Retrofit Atlas

Trends

What the database says about how former malls are being reused, by year, decade, region, owner and place. Every number is computed from the records on this site at build 2026-10-20; counts are of records with the field filled, so they describe the database, not the whole country. Profiles break each element out with a downloadable list. Capital covers deals, debt and the CMBS trusts behind the malls. Massing shows what the zoning code would let a site become.

Closures and retrofits per year

1996: 71997: 71998: 71999: 62000: 172001: 122002: 112003: 102004: 112005: 102006: 152007: 112008: 172009: 72010: 102011: 62012: 92013: 92014: 82015: 92016: 132017: 202018: 192019: 202020: 262021: 142022: 232023: 172024: 222025: 192026: 131996: 31997: 81998: 61999: 122000: 222001: 122002: 122003: 112004: 182005: 152006: 212007: 212008: 102009: 142010: 162011: 132012: 242013: 312014: 192015: 212016: 262017: 202018: 142019: 212020: 242021: 232022: 172023: 332024: 312025: 232026: 22200020052010201520202025

closures per year · retrofit years (year the new use opened or the record dates it). Sites without a year are not counted.

New-use mix by retrofit decade

DecadeRetrofitsHousingRetail (continued)OfficeMixed usePark and open spaceCivic and governmentEntertainment and sportsEducationHotelLogistics and industrial
1990s5923%54%23%16%16%8%15%15%3%3%
2000s15621%53%27%21%14%10%14%5%3%3%
2010s20534%44%27%24%10%8%9%4%7%4%
2020s17853%63%25%36%21%8%19%9%12%13%

Policy tools by retrofit decade

DecadeRetrofitsRezoningPublic grant or loanMaster plan or PUDTax increment financingAffordable housing creditsTax abatement or incentiveBondsPublic acquisition
1990s590%1%1%0%0%0%1%1%
2000s1560%0%0%0%0%0%0%0%
2010s2051%1%0%3%0%0%0%0%
2020s1787%2%1%1%2%2%1%0%

Movers: 2010s to 2020s

Element2010s2020sChange
Retrofit in the pipeline10%37%+27 pts
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)57%34%-23 pts
Sold since 20201%23%+22 pts
Renter-majority tract43%24%-19 pts
Housing35%53%+19 pts
Retail (continued)45%63%+19 pts
Grocery within 800 m61%43%-18 pts
Bike network nearby40%22%-18 pts
On Facebook46%29%-17 pts
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)37%21%-15 pts
200+ tax-credit housing units within 1 km19%7%-12 pts
Mixed use25%37%+12 pts

How long a dead mall waits

Closure decadeRecordsMedian waitLongest
Closed 1950s360 yrs65 yrs
Closed 1960s75 yrs10 yrs
Closed 1970s612 yrs27 yrs
Closed 1980s64 yrs41 yrs
Closed 1990s434 yrs33 yrs
Closed 2000s852 yrs22 yrs
Closed 2010s643 yrs12 yrs
Closed 2020s631 yrs6 yrs

Strategy by census division

DivisionSitesRedevelopedReinhabitedRegreened
South Atlantic35566%23%10%
East North Central23460%30%8%
Pacific20068%25%6%
Mid-Atlantic19066%28%5%
West North Central12556%33%10%
New England10469%25%5%
Mountain9764%19%15%
West South Central9253%42%4%
East South Central6051%35%13%
Canada5777%21%1%
England4656%39%4%
United Kingdom4456%36%6%
Australia3948%33%17%
UK3842%52%5%
Singapore1693%6%0%
US1384%7%7%
—1250%25%25%
Germany933%55%11%

Place context by strategy

RedevelopedReinhabitedRegreened
EPA walkability index (mean, n)13.6 (275)13.6 (112)14.7 (39)
Rail station within 800 m21% (170)25% (54)34% (23)
In an Opportunity Zone23% (351)24% (149)16% (50)

Transitions: strategy to new use

Strategy → new useSitesHousingRetail (continued)OfficeMixed usePark and open spaceCivic and governmentEntertainment and sportsEducation
Redeveloped112656%53%22%25%17%10%12%6%
Reinhabited50543%38%33%15%9%18%14%12%
Regreened15140%36%17%28%78%16%11%7%

Transitions: former anchor to outcome

Former anchor → outcomeSitesRedevelopedReinhabitedHousingLogisticsMedicalStill closed
Sears22671%20%35%7%2%4%
JCPenney19554%19%27%11%2%6%
Macy's8772%11%43%9%2%0%
Dillard's7860%30%24%16%2%3%
Montgomery Ward6973%26%27%15%1%8%
Kmart3666%25%19%11%5%5%
Belk2634%15%15%3%0%11%
J. C. Penney2373%26%26%0%4%8%
Boscov's1844%22%27%5%5%0%
Mervyn's1758%35%17%17%5%5%

