Others are simply not convinced that the federal government knows what’s best for their communities. “I appreciate the attention given to the issue because a lot of communities are struggling with what to do. I just don’t know if [a federal policy] is the actual way to approach it,” says Adam Paul, the mayor of Lakewood, home to Belmar Mall, one of the most impressive mall-revitalizing efforts in the country — and notable because of how little money it cost taxpayers. “Local control is really important. I would hesitate for the federal government to be involved in this type of redevelopment, because it almost becomes political… When the government goes top-down, it gives me pause. It feels like an artificial prop. It has to be bottom-up. There has to be true buy-in.”