Crestwood Court ArtSpace Deemed 'Innovative' Use for Failing Mall

Owners of the Crestwood mall were praised by The Atlantic Cities for morphing empty storefronts into a public art venue. The mall has one tenant left after the Post Office's closing earlier this week.

Did you think that ArtSpace was a good use of the vacant storefronts in Crestwood Court?  Since the Crestwood Post Office's closure on Jan. 7, the shopping center--of which the sole tenant is now a LensCrafters--can be offically deemed a dead mall. But an experiment that granted local arts groups mall space for cheap rents is named as an innovative way to revive dying shopping centers. The Atlantic Cities mentions ArtSpace among seven creative solutions to mall vacancies. Other types of spaces featured included mixed use spaces with residences and retail, a town hall, and outdoor parks with performing arts spaces. Of course, ArtSpace wasn't a long-term solution to the Crestwood mall's troubles. While dozens of St. Louis organizations and …

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