Thirteen new stores move into the mall

The new general manager of the Battlefield Mall said the retail center has several changes "in store" for shoppers in time for summer.

Michael Romstad replaced Karen Geary as the mall manager in December 1999. Before coming to the mall, Romstad was the area manager of a regional shopping center, a small community mall and two shopping centers in Omaha, Neb., which are also owned by Simon Properties.

"Our goal as a company is to continue to bring new retailers and continue to offer programs and services that makes shopping more convenient, to provide a clean, pleasant shopping environment, and to provide multiple experiences in one setting for the shopper," Romstad said.

He said several new tenants have moved in or are moving into the Battlefield Mall this summer and some of the established tenants are moving to different locations in the mall or are planning renovations. He said since January, Simon Properties has leased approximately 26,000 square feet of space to new tenants.

Shauncey's moved into space formerly occupied by a shoe store adjacent to J.C. Penney's April 8.

Owner Jeff Birdsell bought the ice cream business from Don Franks in December, and plans to open another larger location in Springfield. Birdsell said the new location will feature many of the lunch menu items from Shauncey's previous location in the Fremont Center.

"In order to get the Shauncey's out in front of people again and build the business back into what it once was, we needed a high-visibility location, and it doesn't get much higher visibility than the mall," Birdsell said.

Birdsell said Shauncey's other location in the North Town Mall is under different ownership but its owner has a licensing agreement with Birdsell.

The Coffee & Tea Company will undergo a major renovation starting June 10, including changing its name to Java Planet, according to owner Clift Cox. The store's new logo will feature a rotating globe with the Java Planet name in changing colors.

"We'll close the store down June 10, and it will be about a 45-day remodel," Cox said. "We're literally gutting it and remodeling the entire store. We're adding a full smoothie bar where everything will be made from scratch. We're getting in some really neat equipment that will enable us to make the smoothies as fast as the lattes and cappuccinos." Cox said the renovation will include expanding the store into the mall's second floor and moving the baking area upstairs to allow more retail space on the ground floor. He said the name change to Java Planet is an effort to provide a more recognizable name to the store.

"The Coffee & Tea Company name is something I've hated since I bought this store, but I couldn't afford to make the changes until now. People don't know us by name, they just say the coffee store in the mall,'" Cox said.

He said the renovation will also include customer seating at the coffee and smoothie bar for about 10 people.

Another new feature at the mall is Convenience Corner, which opened last week in the space formerly occupied by Sbarro's Pizza.

"It's kind of an express convenience store," Romstad said.

Successories will move from its current location near the Dillard's entrance to the space formerly occupied by One Hour Photo in the mall, which will allow room for Norene's to expand.

Branson Photo in Branson owned and operated the One Hour Photo store in the mall for several years. Manager Shann Swift said it was not One Hour Photo's wish to close its mall location, but the company has no plans for another location in Springfield.

"We had signed a short-term lease with Simon that evidently said they could give us 30 days notice to be out. They had another tenant they wanted in there, so we had to leave," Swift said.

Vanity, a women's clothing store, has already moved to a location near Montgomery Ward's. Its former space next to Casual Corner will be occupied in August by The Children's Place, an infant and children's clothing store.

White Barn Candle, an affiliate of Bath & Body Works is now open and connects to the Bath & Body store. Christopher & Banks, a clothing store, is also open in the former J. Riggings space. Auntie Anne's will move to another location in the mall to make way for a new tenant whose name Romstad could not release yet. Jarman Shoes will also become a new mall tenant this summer, Romstad said.