ST. LOUIS (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Everywhere you look vacant shells and empty parking lots dot the suburban landscape. From closed car dealerships in South County to former Circuit City stores in Brentwood and South County. These big box stores are the victims of the longest, deepest recession since the great depression.
Saint Louis County Officials recently brought the Urban Land Institute to town to study options for Jamestown mall in far North County. It's a one-million square foot mall that sits mostly vacant.
Mike Jones is a senior policy adviser with Saint Louis County. He says, "As a region, our population hasn't grown in 40 years."
He agrees with U.L.I.'s recommendation to demolish Jamestown Mall and replace it with a smaller, mixed use development.
"You can only have so many Macy's in an area before they start stealing each others customers and pretty soon none of them can support themselves. There just aren't enough people." Ray Brown - Urban Land Institute
The notion of retail cannibalism is a problem across the country. It's particularly acute in Saint Louis where big box retailers frequently close up shop in one location and open in another location. A former Wal-mart along Manchester road in West County only to open up just a few miles West. Why does it happen so often here? Blame it on short-term tax incentives and the way municipalities collect their revenue.
Overbuilding at a time when retailers were already struggling to survive. One study shows at least 20% of malls and shopping centers were under performing before the recession. Up until recently developers were still building all over Saint Louis often funded through millions of dollars in tax increment financing.
"Generally speaking the county is about a million people and the question is how much retail do a million people need?" Mike Jones
St. Louis County
John Hoal is the former director of urban design for the city of Saint Louis. He says developers must rethink the way they build and lease properties.
"Can you build a quality of place that actually supersedes retail and offers more amenities that just retail--And those places that are doing it are those places that are sustaining the retail." John Hoal - H3 Studio
As for government tax incentives to keep building these shopping areas Mike Jones says that mindset has got to change.
Mike Jones is a senior policy adviser with Saint Louis County. He says, "As a region, our population hasn't grown in 40 years."
He agrees with U.L.I.'s recommendation to demolish Jamestown Mall and replace it with a smaller, mixed use development.
"You can only have so many Macy's in an area before they start stealing each others customers and pretty soon none of them can support themselves. There just aren't enough people." Ray Brown - Urban Land Institute
The notion of retail cannibalism is a problem across the country. It's particularly acute in Saint Louis where big box retailers frequently close up shop in one location and open in another location. A former Wal-mart along Manchester road in West County only to open up just a few miles West. Why does it happen so often here? Blame it on short-term tax incentives and the way municipalities collect their revenue.
Overbuilding at a time when retailers were already struggling to survive. One study shows at least 20% of malls and shopping centers were under performing before the recession. Up until recently developers were still building all over Saint Louis often funded through millions of dollars in tax increment financing.
"Generally speaking the county is about a million people and the question is how much retail do a million people need?" Mike Jones
St. Louis County
John Hoal is the former director of urban design for the city of Saint Louis. He says developers must rethink the way they build and lease properties.
"Can you build a quality of place that actually supersedes retail and offers more amenities that just retail--And those places that are doing it are those places that are sustaining the retail." John Hoal - H3 Studio
As for government tax incentives to keep building these shopping areas Mike Jones says that mindset has got to change.
