When they replaced America’s Main Street shopping districts, climate-controlled malls became the new town square, where teenagers met and everyone shopped before chowing down at the food court.
“That’s over,” said Tony Chowdhary. “The old-style mall is done. They didn’t evolve with times and changing tastes.”
Double-whammied by online retailers like Amazon and big-box stores like Walmart and Target, mega malls were largely abandoned by consumers.
Take Bucks County’s two biggest, Oxford Valley Mall in Middletown and Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem.
Oxford Valley, owned by Simon Properties, tore out one of its shuttered anchor stores and sold additional acreage for luxury apartments, now under construction.
PreviouslyNeshaminy Mall being sold ‘as is.’ What the buyer will get with this Bensalem property
Neshaminy Mall, a shopping destination since the 1960s, is up for sale “as is,” by owner Brookfield Properties.
Chowdhary, founder of Fusion Gyms, isn’t worried. He’s purchasing the shuttered Macy’s at Neshaminy for his next Fusion Gym, this one with pickleball courts, pools, golf simulators and other eye-popping amenities for people who like “affordable luxury.”