25 years ago I worked on the turnaround strategy of the Grand Arcade in Milwaukee ( a failed specialty center), and it was obvious then that the competition for downtowns was urban midtowns. With subsequent gentrification and growth in spending power, those “main streets” have only grown stronger.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-01/as-retail-stores-close-downtown-new-ones-open-in-suburbs?srnd=citylab