Malls and department stores both have generous amounts of space, so with many vacancies still left unfilled after the recession, there’s a need to find replacement entities that can make efficient use of of the ample room. An answer to this problem is to buy the space and fill it up with servers, converting the entire establishment into a data center. The change holds a touch of irony to it, with many stores having struggled to keep up with online shopping’s rising dominance, only to be repurposed to further that goal. “Who else wants them?” said Brian Vandegrift, executive vice…