The magic room was a community effort, maintained by many residents volunteering their time to keep it well organised and running smoothly. I often saw my neighbour, Wendy Showyin, when I stopped by.
"We're talking about revitalizing our neighborhoods and rebuilding our communities that are facing blight and abandonment. We're also talking about adding tax dollars to our revenue stream and creating new economic opportunities."
The mall offered us our first taste of independence. By age 11 or 12, I was spending my babysitting money at the mall. My friend and I would promise to meet my mom or hers at a designated spot by a specific time, and then we were off. Just her and me for an hour or two. It was a rite of passage, and we loved how grown-up it made us feel.
Nykia Wright, CEO of NAR, stated, "Rebuilding trust requires more than words—it requires visible progress. That's why we're committed to sharing clear, regular updates that show members how this work is making a real difference."
In recent weeks, videos have circulated on social media showing rampant paint tagging and destruction inside the structure that was a cultural touchstone in the Orange County city of Westminster for decades after it opened in 1974. In its heyday, the mall was a gathering spot when there were few other places to hang out. It was where kids found the latest fashions and where "mall rats" roamed in packs after school.
The global average building utilization rate dramatically jumped in 2025 to 53%, the highest since before the pandemic, validating the effectiveness of hybrid strategies in driving more in-office activity, according to CBRE. Utilization rates were 38% in 2024 and 35% in 2023, compared to the 65% that most respondents to CBRE's global workplace occupancy benchmarking program identified as their target.
