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SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 07:57 PM Mar 2019

Micro lofts in a VERY old mall...great idea

https://stories.thebl.com/65920/woman-lives-in-oldest-mall-in-america-after-48-abandoned-shops-are-turned-into-homes-5.html#.XJwJP8brtho.facebook

Woman lives in oldest mall in America after 48 abandoned shops are turned into homes

14:46, 21/03/2019

Our awareness of tiny homes has increased over the past few years, but many of the wonderful examples we’ve seen consist of freestanding, outdoor units. Micro lofts bring the concept indoors.

Providence, Rhode Island is one place where you’ll find these small apartments catching on. They are housed in The Arcade, an 1829 architectural gem and America’s oldest indoor shopping mall. The building itself has been through several rounds of restorations and became a national landmark in the 1970s.

Three levels make up the shopping center, with the first floor being dedicated to retail shops and the second and third floors being tiny lofts. Evan Granoff, the owner, wanted to convert the unused space into something livable and affordable.

There are 48 apartments in The Arcade, and unit sizes are between 225 to 800 square feet. Each comes with basic built-in furniture: a bed with drawers, cushioned bench/seating, refrigerator, and shelves. Since The Arcade is zoned as a rooming house, cooking ranges are not allowed, but microwaves are fine.






snip for much more... the video is fantastic too..
45 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Micro lofts in a VERY old mall...great idea (Original Post) SoCalDem Mar 2019 OP
I love this! And nowadays you don't need a cooking range or full size oven to make anything you UniteFightBack Mar 2019 #1
InstantPot with 2-3 liners is all you need OhNo-Really Mar 2019 #33
800 sq. feet--My $600/month 1-bedroom apartment is just 700 sq. feet, in the midwest, not on the tblue37 Mar 2019 #2
I need to move! More_Cowbell Mar 2019 #8
I don't have a dishwasher, either. But you'd need to move to Kansas. nt tblue37 Mar 2019 #11
You can get a counter top dishwasher for only about 200 buck or so! nt UniteFightBack Mar 2019 #15
I have never heard of a countertop dishwasher! nt tblue37 Mar 2019 #19
I have one. It comes in three parts: JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2019 #22
I looked at videos--I don't have sufficient counter space for one. nt tblue37 Mar 2019 #23
Me too! It can be a 'get centered' meditative excercise. ✨🙏✨ OhNo-Really Mar 2019 #34
Where are you in the midwest? dflprincess Mar 2019 #14
Kansas. nt tblue37 Mar 2019 #20
I paid 24k for my 900 square foot home back in 2000 Kaleva Mar 2019 #30
What a terrific idea Raine Mar 2019 #3
Beautiful building. Glad they found a way to make it work. Squinch Mar 2019 #4
I hear a lot of malls are struggling... Wounded Bear Mar 2019 #13
The Mall Nearest To Us... ProfessorGAC Mar 2019 #24
I first saw this on tv in Japan. It was a wonderful use of space. Honeycombe8 Mar 2019 #5
It is so lovely. madaboutharry Mar 2019 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author Mosby Mar 2019 #7
We are in a housing crisis across the nation. We have to do something. YOHABLO Mar 2019 #9
I went to junior high school here...It's now a senior residence SoCalDem Mar 2019 #29
This is a great idea ZeroSomeBrains Mar 2019 #10
Sorry, but it looks like a college dorm...or a prison cell block. People here seem to FailureToCommunicate Mar 2019 #12
Who argued it's a new idea? LanternWaste Mar 2019 #28
"Everthing that's old is new again" which is a good thing Raine Mar 2019 #45
The Arcade is a fabulous building! Totally Tunsie Mar 2019 #16
This message was self-deleted by its author Demovictory9 Mar 2019 #17
K&R eom Control-Z Mar 2019 #18
I've seen this before. It needs to happen everywhere. So many dead malls. lindysalsagal Mar 2019 #21
In our former hometown SoCalDem Mar 2019 #25
The towns get bought off....that's corruption lindysalsagal Mar 2019 #43
It saved my beautiful school and gave affordable housing SoCalDem Mar 2019 #44
I have been in that very building when gldstwmn Mar 2019 #26
There still ARE stores there SoCalDem Mar 2019 #32
They look a bit like cells in a cell-block tiers. MineralMan Mar 2019 #27
Similar to the Woodruff Arcade in Chicago. Gidney N Cloyd Mar 2019 #31
They could have saved the demolition/construction steps lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #36
I'm sure someone proposed that but the new bldg is about 7 stories the economics just didn't work. Gidney N Cloyd Mar 2019 #41
I've been talking about this exact thing for a while. lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #35
People forget..that's how retail started SoCalDem Mar 2019 #37
Yup, at least as far back as the Roman Empire. lagomorph777 Mar 2019 #39
This message was self-deleted by its author Mosby Mar 2019 #38
Builders are not altruistic SoCalDem Mar 2019 #40
What a wonderful use of a beautiful building UpInArms Mar 2019 #42
 

