On a recent drive along Route 28, I passed the hulking shell of what was once the pride of Frazer Township: The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills.

It was built with the promise of becoming a regional destination, a sparkling symbol of growth and opportunity. But today, as The Wall Street Journal recently reported, it’s a cautionary tale, with shuttered storefronts, weeds cracking through pavement, and parking lots that sit empty but for a few cars and the occasional security patrol.

The mall’s absentee owner, Namdar Realty Group, now faces more than $12 million in nuisance charges and fines. But the larger question is this: how long do we let zombie malls haunt our communities before we take bold, creative action to repurpose them?

As a trial lawyer, I see first-hand how accountability works — or doesn’t — in practice. In a courtroom, when someone’s negligence harms another person, the law steps in to make it right. But when corporate property owners drain every ounce of value from a shopping center and then walk away, local governments and residents are left holding the bag. Fines and nuisance designations are useful sticks, but they rarely force absentee landlords to invest in revitalization.

For too many communities across the country, these abandoned retail carcasses sit for years, eroding tax bases, dragging down property values and inviting crime.

The story of Pittsburgh Mills is not unique.

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