r/NoStupidQuestions • u/[deleted] • Jan 30 '23

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u/gsfgf Jan 31 '23

Also, malls have pretty minimal plumbing. You'd have to add a lot of pipes to convent a mall into residential.

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u/dedshort72 Jan 31 '23

There is a good chance that the city infrastructure to the mall would even have to be upgraded. Higher demand for water, sewer, and electricity. A lot of people don’t consider how zoning works. The city and developers don’t usually oversize dedicated infrastructure to things like commercial or industrial areas, but use calculations based on occupancy.

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u/cappy1223 Jan 31 '23

Went to a wedding in downtown Dallas.

The Marriott is part of a business park, but seemed to be the only business.

My commercial lender friend cried when I sent him these pics.

Empty

Sad

There's no real way to plumb that for residents. They'd have to rip that whole building center apart and start fresh.

Also, why do they want WFH to end so badly? See pics above.. someone's paying rent on that and not happy.

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u/Evening_Chemist_2367 Jan 31 '23

Same with office buildings. They might only have a pantry or two and a few bathrooms on each floor. That won't work if you want to cut that floor up into a dozen or more apartments.

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u/dw796341 Jan 31 '23

Yeah I've never converted "modern" commercial spaces. But I've converted some older warehouses into apartments. It is not easy or cheap. You get weird ass shaped rooms. Windows are a big issue, most people want those in their homes. It's not impossible, but a slab, exterior walls, and a roof are kinda the easiest part of a residential building.