College Mall stores DISAPPEAR

Rumors have been circulating about Bloomington's College Mall. Why stores are leaving and what is going to happen next are some of the questions many Bloomington-area residents have been asking. \nThere have been several store closings in College Mall, including Lazarus, Baby Gap, Gap, Freshens Smoothies, Gingiss, MCL Cafeteria among others. Mall employees say many residents blame the mall, but Billie Scott, public relations representative for Simon Property Group which owns College Mall, said the closings have absolutely nothing to do with College Mall or Simon.\n"Many of the corporations have chosen to close stores because of bankruptcy or other reasons," Scott said. \nLazarus, a department store that was once located in the mall, closed as a result of a corporate decision. \n"Lazarus made the decision corporately to close a number of their stores," Scott said. \nLazarus isn't the only store that has closed as a result of corporate bankruptcy or a drop in profits. \nB.Moss and Wilson's Leather are also feeling the effects of an economic downturn. B.Moss closed last month and Wilson's Leather is in the middle of clearing out the nearly-empty store. Tina Terrell, a manager at Wilson's Leather, said the closing came as a surprise. \n"The store wasn't doing well. It struggled, but they told us we would stay open," Terrell said. \nTerry Skirvin, College Mall manager, told Business Network magazine, a Bloomington Chamber of Commerce publication, that many of the stores aren't just leaving College Mall, but the corporate offices are closing other stores as well. Wilson's Leather decided to close 155 stores, including the College Mall location. \n"The decision was corporate. They just decided to downsize," Terrell said. "Indy is saturated with Wilson's stores." \nIn the same article, Skirvin said the results of an economic downturn are usually seasonal. \n"If stores or companies are going to file for bankruptcy, you usually see it at the first of the year after the Christmas season," she said. \nScott said the store closings aren't a trend within the Simon Property Group. \n"Occupancy percentages in our mall stay pretty steady," she said. \nThough the process seems slow, it is a part of what happens in malls, Skirvin said. \n"Most of the leases expire at the same time," she said. \nThough there have been several closings in the mall, Scott said it isn't a sign of things to come. \n"There are stores planning on coming to College Mall, so be on the lookout," she said. \nAccording to the article, Dena Mayes-Marietta, marketing director for College Mall, said when stores leave the mall, it gives them more options. \n"When stores leave, it just creates an opportunity for us to fill niches in the market that aren't being served by somebody else," she said. "Just because one tenant leaves doesn't mean there is nothing going on behind the scenes at that store space."\nAbout 95 percent of the store spaces in the mall are leased, Mayes-Marietta said. \nThough a number of stores have left, new stores have also popped up in the mall. Yankee Candle, Motherhood Maternity, 5-7-9, Subway, Hot Topic and Target are all new to College Mall. \nScott said Simon tries to accommodate multiple interests in its malls. \n"Obviously, we try to make each of our malls the best it can be for people and the community," she said. \n--Contact assistant arts editor Patrice Worthy at pworthy@indiana.edu.