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I think for me (a millennial) my problem with the malls is that they don't have many stores I'm interested in (do we really need 20 teen clothing stores in every mall) and I absolutely hate being in run down malls (looking at you Morgantown Mall). If they had stores relevant to me and are kept up nicely (like the south hills mall and Ross Park mall in Pittsburgh) I'd much rather go to them than drive from store to store (even though I love the outdoor city style shopping centers like the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, FL). Morgantown Mall is down to just JCPennys now as an anchor and I wish they would just demolish the mall and use the flat land for something more useful since construction for retail and office space is booming all around the dying mall. But supposedly Kohls and Burlington Coat Factory are coming to the mall and if that turns out to be true, I'll be frequenting the mall more often since I like Kohls.
All of that is to say, mall owners need to invest in their properties (make them look nice and modern, not rundown, dingy and stuck in the 90's), offer more relevant and exciting stores (for all age groups) and think out side of the box some. Interestingly, I've seen some malls start to install amazon package lockers where people can pick up their orders and drop off returns. It is a pretty smart way to drive some extra traffic into a mall since if you are already there picking up a package you are more likely to do a little shopping since you made the effort to get there in the first place.
If I were in charge of CTC, my first order of business would be to lock down that hotel and make sure a nice one is built (both visually and brand wise, nothing to fancy but a good solid branded one). Then I'd work on a redevelopment plan and try to court a REI, LLBean, Eddie Bauer, Cheese Cake Factory, an Alamo Drafthouse Movie Theatre or a concept similar to them, a Duluth Trading, maybe an LA Fitness, an H&M (if already there, make sure to keep them) and a couple other store brands. I'd also look into a working micro distillery and craft beer brewery that served their spirits, served food and offered tours and classes (could be a tourist draw and would help with the civic center giving people more things to do while at the civic center).
The CTC had a Eddie Bauer at one time. It was on the 2nd level, against the end, between the Macy's and Sears spaces. I'd love to see a REI in the area but I've always wondered if our area is too small for their business model.
I agree with you that many malls need to find other draws to bring people in. I believe in this thread and in a thread on the Huntington forum regarding the Huntington Mall, its been suggested that both the Huntington Mall and CTC look at other entertainment options. Go after a comedy club, a Dave and Buster's/Main Event Entertainment, a full-dining movie theater, a indoor/outdoor exercise/activity space (like skating, rock climbing, etc.) trampoline park and things similar in design. I like your idea about a distillery/craft brewing space. I think that goes across demographics and could draw well.
And sadly just to add to this I know a lot of people that just plain refuse to shop there because of the user fee. Seriously. That made a lot of people that I know who live outside of town but who work here that we’re made that angry by that. I’m not going to debate the merits but just wanted to add that to it.
The only time I noticed it being sketchy was in the evenings. Daytime at the mall during the week and on weekends seemed to be fine.
This is more of a failure whose blame rides with the mayor, the city and the owners.
Had the mall been kept fresh and modern with retailers that were attractive then it would not be in this mess. I travel all over the the Midwest and the southeast. The death of malls has been greatly over- exaggerated by the media just like everything else in this day and age.
The malls that I do see closing are in areas much more run down and much much more dangerous than Charleston.
This mess has very little to do with Amazon or crime.
I agree. In the larger metro areas I've visited in the last 5 to 6 years, most of the shopping malls seem to be doing well. While not a great comparison, the Huntington Mall is doing alright and it's just 35 miles down the road from the CTC.
They are looking at an old run-down building on the west side with no parking.
Why couldn’t they go into Macy’s or Sears or both? Ample parking plus they would provide 1000 students plus 100 or more staff and faculty there on a daily basis.
These people would definitely eat and probably shop too.
They are looking at an old run-down building on the west side with no parking.
Why couldn’t they go into Macy’s or Sears or both? Ample parking plus they would provide 1000 students plus 100 or more staff and faculty there on a daily basis.
These people would definitely eat and probably shop too.
You mean the BridgeValley that defaulted on their lease at their South Charleston campus and has yet to pay any of it back? That Bridge Valley? Thanks but no thanks.
