European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 01, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Are Woodfield mall at Schaumburg in Cook county iii., As extensions of the Good life. America s traditional life style according to detractors. Gary Winter City planner for Edina minn., near min Neapolis bemoans the traffic congestion caused by South Dale mall which is increasing its 120 specially shops to 140 next fall. At the same time he praised South Dale for providing regional services. Malls succeeded because they approached shopping As an idea but now they have become too successful n the Way the automobile became too. Successful said Cesar Pelli who designed shopping centers before he became Dean of Yale s school of architecture. Malls Are great machines. They Are so powerful the overwhelm everything else and there is nothing Strong enough to balance warns that the magnetism of suburban malls with their fast paced retail and social activity can make Small towns disappear. He cited Aurora 111, which lost local businesses to a strip Center and was Given the couple Grace by construction of Fox Valley mall. Malls have disrupted Community life elsewhere across the nation and denuded verdant areas of Countryside. City fathers of Burlington vt., Are fighting an enclosed mall bigger than All downtown Burlington that the Pyra mid company proposes to build in a Hayfield outside Hesty. They claim i similar Pyramid project across the state line in Pittsburgh n.y., virtually wiped out that City s business position is that Rural areas Don t want to become suburbs suburbs Don t want to become cities and cities Don t want to become wastelands said Frank Keefe Massachusetts state planning director who helped pre vent Pyramid from building a mall outside Pitts Field mass. Pyramid will help downtown Pittsfield instead. Steve Soboroff manager of Lakewood mall in Tholos Angeles area counters this with the View that malls become an integral part of the act As a Community Hub Soboloff said. They _ save time and Energy by providing one Stop every mall is Active in its Community or brings in Community events. Cities often require developers to pro vide Community facilities at no Cost to the City Thea just 1, 1978 ters free children s shows babysitting facilities for instance. People Are enthusiastic about malls. Take another with kids. She s not there just to shop. It s a happening. They spend much of the Day there. Managers also Are emphatic about Upkeep and renova Tion of shops and surrounding property to keep the aspect of the mall Evergreen. Ron Weller manager of Sharpstown Center Houston said we do our part and everybody does their part so no blight is going to some critics. Rank malls with television As the greatest transformers of american lifestyle since world War was Cor Developer of the Metrocenter in the Phoenix area and several other fully occupied centers is typical in planning at least two More centers in Phoenix suburbs. One a 1 200 acre plot in North Phoenix will include Homes filling stations Heaters restaurants a Bowling Alley ice skating rink Golf course Hospital you name it."1 think this Type of development is the mall of the future throughout the High growth Sunbelt said Jim Peterson manager of Metrocenter. Phoenix City officials Hope an Urban mall concept will play a part in the revitalization of downtown Phoenix As a people place which it is definitely not they admit that it would have to follow develop ment of new housing and other facilities for unless people come to the Central Core to live there will never be anything downtown but offices and a few lunch Reslau actually the Sunbelt is the one newly urbanized area where enclosed shopping malls were part of City develop ment almost from the beginning. Houston s magnificent Glass galleria is representative of malls the Are the town squares of the new Urban Frontier. On the other hand Boston has reclaimed its Quimcy. North and South markets at historic Fauneil Hall by converting them to a modern mall framework while preserving their Early 19th Century architectural integrity. Rouse company one of the nation s top mall developers. Boasts that its Faneuil Hall project outdraw Disney world in its first year. Statistics indicate that americans on the average spend More time in malls than they do anywhere else except at Home or work. These lavish emporiums that often resemble for tresses adorned with Interior fountains contemporary sculpture and botanical gardens of princely fancy see to be a solid Factor in american life and Economy provid ing nearly 5 million jobs and accounting for 35 per cent of a 1�%vste%$� to str. The idea of the american Malle re m81 .rlm.t. lease has spread to some 30 foreign countries and Russia is planning to build a super mall near Moscow in time forthe 1980 summer olympics. Now it s the mailing of the world. We re Derng a by re if Thev want to stay in the Center and renew their lease Well Tell them they have to remodel. Most developers Areng for hat nowadays. You be just got to keep up with the Denver s vast Cinderella City mall people come not Only to shop but also to socialize. The stars and stripes Page 15
