Mall owners including Simon Property Group Inc. ($179.85 2.29%) and General Growth Properties Inc. ($22.97 0.08%), the biggest in the U.S., are signaling they’re moving on from struggling retail centers as the economic rebound drives them to focus on the best-performing markets.

A $94 million loan on a South Dakota mall owned by Simon, the largest U.S. real estate investment trust, was transferred last month to a special servicer, which negotiates with landlords on behalf of bondholders. General Growth had three malls with loan-workout firms in the third quarter, and Glimcher Realty Trust ($13.12 -0.04%) handed over a loan on a mall in its hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to a special servicer in October.