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Desolate, depressing and deprived of customers are just three adjectives to describe the current state of the Ithaca Mall. With the rise of internet transactions, the Ithaca Mall slowly began its decline from mediocrity into a full-fledged embarrassment to Ithaca. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made the emptiness and despair of the mall become even more pronounced. 

Many Cornell students probably just know the Ithaca Mall for Target and maybe the Regal Cinema movie theater. Only the brave few wander into the underdeveloped center of the mall where dark, vacated stores outnumber thriving ones by a great magnitude. The food court is no exception. In the center of the mall, in a space that should be the beating heart of the mall’s lifeline, lies the grubby and dimly lit remnants of a once popular food court. All that remains now is a Sicilian Delight pizza joint, a Subway and an Auntie Annes, the latter of which only serves food that is best considered a snack. However, despite the darkness and dinginess of the mall, to the right of the abyss of the foodcourt lies a warmly lit establishment, a promising beacon of hope: Zocalo.

To read more, please visit Cornell Sun.

The new owner of the former Trumbull Westfield mall, Namdar Realty Group, made a good first impression on public officials during their first meeting, the town’s top elected official and economic development director said Friday.

First Selectwoman Vicki Tesoro said a Thursday afternoon meeting with officials with the Great Neck, N.Y. mall operator “went very well.” Tesoro and Rina Bakalar, the town’s economic development director, said Namdar officials have agreed to regular meetings with Trumbull leaders to head off any potential concerns.

To read more, please visit CT Insider.

A new fashion store has opened at the Hamilton Mall.

Rainbow Shops offers affordable clothing, shoes, and accessories for women, juniors, plus sizes, and kids.

“We are committed to the future of the Hamilton Mall and its use as a retail and lifestyle destination. Rainbow Shops will provide shoppers with another fair-priced American retail shopping option while visiting the mall,” said Igal Nassim of Mason Asset Management, which is responsible for leasing efforts at Hamilton Mall.

To read more, please visit New Jersey 101.5.

Attention shoppers! Toys R Us is officially making a comeback and one of its new locations is now open at the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona.

Earlier this year, the defunct toy store franchise announced that it was partnering with Macy’s for the upcoming holiday season.

To read more, please visit WJAC TV.

When Concord Mall in North Wilmington switched owners in early 2020, the change fueled concern about the future of the mall, which has been a mainstay on Concord Pike since the late 1960s.

But fast forward nearly three years and the mall appears to be experiencing a renaissance, finding the right blend of tenants to keep shoppers coming.

This week, contributor Eileen Dallabrida takes a closer look at what’s working for the mall and what could be next.

To read more, please visit Delaware Public Media

Merritt Square mall on Merritt island recently added five new tenants. They include:

1. Florida Homes & Loans, a mortgage and real estate business.
2. Garra Spa, a business that offers ionic detox cleanse and “fish spa” experiences.
3. Ink Therapy Collective, a permanent makeup and tattoo business.
4. Margarita Island, a restaurant occupying space vacated by Ruby Tuesday. 
5. Shark Shyte Creative, a business that makes custom signs and apparel.

To read more, please visit Florida Today.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – We have all been there its just a few days to Christmas and we still have a few gifts to buy. Fortunately some small businesses at the Conestoga Mall are helping their customers with those last minute gifts.

One small business I visited was Aundrea’s Boutique, they sells clothes and accessories for both boys and girls.

You can view the full video at KSNB Local4.

Few investors are queuing up to buy America’s unloved regional shopping malls. Landlords like Westfield’s owner need creative ways to unload them if they are to patch up their stock prices.

U.S. malls have lost a third of their value since their 2017 peak as the pandemic has accelerated the shift to e-commerce, according to real estate analytics firm Green Street. 

ome investors are making contrarian bets on the most tired malls. Real estate specialists Namdar Realty Group… have been buying assets cheaply and continuing to run them as retail locations.

To read more, please visit The Wall Street Journal.

Igal Namdar and Elliot Nassim first teamed up a decade ago to buy problem U.S. shopping malls.

Now they rank among the biggest all-cash buyers of the nation’s hard-luck malls. The pandemic has made it even tougher for mall property owners already struggling to keep up on mortgage payments, resulting in several major players throwing in the towel on distressed properties and with more likely.

The duo, through Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management out of Great Neck, Long Island, currently owns about 60 million square feet of shopping center space, including roughly of 100 open-air properties are 65 enclosed malls. 

To read more, please visit MarketWatch.com.