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Fair Green Acres Mall ends leases on 18 of its stores
Management cites effort to bring new offerings for shoppers; store owners are frustrated
More than a dozen stores at the Green Acres Mall were shuttered last week, with owners complaining that they were evicted by mall management during their busiest time of the year.
“We received a notice in the mail a few weeks ago,” said one owner, who declined to be identified. “It doesn’t seem like we can do much, because it’s in our contract that we can be evicted with one month’s notice. But this really caught us by surprise.”
A total of 18 stores in the northwestern area of the mall cleared out their merchandise by Jan. 1, including boutique furniture, clothing and art retailers. Store owners said it was rumored that their removals were to make room for the department store Century 21, but Macerich, the company that owns the mall, declined to confirm or deny that.
“Green Acres is continually evolving and looking to bring new energy and excitement to the center,” Dawn Simon, senior marketing manager for Macerich, wrote in an email. “We continuously seek ways to elevate the shopping experience as well as further complement our existing retail lineup. While we are currently researching and evaluating our retail mix, there aren’t any specifics at this time. I can assure shoppers our goal is to further enhance the appeal of this property. We want to find uses that will complement the existing property and neighboring community.”
One store owner said the timing of the eviction made the transition especially difficult and painful.
“We were told at the end of November that we would have to be out of our stores before 2015,” the owner said. “It couldn’t have come at a worse time, and they’re fully aware of that. We have our busiest time of the year, trying to keep inventory moving in and out of the store, organizing sales. Christmas, the holiday season can make or break your entire year. To have to deal with being forced to close our store on top of all that was almost too much to bear.”
Several owners talked to the Herald but did not identify themselves for fear of negative repercussions as they attempt to reopen elsewhere. All expressed frustration that a large national retailer might be pushing them out.
