Shopping online has been the convenient way of purchasing items for more than a decade now. Online shops vary from food delivery to home furniture, and for a minimum amount, they sometimes waive the shipping fee. People have relied on this method of buying because they simply do not have the time to go to a physical store, especially those city dwellers that are so caught up with their fast paced jobs.
This is one of the reasons why a lot of malls close down. According to NPR, about 1,200 malls have ceased operating in the U.S. These building that once served as strolling places for friends and families, are turned into different structures with specific functions, like medical centers or churches.
The oldest American shopping mall had to undergo this change. The historic Rhode Island mall now stands as a home for 48 modern micro apartments.
The 1828 Greek Revival inspired building referred to as Arcade Providence was redesigned by the Northeast Collaborative Architects (NCA). It was Evan Granoff, an expert in developing micro living houses, who bought the mall after it had been closed down in 2008. It took $7 million to renovate it while maintaining its historic design. Now, there are still shops on the ground floor of the old mall, but the top two floors are meant to be lived in.
The basic apartments are one bedroom units that measure 225 to 450 square feet. There are also bigger rooms with 2 or 3 bedrooms, and each is complete with a private bathroom with shower, small living room, storages, and a kitchen with basic amenities like microwave, sink and dishwashers. The residents of the apartments also have a common place for laundry, bike storage, parking garage, and a game room. For as low as $550 a month, this contemporary designed place naturally has a long waiting list of potential lessees.
