Mall redevelopment strategies: 9 key considerations for success

This blog post was authored by Eric Bishop, PLA, Landscape Architecture Professional, Kimley-Horn; and Eric Bosman, FAICP, Senior Land Planner, Kimley-Horn.

With shifts in shopping patterns, traditional malls are declining in popularity and effectiveness. Mall redevelopments provide an opportunity to cast a new vision over outdated frameworks—honing mixed-use spaces that lean into contemporary needs, creativity, and community building. Before embarking on your next mall redevelopment project, review our considerations for revitalizing these retail centers into more vibrant mixed-use hubs.

1. Collaborate with ownership and anchor tenants to envision the mall’s future.

The ownership structure of malls, anchor retail boxes, and associated infrastructure often results in a complex web of competing interests, even when walls are shared between these owners. In many circumstances, the national retailers whose department stores anchored the mall and drove much of its patronage have walked away from traditional malls. Those departures often lead to dark, vacant boxes or retrofits which become competing interests to the mall itself.

The mix of ownership and stakeholder interests makes it challenging to foster a collective vision for mall redevelopment. Working with this lack of alignment, stakeholders typically generate different redevelopment models with their own requirements, goals, and challenges:

• Model 1: Leave major portions of the existing mall intact and focus on infill development that activates underutilized areas and edge regions.
• Model 2: Deconstruct vacant anchor tenant spaces and revitalize the mall with new development, ultimately replacing sections of the traditional mall to build momentum.
• Model 3: Completely remove the mall and anchor retail to start over with an entirely new vision for the space.

While each model of redevelopment requires different thinking and tactics, successful redevelopments are organized around a big move or overarching vision to build connections between various owners and create excitement within the community. This vision charts a new path forward with the ultimate goal of aligning the diverse stakeholders involved.

2. Understand drivers of mall redevelopment and capture those within the design.

With changes in consumer behavior accelerated through e-commerce and convenience-based shopping, the key for many mall redevelopments is to integrate new uses—residential, entertainment, or community resources—transitioning these retail-only environments into mixed-use districts capable of drawing new audiences and users.

Also, people increasingly prioritize a sense of place over impersonal, unlocalized commerce—because of this, developers may want to bring in local restaurants and retailers rather than national chains to create a sense of community belonging. Consultants can help direct both high-level visioning and specific details towards experiential hospitality if they become familiar with the location and the personal touch customers are searching for.

3. Navigate agreements and standards for existing mall tenants.

A primary challenge of mall redevelopment projects is determining which tenants have viable agreements and how these existing contracts interact with each other. For instance, in projects where consultants are redeveloping a small portion of a mall, parking is often a particular concern. Many tenants have agreements about the number of parking spaces required and the proximity of parking spaces to their storefront. Other elements of tenant lease agreements—including specifications on operations, longevity, maintenance, and other details—also add complexity and require strategic research, stakeholder management, and negotiation.

4. Adapt block structures to create a dynamic, accessible space.

Malls typically have inflexible elements that must be maintained for existing tenants, but the block structure can be adapted to rethink access, circulation, and activation along the edges. Landscape architects and planners can help clients transition away from an exterior ring road that restricts traffic and creates a car-centric environment. Instead, they can improve accessibility throughout the site’s center and create a pedestrian-focused streetscape. This may involve adapting a necessary site element—for instance, turning a detention basin into a creative stormwater feature.

5. Partner with clients to create engaging spaces that support programming.

Consultants can help developers focus on high-touch, high-feel experiences and add value through placemaking, landscape architecture, and experiences that bring people back repeatedly. Programmatic elements—from small, family-oriented activities to large entertainment events—can re-activate traditional mall spaces with new life, creating a community-focused atmosphere that drives recurring success.

6. Adapt to the preferences of desired tenants and their customer base.

Consultants should understand the mix of tenants their client is actively marketing to and answer some key questions: How do these tenants support the holistic vision for the mall? How do the different restaurants and retailers operate? Who is the key clientele for each desired tenant? With thoughtful analysis, the project team can develop adaptable, engaging spaces that support both tenants and their customers.

7. Consider infrastructure needs based on mall visioning.

Mall redevelopment projects often produce mixed-use spaces that differ vastly from traditional, consolidated mall models. However, existing infrastructure—including buried utilities and sewer capacity—often follows the original ownership vision. Consultants should prioritize infrastructure adjustments early in the process to accommodate the site’s new uses and support continuous service for existing tenants.

8. Coordinate with jurisdictions and public agencies on policy early.

Changes to both zoning/land use and public infrastructure along the mall’s exterior, such as intersections and traffic signals, involve negotiations with city officials. If consultants want to insert new transit access, they also need to coordinate with transit agencies to ensure there’s appropriate space for circulation and new traffic patterns.

Consultants and clients can also partner with jurisdictions to address mall decline and financing options early on. It benefits local governments and communities to reduce decline of the mall’s tax base and incentivize reinvestment, as many mall properties must completely fail before redevelopment “pencils out” with traditional financing mechanisms. With local partnerships and an understanding of policy frameworks and public financing partnerships, the team can better plan to reinvigorate the mall before resorting to foreclosure or large-scale changes.  

9. Engage the community in the mall redevelopment.

While public engagement is not part of every mall project, feedback from the community can be vital to building support. Some jurisdictions require information sessions for the public, while for others it’s a good idea to host sessions that engage the community to better understand what is planned for the mall and to provide input. These feedback exchanges are often helpful to inform project messaging, frame negotiations with local municipalities, and better understand community needs and preferences that allow the client to maintain their mixed-use vision while honing project details and design.