Straight Line of the Day: What To Do With a Big Empty Mall?

Blue city’s largest mall now 93% vacant as value plunges $1 billion over the past decade
Fox Business | 9/17/25 | Sophia Compton

The largest shopping mall in San Francisco is now reportedly 93% vacant….

A new appraisal has slashed the value of San Francisco Centre, located at 865 Market Street, to $195 million, which is a 25% decrease since August 2024 and more than $1 billion below its valuation in 2016, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing research from Morningstar.

24 Comments

  1. Okay hear me out:

    Whereas:
    1. The state of social discourse has deteriorated to unrestrained violence
    2. Unrestrained violence inhibits political discourse.
    2. Political discourse is necessary for the maintenance of a free state.
    3. The vox populi is best persuaded through spectacle.
    4. A shopping mall can accommodate a large number of the populi
    5. A outlet must be provided to regulate political violence so that social discourse can continue.

    Therefore be it resolved:
    1. Outlets will be converted to gladiatorial combat centers.
    2. Late night talk show hosts & news anchormen will battle internet podcasters & AM radio hosts.
    3. The public will be allowed free entry.
    4. The public will decide the fate of the combatants based on their “debate” performance.
    5. Anyone not carrying a firearm to the event will have access to the one provided under their seat.

  2. If IMAO wants to continue being on the cutting edge of satire groups it should buy the mall and turn it into a Satirical Experimental Laboratory mainly to prove that IMAO, contrary to popular belief, has indeed gone from Theory Status to Fact Status….and execute legal experiments, as explained by Dr. Phil, on “Trophy Wife” level Interns.

  3. Convert to housing. Might not work in SF, but leave the theater, a few chain eateries, then convert most stores to apartments (perhaps 55+ types). Set up correctly, you could have a limited access building (residents only), yet still allow the eateries to have non-resident access.

  4. Turn it into another money-pit for the homeless where politicians can disappear tens of millions of dollars with no accounting for where/how the money is spent. Californians, and their politicians, love to do that. For example: Newsom’s $750M Tiny Home plan fails: 1,200 planned; zero built in 2 Years. Also, the money is gone. Where did it go? Your guess is as good as mine. There is no accountability in CA because the political machine has control of elections.

  5. Well the obvious business case is to charge the remaining stores 15x their previous rent to make up for the vacant spaces.

    It’s San Fran, just open the stores up as premium, secure, climate controlled paid parking.

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