Speculation, few facts swirl around dying North Town Mall

Rumors have swirled for years about the nearly vacant mall on the corner of Kearney Street and Glenstone Avenue, built in 1977.

There are currently only eight tenants in the 275,000-square-foot mall, one of which is a Wal-Mart general merchandise store.

Speculators have envisioned a Wal-Mart Supercenter or Sam’s Club rising from the ashes of a demolished North Town Mall. Wal-Mart reportedly plans to build 370 new U.S. stores and to expand many of its existing general merchandise stores this year. As of January, Wal-Mart operated 1,209 general merchandise stores, 1,980 supercenters, 567 Sam’s Clubs and 100 neighborhood markets globally.

All signs point to the mall’s demise, literally. The main North Town Mall sign on the Kearney-Glenstone corner was recently changed to a Wal-Mart sign.

Wal-Mart spokesperson Carrie Thum downplayed the sign switch.

“It was probably changed because we are now the largest retailer out there,” she said.

Wal-Mart applied to the city for a wrecking permit, but that request has since been rescinded.

Alas, no one has concrete information on the mall’s fate, fueling the rumor mill.

“I guess the mall has closed down, and just our main entrance is open, but no final decisions about what we’re going to do have been made,” said Thum, the one person who should know the mall’s fate.

The Wal-Mart store manager at North Town Mall, Millie Weber, didn’t have any insight either. Neither did property manager Rebecca Thomas of Gumberg Asset Management.

“I don’t have a clue,” Weber chuckled. “(Corporate) would give me the information last, probably.”

Wal-Mart, USA Furniture and Subway operate with only outside entrances. The only inside retailer is Another Comic Shop. Other tenants are service businesses closed to the public.

Comic store owner Jeff Evans said his store only survives because it depends on repeat customers more than walk-by traffic.

“I’ve heard the rumors for so many years that it’s kind of hard to believe them sometimes,” Evans said. “I’m technically the only store open to the public in here anymore, so I’d have to agree that they’re probably going to do it.”

Evans is unique because he has a six-month lease, which runs through July. Gumberg’s Thomas said she’s only allowed to issue one-month leases now.

Evans doesn’t expect his lease to be renewed, and he will soon leave the North Town Mall, losing his cheap rent – $6 a square foot with utilities paid.

As a lifelong Springfieldian, Evans said it’s sad to see North Town Mall in what may be its last days.

“Truthfully, Wal-Mart killed the North Town Mall,” he said.