Ceremony this morning wraps up years of work
Jonesboro Sun
Grover Welch
3/29/2006
JONESBORO -- The MALL AT TURTLE CREEK opens today at 10 a.m. after years of anticipation and months of hype.
The mall doors will open following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. The first 500 shoppers will recieve a special gift.
Local leaders will be on hand for the event.
"I think the mall opening is going to be great for the community," said Paul Bookout of Jonesboro, former state representative. "The mall has become a banner headline for the community since it was announced two years ago, and the economic momentum for the area is going to be tremendous."
The mall will open at nearly 80 percent capacity as some stores will open later in April, after not meeting the grand opening lease date, said Bruce Burrow.
"We will have some stores opening over the next few weeks," said Bruce Burrow, local developer and partner in MBC Holdings, one of the mall's partnership of developers. "We will be striving for stabilization -- getting those who do not open Wednesday open and then getting everything running smoothly. The mall will open with most of the stores and then as shoppers come back over the next few weeks they will see it change and grow."
The 750,000-square-foot mall features a unique shopping experience. Store fronts facing south represent anchor and sub-anchor stores and are meant to resemble a "lifestyle shopping center."
Behind these stores, however, lies a fully enclosed mall, with store-front representations and indoor landscaping meant to simulate an enclosed downtown shopping experience.
"The mall was a unique endeavor for the designers and the partners," said Talmage Hocker, representative of David Hocker and Associates, a partner in the $150 million project. "It is the only enclosed mall opening in the United States this year and is one of the most unique shopping experiences in the country."
Stores not opening today include Circuit City, Merle Norman, Auntie Anne's, Vanity, Lane Bryant, Radio Shack, Sportman's Trail, Steak Escape and Hallmark.
The mall will have several give-aways ongoing over the next few weeks.
Mall hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, but some outfacing anchors and sub-anchors may be open later.
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