Here's an article from Slate from a couple years ago about the coming of the lifestyle center.
"Like insecure teenagers, malls keep changing their style. They are ripping away their roofs and drywalled corridors; adding open-air plazas, sidewalks, and street-side parking; and rechristening themselves 'lifestyle centers.'"Here's another article from CNN/Money.
There was talk about getting something like this in Bettendorf near the intersection of 18th and 53rd, but they had to settle for a regular old strip mall. Some of the stores that usually hang out in lifestyle centers include Crate and Barrel, PF Chang's, Ann Taylor, Pottery Barn, and other semi-upscale shops. What you don't generally see are big anchor stores like Dillards or Sears.
I've been a few of these places, mostly in the Phoenix area. Jefferson Pointe is a lifestyle center I've visited in Fort Wayne, IN, which proves that contrary to what makes sense to me, outdoor malls can work in a cold climate. Here are a couple of pictures I took earlier this month of Kierland Commons in Scottsdale, AZ.
This particular complex is interesting because it actually includes residential above the commercial spaces. As the articles state, these lifestyle centers provide a taste of the downtown feel, but because they're private land they avoid any bums or situations to make you uncomfortable.
The recent QCTimes article about the recreational trail plan that was presented for the I-74 corridor touched on this trend. One of their suggestions was turning SouthPark into a lifestyle center that would be connected to both rivers via recreational trails. While I think its an interesting idea, I must say I disagree with this quote from Moline Mayor Don Welvaert: “Enclosed malls are becoming obsolete.” While these open air shopping centers are the current trend, in a region where temps hit 10 below I can't see malls disappearing.
The lifestyle centers I've been to are definitely a better shopping experience than strip malls or Elmore-style development. During nice weather I also feel like they're nicer than traditional malls. This Christmas season I spent a decent amount of time at Northpark trying to find gift ideas, and I can't picture doing this kind of window shopping outside in December. Also, as much as they try, lifestyle centers don't really feel like downtowns. They're fake. It feels almost Disney-esque. I've read that some of these lifestyle centers even have fake parking meters along their "Main Street," for the complete downtown feel. When it comes down to it, I guess I'd rather see fake downtowns than Elmore-style development, but even better would be bringing shopping back to our real downtown.
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I think Joni Mitchell expressed my feelings about our need to create concrete and plastic jungles best in her song “Big Yellow Taxi”:
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to seem 'em
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Lifestyle Centers are not generally located in Downtowns, but are more likely to be built as a traditional mall without the roof. There's a new one, built from scratch, on the north side of Peoria and one in Bloomington that is a conversion from a traditional mall. The Duck Creek Mall conversion is close to a Lifestyle Center albeit without the restaurants and seating areas of the typical Lifestyle Center. The new outlet mall on I-88 in North Aurora is a Lifestyle Center. The Downtown Mall Concept is not new. Iowa City has a large mall area with bars,restaurants and shops anchored by a Sheraton Hotel.
I wasn't suggesting a downtown mall, necessarily, but more street level retail.
I just don't think that brick and mortar shops will last much longer anyway. Supermarkets, Targets, some bookstore/coffehouses, but malls and "specialty" stores are going the way of the dino. The internet is just much easier. I spend a fraction of what I used to at the mall, and 90% of that is probably at Barnes and Noble. And 50% of that 90% is in the music section.
I'd agree that the internet will provide more and more competition, although I think stores are safe for a long time. Music and books are one area where I think the internet will have an easier time, because a lot of people want to try on clothes and know what they'll look like before buying. Places like Old Navy, Gap, or Hollister are doing just fine with bricks and mortar.
I've been to the one in Peoria. It is nice and shiny and new, and very Disney-like. In fact, there is a mall in Orlando it reminds me of. The stupidest thing about it was that they built it on the same side of town as their large indoor mall. If I remember, they are only 6-7 miles apart, opposite directions on US 150 from I-74. I have to believe the new mall has hurt the old one.
These things just seem like a waste. Why create a fake downtown when we already have a real one? Since they have all the chain stores like you mentioned, you honestly would have no way of knowing you were in Peoria if someone dropped you off there, other than the Caterpillar kids play area.
I've always felt the criticism of lifestyle centers is unjustified, particularly the ones that create housing and services like grocery/pharmacy, etc.
How is that any different than a traditional downtown? And the only reason it is Disney-esque, is because it's new.
As far as I'm concerned, any type of return to a more community centered area - where housing, recreation and shopping are interconnected.
Like many, I'd prefer it to be in the traditional downtown setting - but the outskirts are o.k. Anything beats the trend of giant impersonal box stores, each with its own, non-connected driveway entrance.
That's the way I look at it. Its similar to my views on Prairie Heights.
I'd rather see older traditional-style neighborhoods fixed up, but I would rather see new urbanism style subdivisions built than Windsor Crest style subdivisions. And I know that new subdivisions are going to be built anyway.
With lifestyle centers, if you want street level retail, I'd rather see it built downtown. However, I'd much rather see a fake downtown built than a sprawling parking lot-centered retail district. And I know that non-downtown retail is going to be built anyway.
Both of the fake options come in 2nd place, but ahead of the more sprawl-tastic options.
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