Comments on: EX BOX: Second Lives for Ghost Malls and Big Box Stores

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:21:03 +0000

This is by far one of the best ideas. I know of several big malls in our area that are sitting there, doing nothing, oozing out the CO2’s from the concrete it took to build them. As a former Community School Director these would be ideal retirement complexes, community centers, health/fitness centers, low-income housing projects, retraining centers for the unemployed and homeless. Centers where new communities could form, social service centers established, schools implemented thus alleviating the need to spend money on new structures by using existing facilities.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:21:32 +0000

I like the concept.

It does leave a lot of room for diversity of purpose and design to suit each situation differently. It looks like it invites independent merchants. The real key is to be able to financially do it without mega investors!
I’m sure that adequate parking could be planned in, maybe even underground, or layered.
This is one of the few ideas that may be possible because it is not dependent upon Mega Bucks for the renovation. It seems to invite joining many small endeavors and small pocket books which means it may be more possible than a smash down and redo for a property of that size. Financial isolation is another forgotten aspect of the big box stores; once they buy up the land and develop it, very few can approach the selling price no matter how long it has been empty.

By: Jeremy Fretts

Jeremy Fretts — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:34:05 +0000

“The space will bring people.” How will they arrive? Where will they park?
As an isolated project, this is nothing more than a green flea market. It could only achieve liveliness if part of a tight urban fabric with increased density.

This approach could only succeed when wrapped with a dense urban area. To that end, it’s economically more efficient to demolish the big box and parking and build the density on this site, rather than aggregate smaller sites adjacent to it.

The bigger issue is that suburban big boxes depend on people coming TO them, rather than happening by them in the course of their daily activities.

The pictured bicyclist, for example, is not really going to bicycle on a 6-lane arterial highway to get to this market stand.

By: JP

JP — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:40:23 +0000

Looks like an outdoor market…pretty cool. Not a bad proposal for a few malls in my area, though I have a hard time imagining this scaling up.

The columns aren’t cantilevered, and the New Urban idea of creating a “true” village or town is not what his idea was about. No need for negative vibes.

Good luck Ha Young!

By: O2

O2 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:10:18 +0000

Cheers to re-purposing abandoned retail spaces.

By: Ralph Bennett

Ralph Bennett — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:35:58 +0000

Re-using big box centers is a great idea and inevitable.

But this does not look like a nice place – ratty grass and asphalt.

Re-using initially cheap buildings is a dead end – level the site and build a true village/town.

Those cantilevered columns need a yard of concrete to keep them straight – not exactly green, Even if it’s fly ash.