NewsNation
(NewsNation (https://www.newsnationnow.com/) ) — The iconic shopping center immortalized in the 1978 horror film "Dawn of the Dead" may soon meet its end, but at least it will avoid becoming one of America's growing number of "zombie malls."
Walmart has purchased the Monroeville Mall near Pittsburgh, which plans to demolish the 186-acre property to create new retail spaces and open public areas. This move could save the late-1960s indoor mall from the fate of many pre-Internet shopping centers in the U.S.
These largely vacant or shuttered shopping centers are often referred to as "dead malls" or "ghost malls." While they have gained an online following for their eerie atmospheres (check out deadmalls.com or this Reddit page), the vast emptiness poses challenges for local governments relying on tax revenue.
Locals are saddened by the potential loss of a long-standing business, and fans of George A. Romero's film have expressed their sorrow over the potential disappearance of a memorable cinematic backdrop. In the movie, a mall becomes a refuge for survivors of a zombie apocalypse, and Roger Ebert described it as a "savagely merciless...satirical view of American consumer society."
"I understand that progress comes with time," Frank Glendenning from Scranton, Pennsylvania, said during a fan convention in October. "But I also don't believe in tearing down history and getting rid of things that have been here as long as most people have been alive around here."
The decline of malls is evident, with statistics showing a significant drop in their number. In 1986, there were around 25,000 shopping malls in the U.S., but by 2022, only about 700 large malls remained, and no new indoor "megamalls" have been built since 2014.
However, there's hope for some of these white elephant properties. Amazon has been converting former malls into fulfillment centers, and the city of Nashville is seeking a new purpose for the Global Mall at the Crossings, despite a deal with Vanderbilt University Medical Center falling through.
