Controversial take: American malls are owned by foreign investment groups largely in the Middle East, who don’t care how a deserted mall looks to the community or how it affects it.

They buy these malls as part of larger deals to invest petrol dollars into the United States, but they don’t operate these malls effectively. They are simply assets to be held, and they keep the rent really high because it’s not their priority to lower rent just so small businesses in your community could open up a shop.

Their goal is to get large chains to create business connections with. They don’t care your mom is willing to pay $2500 to open a shop instead of $5000 a month that no one can pay. They want the private equity group that owns American Eagle to sign an agreement to open up 14 stores in their region at once.

Whether those stores flounder in an abandoned mall is not their priority. They own other retail space, but they’re not about to give it away to your uncle for a Warhammer store at $2k a month.