Enclosed malls may be on the way out, but their structures aren’t going anywhere. A new report from The Atlantic details how creative developers are turning malls that were once filled with shoppers into medical centers, elementary schools, colleges, and churches.
The report cites research by architect and Georgia Tech professor Ellen Dunham-Jones which shows that approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are “dead or dying” due to the overbuilding done by developers in the 20th century.
The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed. According to Dunham-Jones, who maintains a database of mall retrofit projects across the country, there are 211 enclosed malls currently being retrofitted in some form or fashion, reports The Atlantic.
One of those projects is the Highland Mall in Austin, Texas, where developers transformed the structure into a mixed-use community education center after it was purchased by Austin Community College. Now, with the help of Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects, the once derelict mall is a thriving operation, with 604 computer stations, 200,000 sf of instructional space, a library, and offices.
In September 2014, BD+C reported on one of the nation’s most successful mall conversion projects, the Vanderbilt Medical Center at One Hundred Oaks Mall, which transformed a former 1960s-era indoor shopping mall in Nashville, Tenn., into a 880,000-sf, mixed-use medical office center for Vanderbilt University.
Related Stories
Retail Centers | Nov 13, 2019
World’s first drive-thru only restaurant in Australia
FRCH NELSON designed the project.
Giants 400 | Oct 24, 2019
Top 70 Retail Engineering Firms for 2019
Jacobs, Kimley-Horn, Henderson Engineers, and Core States Group head the rankings of the nation's largest retail sector engineering and engineering architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 24, 2019
Top 125 Retail Architecture Firms for 2019
CallisonRTKL, Gensler, MG2, NELSON, and Stantec top the rankings of the nation's largest retail sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 1, 2019
Medical offices are filling space vacated by retail
Healthcare developers and providers like the locations, traffic, and parking these spaces offer.
Retail Centers | Sep 6, 2019
Another well-known retailer files for bankruptcy: Here's the solution to more empty anchor stores
Where can you find the future of retail? At the intersection of experience and instant gratification.
Retail Centers | Sep 3, 2019
Puma’s flagship in North America creates immersive experiences for its sports-focused patrons
Technology and curation allow customers to personalize their product selections.
Retail Centers | Aug 6, 2019
Saving the American mall in 5 steps
CallisonRTKL Vice President Marc Fairbrother explains how struggling American malls can turn it all around.
Retail Centers | Jun 21, 2019
Nation’s largest Nissan facility opens in Houston
A 162,500 SF dealership building set on 16 acres, Central Houston Nissan, in Texas, is being touted as the largest Nissan dealership in the country.
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 22, 2019
Foster + Partners converts historic D.C. library into an Apple store
The building was the city’s first public library.
Retail Centers | Apr 30, 2019
Is this the future of retail? Walmart seems to think so
The retail company recently unveiled its new AI-enabled store in Levittown, N.Y.
