[Iceblue252]

I was in Big Lots in MWC when I noticed what looked like a shopping mall across the street. Turns out it was Heritage Park Mall when I looked it up online. It'd just closed; I'd been to other malls including Crossroads, Shepard, Penn Square and Quail Springs but I have no recollection ever of HPM. I even wondered if there's another mall I haven't been to. Sure enough, that's HPM.

Too late for me, tho. Next time I was in the area, I cruised around the parking lot. The whole building still looked good and I missed the damage(s) mentioned here in this thread (maybe all up on the roof, that I didn't see?). On a later trip, I went into Sears and headed to what looked like the mall entrance. It's all shut by glass and the curtains in place outside really limited my view into what looked like a nice concourse based on what I've seen in pictures of this place.

I also took the time to check out the outside entrances. I was at one when one person in a SUV stopped by to ask. Not understanding what he said, but guessing if the mall's even open, I said the mall had closed "early last year". That was in mid '11. Anyway, I wasted no time in checking it further just in case a police happens by. Didn't want to risk delaying my time away from home. lol

I will return again someday to see what it's like then.

[Timemachineman]

This is a really sad situation. As bizarre as it may sound, somebody who's familiar with the place (i.e. shopped there, lived in the area) should have funds pooled together to buy it and have the mall restored. If the buyer were just willing to put work into having it brought back to its former glory, and a well worked-out plan for restoration, then it shouldn't be too difficult to achieve (assuming this person were actually smart and devoted to this cause).

[StillwaterTownie]

Surely, malls like Heritage Park close, due to it costing too much to heat and cool the mall, so owners have to charge higher rents than strip mall owners.

Maybe enclosed malls could come back if a real cheap way to heat and cool them can be found. Solar? Windmills?

[Timemachineman]

@StillwaterTownie
Costs of heating/air conditioning would definitely be an issue, possibly the biggest problem beside maintenance costs. Both of these sound like good options, seeing as solar energy is an (almost) booming industry, with it becoming a more and more common/popular in addition to cheaper energy source all the time, not to mention the technological advancements in recent years, making them more efficient (sorry if any of this post was repetitive). Diddo (I don't know if I spelled that right) for wind energy. Both conventional and thermal solar panels could cut costs tremendously over time. I also think investing in better building insulation could end up cutting costs. Would you say a combination of these methods would "cut this problem down to size", or do we need some more/better ideas, or modifications to these ideas perhaps?

[Timemachineman]

In addition to my last post, I'd also like to say that small wind turbines can be built cheaply, thus making them easy to custom build and mass-produce, which would be much less expensive than buying them from a private business, actually making this the best idea proposed (in my opinion).

[Bass&Catfish2008]

I think that's the one that has one of those Life Churches in the west side of the old mall.

Could be wrong but I think I remember seeing it last time I was on the east side of the Metro.

[Timemachineman]

@Bass&Catfish2008
Yeah, that's the one you're thinking of.

[Timemachineman]

If anyone has any ideas that could be helpful for having Heritage Park Mall restored, please post them. Your ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[StillwaterTownie]

Churches are so popular in Oklahoma. So turn Heritage Park into a mall for a bunch of churches, Heritage Park Church Mall. Or something else religious oriented, like an indoor holy land or creationism park. Show Adam and Eve riding dinosaurs.

[Timemachineman]

...Not sure I could get a bunch of churches to go to Heritage Park.