A blueprint for transforming America's overlooked commercial spaces

Original story, transcribed and edited from content by Jon Jon‍

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How a “Dying Strip Mall” Became a Community Town Square

Across America, you can find the same sight: aging strip malls with empty storefronts, fading signage, and no real cultural or economic impact. These spaces are often dismissed as relics of car-dependent development—too big, too empty, and too disconnected from the neighborhoods around them.

But Wheatland Plaza in Duncanville, Texas is proving there's another path.

Once facing a 72% vacancy rate, the plaza is now 95% occupied, hosting new tenants, community spaces, and soon, housing. The transformation is led by Monte Anderson of Options Real Estate, a founding member of Neighborhood Evolution, who saw potential where others saw decline.

This project offers a blueprint for revitalizing struggling commercial spaces across the country. Here are the three strategies that made it work.

1. Break Big-Box Spaces Into Smaller Units

Most strip malls were built for large franchises—20,000 sq ft blocks that small businesses can’t afford or fully use. Wheatland Plaza flipped the model by subdividing these oversized shells into smaller spaces.

A former big-box store has now been repurposed into:

• restaurant space
• hotel-style rooms
• multiple small office suites
• even a handful of apartments

This shift increased affordability for tenants while raising price per square foot for investors—a win on both sides.

2. Make It Owner-Occupied to Build Community Value

Instead of leasing every unit for profit, Options Real Estate turned part of the plaza into their headquarters and a coworking hub called COLLAB

Because they occupy the space themselves, they don’t need immediate returns on every square foot. The result?

• Co-working memberships as low as $80/month
• Coffee and beer on tap
• Students hanging out before school
• City officials holding meetings there
• A genuinely welcoming “third place”

The space isn’t just commercial real estate—it’s a cultural asset. And that’s only possible because the owner is present, engaged, and part of the community rather than operating from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

3. Replace Asphalt With Housing

The most ambitious phase is still underway: turning the central parking lot into 16 new housing units, including Habitat for Humanity homes.

What sparked the idea wasn't just empty asphalt—it was a subtle connection point to the traditional neighborhood behind the plaza. Instead of a drive-through parking lot, the new plan builds a walkable street that feels like part of the neighborhood and creates a true town square environment.

This mixed-use model means people can live, work, meet, and shop in the same place—no highway required.

The Result: More Than Just Redevelopment

The transformation isn't only cultural—it’s financial:

• Property value before redevelopment: ~$3M
• Projected value after housing completion: ~$25M

And tenants who were previously paying higher rents for lower-quality spaces now get more value, better design, and amenities that serve daily life.

What was once a failing strip mall is becoming:

• a business center
• a municipal gathering place
• a residential community
• a neighborhood hub

In other words—a town square.

Why This Matters for Cities Everywhere

Wheatland Plaza isn’t a one-off success; it’s a replicable development model. It shows what happens when we:

• scale spaces to real local businesses
• invest with proximity, not distance
• and bring people back to these properties with housing and public life

With the right ownership mindset and municipal support, declining strip malls across America could become neighborhood anchors again.

This is what neighborhood evolution looks like.