After a decade long career as a software developer, system integrator and architect, I am moving on. I’m going to work at a mall.
Well, technically our whole company is moving into an old mall. I’m doing the same job. It is just a lot more exciting to say that I’m “working at a mall now”. Rackspace is growing so fast and we have outgrown our available space in our current San Antonio offices and after evaluating a few alternative solutions (including building a Dell-like campus from scratch, moving various offices out of state etc) we have decided to take over the old (abandoned) Windsor Park Mall as our corporate headquarters.
Here’s a few interesting links related to Windsor Park Mall:
- http://deadmalls.com/malls/windsor_park_mall.html
- http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2006/03/windsor-park-mall-final-call.html
Here’s a few articles covering the recent events:
- http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA080207.rackspace.EN.d699cdf1.html
- http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/neighbors/northeast/stories/MYSA081507.ne15mallimpact.135885f.html
- http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/press/pressreleases/PressRelease.2007-08-02.3728
- http://digdeepertexas.com/?p=582
- http://t1ra.multiply.com/links/item/186/MySAcom_State_kicking_in_22_million_for_Rackspace_move
Many people have asked me how bad my drive from Boerne will be. After driving it during the same morning hours that I normally commute it wonlt be much worse than the drive was when we were downtown. If you are ever presented with an opportunity to tour an empty mall I highly recommend it. There’s a certain eerie quality to it that I can only liken to feeling as if zombies were right around the corner.
- My pictures from our visit
- other Rackers pictures:
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I grew up in the area and remember the great times I had at Windsor. Do you know if Rackspace will open the facility to the public so they can visit their old stomping grounds? I hope so as I think using the mall as a campus is a great use of this location.
I doubt we’d open it up to the public under normal circumstances. We have guards, access badges etc at our current facility and I’d imagine the mall renovation would involve similar security. That being said, I don’t know what the plan is (if any) for community access to the building as I’m not at all involved in that aspect of the business.