The doors of the Marshalltown Mall are locked and decorated with signs saying it’s closed. That’s because the mall has been without power for a week and a half.Alliant Energy said the electricity was cut because Kohan Retail Investment Group, the mall ownership group, did not pay the power bill.Alliant Energy told KCCI Monday the company makes “every effort to work with our customers if they fall behind on payments.” John Hall, president of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, gave city council members and the community an update on the mall at Monday night’s city council meeting.”Whatever the council can be doing from their perspective, whatever actions that they have the ability to take — my encouragement is for them to begin those processes,” Hall said. Hall said right after the power was cut, the chamber of commerce reached out to all 16 businesses in the mall. He said they were able to get in touch with 14 of them. He said some businesses are looking to relocate. “Just trying to take stock of where their heads are at from a decision-making perspective on are they staying or are they going, what are they waiting on,” Hall said.Hall said four businesses are closed right now because they face the inside of the mall. Twelve have been able to stay open because they face the outside of the mall.Shoe Sensation is one of the stores that has been able to stay open. In a statement made to KCCI, the store said it has no plans to close:”As of right now, we’re not closing or have any plans to. We’re very thankful to be open. With the mall itself not having any power I think it has affected us by people in general just assuming we’re probably closed also, we get calls daily asking if we’re open or people stopping in surprised to see we’re still in business.” Hall said the ownership group told them the power will be back on by Nov. 18. But he said even when the lights turn back on, that won’t solve everything. “I think the loss of trust is a big component of the conversations that we’ve had and trying to figure out what the next phase of our mall looks like,” Hall said.That next phase of the mall, Hall said, could be switching to local ownership. He said the community sees value in doing that. He said current management and developers have said they don’t want to stand in the way of making that dream a reality. KCCI reached out to Kohan Retail Investment Group but did not hear back.
The doors of the Marshalltown Mall are locked and decorated with signs saying it’s closed. That’s because the mall has been without power for a week and a half.
Alliant Energy said the electricity was cut because Kohan Retail Investment Group, the mall ownership group, did not pay the power bill.
Alliant Energy told KCCI Monday the company makes “every effort to work with our customers if they fall behind on payments.”
John Hall, president of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, gave city council members and the community an update on the mall at Monday night’s city council meeting.
“Whatever the council can be doing from their perspective, whatever actions that they have the ability to take — my encouragement is for them to begin those processes,” Hall said.
Hall said right after the power was cut, the chamber of commerce reached out to all 16 businesses in the mall. He said they were able to get in touch with 14 of them. He said some businesses are looking to relocate.
“Just trying to take stock of where their heads are at from a decision-making perspective on are they staying or are they going, what are they waiting on,” Hall said.
Hall said four businesses are closed right now because they face the inside of the mall. Twelve have been able to stay open because they face the outside of the mall.
Shoe Sensation is one of the stores that has been able to stay open. In a statement made to KCCI, the store said it has no plans to close:
“As of right now, we’re not closing or have any plans to. We’re very thankful to be open. With the mall itself not having any power I think it has affected us by people in general just assuming we’re probably closed also, we get calls daily asking if we’re open or people stopping in surprised to see we’re still in business.”
Hall said the ownership group told them the power will be back on by Nov. 18. But he said even when the lights turn back on, that won’t solve everything.
“I think the loss of trust is a big component of the conversations that we’ve had and trying to figure out what the next phase of our mall looks like,” Hall said.
That next phase of the mall, Hall said, could be switching to local ownership. He said the community sees value in doing that. He said current management and developers have said they don’t want to stand in the way of making that dream a reality.
KCCI reached out to Kohan Retail Investment Group but did not hear back.