The live-work-play model is being reimagined with residential being added to shopping malls grappling with the effects of COVID-19.

Nearly 30 years ago, when Limited Brands founder Les Wexner decided the huge parcel of land he owned off of Interstate 270 in Columbus would make a better retail destination than a distribution center, his plans for a combination of shops, restaurants, hotels, and apartments made some eyes roll.

From a consumer perspective, American grocery stores have remained largely unchanged for decades. Each one follows the same general format and most shoppers know what to expect, even if they enter a completely new store.

COVID-19 has come and gone…is what many commercial landlords and developers hoped to believe as states slowly allow non-essential retail and shopping centers to reopen for business.

Curbside pickup has exploded in popularity over the past few months and retailers and mall operators are rushing to catch up.

In early March 2020, the United States ceased non-essential business to combat the spread of COVID-19.

As a retail real estate developer, we do not have a business if we don’t have retailers who are successful and happy.

It’s May and this is the month of reckoning for retailers and their landlords.

Shutting down Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, is like shutting down a small city.

In just a few short months, everything has changed. In the chaos and confusion of the early days of the pandemic crisis, it was necessary to set aside concerns about the big picture.