Many visiting Europeans are stunned by the huge number of derelict and otherwise empty buildings we have in the U.S. Most of our cities show signs of manufacturing blight. Especially Northern and Rust Belt cities. In this state, a city does not qualify as a city unless it can show several shuttered factories, an empty […]
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Many visiting Europeans are stunned by the huge number of derelict and otherwise empty buildings we have in the U.S.
Most of our cities show signs of manufacturing blight. Especially Northern and Rust Belt cities. In this state, a city does not qualify as a city unless it can show several shuttered factories, an empty mall, vacant store fronts, office buildings half-empty, and maybe an armory.
Many of our small towns suffer the same blight with old school buildings and industrial carcasses. Upstate New Yorkers have grown up with the sight of them. To them they are as much a part of the landscape as maple trees.
European visitors are shocked by the same sight. This is because Europeans do not have enough spare space to allow this. They cannot afford it. So they knock down or re-use old buildings. We, on the other hand, are rich enough to leave the bodies where they collapsed. The upstate village where I graduated high school is still home to the remains of a factory that failed in the 1930’s.
We are in the midst of adding to the body count of unused buildings. Before the coronavirus struck, we were losing shopping malls. One big bank predicted we will lose 25 percent of our malls by 2022. About 9,000 stores closed last year. Many were in malls.
The virus will surely steepen the decline. Victoria’s Secret announced it will close about 250 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Already shaky Macy’s reported that its sales fell 45 percent. Bell-ringers are warming up the muffled bells. JCPenney and J. Crew have filed for bankruptcy. Lord & Taylor is looking at liquidation. Neiman Marcus is bankrupt. Nordstrom is closing 15 stores.
Meanwhile, small businesses are vacating downtown and mini-malls. Many colleges and universities are shrinking because the pool of available students has shrunk. Some may go under.
Office buildings in cities are somewhat empty, because so many office workers are lately home workers. Facebook, Google and Microsoft say most of their workers will work from home until 2021. I have to believe many companies will simply occupy less office space in the future. How are you going to lure them back to the office, after they have seen home-cooked lunch?
Don’t forget movie theaters. They are dark now because of the virus. Many will never reopen. They were already edging toward the abyss. The virus is jettisoning them into it.
Old-line churches have struggled for years. This virus may have people on their knees. But the praying has been at home. Some churches will perish.
The country will see thousands of clinics, shops, florists and mom and pops of all types close. Wait, they are closed now, you say. Thousands will not reopen.
Local governments will take similar measures. My county is cutting $1 million from its modest budget. It is closing one of its DMV offices.
My point is that this country is going to look like a cemetery for deceased buildings. Even when the economy grows healthy again. And I believe it will. We knew more of our economy would go online down the road. The virus has brought the road to us. Down the road is no longer down.
We are accustomed to seeing empty shops on Main Street. And empty factories here and there. And the odd shuttered shopping mall. Well, the view from the highway is not likely to improve.
Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home in upstate New York. Write Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com or read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com.