Uh, uh - Mall of America will be dethroned as the "largest mall"

[question everything]

Florida Officials Approve Plan to Build Largest U.S. Mall

At a time when store closures are accelerating and struggling malls pockmark the country, county commissioners in Florida have approved a plan to build what would be the largest mall in the U.S.

American Dream Miami would also be the most expensive mall ever built, according to Canadian developer Triple Five Worldwide Group of Cos. The 6.2-million-square-foot retail and entertainment complex would cost an estimated $4 billion, Triple Five says.

The cost would include 2,000 hotel rooms, indoor ski slope, ice-climbing wall and water park with a “submarine lake,” where guests could enter a plexiglass submarine and descend underwater.

(snip)

The project provides a window into the thinking of North America’s largest mall developers as they confront the revolution in the shopping world sparked by e-commerce. They recognize it’s no longer enough to fill malls with stores selling clothing, food, electronics and other merchandise people can more easily buy online.

Rather developers are filling malls with restaurants, rides, trampoline parks, gyms, services and other types of entertainment. This strategy taps into the increasing preference of consumers to spend their money on experiences as opposed to goods.

(snip)

Triple Five, a privately owned company controlled by the Ghermezian family, owns some of the largest retail and entertainment properties in North America, including West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Canada, and Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/florida-officials-approve-plan-to-build-largest-u-s-mall-1529406001 (paid subscription)

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Impressive White Elephant,yes.

[Kahuna7]

6. Yep. nt

[Phoenix61]

2. Hope they build it to withstand a Cat 5

hurricane. And they need to take increased flooding into account as global warming leads to rising ocean levels.

[geardaddy]

4. But they'll have their submarines to ride it out.

[geardaddy]

3. Good.

I can't stand the M of A.

[madaboutharry]

5. I'll just say it

I can't stand the Mall of America.

It is too big and too noisy. The only thing I liked about it the last time I was there was the new L.L. Bean store where Bloomingdales use to be.

[question everything]

7. Agree. And L.L. Bean has a separate entrance

I hate the mall and even more so the parking. Even on a mid day in mid week.

[Clarity2]

8. We've got a real drama

with Triple Five going on here on long island. They are a pretty corrupt bunch and very secretive, so its hard to get info on them. They pay off local officials to change zoning. Kind of a bait and switch. Theyre trying to buy a large lot of land in a residential area that was formerly Grumman, for “aviation purposes”. They havent been transparent about their financials at all.

In the miami case, they paid off local politicians. It is an environmentally sensitive area.

Their dream mall in NJ has been over a decade in the making, and still not finished.

[TheRealNorth]

9. Sounds more like a playground for the elite than

A mall. I believe they have places like this in Abu Dhabi and other places that arab oil barons and Russian oligarchs like to congregate. Given that it is Miami, it could probably be profitable there.

[rsdsharp]

10. Meh.

I've been to MoA once -- because my daughter and wife wanted to go. They went to Nordtrom's (I've seen a department store, thanks) and I went out on my own. We agreed to meet back in front of Norstrom's in 2 hours, and go to lunch. I went to Brooks Brothers and bought a tie. I went to Brookstone and bought a travel alarm. I went to Williams Sonoma and bought a paring knife. I went to a sporting goods store, wandered around for quite a while, and eventually bought a Twins batting helmet. I stopped at a book store on the way back to Nordstrom's and bought a book.

When we met, I asked where they had gone. Nordstrom's! One store which was not appreciably different than the department stores in our home town. And they didn't buy anything. We went to lunch and I was ready to leave. Unfortunately we stayed until 6 PM -- by which time they had also seen Macy's, and didn't buy anything. I'd gone to a bar, read my book, and had a couple of beers.

That was 1995. I haven't been back.

[RKP5637]

11. I'll shop online any day than go to one of these grotesque monstrosities. n/t

[Scruffy1]

12. Same here. n/t.

[monmouth4]

13. Oh, me too. I love online shopping..n/t

[Lucky Luciano]

14. I think the point is that it is as much amusement park as it is mall.

Not that I’m dying to go, but they are trying to provide something besides a shopping experience that can easily be had on Amazon.

[RKP5637]

15. Yep, I think that is quite true. n/t