Reports of the U.S. shopping mall closure are now in dispute, as district alderman states some stores will remain open despite widespread claims and stores remaining currently shuttered to the public.
Author’s Note
This article is based on corporate postings and accredited media reports. Linked information within this article is attributed to the following outlets: WTOC.com and WJCL.com. For my original story on this matter, see here.
Introduction
According to a January 6th report from WTOC.com, “Savannah Mall Closing Next Week, Some Stores Staying Open,” the titular Georgia shopping destination’s last day of business was to be January 12th, but its exterior chains such as Target and Dillard’s were remaining open with no plans to shutter.
As excerpted from the WTOC.com report: With the mall closing, many people living on the southside are wondering what’s next for the area. District 6 Alderman Kurtis Purtee says he’s been in close contact with the new owners of the Savannah Mall property, BCHM Investments, to make sure what’s next for this property is something the community here wants and will enjoy.
Store owners within the mall were said to have been taken by surprise; word of the location’s future had not yet been announced.
However, this week Alderman Purtee has stressed to the media that the mall is not closing as some stores are remaining. What is raising questions, however, is his statement that those existing stores are in the mall, which eliminates the exterior anchors and MCI that have already been reported as remaining open.
Let us explore further.
Shopping Malls, 2023
Per a January 12th WTOC.com followup report, “Savannah Mall is Not Closing, According to Alderman Kurtis Purtee,” initial reports of the mall’s demise may have been premature, at least in the Alderman’s view.
As excerpted from the followup report: According to Alderman Kurtis Purtee, the Savannah Mall is not closing. Alderman Purtee tells WTOC he found out Thursday that while some stores will be relocating, some others will remain open in the mall. He tells WTOC that he is not sure which businesses will continue doing business in the mall.
It should be noted that widespread reports have maintained the entity has closed permanently, save for the aforementioned exterior chains. As a possible support of these claims, I’ll first hearken back to a December 22, 2022 piece from WJCL.com, “After Savannah Mall Sold at Auction, New Management Issues Eviction Notices to Stores.”
The WJCL.com piece stated: Some store owners at the Savannah Mall are frustrated and angry. They tell WJCL 22 News that mall management gave them a 30-day notice to vacate without any warning.
To be clear, the piece does not mention all store owners, yet additional WTOC.com reports appear to have elaborated on the matter: In December 2022, it was reported that the mall’s new owners were asking remaining tenants to vacate. The mall closed on January 12, 2023; outline tenants (the anchors and MCI) will remain open.
Stress on the word “remaining.”
Conclusion
This is a rapidly developing story. In the event of pertinent updates to these matters, I will share them here on NewsBreak.
Thank you for reading.
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