The New Mall Playbook: 6 Tenants Changing the Game

The traditional mall is evolving — and rapidly. Shifting consumer habits, anchor store closures, and rising vacancy rates have left many retail centers at a crossroads.

Rather than seeing these challenges as setbacks, developers are turning them into opportunities, reimagining malls as vibrant mixed-use and community-focused destinations. From residential and healthcare to entertainment and educational uses, these adaptive strategies are designed to bring foot traffic, diversify revenue streams, and create long-term value.

Here are six emerging non-retail tenants reshaping the mall experience — and driving measurable impact on traffic, revenue, and overall community engagement.

1. Healthcare: Urgent Care and Outpatient Clinics

Healthcare providers are bringing consistent foot traffic and positioning properties as essential community destinations. From urgent care facilities to outpatient clinics, these uses cater to everyday needs while anchoring mixed-use developments with stable, long-term occupancy.

Moorestown Mall, New Jersey

Cooper University Health Care’s outpatient center is part of a broader redevelopment that includes shopping, dining, and a family entertainment center, aiming to reimagine the mall as a “community-centric neighborhood hub.” Bohler’s South Jersey team supported the plans with site civil engineering design and permitting services to secure the necessary approvals.

Auburn Mall, Massachusetts

A regional healthcare provider converted a 69,000 SF former Macy’s home store into a two-story medical office building. Bohler’s team supported the project with design for outdoor renovations, including updated curbs, sidewalks, drive aisles, and landscaping. The project also required utility design for a generator and modifications to an existing special permit to allow medical office use.

Why it’s an ROI Booster

• Drives steady, predictable traffic as patients and staff visit daily or weekly
• Diversifies revenue streams
• Establishes the property as a community-focused destination
• Attracts complementary tenants such as pharmacies, cafes, or wellness services

2. Education: Charter Schools and Satellite Campuses

Educational institutions are transforming underutilized retail properties into vibrant community assets. Charter schools and satellite campuses offer flexible, accessible learning environments that benefit from the ample space and parking typical of former department stores.

Highland Mall, Texas

Red Leaf Properties and Austin Community College formed a public-private partnership to redevelop the former Highland Mall into a mixed-use education-centered development. Redevelopment consists of the following:

• 1,500 new residential apartment units
• Multiple retail spaces, including restaurants, bars, and shops
• 800,000 SF of Class A office space
• 1,000,000 SF of high-tech educational space

Sumter Mall, South Carolina

Liberty Charter School has acquired an additional 65,270 SF of space at Sumter Mall to accommodate growing enrollment and expand programming. This expansion demonstrates the trend of using mall properties to meet educational demand while enhancing community engagement.

Why It’s an ROI Booster

• Drives consistent daily traffic from students, staff, and parents
• Benefits surrounding retail and service businesses
• Often commit to long-term leases, providing property owners with stable income streams
• Increase property values by attracting families and enhancing the mall’s reputation

Entertainment: Fitness, Experiential Retail, and Attractions

These tenants draw consistent foot traffic, appeal to diverse demographics, and encourage longer visits, helping transform malls into destination experiences beyond traditional shopping.

Paradise Valley Mall, Arizona

Red Development is redeveloping the 100-acre Paradise Valley Mall into a $2 billion mixed-use development consisting of office, residential, and hotel space, along with a 100,000 SF Lifetime Fitness and Lifetime Living luxury apartments.

Wynnewood Village, Texas

Bohler’s Dallas team supported a phased approach to revitalization by bringing key components online first, including a newly completed LA Fitness, which anchored the project and attracted additional retailers and visitors.

Plymouth Meeting Mall, Pennsylvania

Following Macy’s departure, PREIT reimagined the vacant three-story space as an experiential retail destination. The project divided the large box, added outparcels, and implemented design solutions to quickly fill the space with high-performing tenants like Edge Fitness, minimizing downtime and keeping the project on schedule.

Ross Park Mall, Pennsylvania

The redevelopment of a 175,000 SF former Sears included new tenants such as First Ascent rock climbing, other fitness centers, and a third-floor movie theater, along with a 22,000 SF Restoration Hardware outparcel. Bohler’s Pittsburgh team continues to support this ongoing redevelopment.

Why it’s an ROI Booster

• Drives high-frequency visits and prolonged dwell time
• Boosts both ancillary retail sales and food-and-beverage revenue
• Increases a mall’s appeal to broader demographics, from families to young professionals
• Positions the property as a lifestyle and community destination

3. Government: Municipal Services and Voting Centers

These uses provide accessible, centralized locations for essential community functions. Conversions not only support civic engagement but also breathe new life into underutilized retail spaces.

Columbia Place Mall, South Carolina

Richland County has approved the purchase of the former Dillard’s department store at Columbia Place Mall to transform it into a government services hub. This redevelopment aims to consolidate various county services into a single, accessible location, enhancing convenience for residents and revitalizing the mall property.

