Big changes could be coming to the Boynton Beach Mall. Like many retail spaces across the country they've struggled with getting shoppers in the doors. Now they're coming up with a plan that could change the way you shop.
One shopper WPTV spoke with today is also a real estate appraiser. Michael Ollison, a real estate appraiser says malls like Boynton’s are dealing with more than the “Amazon effect” and have to change.
”I know of quite a few that have gone bankrupt,” said Ollison.
And that's what Boynton Beach leaders want to avoid. Now almost a year after the commission unanimously approved changing the mall to mixed land use in February 2019 - shoppers want to know what’s next.
”It definitely needs a boost,” said Carol West, an area shopper.
But visiting shoppers like Ollison say the change is more than welcome news. He says the housing crisis from 2007 to 2010 coupled with the “Amazon effect” hit malls all across the U.S. especially hard. He says cities and towns must think about variety when it comes to filling empty spaces in malls.
”Housing crisis hit and then of course people’s money started getting a little funny. And people started cutting back,” said Ollison. “Everything kind of moved back to the downtown area right after the crash and the malls kind of got left behind. And so the malls need to kind of reinvent themselves and do something different.”
Reinvention is what the city's planning and zoning commission hopes to do. Leaders plan to meet Jan. 7 to look over the logistics of their plan.
“For example we need to make sure that we can get fire trucks there. And the sanitation trucks,” said Mayor Steven B. Grant.
As of now, the mayor says the master plan could include a hotel, 1,400 housing units along with office space, as a maximum.
While shoppers are anxious to hear more details, Grant wants to make sure leaders take their time.
”To make sure that we have a workable usable plan,” he said.
WPTV reached out to the mall’s owner for comment about their side of the plan. We have not heard back yet.
Coresight Research, a global advisory and research firm reports a record number of retail store closures in 2019. Approximately, 9,300 stores closed compared to 5,700 in 2018.