IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 26

T

Across the country, however, communities are fighting
back to ensure this doesn't become their fate. Instead of
letting abandoned malls turn into dilapidated eyesores that
drag down the economy and quality of life, they're relying
on designers, architects, developers, urban planners, and
retailers to reimagine the purpose of these massive places.
Take the Shops of Grand Avenue. While the property
may be closed now, it's far from abandoned. Last October,
plans were announced to give the space a second life as The
Avenue, a mixed-use property featuring apartments, new
retail concepts, a coworking space, and a new headquarters for
local engineering firm Graef. The heart and soul of the space,
however, will be the first-floor food hall. Called 3rd Street
Market Hall, the dining destination is being spearheaded by
local restaurateur Omar Shaikh and designed by Milwaukeebased The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc. It will feature
vendors that reflect the culinary and ethnic diversity of the
region, as well as space for demonstrations and live events.
"There are opportunities for every mall to evolve," says
June Williamson, an associate professor of architecture

xxx

The Southdale
Center in Edina,
Minnesota-
designed by
architect Victor
Gruen in 1956-is
considered to be
a blueprint for
the traditional
American mall.

The Shops of Grand Avenue, an urban shopping plaza in
Milwaukee, has been teetering on the edge of extinction
for several years. Opened in the 1980s-the heyday of U.S.
mall culture-the shopping center once boasted some of
the most popular retailers of the day, as well as the state's
largest food court. It was a mix made for mass appeal. But,
in the face of the Great Recession, the mall lost some of
its major anchors. Tenants became scarce. And in 2012,
the mall went into foreclosure and was put up for auction
before closing its doors completely just last January.
It's a tale that is far from unique. The demise of the
traditional mall has been happening for well over a decade
in the United States. By 2022, 25 percent of these cathedrals
of consumption could find their doors closed, according
to a report by Credit Suisse. Left unattended, these empty
spaces can cast a heavy shadow on their communities.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, neighborhoods with a large number of
jettisoned properties-commercial or otherwise-often
experience increased crime and social fragmentation.

26

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IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019

IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019
From IIDA
Contents
Next
Talk, Talk
Pre/Post
Powered by Design
From the Ashes
That Creative Spark
The Hybrid Hotel
Change of Seat
Scratch Pad
Insider Intel
IIDA News + Updates
Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 2
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 5
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Next
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 8
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 10
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Talk, Talk
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Pre/Post
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 15
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Powered by Design
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 18
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - From the Ashes
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 26
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 28
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 30
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - That Creative Spark
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 34
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 36
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - The Hybrid Hotel
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 40
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 42
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Change of Seat
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 48
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Scratch Pad
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Insider Intel
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 53
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - IIDA News + Updates
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - 55
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2017fallwinter
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2015fallwinter
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2014fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2014springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2013fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2013springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2012fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2012springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2011fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2011springsummer
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