Hi, First, please forgive the multiple postings. I'm posting this to several lists in the hope of getting quick and useful responses. A local reporter is doing an article on downtown, central-city malls. This is not from some disinterested standpoint: ground breaking for a large mall in Providence (Providence Place) is scheduled for this spring. The reporter interviewed me and asked two questions I could not answer, and I'd really appreciate your help in answering them. First, what do the business plans of these malls typically look like. For example, what return on investment do developers plan on? Also, is there a difference, either in cost or planning strategy, between suburban and central city malls? Are there any figures readily available on a) the overall financial package for specific malls or malls in general and b) the public subsidy portion of such malls. Second, are there any good studies of mall impacts? I have a student who's reviewing evaluations of enterprise zones, and she's finding they're pretty lousy. Is there a parallel literature on central-city malls, and is it any better? Please reply to me directly. Your help will be most appreciated. Thanks very much. Marsh Feldman Phone: 401/874-5953 Community Planning, 204 Rodman Hall FAX: 401/874-5511 The University of Rhode Island Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kingston, RI 02881-0815
