Slidel authorities who want to bring a new life into one of the highest retail sites in the North Shore are almost empty North Shore Square in partnership with St. Tamany’s economic development leaders. We plan to conduct a mall market feasibility survey.
The Slidel City Council has recently agreed to contribute $ 100,000 to invite consultants to consider ways to return vast premises away from Route 12 to commercial areas.
Chris Machingill, the head of St. Tamanie, the parish’s Economic Development Agency, said that the analysis would not only revive the possibility of the retail business, but also examine alternative applications for old malls.
“This is a good site,” said Machingill. “We can find the purpose of it.”
According to Machingill, there are a wide variety of options, from setting up data centers, developing some kind of entertainment facilities, purchasing by the city, and maintaining retail stores there.
“But the first step needs to go to the market and investigate,” he added.
A signboard of North Shore Square Mall in Slidel on Thursday, August 15, 2024. (Photo provided: Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)
Most of the North Shore Square Mall, which used to be the driving force of the economy, is mostly quiet. The popular Dillers Clearance Center and atho are two bases, but most of the vast parking lots of shopping centers are vacant.
After opening in 1985, the 621,000 square -foot mall quickly became the center of local shopping, not only in St. Tamany, but also from nearby Mississippi. However, I realized that the mall was falling into the same retail spiral that consumed countless other malls in the region and the United States.
With the increasing number of stores that are closed, city authorities have strongly take measures to Morgard, the owner of the mall, to Canadian companies that manage more than $ 17 billion in North America to revitalize the mall. I’m looking for it.
With the resignation of Greg Cromer, Slider -Congress, a member of the Slider, has recently become a mayor, Bill Botchart, that voters often ask about malls.
“One of the most common things we often hear is what they are doing in a shopping mall?” Bolhyd said.
Morgard manages vast apartments in the United States, including Slidel’s apartments, but city authorities do not want more apartments on the mall premises.
“We don’t want to build an apartment there,” he said on the site of the shopping mall. “It’s a retail tax basis.”
BoChart said he had recently visited the Dallas district with the city council members Nick Disanti, Cromer, and Machigill to find some venues redeveloped after sleep.
The attempt to ask Morgard officials did not succeed.
BoChart said that hiring a consultant to study the potential of North Shore Square is a great first step.
“We know that we don’t know everything,” said Bocchart. “But we know that there are people to do.”
In an interview last summer, Cromer said that he had guided North Shore Square to those who were interested in “at least 12 times in the six years of the mayor.”
On Thursday, August 15, 2024, the closed North Shore Square Mall in Slidel. (Photo provided: Times Pika Yoon Paper Chris Granger)
At that time, he said that there were various ideas about mall reuse.
“It’s like a movie set, an office space, and a healthcare center. Everything is a kind,” said Clomer last August.
Machin -Gill, who is the job of selling a parish to an interesting company, is still bullish for the elucidation of the mystery of Slidel Mall.
“I’m approaching some opportunities,” he said.
Disanti pointed out that there are all vibrant retailers, such as Wal -Mart, Sams Club, and Home Depot along the North Shore Boulevard, and said that the location of the mall was a great advantage.
“We are optimistic about the value of the corridor,” said Disanti. “There is an investment in that corridor. It’s a wonderful place.”
Machingil and his colleagues hope that this study will make it clear what to do with the mall.
“I believe there is still a big chance,” said Machingill.
