Muncie Mall Bought and A Buyer Is Sought

 So reports The Muncie Star-Press: Wells Fargo buys mall out of sheriff's sale searching for buyer. 

When my sister brought me back from Kokomo last Sunday, she was surprised the place had not closed. It did look pretty dead.

From the article, 

But Michael Hicks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, said the future of the mall might not be as a traditional mall.

"I’m not sure the ownership structure will have much affect on the future of the Mall," Hicks said. "The economic prospects for retail in a low income city with declining population is particularly poor."

But novel and successful functions for the large interior spaces can be found. 

"The good news is that with the proliferation of these empty malls, there are many experiments to repurpose them for other uses," he said. "Recreation, healthcare and groceries are all increasingly common uses for older malls."

He said that a healthcare venue is unlikely to be an option in Muncie, "because the region is too monopolized for entrance by a competitor."

But he added that other uses are probably in the future for the mall.

Doesn't that make Muncie sound like it's life-support, ready to join the ghost towns of history.

Put the emphasis on "retail." I had a chat with a friend in prison who worked for a company that based its operation in malls on the future of malls. This was after I learned of Anderson's Mounds Mall shutting down. He didn't think with the Internet there was a future. Which left me thinking a successful mall needs to serve something you cannot get online.

Used to be the Muncie Mall had a beauty shop, it has not any now. (Although Muncie seems full of them.)

I have only a vague notion of what a day spa is, but why not?

An under-21 club, some place to send the kids while the parents shop.  Yes, I have never heard of one that was successful. Here we do have Ball State students who might be enticed.

A comedy club. Muncie really does not have one.

Indoor rock climbing?

Check out, too, The Star-Press' 'So much potential': What can save the Muncie mall? 

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