With their central locations and massive amounts of space, dead malls are seeing signs of life as logistics centers for online shopping facilities. While some analysts believe that approximately 400 of the 1,100 malls in the United States will close in the coming years, the appetite for industrial space is still strong.

One such example is a FedEx Corp. ground distribution center that will open in September 2017 in Mesquite, TX, a suburb of Dallas. The 75-acre site once held Big Town Mall, the first enclosed, air-conditioned mall in the southwest. The long-vacated mall was demolished in 2006. FedEx selected the site because of its intersection at Interstate 30 and U.S. 80.

In Union City, GA, property developer Rooker acquired 90 acres that once held Shannon Mall. Rooker built the 987,840-square-foot Union Station Business Center, a distribution facility, and a television studio after demolishing the 765,000-square-foot mall.

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