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Bon Marché Mall
For some time now, shopping malls all over America have been faced with a challenge to coexist with shoppers and retailers alike that are rediscovering the convenience of Main Street retailing, along with the allure of new themed and entertainment venues (not to mention the internet!) As a result, the landscape is becoming increasingly littered with underutilized or abandoned relics of our retail past.
Bon Marché Mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is but one of many of these castaways. Opened in 1960, it was the oldest of the four malls which have historically existed in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Over time, additional shopping centers coming into the area lent to Bon Marché Mall’s decline. As the mall evolved into an urban shopping center, crime became an issue. The immediate area became home to low income and working class families. In the last years, the mall’s stores began to reflect the area demographics, with discount stores taking the place of traditional mall shops. By 1998 occupancy was at 30%, shoplifting was a major concern, the owners had been looking to sell the mall for a few years without success, and the mall was generally reckoned as a community eyesore.
Shook Kelley, working in conjunction with the noted retail consulting firm of Gibbs Planning Group, developed with the owner, Bon Marché, LLC – and the citizens of Baton Rouge – a new vision for Bon Marche Mall to undergo radical transformation into a mixed use, Traditional Neighborhood Development that included significant office space, housing, public facilities, retail and public parks.
Bon Marché Mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is but one of many of these castaways. Opened in 1960, it was the oldest of the four malls which have historically existed in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Over time, additional shopping centers coming into the area lent to Bon Marché Mall’s decline. As the mall evolved into an urban shopping center, crime became an issue. The immediate area became home to low income and working class families. In the last years, the mall’s stores began to reflect the area demographics, with discount stores taking the place of traditional mall shops. By 1998 occupancy was at 30%, shoplifting was a major concern, the owners had been looking to sell the mall for a few years without success, and the mall was generally reckoned as a community eyesore.
Shook Kelley, working in conjunction with the noted retail consulting firm of Gibbs Planning Group, developed with the owner, Bon Marché, LLC – and the citizens of Baton Rouge – a new vision for Bon Marche Mall to undergo radical transformation into a mixed use, Traditional Neighborhood Development that included significant office space, housing, public facilities, retail and public parks.
