# Turning Vacant Retail into Fantasy Worlds with Mike Bennett Studios - Where We Buy #382

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/where-we-buy-retail-real-estate-with-james-cook-547667/turning-vacant-retail-into-fantasy-worlds-with-mike-bennett-studios-where-we-buy-382
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/where-we-buy-retail-real-estate-with-james-cook-547667/turning-vacant-retail-into-fantasy-worlds-with-mike-bennett-studios-where-we-buy-382.md
Podcast: [Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook](https://stenobird.com/podcast/where-we-buy-retail-real-estate-with-james-cook-547667)
Published: 2026-05-08T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://wherewebuy.show/turning-vacant-retail-into-fantasy-worlds-with-mike-bennett-studios-where-we-buy-382
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/wherewebuy/WWB_382_-_Mike_Bennet_Studios.mp3?dest-id=522615
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/where-we-buy-retail-real-estate-with-james-cook-547667/episodes/turning-vacant-retail-into-fantasy-worlds-with-mike-bennett-studios-where-we-buy-382
Duration seconds: 2645

## Resource

Mike Bennett was an unemployed artist in Portland, Oregon when he created a public art project that captured the imagination of the city during the pandemic. He then created art popups in increasingly large retail spaces, then Wonderwood Indoor Mini Golf & Cafe, and then The Portland Aquarium, an indoor cartoon aquarium. Bennett and his business partner Teddy Albertson discuss these spaces, their plans for their new Zooquarium brand, and how they're turning vacant retail spaces into community-driven immersive destinations that are getting national attention. James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Listen: WhereWeBuy.show Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license .

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