Massive mega-mall and largest in US will take up residence in Miami -- environmentalists are worried

As traditional malls continue to die, "destination malls" are taking hold -- stateside and abroad. Just last week, The Miami Herald reported that the nation's largest mall was approved by Miami-Dade County and will begin the groundwork for its $4 billion mega-mall off the Florida Turnpike soon.

The mall entitled the American Dream will feature six million square feet of retail space, an indoor ski slope, entertainment space, and a submarine lake. The county voted 9 to 1 to approve the plan to allow Canadian developer Triple Five to magnify and duplicate its sister property (Minnesota's Mall of America) in Miami-Dade. According to the report, developers are expecting to see as many as 30 million visitors per year and 70,000 commuters.

According to Business Insider, locals and environmentalists from the Sierra Club are worried about the potential pressure the mega-mall will have on water and energy in the county. One resident, Megan Sorbo, went as far as to call it "an environmental abomination."

On Monday's episode of "Pat Gray Unleashed," Jeffy listed some reasons malls feel the need to go above and beyond retail.

See the clip above. 

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