I half expect a Realtor’s sign outside of the Boulevard Mall, but there’s nothing. No evidence that the oldest mall in Southern Nevada is up for sale. At least, not at first glance. The parking lot has cars, and inside the main doors, shoppers eat Red Mango fro-yo and wander under a giant art-deco skylight that filters sunshine downward, making the whole place feel momentarily bright and optimistic. Soon the feeling fades. Metal grates block empty storefronts; on a single concourse I count nine vacant spaces. it seems like the mall is wasting away.

Maybe a sale will give it new life. The mall was surrendered to Midland Loan Services in June to avoid foreclosure, and across the country struggling shopping centers are being remade into offices, schools and libraries. The Boulevard Mall is already home to the Hispanic Museum of Nevada; why not the Liberace Museum, too? Think beyond retail and you can imagine green space instead of asphalt, a roller rink in one of the anchor stores and a dedicated food truck parking zone out front. So, who’s buying?