You wrote:

Since people in the area want more green space they could change the layout creating an outdoor feeling in an indoor mall. The big holes in each level could be covered and have the stores where the holes once were. While doing this opening up the walls and changing them to glass so you can have a feeling as if your outdoors when your really inside.

The exterior of the building (specifically, the Hechts facade on Ellsworth and Fenton) has “historic preservation” status. That is, you can’t alter its appearance in any major way.

Any thoughts on how to work around this?

I currently go to school in Tempe, AZ where im studying Urban Planning and Community Redevelopment. I’m moving back as soon as im done with my degree. The Revitilization of Downtown Silver Spring helped me choose this major because it has an influence on the entire community.

I really dont think that office space will do them any good especially if the stores within the mall don’t bring in any business. Your most expensive store in that mall is a Burlington Coat Factory. The mall looks old when it is really only 15 years old. The interior and exterior of City Place is horrendous. They say that this is a 15 million dollar investment…well in this case they should throw more money at it. They should redesign the mall and since many people dont want Silver Spring to be an area of chain stores. They should add boutiques in their mall such as the ones in Pentagon City, or M St. in Georgetown. A few boutiques are popping up around the area such as Pieces and American Apparel.

The main reason I go to downtown when I go home on breaks is to eat. Downtown Silver Spring has some of the best restaurants so maybe they should open up the top level and add restaurants with views of Silver Spring and also of DC. More entertainment could also be added such as putting bars in the mall or a bowling alley since the one that was previously in downtown is now a LA Fitness.

Since people in the area want more green space they could change the layout creating an outdoor feeling in an indoor mall. The big holes in each level could be covered and have the stores where the holes once were. While doing this opening up the walls and changing them to glass so you can have a feeling as if your outdoors when your really inside.

Just a couple thoughts from a college student.

“The mall’s property-management company and the Urban Land Institute have your back on this one. / ‘Urban vertical malls aren’t as popular as they once were,’ Ted Georgelas, of the Georgelas Group, told the urban advisory committee last Thursday. / And despite the building’s historic facade, ULI’s Laura Cole said too much preservation can stunt development. / ‘There may be times when you have to let something go,’ Cole said of City Place.”

Removing the indoor mall makes no sense at all. With our bitter cold winters, there aren’t a lot of people wanting to shop outdoors when they can shop at a warm, upscale indoor mall such as Pentagon City Mall, Boston Commons, and Tysons Corner.

Editor’s note: This comment has been edited for content. (Feb 24, 2007)

“City Place is a big white elephant in the middle of downtown Silver Spring. I think the building should be converted to office space. The whole point of a new revitalized downtown core is to make shopping an ‘outdoor’ experience. The day of massive-closed malls with a high number of tenants is over. ALL retail and restaurant units must have a street-side presence.”

If building/expanding indoor malls are the thing of the past, then why is there support for the massive Tyson’s Corner expansion and the completion (2000) of the Dulles Town Center indoor mall?

Editor’s note: This comment has been edited for content. (Feb 24, 2007)

“The day of massive-closed malls with a high number of tenants is over.”

The mall’s property-management company and the Urban Land Institute have your back on this one.

“Urban vertical malls aren’t as popular as they once were,” Ted Georgelas, of the Georgelas Group, told the urban advisory committee last Thursday.

And despite the building’s historic facade, ULI’s Laura Cole said too much preservation can stunt development.

“There may be times when you have to let something go,” Cole said of City Place.

Editor’s note: This comment has been edited for content. (Feb 22, 2007)