Gesturing above his head to a rusty cannonball lodged in the wall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, a long-time shop owner continued his “State of the Mall” address. “This hostile projectile fired by Lord Dunmore’s ships aiming to destroy our city is celebrated as the namesake of the ‘Cannonball Trail,’ connecting historic sites and public attractions in downtown Norfolk.
“What about the brick-and-mortar that defended our community from its impact? It’s the only substantial structure that survived the burning of Norfolk during the Revolutionary War, when the rest of the city succumbed to flames. Is that not significant enough alone to replace ‘Cannonball Trail’ with ‘Brick-and-Mortar Trail?’ “Besides, honoring ill-intended round shot — courtesy of a past governor of Virginia — when gun violence has escalated to a national public health emergency, could be off target. Let alone fired at a place of worship.
” Eyeing city leaders, the speaker added, “Now that the city owns MacArthur Center, how many of you deciding its fate — right across the street — have shopped there lately? Are mall shops promoted on the city’s website? Any cross-promotion between the center and nearby MacArthur Memorial? Is there a ‘shop local’ campaign offering city employees and the military mall discounts to encourage foot traffic?” The above scenario never unfolded but it makes a point. After attending the mayor’s State of the City address in April, I imagined what a speech from the trenches of this mall might sound like. But I don’t need to imagine.
I’m there now. St. Paul’s chapel bell is chiming.
It’s 10am and I’m opening the gate to my shop. It’s my “key to the city.” I roll out the red carpet for customers and prepare for another beautiful day.
You won’t be awarded a medal fighting for a storefront’s survival, nor a Grammy for the melodies whistled on an empty sales floor. There’s no Emmy for acting like it doesn’t hurt while witnessing neighboring shops drop like flies. The rewards that keep us going include smiles that linger a tad longer than a transaction, that determined reach by a child over the counter with pocket change to support local, and good-byes etched with “I shall return.
” Though hard to measure the impact of, these heartwarming moments build community. Yes, the future of malls can appear despairing, but let’s change the perspective. What better opportunity for the entrepreneurial spirit to express resilience, innovation, creativity and hometown pride? Instead of rebuilding a young, beautiful mall (there’s plenty of blighted areas more in need of development) rebuild our opportunity-thirsty people.
Create partnerships between zombie malls, the city and educational institutions, utilizing grants to facilitate students’ training and degrees into owning their own shops. Architectural, interior design, marketing and business students could assist in storefront facades, layouts, promotion, commerce, customer service, etc. Art students can create art in drab parking garages to promote inner shops to visitors.
“Not merely mixed use, but mixed creation” can be a recipe for reviving struggling malls. Locally, a potential customer base is growing with vast new housing going up nearby, and efforts aimed towards attracting more visitors from land, sea and sky continue. With a little support, how could this mall not experience a second wind? Earlier this year, I toured an apocalyptic exhibit of the future composed of trash.
When I came upon a tattered fish-tailed form, it hit me that this was about my hometown. “This zombie mermaid was once the queen of Norfolk” read the label. After the owner closed his gallery in the mall, I asked through the gate if the queen was still around.
He pointed to the top of a trash heap. I felt compelled to carry her out of there and did. Maybe it’s something my Army parents instilled in me about not leaving your own behind.
Or maybe it’s in my blood, having grown up in a military town that once burned to the ground, to believe something can rise from the ashes. Larry Estes of Norfolk owns Cool and Eclectic in MacArthur Center. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular USS Dwight D.
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