UniteFightBack

(8,231 posts)
1. I love this! And nowadays you don't need a cooking range or full size oven to make anything you
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 07:59 PM
Mar 2019

want. Great idea.

OhNo-Really

(3,985 posts)
33. InstantPot with 2-3 liners is all you need
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 01:46 PM
Mar 2019

I use a Chinese bamboo steam/with cover inside InstantPot to make a meal: chicken & fresh steamed veggies. then flavor with whatever sounds good

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
2. 800 sq. feet--My $600/month 1-bedroom apartment is just 700 sq. feet, in the midwest, not on the
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 08:02 PM
Mar 2019

coast, so this sounds like a great idea. (I also pay all utilities, and they are high.)

More_Cowbell

(2,190 posts)
8. I need to move!
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 09:24 PM
Mar 2019

My 650 sq foot apartment in California (where my law license is) is $1643. The building was built in 1961. No dishwasher, assigned or covered parking, laundry....

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
11. I don't have a dishwasher, either. But you'd need to move to Kansas. nt
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 10:00 PM
Mar 2019

Last edited Thu Mar 28, 2019, 05:37 AM - Edit history (1)

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,283 posts)
22. I have one. It comes in three parts:
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 06:20 AM
Mar 2019

A rag, a bottle of detergent, and a dish drainer.

Voila! Clean dishes.

dflprincess

(28,057 posts)
14. Where are you in the midwest?
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 11:01 PM
Mar 2019

I'm in a Minneapolis suburb and pay $805 for a 625 sq foot 1 bedroom (plus a one car garage) no dishwasher, laundry in the basement of the building.

Not that what I pay wouldn't be bargain in New York or California.

Wounded Bear

(58,440 posts)
13. I hear a lot of malls are struggling...
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 10:34 PM
Mar 2019

I know we have a local one that never seems to be busy. That might be location, it's not super easy to get to, but in general brick and mortar retail is struggling.

Great way to put buildings to use.

ProfessorGAC

(64,427 posts)
24. The Mall Nearest To Us...
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 08:13 AM
Mar 2019

...(16-18 miles away), had a Sears at the north end, Carson's in the middle and JC Penny at the south end.
All 3 are closed! I'm not sure how any of the other stores survive!
All on one level; would be great for senior housing!

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
5. I first saw this on tv in Japan. It was a wonderful use of space.
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 08:34 PM
Mar 2019

It was perfect. The place was rented to capacity. They had converted an old mall or office building in an urban area, turning it into a lot of tiny apartments (well, it's Japan, in a crowded urban area). It was perfect. That way, younger workers had more affordable places to live in, and could live near work for the first time. Some just walked to work.

The small apartments were teeny tiny, but were built with Japanese efficiency. Nothing was full sized, and there were no rooms, as such, in the apartments. The bedroom converted to the LR, when you wanted it to. The tiny kitchenette all folded away, when not in use. Tiny closet with a curtain. No doors, except the entrance.

