MacArthur Mall REDEVELOPMENT (Proposed/Planning) City of Norfolk

[urbanlife]

18 hours ago, mintscraft56 said:

Pembroke mall is really going places, I wonder what they will do with MacArthur mall in the coming future. Went to walk in the mall on saturday and found it something close to dead. Factors like the recent shooting(s) here in Norfolk and lots of the retail closing has lead to it being how it is now (I think?). Was pretty weird to see it that way. The mall its self is sill in good shape.

I really hope Norfolk goes with reestablishing some sort of street grid with a gathering plaza within the mall site to build around.

[mintscraft56]

23 hours ago, urbanlife said:

I really hope Norfolk goes with reestablishing some sort of street grid with a gathering plaza within the mall site to build around.

Your wish here is being considered. Norfolk released this to show considered suggestions for mall redevelopment. Take a look your self. I honestly favor complete tear down and rebuilding of the street grid (Plan three). This idea has been added to the Downtown 2030 plan.

https://norfolkdevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/20-11-20-MacArthur-Center-DowntownPlan-2pg.pdf

[NFKfloodcaptain]

Things are not looking bright for MacArthur 
https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/texas-de-brazil-closes-temporarily-downtown-norfolk-safety-issues-macarthur-center/291-d40c1711-2eed-4463-abef-28fda133b14e

[EJ_LEWIS]

Very disappointing! Somehow some way the city needs to get a handle on crime especially in the Downtown area.  My partner and I are starting to have second thoughts about staying Downtown, but my devotion to Norfolk is pretty unshakeable.  We will see how things go at the Spring Townpoint wine festival.  

[mintscraft56]

15 hours ago, NFKfloodcaptain said:

Things are not looking bright for MacArthur 
https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/texas-de-brazil-closes-temporarily-downtown-norfolk-safety-issues-macarthur-center/291-d40c1711-2eed-4463-abef-28fda133b14e

Well, as said before. The mall is really on the verge of becoming another pembroke project. It depends honestly on how many more stores leave. Either Norfolk needs to make a quick decision or they gotta let the mall go.

Edited April 29, 2022 by mintscraft56

[zeppelin14]

I think it will take Dillards closing or something huge before Norfolk decides to do something with the mall. Only until there aren't any anchor stores left is when they will take action and Dillards isn't exactly a huge money making machine.

[mintscraft56]

4 hours ago, zeppelin14 said:

I think it will take Dillards closing or something huge before Norfolk decides to do something with the mall. Only until there aren't any anchor stores left is when they will take action and Dillards isn't exactly a huge money making machine.

Yea, they are looking in good shape but they are hesitant to move. They sell clothes but with the modern market now online, I just cant see them continuing past 2025 with the money they are making.

Also, we finally got our 2nd page. Yay

[mintscraft56]

Macarthur Mall in Norfolk is really struggling now, talked to a mall worker and he stated the problem in sales and actual people going into the mall to shop. 

Of course we all know about the restaurant fiasco

[mintscraft56]

By the looks of it now, No. Norfolk needs something new. The mall is lovely and great but its undoubtedly losing its shine in Downtown which is a shame but it is true.

Edited May 18, 2022 by mintscraft56

[mintscraft56]

What in the world, I dont remember this here.

[urbanlife]

18 hours ago, mintscraft56 said:

By the looks of it now, No. Norfolk needs something new. The mall is lovely and great but its undoubtedly losing its shine in Downtown which is a shame but it is true.

This is really sad to hear because I was really hopeful that whatever got built on these surface lots would be something that could stand the test of time and help Norfolk evolve, but when finding out that it was gonna be a huge mall, I was skeptical but hopeful. In the short term, it seemed to help, but for the long term, it didn't account for how our shopping habits would change and that malls would eventually become obsolete. It would have been better for Norfolk to have built a "city center" that was a mix of uses that attracted people to live, work, and shop downtown rather than a big drive in, shop, and leave experience. I always hated how easy it was to drive into downtown, go straight into the parking garage, shop in the mall, and never once step foot in downtown.

[vdogg]

15 hours ago, mintscraft56 said:

What in the world, I dont remember this here.

We don't need 2 separate mall threads so I merged them.

[BFG]

On 5/18/2022 at 8:56 AM, mintscraft56 said:

By the looks of it now, No. Norfolk needs something new. The mall is lovely and great but its undoubtedly losing its shine in Downtown which is a shame but it is true.

That's not just a Norfolk issue.  I doubt MacArthur is doing any better or worse than Pembroke or Greenbrier; malls in general are quickly becoming extinct. It's just downtown's had so many crime issues the past few months that MacArthur, being the "crown jewel" that revitalized the area, looks the worst. The fact that we're not 100% out of this pandemic probably doesn't help.

I think these issues - along with so many stores leaving - hit Norfolk quicker than it expected. I also think Norfolk figured it had a few years to come up with a game plan and now they need to act quicker. They also need to realize you can work on both MacArthur and Military simultaneously. 

