An indicator that shopping malls are becoming marginal real estate: churches are going into them

In declining community commercial districts, one indicator of decline was the leasing up of buildings by (mostly independent) churches.

In the 32 years I lived in Washington, I can count on one hand the number of times I saw people go in or out of this building.  And for half that time, I lived about one block away.

Not only did they not use the building for most of the week, but rules that may exist about proximity of restaurant liquor sales can get triggered, plus the building shifts off the tax rolls because churches don't pay property taxes.

Retail Dive reports ("Lease of faith: Why churches are going into malls") that churches are leasing up old department stores and other spaces in still operating shopping malls, granted in malls that are on the spiral of decline.

Also see:

-- "Reprint: Churches, community, religion and change," 2012, revised 2015