Main Streets up, malls down

"Development of new malls has almost completely stopped, with only two being erected in the country since the beginning of 2009, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, The Washington Post reports.

"Outdoor town center concepts, featuring brick sidewalks, streetlights and even public clocks evoking the Main Street of yore, are climbing to a degree that many owners of enclosed malls are considering dramatic makeovers, some including plans to tear off the roof of, or 'de-mall' enclosed shopping centers."

An example is the White Flint Mall in Rockville, where the owners plan to tear the building down, and, "over the next 25 years — replace it with an outdoor mix of housing, new shops, offices and park space.

"The plans ultimately call for 5.2 million square feet, including 1 million square feet of offices in three buildings along Rockville Pike, 1 million square feet of retail, 2,500 residential units and a 300-room hotel. The current three-level mall is about 800,000 square feet."