[mintscraft56]

2 hours ago, vdogg said:

We don't need 2 separate mall threads so I merged them.

Oh ok, who counts as the author for this one?  I know its not important but I just wanna ask for the heck of it. 

2 hours ago, BFG said:

That's not just a Norfolk issue.  I doubt MacArthur is doing any better or worse than Pembroke or Greenbrier; malls in general are quickly becoming extinct. It's just downtown's had so many crime issues the past few months that MacArthur, being the "crown jewel" that revitalized the area, looks the worst. The fact that we're not 100% out of this pandemic probably doesn't help.

I think these issues - along with so many stores leaving - hit Norfolk quicker than it expected. I also think Norfolk figured it had a few years to come up with a game plan and now they need to act quicker. They also need to realize you can work on both MacArthur and Military simultaneously. 

Yea, true. Its a shame the walk around malls are in decline. Except for lynnhaven. I dont know what it is about lynnhaven but it seems to be holding strong. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by mintscraft56

[HRVA]

1 hour ago, mintscraft56 said:

Oh ok, who counts as the author for this one?  I know its not important but I just wanna ask for the heck of it. 

Yea, true. Its a shame the walk around malls are in decline. Except for lynnhaven. I dont know what it is about lynnhaven but it seems to be holding strong. 

$$$$ - closest mall to the largest concentration of high earning households in the region. 

[Arctic_Tern]

1 hour ago, mintscraft56 said:

Oh ok, who counts as the author for this one?  I know its not important but I just wanna ask for the heck of it. 

Yea, true. Its a shame the walk around malls are in decline. Except for lynnhaven. I dont know what it is about lynnhaven but it seems to be holding strong. 

It comes down to who owns the malls and good management. Greenbrier and MacArthur are owned by CBL Properties (maybe CBRE after foreclosure?) and Spinoso respectively, while Lynnhaven is owned by Brookfield Properties (formerly known as GGP). CBL and Starwood are pretty low on the commercial real estate totem pole, while Brookfield has some of the best malls in the world.. They simply have better resources and talent than the firms managing MacArthur and Greenbrier.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Arctic_Tern
Both Greenbrier and MacArthur seem to have exchanged hands since last I checked, so edited to be more correct

[baobabs727]

1 hour ago, HRVA said:

$$$$ - closest mall to the largest concentration of high earning households in the region. 

Yes.  Always has been.

[BFG]

IMO, Lynnhaven also does the best at adapting with the times and offers stores the average person wants. You've got Old Navy, Macy's, Apple, Dave and Busters, Barnes & Noble. Some of the other malls have or had those, but in most cases you had to drive to the next strip mall a mile or so away. With Lynnhaven all of those stores are under one roof.

I do miss that upstairs food court though.

[zeppelin14]

MacArthur Mall is now officially for sale:

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/macarthur-center-up-for-sale-as-part-of-foreclosure-proceedings/

[Arctic_Tern]

I would be surprised if the city didn't put a bid on it, similar to what happened with Military Circle

[baobabs727]

No matter what future I would like for MacArthur Center,  I will never celebrate its demise. Too many fond memories of shared joyful experiences with special friends and family, some of whom have passed on. Too many memories of the intense personal and community pride that this once-crown jewel of Hampton Roads retail, entertainment and community gathering brought to our lives in the days of yore.  My only hope is that MC's rebirth will come soon...and with it embody even half of the panache, excitement and utility of its former self.

Edited January 27, 2023 by baobabs727

[urbanvb]

I have fond memories of the mall as well including a lighthouse print I purchased from Z Gallerie. Those were good times.

[zeppelin14]

The mall WAS great for 20 years, but it's time to move on. Maybe keep the parking structures but the city grid needs to return.

[brikkman]

On 1/27/2023 at 5:02 PM, baobabs727 said:

No matter what future I would like for MacArthur Center,  I will never celebrate its demise. Too many fond memories of shared joyful experiences with special friends and family, some of whom have passed on. Too many memories of the intense personal and community pride that this once-crown jewel of Hampton Roads retail, entertainment and community gathering brought to our lives in the days of yore.  My only hope is that MC's rebirth will come soon...and with it embody even half of the panache, excitement and utility of its former self.

For sure.
I'm just hoping it will not return to an open space similar what happen in the 80s. This needs to be a swift, but we know how these leaders can be. Bad decision after the next.

[Arctic_Tern]

On 1/28/2023 at 4:46 PM, zeppelin14 said:

The mall WAS great for 20 years, but it's time to move on. Maybe keep the parking structures but the city grid needs to return.

As long as they can wrap the structures in buildings, maybe reroute the entrances a bit. The view from the south parking garage going south is fantastic and wasted on a god damned parking garage.  But yea, city grid or at the very least a pedestrian path thru the middle needs to come back.