Highland Mall (San Antonio, Austin, Spring: low income, unemployment rate, neighborhood)

[mimimomx3]

deadmalls DOT com

I don't think the problem is limited to Highland Mall or even Austin- the mall of the 70s and 80s is dying and being replaced by the open air concept, like the Domain, smaller scale/local shopping, and of course- EShopping.

[austin-steve]

As for the Texas Relays - what do you think should have been done?

Well, after viewing some of the YouTube videos of Highland Mall during TX Relays, and seeing the crowds and general milling about inside and out in the parking lots, and a couple of fights that were video taped, and the non-spending that takes place, it's easy to see the concerns of the mall owner.

If I were the owner/operator of of HM, I would simply take the position that the owner/operator owes no civic or moral duty to provide a free festivities venue for non-shopping activities such as these. It's a mall. Malls are for shoppers, otherwise they go broke, as is happening already at HM.

If someone were to be injured at the mall due to over crowding or allowing a situation to get out of control, or something worse, the mall would no doubt be sued, and would probably lose. The claim being that they should have foreseen something like that happening and taken measures to prevent it. So, the mall is in a no win situation. It can be politically correct and cross its fingers, or be prudent and accept the backlask from those who like to blame everything on racism.

What would Bill Cosby say about this? I know who he would not be defending and who he would not be blaming. Go watch some of his YouTube talks on this subject.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

deadmalls DOT com

I don't think the problem is limited to Highland Mall or even Austin- the mall of the 70s and 80s is dying and being replaced by the open air concept, like the Domain, smaller scale/local shopping, and of course- EShopping.

Interesting that 'something' has changed in the world that would entice us to walk about in 100+ degree heat while shopping. I don't get it...maybe it's because the 'open air' concept is supposed to look more like old-world buildings/villages. BUT, that doesn't make it comfortable to go store-to-store in the summer or while dodging thunderstorms. The 'new' concept even eliminates a continuous overhang joining stores(substituting individual awnings or eliminating coverings altogether)...again, exposing shoppers to the elements while moving from shop to shop. Of course, there would be some utilities $ savings by not cooling/heating a large mall area but at the expense of comfort.

Similar mall failures have taken place in Atlanta in the 28 years I was there...one mall in particular was NEVER popular since the area in which it was built(south of the major population center) failed to grow at 'any' speed compared to the northern areas. Other malls have been refurbished and renewed as viable shopping centers while others have declined much as it appears Highland has. There is no easy answer to success but it is clear to see that without adequate revenue, individual stores can't survive and eventually the whole mall will suffer.

Imagine the backlash when Highland shuts down...it won't be pretty but it's all about $$$ folks.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Interesting that 'something' has changed in the world that would entice us to walk about in 100+ degree heat while shopping. I don't get it...maybe it's because the 'open air' concept is supposed to look more like old-world buildings/villages. BUT, that doesn't make it comfortable to go store-to-store in the summer or while dodging thunderstorms. The 'new' concept even eliminates a continuous overhang joining stores(substituting individual awnings or eliminating coverings altogether)...again, exposing shoppers to the elements while moving from shop to shop. Of course, there would be some utilities $ savings by not cooling/heating a large mall area but at the expense of comfort.

Similar mall failures have taken place in Atlanta in the 28 years I was there...one mall in particular was NEVER popular since the area in which it was built(south of the major population center) failed to grow at 'any' speed compared to the northern areas. Other malls have been refurbished and renewed as viable shopping centers while others have declined much as it appears Highland has. There is no easy answer to success but it is clear to see that without adequate revenue, individual stores can't survive and eventually the whole mall will suffer.

Imagine the backlash when Highland shuts down...it won't be pretty but it's all about $$$ folks.

You're right...it's all about the $$$, and I think the old concept is dead/dying because the retailers were having to spend $$$ on the common areas of the mall and financing our comfort- a/c, benches, restrooms, etc- and losing $$ in the deal. We go along with the open air concept because they entice us with $$$ savings and well, because that's where the stores are!!!

[tekka-maki]

Originally Posted by UTHORNS96

My point of view is why do two days out of the entire year dictate why businesses like Dillards would leave and they would want to close the entire mall. That's the part where they lost me. There has to be another reason.

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth and say it is a race issue to you. But I know it is for a lot of people because I have read their words and heard their conversations.

Dillards decision to leave has nothing to do with the TX Relay . It's simple economics, just like virtually every well known store that has left Highland.

In addition to the reasons I've already given (e.g. liability, correlation/causation of incidents) I'm going to have agree with Emos owner Frank Hendrix's stament in this week's Chronicle (Off the Record, pg. 55), "Money is Green. When you make a business decision based on finances and all of a sudden it's turned into a black-and-white issue, it's ridiculous".

Indeed...

[AGA]

I think you overstate your case way too much. The fact is that Hip Hop culture and much (not all!) of urban youth black culture is strongly perceived as tied with violence and various forms of social degeneracy. You can call this racism if you like but you're missing the point and doing a disservice to your understanding of the world. How can you not recognize that there wide swaths of this culture that glamorize the fast money of drug dealing and the treating of women like whores? Does "diversity" include accepting this as normal let alone good?

Well said!!

Dillards decision to leave has nothing to do with the TX Relay . It's simple economics, just like virtually every well known store that has left Highland.

They had already decided to leave, now they just want out of their lease early...

I don't care what race, color or culture you are...If you cause trouble, I don't want to be around you. Period. And if that means I have to make some assumptions regarding groups as a whole in order to keep my family safe or protected from negative issues/behavior etc...too bad.
One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch...If you find one with worms, you have to decide if you will eat more out of the bunch or find another orchard!
Perhaps too simply stated, and I am sure someone will rip it to shreds but.....

[verybadgnome]

I'm hoping they eventually tear down HM and put up a mixed-used retail/residential development centered around the MetroRail stop. In Arlington, VA they have something like this near the Pentagon City Stop with more new projects like this going in:

Google Image Result for http://www.kettler.com/uploads/image/MET-Park_1.jpg

[yehudi]

Maybe when Highland Mall closes, the youngsters from TX relays can go to the Domain to spend their money and hang out.

Everybody wins and the businesses at Highland Mall will have been taught a lesson.

[llkltk]

They don't have Forever 21 and those types of stores at the Domain so I doubt they will go there.

[tekka-maki]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Interesting that 'something' has changed in the world that would entice us to walk about in 100+ degree heat while shopping. I don't get it...maybe it's because the 'open air' concept is supposed to look more like old-world buildings/villages. BUT, that doesn't make it comfortable to go store-to-store in the summer or while dodging thunderstorms. The 'new' concept even eliminates a continuous overhang joining stores(substituting individual awnings or eliminating coverings altogether)...again, exposing shoppers to the elements while moving from shop to shop. Of course, there would be some utilities $ savings by not cooling/heating a large mall area but at the expense of comfort..

I agree, don't dig the 'new' concept but would choose outlets over it any day of the week, but I realllly don't think the demise of Highland has anything to do with the style of shopping at the Domain. That will always be a niche style of total pkg (live+shop) shopping reserved for a very discrete demographic... which frankly seems slightly oddball to me given its location; in denser metropolitan areas w/light rail sure, I get it. But In N. Austin corridor IMO, it's tacky. Plus if that were to be the newer de facto standard of shopping, Barton Creek Mall wouldn't be alive and doing very well; neither would Austin's vast array of boutiques shops.