Title

"Cover Story" piece on malls. Sterile replicas of the downtowns they usurped, t

Authors

Meg Haskell

Source

Maine Times

Date

4-13-2000

Pages

4

Abstract

"Cover Story" piece on malls. Sterile replicas of the downtowns they usurped, they are now being challenged by big box stores popping up on their peripheries. The box stores are either discount stores like Wal-Mart or "category killers" that exploit one type of merchandise, although not necessarily at a lower price. Former South Portland city manager and current Maine Mall manager Jerre Bryant says the mall is about as large as it can get, and that it is trying to play a larger role in the community and find ways to promote the mall over other shopping options. A peripheral border of big boxes has sprung up around the mall, and traffic congestion is becoming critical. When retailers like Best Buy were unable to negotiate sites for freestanding stores, they located in the mall, a trend Bryant welcomes. With a history of the Maine Mall in South Portland; a look at the sprawling Bangor Mall and at The Marketplace at Augusta, a multi-store "lifestyle center" sited on a blasted hillside; and at the decision of Brunswick to limit the footprint of new buildings, effectively excluding box stores or a large mall. With an aerial view of the Maine Mall area.

Subjects

Hypermarkets, Maine Mall Shopping Center South Portland, Shopping centers

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