoria's Secret moved out. If you bought your wife one thing they'd send you their catalogs for years, until they didn't

 

[hal2kilo]

I think retailers like amazon killed the mall. Why go out of your way when you can just fire up the computer and order online.

if they played their card right Sears could have been a real force in that environment as they had the infrastructure do to their catalog business.

Sears was overleveraged to never get it's feet back on the ground. Selling off the business that was the only reason I went there was a bad idea. Craftsman....

 

[iRONic]

Living down south, I've seen more of a transition toward open-air malls; they're kind of like upscale strip-malls. Although, I think we're starting to see more of a push away from just that as most newer developments around here have been using the new, cool buzzword: mixed-used development. This is typically a place that will have entertainment, eating, shopping, and living all in one area with the idea being that you have less of a reason to need to go outside of the development. The one newer "mall" near me has been slowly converting itself over to this with the inclusion of a plethora of apartments, but I do think it lacks one important amenity... a grocery store. Their rapid change has been spurred by the development of another mixed-use project only a few miles away that includes a lot of the same amenities but... just different ones. Amusingly enough, there was even word of another mixed-used development starting only a mile or two from the other one.

One thing that I do have to say... I do appreciate a nice, indoor mall when the weather isn't quite nice. We do still have one around here. It does still seem to be quite busy and doesn't have many empty storefronts, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it ends up declining like most do.

Oxmoor Center, on Shelbyville Road, is attempting to convert 28,000 square feet of its second floor to office space.

We lost power for about 4 hours last summer. Hot af... I left my front porch light switch on and we hauled ass to that mall! I called my neighbor every couple of hours just to see if my porch lights were on yet.