In August 1992, the largest indoor shopping mall in the continental United States opened to great fanfare in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dubbed the Mall of America (MOA), this sprawling retail center enjoyed 330 stores, anchored by retail tenants at the height of their reputations: Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Sears Roebuck and Co. (Sears).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the Appropriations Act) is a $2.3 trillion spending bill that combines stimulus relief for the COVID-19 pandemic and an omnibus spending bill for the federal fiscal year. While the Appropriations Act is intended to enhance stimulus relief under the CARES Act and does so in many profound ways, it also includes provisions narrowly targeted to assist companies that have filed for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Bankruptcy Code) by temporarily modifying the rules governing a tenant’s performance under its leases.

In August 1992, the largest indoor shopping mall in the continental United States opened to great fanfare in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dubbed the Mall of America (MOA), this sprawling retail center enjoyed 330 stores, anchored by retail tenants at the height of their reputations: Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Sears Roebuck and Co. (Sears).