I think for me (a millennial) my problem with the malls is that they don't have many stores I'm interested in (do we really need 20 teen clothing stores in every mall) and I absolutely hate being in run down malls (looking at you Morgantown Mall). If they had stores relevant to me and are kept up nicely (like the south hills mall and Ross Park mall in Pittsburgh) I'd much rather go to them than drive from store to store (even though I love the outdoor city style shopping centers like the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, FL). Morgantown Mall is down to just JCPennys now as an anchor and I wish they would just demolish the mall and use the flat land for something more useful since construction for retail and office space is booming all around the dying mall. But supposedly Kohls and Burlington Coat Factory are coming to the mall and if that turns out to be true, I'll be frequenting the mall more often since I like Kohls.
All of that is to say, mall owners need to invest in their properties (make them look nice and modern, not rundown, dingy and stuck in the 90's), offer more relevant and exciting stores (for all age groups) and think out side of the box some. Interestingly, I've seen some malls start to install amazon package lockers where people can pick up their orders and drop off returns. It is a pretty smart way to drive some extra traffic into a mall since if you are already there picking up a package you are more likely to do a little shopping since you made the effort to get there in the first place.
If I were in charge of CTC, my first order of business would be to lock down that hotel and make sure a nice one is built (both visually and brand wise, nothing to fancy but a good solid branded one). Then I'd work on a redevelopment plan and try to court a REI, LLBean, Eddie Bauer, Cheese Cake Factory, an Alamo Drafthouse Movie Theatre or a concept similar to them, a Duluth Trading, maybe an LA Fitness, an H&M (if already there, make sure to keep them) and a couple other store brands. I'd also look into a working micro distillery and craft beer brewery that served their spirits, served food and offered tours and classes (could be a tourist draw and would help with the civic center giving people more things to do while at the civic center).
A lot of good ideas and absent any thing that is going to happen this would be a solid plan. I am not agreement on a few parts of it though.
Malls that evolve do well, those that can grow can add the new while retaining some older concepts to keep the grey crowd content. CTC lacks the room to be proactive and the management has been more interested in sucking cash out of the till than putting it back into the property.
I would be very radical with CTC if I had a magic wand or $100,000,000 to drop on it.
I absolutely do not want a hotel stuck on the side of the mall. Stick on the CC-CC where it belongs across the street.
I also hate Brickstreet being stuck on the mall. I would move them out by whatever means necessary.
At this point I would tear down the old Sears, Brickstreet and the parking garage in between them.
Where Sears used to be, I place an I-Max with a multi screen cinema. Where Brickstreet used to be I would drop in either a Bass Pro Shop-Dick's-Cabela, whichever wanted that much space.
Where the parking garage used to be between Old Sears and Brickstreet, I would drop in an IKEA. They would have more than enough space to have delivery areas, pick up, and still have plenty of room to have a presence on the curb side while backing into the mall on levels 2 and 3.
I would finally allow Belk's to come to CTC. Kaufman/Macy's forbid CTC to let them in because they were too similar. Now that Macy's is leaving that is no longer a problem. Put them in the Macy's store. JCPenney nationally has had a flat year to slightly less then last year, but the CTC location has been doing better than expected. Hopefully retain them.
Tear down the other parking garage and build a new one, it is falling down any way.
Inside the mall we needs to add a lot of stores that few here know about. Athelta, F21, 6-oh-2, Trader Joes, Walgreens, Lululemon, Urban Decay, Ulta, Tarte, DNA, Aritzta, Everlane, and Zara. I am sure there are many others.
She better go hat in hand on bended knee to Belk, Boscovs, Von Maur or Dillards to get a replacement department store in there. You can put all the entertainment venues in there you want but the mall needs to remain mainly retail or else you might as well board up that brand new convention center. Conventions are sold touting a huge mall with 2 convention center hotels. If the mall goes, so goes their big selling point. If it's boarded up, you won't be able to give rooms away in those hotels. The whole Charleston convention center future hangs in the balance of the decisions being made concerning the mall.
I like Cadens idea of moving Brickstreet out and repurposing the space. I have the perfect location for them. The recently available Commerce Square building. It is a smaller 17 story class A space that desperately needs tenants with Huntington Bank relocating to Laidley Tower. Remodel it to fit Brickstreets needs and move those hundreds of workers into that end of town. That would help boost those small businesses and restaurants on Capitol, Quarrier and Hale Streets and also give them indoor parking. Win Win for all parties. Then repurpose Brickstreet's old space with another department store or an AMC Theatre or entertainment venue.
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