Help with my Senior Research Project: Abandoned Buildings?

The Honors College at my University requires graduating seniors to complete a research paper of sizable length, but on any topic of their choice. Usually, it is some overly serious statistic counter from within your degree field. But my adviser has suggested I pick something I like to do: Exploring Abandoned Buildings. What is a good project I can base around that? They are probably going to want to know "what my paper will prove" and how I plan to "research" it. Any ideas?