Closed down shopping malls are getting a facelift

(KYMA, KECY/CBS) - Many stores within malls have been shutting down since before the pandemic but those empty spaces are changing to bring in more shoppers.

Americans have been switching over to online shopping instead of going out to the mall and especially in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One mall in Washington, D.C. is changing its empty stores into a dining and entertainment wing.

"I think the consumer coming out of the pandemic is just looking for I think what we were all looking for, connection with other people, to be out and experiencing life in a more normalized way," said Executive Vice President of Brookfield Properties Chris Pine.

In New York, a closed-down Sears is being turned into a healthcare facility and in New Jersey, a theme park is being built.