Management at the Downtown Chatham Centre is trying to turn the mall's fortunes around, but it's also asking for patience.
Several stores have closed and moved out over the past few years but the mall's Manager of Leasing and Special Events Regina Stockus is sure there are brighter days ahead. She said the mall is trying to attract a mix of retailers, coffee shops, chiropractors, massage therapists, and even an arcade but adds that it's a tough nut to crack. Stockus said the challenge is to create foot traffic to attract stores when you also need open stores to add more foot traffic.
Stockus said the mall is currently offering free leasing for up to a year and has recently received some inquiries about space, but no firm commitments.
"Vancouver prices, Toronto prices or even Montreal prices at $450 a square foot [and] ours at $19 and $20, it's really cheap," said Stockus.
Stockus said the mall is trying to rebound but a cash crunch has slowed things down and she hopes to begin seeing a more vibrant mall by the end of the summer.
"We're talking to people who have arcades and amusement parks to bring them in here as well to make it a fun place to hang out," she added. "It's a slow process."
According to Stockus, the current ownership group takes its responsibility seriously and she is assuring Chathamites the owners are committed to the Downtown Chatham Centre long term.
"They want to be here, they put the investment in but realistically [there is] a cash crunch everywhere, you know," Stockus said. "If you have retailers, you have a revenue stream -- no retailers, no revenue stream,"
Stockus said she is considering a musical fountain at the mall, similar to the one at the Bellagio in Vegas but much smaller, to act as a centrepiece for the core of the building.
The mall went through some accessibility problems in 2017 but Stockus said those issues have since been cleared up. She also said the windows of the former Sears are boarded up for security reasons, but she is talking with local artists to paint murals or put up advertisements to make that side of the building more pleasing to the eye.
Stockus said malls have changed since the 1980s and 1990s and are no longer just for shopping. She said the mall at King Street and 5th Street in Chatham currently offers free mall walks, line dancing, and a reading room to create a friendly experience.