[rjlevins]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

I think you're right jmanh, that massive parking lot (especially on the east side near Foley's) is rarely fully utilized, except on the busiest shopping days (Day After Thanksgiving and the following 4 or 5 Saturdays). The areas adjacent to Highland are hardly blighted either, with Hyde Park's northern areas just blocks away, across Koenig, and the western St Johns neighborhood (immediately to the north) is well-kept, IMO.

Also, a commuter rail stop is in the long-range plans for Highland Mall (the rail line is across Airport Blvd from the mall), and the Crestview Station redevelopment is less than a mile away (at Airport and Lamar). Without a doubt the Mall can't remain in the state that its in and survive. Not saying that the indoor mall portions will be demolished/reconstructed, but a dramatic repositioning is long overdue, and should incorporate some form of mixed-use development. Time will tell, of course...

I don't mean to start rumors, but I thought that was the plan all along. Highland Mall will become a transit station/retail complex similar to Mockingbird Station in Dallas, just with noisy and inefficient commuter rail instead of light rail.