Can Bangor Mall be saved? We have some ideas

We asked…and boy, did you answer!

Recently, while talking to someone who was in Portland, they noted that the Maine Mall is absolutely thriving, which depressed me, as the heyday of Bangor Mall is long gone, but it got me thinking about how it could be fixed.

When you break it down, it’s pretty sad: the Maine Mall has a whopping 123 stores, compared to just 34 for Bangor, but the Stillwater Avenue area is always busy, so what can be done to make it a nice place ? shopping and revisiting?

We asked this question on our Facebook page on Friday evening and the response was incredible. More than 200 people gave their opinions and suggestions, and they were really good!

Check out some of the many responses we received:

Brackish river bistro

Burn it down and start over?
As a former tenant, I can tell you that there is no hope for the current state of the building

Bruce Worchester

Ownership must be motivated to make it successful. Without that, it doesn’t matter what any of us suggest. And this ownership doesn’t care.

Leah Gulliver

Turn it into a senior living complex with its own health center, gym and community activity center.

Ashley Marie Bouchard

Level things up. Set fire to the building. And build new. I can only imagine how much nasty mold is in that spot.

Gary Fogg

For starters, law enforcement and the city council should be held accountable for not allowing the company that purchased the mall to repair the existing sign. That just looks like total bullshit, it’s a disgrace to the mall and it’s a disgrace to our city. The company that owns the mall has tried to repair it, but has been denied permission by the city. So they have to be put to work for that. Then the access roads and parking lots need to be repaired, their condition is unacceptable. The building must then be brought up to code. THEN shoppers and businesses may want to return, or not convert it to some sort of multi-purpose retail or something else. It’s an existing space, so instead of building more “vanilla boxes” in the area, let’s use an existing facility!!!
Sorry if this makes too much sense to people. Practical minds must go a step further.

Derek Breton

Turn the anchors into entertainment and experience destinations with shops and restaurants in between. Anchor with an event center that can accommodate up to 1200 people for small concerts/performances, a rock wall climbing facility like High Point Climbing And Fitness, an indoor water park like a Coco Key, an aquarium or an aquarium restaurant, an IMAX, indoor paintball, a niche restaurant like a Professional Bullriders Restaurant. You could take something like Maine’s Challenger Learning Center and move it here and really have it expand its size and scope so that it’s almost like the Discovery Museum, but focused on space.

Ashley Grenier

Bowling alleys, roller skating, playrooms, panic rooms (a bar or not), let’s make it a place that both children and adults can enjoy, but safe enough, just like when we were children, and where you can take your child for a few hours you can drop off and stay there the clothing stores and put back the food court

Jenn Ghergia

Not my idea, friend shared this with me. Turn it into a Gen X retirement home. Music stores, arcade games, all the good things we “x’rs” had growing up! The residents could work in the shops just like before. Imagine, listen to me, Orange Julius and Sbarro’s, Panda Garden, Chess King, The Gap. I think it would be fun.

Sasha Hart

Model it after the Portland Mall. Great food court, activity center upstairs, wide variety of shops

Casey Spofford

I would start with some fresh paving beforehand.

Taylor Black

I went there last week for the first time in a year and it was so sad.
I think they should be turned into professional spaces: dental practices, financial advisors, lawyers. Offer the spaces rent-free for a year as an incentive for companies to enter the spaces. Great parking. Public toilets. Offer a food court. Think of a mini city under one roof.

Alec Buzzell

A real Barcade. I was really hoping that by the second story, Macy’s would have transformed into a Dave & Busters-like company. Or a laser tag experience in a zombie mall.

Ed Bowden

Stop buying online so that stores can exist

Carolan Prescott

Make it an outlet mall!

Robert Rozenstruik

Turn it into a gigantic residential care center with a hospital on site. Provide different dining areas and shops for residents. This area needs that for the aging population.

Barbie Griffin

Bring on something like the American Mall in New Jersey, get some real attractions and things to do all year round, while driving hours out of state. That would also mean more people for other companies

Richard Lug

Indoor water park or a large arcade with a food court and bowling alley, or both

Damon Brown

Outlet shopping center. Instead of driving to Freeport, which has been pretty sad lately.

Mylana Shaw

Bring in stores that people really want. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco, IKEA, Lush, Apple Store, luxury stores, theater hall, stuff for kids…

Mykeal Drew

How we can turn it around is: We stop allowing new owner after new owner to make false promises. If they don’t have the money to fix it, they shouldn’t buy it. Stop allowing staters to buy our stuff. The mall was great when it was owned and run by Mainers. Always been well maintained. The rental of spaces was extremely affordable, the entire shopping center was filled with outlet stores. I swear these state owners buy things and then immediately run them into the ground.

Carolyn Aquilina

Add a roller skating rink! Local food, childcare, small shops and boutiques make the store’s rent more affordable, so people can rent it for short periods of time for pop-up shops.

Dede McIntyre

There’s definitely a way we can bring it back. We need stores and businesses that we don’t have yet. The parking lot and road need repairs. In fact, people should shop local.

Betsy-John Blaisdell

Indoor water park would be a HUGE draw

Amy Voisine

It’s so very sad and pathetic in there. The Maine Mall is booming! Surely there is something Bangor can do

Harold F. Coombs III

I’ve said it before. The only thing people still do is eat out. Turn the shops into restaurants and fill them with seating. Provide QR menus and let people choose food from multiple restaurants and it will all be brought to your table. No longer where do you want to eat?

Jamie R Eason

build a water park instead a dave and busters or a cheesecake factory hard rock cafe indoor go kart race track lazer tag build a nice big COFFEE & COCKTAIL LOUNGE a nice nightclub food court and a finish line or a footlocker one more thing big indoor R/ c race track