Debate: Is it worth fixing a dead mall's food court or just bulldoze it?

I spent almost 4 hours last Wednesday trying to track down a leak in the old food court ceiling at Westbrook Mall, and I still haven't fixed it properly. Some people say you should patch up these old spaces for events or pop-ups, while others think it's cheaper to tear them out and start fresh. What's your take, should we sink time into saving these areas or just call it quits?

2 comments

2 Comments

faith_perez15d ago

Oh man, "sink time" is the perfect way to describe what happened to me last month at the old mall on 5th. I spent an entire Saturday scrubbing grease off a 40-year-old pizza oven nobody wanted just because I felt bad for the building. Honestly, if you can't find a leak in 4 hours, that ceiling is basically a ticking time bomb. Tear it out and put in some cheap tables and chairs, at least then you won't have to patch up the same spot over and over again. I'm still finding pizza crust in my toolbox from that day.

ellis.diana15d ago

... and that reminds me of my friend Mike who tried to save an old juice bar counter in a dead mall, spent three days rewiring it until he got zapped right in front of a customer. @faith_perez you're totally right about the grease... sometimes you just gotta know when to let go.