With countless shopping websites offering millions of items at our fingertips, many of us opt to shop at home. There's no traffic getting to an online store, no crowds to negotiate once we're there.
It comes at a cost, though. Businesses with actual storefronts close, taking with them the opportunity to try on that cute pair of heels or to take a swing with the golf club you've been eyeing.
Some malls began adapting early. Janss Marketplace has done a good job replacing traditional retail with entertainment. You can grab a bite of sushi before throwing axes, seeing a movie, taking the kiddos to jump on trampolines, playing arcade games or running through the water feature on a hot day.
Though The Oaks now also offers experience-based options, the mall didn't appear to adapt as quickly, and empty storefronts continue to dot its interior.
It's a sad fall from the days when those of us who grew up in the county looked forward to browsing through Broadway, Bullocks or May Co. before stopping off for an Orange Julius.
Now the mall's being sold again. We're excited for the possibilities. After Macerich, the current owner, purchased the property, it expanded the mall and we got the new movie theater (who remembers the old one that was actually inside the mall?) and the outdoor section.
It's likely the new owners will consider putting some sort of housing on the site. The new general plan allows for it, and The Oaks specific plan allows for it to be up to 75 feet tall. While we're not a fan of such large buildings in our still somewhat rural town -- we do have equestrian residential properties and the ring of open space, after all -- we think the mall is a perfect place for housing if we're going to build more. And we are going to build more, if for no other reason than the state mandates it.
While we remember fondly what was, we can be thankful for this new life Los Angeles-based Stockdale Capital Partners could bring. We might not like all the changes, but we think it will be a net positive for the city.
Just one request, Stockdale: whatever you do, please leave the mission bells at Macy's.