Yeah I thought about this, as far as housing and public offices I like the idea of malls quite a bit. How cool would it be to have an indoor court for kids to play in in the dead of winter?

Unpopular view but here goes: Libraries should not go into malls because they are renting that space from private corporate entities. Same for any public funded service, including food banks, charities city offices, gov, etc. I'd rather see cities buy land and build, or convert suitable buildings that can be fully owned.

Yea they have my local library in a mall as well as a senior center.

I suppose it's all about the money and what kind of configuration can bring in revenue.

There was a recent article talking about how the interior was being "reconfigured." https://www.concordmonitor.com/steeplegate-mall-concord-nh-45122695

>"Management did recently ultimately make the decision to close its interiors in pursuit of an exciting potential project that would include the space currently leased to in-line tenants,” Jelson Santos, director of operations at Namdar Realty Group, the New York-based firm that owns the mall, said in a statement. “Those with public access will continue to operate as usual while we explore the future of Steeplegate Mall from within. Exactly what is in store for Concord’s largest retail space isn’t clear yet. “Unfortunately, we cannot share more details or specifics at this stage, but we look forward to doing so down the line," Santos wrote."

There are two malls on Long Island near my house that have been announced to be undergoing "reconfiguration" using the same cryptic language. I wonder if these mall owners have come up with some tactic to recoup their investments?

almost as if it was designed for that!

My local mall has the DMV in it... one day a week.

I got my COVID shot at the old Sears in the Pheasant Lane mall. Until I saw it empty I had no idea just how big those stores actually are.

We got ours at a old jcpenny... we commented how weird it felt and one of the military guys checking us in says yep nothing to worry about here.... just the military lining up the public to get shots in an abandoned store.... no sir... nothing apocalyptic about this scenario.... if you see any zombies let us know! 😅 We were in kinda of a lull for them so it was pretty empty there and he and his buddies talked to us for quite a while. They had a great sense of humor about everything.

I got mine on college campuses (one in Plymouth, one in Manchester) and had the exact same thought. Both done by the National Guard. Just the most surreal experiences.

I got my vax at a similar situation at an old mall near Laconia. It was very zombie apocalypse-y in a dead mall with army dudes forming and checking lines. Vivid memories of the weirdness of that.

Same thing happened to me at the Newington Sears. Went in to get our first round of Covid shots and used the old tool department entrance. Was weird seeing the space totally gutted and empty.

Yeah, my folks got their shots there and said it was bizarre. I got mine at the Javits Center in Manhattan, and my only previous exposure to the site was for the annual New York International Auto Show. Was really freaky and other-worldly seeing it completely reconfigured for COVID vaccine rollouts.

Right. Not understanding this is probably the reason I'll never be wealthy.

It doesn't generate revenue, but they can claim depreciation on these properties and reap a tax benefit.

It’s a loss to off set the profits of other places they sold.

Gotta let the homeless live there.

Everybody is ready for more experiences and less retail. There's a place called Level 99 in Natick that is a bunch of puzzles and physical challenges - I've been a couple times and it was always packed. The internet means we can buy things from our phones on the toilet - give me something to pay for that I can't do at home. Roller skating is 100% included in this!

I miss roller skating rinks!

yessssss

I keep saying they should turn these malls into massive skate parks.

The one consistency the nation over; Spencer’s remains the one true anchor store.

Ayyy don't disrespect 60% of the malls income like that!!

Edit:I have a shitty phone

Elderly housing would prob be relevant considering our state is #2 for oldest population, as well as its proximity to still-standing shopping centers. The malls-to-housing concept has been implemented in other parts of the country too. I don't think forcing more retail into a place where it already failed is the way to go... NH residents are hungry for services that actually benefit and enrich their lives. It's no coincidence that two of their only existing tenants are a gym and a trampoline park lol.

Fun fact, the rooftops of the Steeplegate Mall is an ornithologist observation site for endangered nighthawks.

The owners won’t sell. Every time it’s sent an offer , they up the price. Looks like someone needs a loss on their books.

if there could be an H mart closer than burlington that would be great

Big second. Always wanted something like that.

There's a mall in the UK, London I think? That basically concerts into a whole ass zombie survival sim experience. It's wild.

I’m 35, that place used to be hoppin!! So much fun back in middle/high school

I really want to know what they're planning on doing with it. Unless they're going to sell or redevelop, they're just sitting on land and losing money.

It's a great way to make weird money look legit.

Was at the Claremont Walmart over the weekend and couldn't believe how huge it was. I had never had occasion to go inside. I'm kind of shocked that the town can support a Home Depot, a Runnings, a Walmart, a Harbor Freight, and a Tractor Supply. I know they all have their niches, but it seems like a lot of warehouse stores for a couple square miles, especially when Amazon is still a day or two delivery away for all but the largest items.

You aren't wrong.

But that mall was dead when Amazon was still just an online bookstore.

A lot of it is from the loss of a major tax loophole that was closed up. In short, in order to encourage new large scale construction projects, congress in the 50's allowed building owners to claim multiple years of depreciation on the building, allowing them to essentially pay no taxes for a long time. Once that was changed back to straight-line depreciation, malls could no longer be used a tax havens and started shutting down.

I was there maybe in August? (EDIT: actually, it was the last week in June - I just realized I was there to pick up a suit at Men's Warehouse for my mom's funeral) It seemed super active. The food court was nuts, and the stores seemed busy. My wife had never been and she said it was the busiest mall she had seen in decades, almost like we had stepped back in time.

Maybe it was just the time you went? Or the time we went I guess?

It's not. I just kinda miss it is all. Caption would be relevant for any Black Friday for the last decade or so. :(

Once Old Navy left it was like a snowball picking up both mass and speed as it rolled down hill, and store after store closed. It's still hard to believe how quickly everything left.

I think I went to that same show. The sloth was really cool.

It’s an Asian food market.

You should stop putting importance on down votes and upvotes because they don’t matter and instead care about having a productive conversation don’t let social media condition you

Yeah, I always wanted to go to the bigger and better Mall of NH in Manch but my parents didn't want to drive that far. Now even that one's on its way out :(

Fox Run Mall is the same. There's a couple of big stores still open but most of the place is empty and the places that are still open are, like, airbrush tee shirt places that still shirts with Cartman smoking weed.

I was gonna say, last I heard, it was closed to the public inside, only stores with exterior access stayed open.

It's not.

Correct. It was intended as a sad joke. :(