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Comment by jrs235 | Hacker News Reader

What will happen to these malls that close? Will they be modified and turned into multi office buildings? Would/could enough workers support the food courts? I suppose they wouldn't need quite as much parking so more satellite office buildings? More co-working spaces? What does the future hold in your opinion?

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Some get turned into massive offices like that. (Example: Rackspace)

Some will sit empty for decades and decay. (Example: the mall outside Chicago where they filmed Blues Brothers)

I think most will simply be bulldozed and rezoned.

One of the malls in my hometown (College Hills) kept the anchor stores (Target, Hobby Lobby, Von Maur) but tore down the middle parts, and built the more modern strip islands and parking in its place, where you can just go directly to the store you want. This previously dead space now has a Starbucks, a Coldstone, a Yankee Candle, a nice pizza place, several clothing stores and gift shops, and it's constantly busy, so it seems like they made the right choice.

Here's an article of the history and some pictures of it just before it closed if you're curious: http://www.labelscar.com/illinois/college-hills-mall

They will become Amazon Distribution centers.

Seeing as there is a huge residential real estate shortage in most major/desirable cities, maybe they can be converted to apartment buildings...Kinda like many old factories got converted to lofts.

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