Those who know me may be surprised to discover that I almost finished a PhD program, if by "almost" we mean most of the coursework and none of the thesis except the topic. It was at the University of Texas at Austin, and to keep body and soul together, I also had a full-time job at Northcross Mall in northwest Austin; I started there by pulling weeds and mopping floors, and eventually found myself supervising the maintenance and custodial crew. Imagine that!
I remember being fascinated by the structure of a mall - this was in the mid-70s, when malls were, if not brand new, at least newish enough to engender some awe. Self-contained, without real connection to the outside - I felt like I might as well be on a spaceship heading for Alpha Centuri. I was in and out of its systems and passageways and ductwork and mechanics all the time - it was my mall.*
But enough about me. We're going to talk a little today about the demise of malls in America. Normally, the demise of anything exhibiting such an obsessive focus on commercial capitalism would normally make me ecstatic; however, I do have a soft spot for malls.
But they're on their way out. Although this was true pre-COVID, the economic upheaval of the last year and a half has greatly accelerated the process. CNN reports today that the Washington Prime Group, which owns and operates over 100 malls across America, has filed for bankruptcy - and that CBL Properties and PREIT, organizations which own another 130 malls, did the same last year. All three indicated that it was unpaid rent, rent forgiveness, and the bankruptcies of major tenants that led to their decision to declare bankruptcy.
All three groups will attempt to keep their 230+ malls open (which I don't understand), and the article is full of phrases that make me think that no wealthy owners will be left behind. But still, brick and mortar stores seem to be on their way out, and the pandemic has, it seems, accelerated a troubling trend into a certainty.
More on that soon.
* - It also had a skating rink. If you've ever seen a forgettable movie called "Honeysuckle Rose" with Willie Nelson (Texas state law requires everyone within state borders to attend anything involving Willie Nelson), the mall skating rink they dropped the ice cream cone on was my skating rink, in my mall.
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