General Discussion

totodeinhere

(13,058 posts)

28. It is often cheaper to build from scratch than to renovate a property.

Thu Apr 11, 2024, 01:06 PM

Apr 11

We could build housing on the land but it would probably be better just to tear the mall down and construct from scratch

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America is full of abandoned malls. What if we turned them into housing? [View all] Jilly_in_VA Apr 11 OP

That Mall JustAnotherGen Apr 11 #1

Another Rochester area DUer. SergeStorms Apr 11 #14

I was born in Rochester, grew up in the village of Geneseo budkin Apr 11 #39

Marketplace is still going... SergeStorms Apr 11 #49

Guys are different like that. GenThePerservering Apr 11 #66

if our walmart were to pull up stakes , id love to see it as a homless shelter or put AllaN01Bear Apr 11 #59

I've been in NJ since 2006! JustAnotherGen Apr 11 #64

I love Scottsville. SergeStorms Apr 11 #65

I've been thinking this for some time mcar Apr 11 #2

Same, here. But it will require government support. $$ lindysalsagal Apr 11 #6

Absolutely mcar Apr 11 #16

Office buildings wouldn't be a problem to convert NanaCat Apr 11 #56

the challenge with converting office space or malls into homes is the plumbing RAB910 Apr 11 #3

And the air conditioning, and the electrical... tinrobot Apr 11 #10

Yep, lots of code and construction issues involved Zeitghost Apr 11 #11

Yes many code issues. Old Crank Apr 11 #44

They could face a center green space and communal areas. pandr32 Apr 11 #25

Yes this is beginning to happen and could be just the thing for families Peacetrain Apr 11 #4

Someone has to do it. Srkdqltr Apr 11 #5

Several old malls are considering that in my area. I'm just not sure they are looking at really affordable housing. Silent Type Apr 11 #7

Only governement can help this Johnny2X2X Apr 11 #8

According to the article State and federal governments are. Fla Dem Apr 11 #33

McMansions & "Townhomes from the low 800s" Dulcinea Apr 11 #57

Several decades ago I tried to get the city to convert a hospital into housing MagickMuffin Apr 11 #9

One of the biggest problems with getting housing available for people ScratchCat Apr 11 #12

The system is broken and there is no ideological capacity to admit this. Voltaire2 Apr 11 #13

Actually Jilly_in_VA Apr 11 #15

Housing became unaffordable due to the Great Recession, orthoclad Apr 11 #34

The parking lots of these closed malls offer a place to build new housing. h2ebits Apr 11 #17

good idea. some have HUUUUGE lots. BlueWaveNeverEnd Apr 11 #47

Almost no one wants to do anything unless RipVanWinkle Apr 11 #18

Why did the mall idea not succeed? CTyankee Apr 11 #19

Malls destroyed Main Street, orthoclad Apr 11 #38

Retail was over-expanded in the 80s and early 90s GenThePerservering Apr 11 #67

Make them retirement homes for Gen X! Bettie Apr 11 #20

converting some buildings into housing is harder than it looks dembotoz Apr 11 #21

Blaming "developers"'is easy.. brooklynite Apr 11 #22

Stop injecting reality into this discussion. maxsolomon Apr 11 #26

The White Plains Galleria is being converted Scrivener7 Apr 11 #41

Nope malls were never 'nice' IbogaProject Apr 11 #23

Much of it is moniss Apr 11 #24

Either that or pickleball courts! Goodheart Apr 11 #27

I have seen some articles about dead mall conversion into pickleball, tennis, yellowdogintexas Apr 11 #37

It is often cheaper to build from scratch than to renovate a property. totodeinhere Apr 11 #28

They want to turn ours into a casino. twodogsbarking Apr 11 #29

Nashua NH jgorman1962 Apr 11 #31

Suitability, cost and ease of conversion depends on age, condition bucolic_frolic Apr 11 #30

Communist! orthoclad Apr 11 #32

Why not AFORDABLE housing? jgorman1962 Apr 11 #35

+1 leftstreet Apr 11 #42

Very difficult and expensive. Elessar Zappa Apr 11 #36

They're attempting it at one site near me. Scrivener7 Apr 11 #40

Maybe convert to services instead of housing Kaleva Apr 11 #43

My local mall worked with the city council to lease to the library meadowlander Apr 11 #48

Yes. Turn the mall into a community hub Kaleva Apr 11 #61

With a big increase in local population Mossfern Apr 11 #45

And truck parking! marybourg Apr 11 #46

I read a great article about this... WarGamer Apr 11 #50

The answer is simple but controversial. WarGamer Apr 11 #51

You are right about controversial Redleg Apr 11 #52

+100...nt WarGamer Apr 11 #53

The city/county/state can't just "take land". It has to buy it. meadowlander Apr 12 #69

I should have been more clear... TAKE their own land. WarGamer Apr 12 #70

I think it would take a lot of work, but it's possible Deep State Witch Apr 11 #54

Reminds me of 2004's 'Dawn of the Dead' Bonx Apr 11 #55

Turning abandoned malls into housing may seem like a good idea, but most are faced with big building code issues. elocs Apr 11 #58

But we need to pay for the next football stadium Kennah Apr 11 #60

They did it in Providence drmeow Apr 11 #62

One of our malls Texasgal Apr 11 #63

Santa Ana, CA, has done exactly that...great project in area needing both supportive housing and wiggs Apr 11 #68

Windows. Windows are why. jmowreader Apr 12 #71

you mean like this? Skittles Apr 12 #72