Why It’s an ROI Booster

• Increases foot traffic as residents visit for various civic needs
• Boosts revenue for remaining retail tenants
• Attracts new businesses seeking high-traffic locations
• Stabilizes property values by ensuring long-term, stable tenancy

Residential: Multifamily and Senior Housing

Residential uses bring consistent, long-term residents to an area, helping stabilize foot traffic, diversify revenue streams, and support surrounding retail and service tenants.

Rivergate Mall Redevelopment, Tennessee

Merus is redeveloping the 57-acre RiverGate Mall and outlots into a mixed-use community featuring apartments, townhomes, senior living, retail, restaurants, office, and entertainment facilities.

Residential Uses

• 600 multi-family apartments
• 94 townhomes
• 172 senior housing units

Commercial Uses

• New retail spaces
• New restaurants
• Medical facilities
• General office space

Entertainment and Hospitality

• Sports and Entertainment areas
• Hotels

Moorestown Mall, New Jersey

Bel Canto Asset Growth Fund is preparing to start vertical construction on 375 residential units early next year, with completion anticipated by mid-2026. This residential component is part of a broader redevelopment aimed at transforming the mall into a vibrant, community-centric hub.

Willow Grove Shopping Center, Pennsylvania

Maryland-based Federal Realty Investment Trust received conditional use approval to build a 260-unit apartment building as part of the center’s third phase of redevelopment, signaling a continued shift toward mixed-use urban living.

Plymouth Meeting Mall, Pennsylvania

Construction is underway to convert a long-vacant office building into a 150-unit apartment complex named Monarq, led by Keystone Development + Investment. Monarq is part of a larger revitalization effort, which also includes plans by PREIT to build a 275-unit apartment community on the former IKEA office site.

Why it’s an ROI Booster

• Provides a steady, built-in customer base for retail, dining, and service tenants
• Increases consistent daily foot traffic
• Long-term leases stabilize revenue for property owners
• Elevates property values and strengthens the mall’s identity as a community-centered destination

Faith, Wellness, or Coworking Hubs

Faith-based organizations, wellness centers, and coworking spaces are helping transform mall properties into community-centered destinations. These uses bring regular, purpose-driven traffic and foster engagement with a wide range of demographics, from residents and employees to visitors seeking experiences beyond shopping.

APEX SouthPark, North Carolina

Previously home to the Sharon United Methodist Church, the property now features two residential towers, a Hyatt Centric hotel, restaurants, and retail space. Bohler’s Charlotte team supported the redevelopment, which included establishing a new worship space for the church community. This project serves as a catalyst for mixed-use development, positioning SouthPark as an upscale residential and commercial center.

• 345 world-class luxury apartments
• 175-room Hyatt Centric Hotel
• 68,000 SF worship center for SouthPark Church
• 90,000 SF ground-level commercial space

Why it’s an ROI Booster

• Generates consistent, recurring traffic throughout the week, supporting nearby retail and dining options.
• Attracts complementary uses and create synergistic opportunities that enhance the overall vibrancy of the property.
• Long-term leases and community-focused programming contribute to revenue stability, while the integration of these hubs
• Reinforces the mall’s role as a multi-purpose, community-centered destination, increasing long-term property value and appeal.

How to Move Forward: Partnering with an Experienced Land Development Consultant

Transforming a mall into a thriving, mixed-use, community-focused destination requires careful planning and expertise. Developers face complex considerations — zoning and entitlement modifications, parking and circulation rebalancing, and tenant mix strategies —that can make or break a project. Partnering with an experienced land development consultant like Bohler ensures these challenges are addressed efficiently and strategically.

Key Considerations:

• Zoning and Entitlement Changes: Non-retail uses often require modifications to existing zoning or special permits. Bohler’s teams help navigate municipal regulations, prepare applications, and secure approvals, accelerating timelines and minimizing risk.
• Parking and Circulation: Mixed-use developments must balance the needs of residents, office workers, retail shoppers, and entertainment visitors. Bohler’s site civil and planning expertise ensures optimized traffic flow, adequate parking, and safe pedestrian circulation across all modes of access.
• Tenant Mix Strategy: Successfully blending experiential, service, and essential tenants is critical to long-term success. Bohler works with owners to evaluate market demand, identify high-performing tenants, and strategically curate a mix that maximizes foot traffic, revenue, and long-term property value.

The evolution of malls into mixed-use, community-centered destinations is no longer a trend — it’s a strategic response to changing consumer behavior and the need for vibrant, sustainable spaces. From healthcare and education to entertainment, residential, and faith or coworking hubs, a thoughtfully curated tenant mix can drive foot traffic, diversify revenue streams, and enhance long-term property value.

Successfully navigating this transformation requires more than vision; it demands expertise in zoning, site design, circulation, and tenant strategy. Partnering with an experienced land development consultant like Bohler ensures that each element — from permitting and civil engineering to landscape architecture and tenant integration — is executed efficiently and strategically.

By leveraging these insights and capabilities, mall owners and developers can create dynamic destinations that serve their communities, attract new audiences, and unlock lasting value for years to come.