I guess they rented them. But it's possible some were purchased as homes.

So glad to see America is now doing this. It's a great way to use the old malls that are now dinosaurs.

Response to SoCalDem (Original post)

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
29. I went to junior high school here...It's now a senior residence
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 01:09 PM
Mar 2019
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Pioneer Presidents' Place Apartments click for more pics
in Salina, Kansas

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ZeroSomeBrains

(638 posts)
10. This is a great idea
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 09:35 PM
Mar 2019

We need to make lemonade out of lemons. I hope that this gives life to old malls and provide low income housing as well to needy families. Thanks for providing this good news story to us SoCalDem.

FailureToCommunicate

(13,989 posts)
12. Sorry, but it looks like a college dorm...or a prison cell block. People here seem to
Wed Mar 27, 2019, 10:20 PM
Mar 2019

think it's a swell idea, and maybe it is.

But it is hardly a "new" idea.

Raine

(30,540 posts)
45. "Everthing that's old is new again" which is a good thing
Fri Mar 29, 2019, 05:25 AM
Mar 2019

too many ignore ideas that came before thinking they're much smarter then people in the past. I'm glad to hear it's not a new idea.

Totally Tunsie

(10,885 posts)
16. The Arcade is a fabulous building!
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 12:02 AM
Mar 2019

The video doesn't really do it justice, as it's really quite beautiful and quaint. The architecture is truly interesting and very historic. Location, location, location...it's in the heart of downtown Providence with great restaurants, shopping, theater, and sports nearby.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've actually been in the building, but I'll have to make a point of visiting it again soon, especially now that I know what's behind those upper level doorways.

Thanks for posting this, SoCalDem!

Response to SoCalDem (Original post)

lindysalsagal

(20,444 posts)
21. I've seen this before. It needs to happen everywhere. So many dead malls.
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 05:52 AM
Mar 2019

I'd like to see some government services there, too. Simple health care, children's daycare, grocery, pharmacy, banking.

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
25. In our former hometown
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 12:54 PM
Mar 2019

there is a building (Formerly Home Base) that has in excess of 100,000 sq ft. that has been vacant since Lowes came to town..I doubt it has been filled since 2016 since we moved. It sat there for at least 20 years..

It could have been re-purposed ..

We also had a HUGE walmart that built a NEW walmart in the SAME shopping center (but just across a county line that bordered one side of the center..(to get a NEW 10 yr tax forbearance).. And the empty box is still there..vacant

gldstwmn

(4,575 posts)
26. I have been in that very building when
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 12:57 PM
Mar 2019

there were stores still in it. It's a great building. I'd live there.

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,781 posts)
41. I'm sure someone proposed that but the new bldg is about 7 stories the economics just didn't work.
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 02:58 PM
Mar 2019

And to be honest, the outside of it wasn't that attractive so even though it was a rare arcade style building it probably didn't generate enough public outcry to preserve it.
And Chicago in general tears down old buildings like aldermen tear up parking tickets.

lagomorph777

(30,613 posts)
35. I've been talking about this exact thing for a while.
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 01:52 PM
Mar 2019

The collapse of bricks-n-mortar retail, combined with the rise in housing costs, makes retail-to-residential a very natural option.

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
37. People forget..that's how retail started
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 02:00 PM
Mar 2019

Family lived above or behind the "storefront"..That's what made it all possible

Response to SoCalDem (Original post)

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
40. Builders are not altruistic
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 02:15 PM
Mar 2019

GOVERNMENT should be required to fill the gaps.. "Business" is all about making money for investors..

What needs to happen is that "escape clauses" need to be a part of a business agreement. If you build a big building (for commerce) and it fails, you can't weasel out of it by just walking away and leaving your monstrosity behind for the municipality to police/care-for etc until you "sell it"..

If you do not pay up BEFORE you split, the property becomes the municipality's to repurpose..

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