Another local mall bites the dust: Ponce de Leon Mall Closing

[thelakelander]

St. Augustine's Ponce de Leon Mall closing interior access despite protest

Excluding the mall's anchor stores of Belk, J.C. Penney and Sears, most of its storefronts are empty, and property owners are closing the interior walkways.

With the interior closing, mall patrons will only be able to access stores through the exterior.

Susan Hooper and her husband, Glenn, are local owners of Sears Hometown Store.

She and her staff were given very little notice about the interior space closing, she said.

"Needless to say, we are very disappointed that the landlord is making such a radical change to the mall without the consideration of its tenants and community citizens that have supported this mall for many decades," she wrote in an email.

The Hoopers are longtime residents of St. Augustine and bought the store from its previous owners about five years ago. She said they invested their life savings in the business.

During the mall's 2010 revitalization, Sears was the newest tenant and expected to represent things to come.

Hooper said mall representatives told her that more than $1 million had been invested in upgrades and a country buffet restaurant was going to open in front of the store.

The 35-year-old property came under the ownership of Hull Property Group in the early 2000s.

"Mall traffic was projected to greatly increase. Unfortunately, that has not come to fruition and now the interior of the mall is closing, against our wishes," she said via email.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/business/2015-04-02/story/ponce-de-leon-mall-closing-interior-access-merchants-upset

[coredumped]

Not surprising, it's sort of off the beaten path.

[ChriswUfGator]

That mall was cursed from the beginning by a comparatively bad location. It has been clinging to life since it was built.

[copperfiend]

I remember going there as a kid in the 90's and thinking it felt dead then. Surprised it even made it this long.