This is a great idea that was a produced by a dying industry. The Mall's have been on the decline for the past few years and the stores are abandoning ship like a troop of rats. This has left huge buildings in almost every town vacant or in the process of closing its doors. The Malls in America are failing to attract the same crowds and vendors that they did in the past. This is due in large part to the online virtual mall. The Malls have left unpaid tax bills, utility bills and mortgages in their wake over the past few years. Thins has left many towns holding the bag on the expense but also they now have a large building they need to maintain and secure.
I think a look at converting the spaces to multifamily or Assisted Living centers is a good alternative. The buildings were designed for density and to accommodate groups of people. This seems like a natural fit and in the long run it will add stability to a dying building. The article touches on the idea but I think that there could be even larger units made available to attract the Baby Boomers. We all know the Malls were located in top areas and they were all required to have infrastructure in place to handle traffic, utilities and parking.
This is a simple but powerful idea and I hope that this takes off in other areas.
One of America's Oldest Shopping Malls Converts to Micro-Apartments
