Now this brings back fond memories. In the 1980s, we did an EPC for a complete paper mill way up North. There were five control rooms: paper machine, bleach plant, boiler, pulp mill (digesters/washing/ screening...), ClO2 plant. I managed the DCS portion (30,000 people-hours) which included a simulator. J.C.Penney had abandoned their anchor store at a local mall. The DCS and simulator work was moved to the J.C.Penney store. Plenty of clean power, light, HVAC, toilets, ... and sleeping areas during bad weather. The food court was a nice adder, especially during bad weather. (I only regret that I had to leave before we finished... to work for some guy named Jim Thomson.)
Taking this further, a completely empty mall would be a Godsend!
Besides cheap land close to employees...
The mall itself could permanently be a warehouse, a converting area, space for electrical rooms, space for DCS rack rooms, a shipping area, space for already there administration, engineering and maintenance offices, and provide many restroom areas. The food court could be a company cafeteria area, perhaps leased out. Company Christmas parties could be held there...
The parking lot would be much more than required for construction folks and later regular employees. That is where the new machine would go, right by the mall where all of the other good stuff was.
During construction a lot of the mall could be used as a weatherized lay-down area.
After a hurricane or tornado, or blizzard, the mall could provide temporary shelter for employees and locals, and some (well guarded) newly homeless folks.
Some malls have satellite buildings such as tire stores complete with lifts for vehicles. Abandoned dry cleaners could be used to clean company provided uniforms - great deal I last saw in the early 1980s - 12 sets of clothes provided and rotated 5 or 6 at a time by the company paid-for cleaning service. (When I left in December I had to return them in order to get my last MONTHLY pay check... I waited 6 months and the company comptroller went nuts because he could not close the year's books out.)
Much copied from you, much more I left out.
Larry E. Wells
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