Market share by state

State (top 14) → element shareSitesRedev.HousingLogisticsMedicalMixedRezonedClosed, noneRailWalkableOZ
CA15565%49%1%1%16%2%1%5%27%9%
NY10257%45%6%1%12%5%1%3%19%10%
GA9468%63%1%3%21%11%2%2%4%3%
VA9365%53%2%1%24%8%3%3%10%8%
FL8058%40%2%1%15%2%2%2%35%7%
TX7452%33%6%2%16%4%4%4%24%5%
PA6955%23%13%2%10%4%2%1%18%4%
IL6759%28%5%2%16%1%5%1%34%2%
OH6159%24%11%3%24%3%3%0%31%19%
MI5455%24%9%1%14%1%3%0%12%12%
MA5086%56%4%4%24%8%0%0%22%6%
CO4768%48%4%2%12%8%0%4%12%6%
WA4158%51%0%0%21%2%0%7%14%2%
MN4165%39%12%4%19%2%0%0%14%2%

Owner and developer portfolios

Owner / developerSitesWherePortfolio profile (elements)Acres
Simon Property Group29CA, CT, FL, GA, IN, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, TX, VA, WARedeveloped 19; Retail (continued) 14; Housing 11; Website alive 10505
General Growth Properties14AL, FL, HI, IA, ID, IL, MD, MI, NY, PA, TXRedeveloped 11; On Facebook 9; Retail (continued) 9; Website alive 5182
Kohan Retail Investment Group9IL, KS, LA, MI, NJ, OH, VARedeveloped 7; Sold since 2020 4; Website alive 4; Retail (continued) 40
Macerich8AZ, CO, IA, NY, VA, WAOn Facebook 5; Housing 5; Website alive 4; Redeveloped 482
Namdar Realty Group8IA, IL, MO, NJ, OH, PA, UTRedeveloped 5; Retail (continued) 5; On Facebook 4; Reinhabited 3200
Rouse Properties6AR, IL, TX, UT, VARedeveloped 4; Retail (continued) 4; Sold since 2020 3; On Facebook 3155
The Rouse Company7CT, MD, MI, NJ, PA, TXRedeveloped 6; Retail (continued) 5; Housing 4; Reinhabited 3275
Westfield Group7Australia, CA, FL, MO, NYHousing 4; Retail (continued) 4; Website alive 4; Redeveloped 347
PREIT6NJ, PA, WVRedeveloped 5; On Facebook 4; Retail (continued) 4; On Twitter 3275
Hull Property Group5MO, MS, PA, WI, WVRetail (continued) 5; Redeveloped 4; Housing 4; Hotel 380
Merlone Geier Partners5CA, WAHousing 5; Redeveloped 4; Retail (continued) 4; Entertainment and sports 30
Starwood Capital Group4CA, MI, TX, VAWebsite alive 2; Office 2; Attention rising (Wikipedia views +50% y/y) 2; On Facebook 10
Taubman Centers3MD, TX, WIWebsite alive 3; Redeveloped 3; Housing 3; On Facebook 2158
Richard E. Jacobs Group4ME, NC, OHRedeveloped 3; Website dead or redirecting 2; Mixed use 2; Retail (continued) 255
CBL & Associates Properties4FL, MO, NCRedeveloped 4; Housing 4; Retail (continued) 4; Sold since 2020 30
Crown American4PA, WVOn Facebook 3; Redeveloped 3; On Twitter 2; Website alive 20
Capital & Centric4UKReinhabited 3; Retrofit in the pipeline 3; Office 2; Retail (continued) 20
JBG Smith3TXRetrofit in the pipeline 3; Reinhabited 3; Housing 30
Brookfield Properties3AR, CO, USRedeveloped 3; Retail (continued) 3; Retrofit in the pipeline 2; Housing 273
Liberty Property Trust3NJRetrofit in the pipeline 3; Redeveloped 3; Housing 1; Retail (continued) 10

Former anchors and what followed

AnchorSitesRedevelopedStill closed or demolished
Sears22671%46%
JCPenney19554%50%
Macy's8772%44%
Dillard's7860%43%
Montgomery Ward6973%52%
Kmart3666%50%
Belk2634%73%
J. C. Penney2373%34%
Boscov's1844%27%
Mervyn's1758%29%
Woolworth1573%40%

Most frequent owners and developers

Simon Property Group33
General Growth Properties14
Kohan Retail Investment Group10
Macerich10
Namdar Realty Group9
Rouse Properties8
The Rouse Company7
Westfield Group7
PREIT6
Hull Property Group6
Merlone Geier Partners5
Starwood Capital Group5
Taubman Centers5
Richard E. Jacobs Group4
CBL & Associates Properties4

Deal prices per acre

YearDealsMedian $/acre
20256$431,970
20264$1,139,524

Method: how elements are derived. Download everything on the data page (elements.csv, site_elements.csv).