ALTON – The Alton Square Mall has been a place of change and renovation over the course of the last few years, both for the positive and negative.
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Recent changes brought by the Hull Group, the current Georgia-based owners of the mall, have made the city administration hopeful for the mall's future, despite the current nationwide epidemic of closed and failing malls. One does not have to look much further than just across the Mississippi River at the former Jamestown Mall to see how urban decay can so quickly take the place of a once-thriving shopping complex.
Currently, the Alton Square Mall is anchored by J.C. Penny's as well as other national chains, such as Spencer's and Ross Dress for Less. Those national chains, however, are also going the way of the shopping mall – many forced to either evolve or liquidate.
Big box stores, like Macy's and Sears, were forced to close many of their mall anchors across the country, including at the Alton Square Mall. A wall was built across what was once the first-floor entrance to the Sears location, and the Macy's was demolished to make room for more acreage facing the Homer Adams Parkway. Alton Mayor Brant Walker said that area may be used for real estate in the future, adding its location near the parkway would be great for business.
Joining that national trend of former mall anchors going-out-of-business is Payless Shoe Store. That company recently announced to CNN it was in the process of closing its approximately 2,100 stores nationwide and then possibly filing for bankruptcy. The Alton location is included in what seems to be a liquidation. Stores are expected to close no later than May with the first locations impacted expected to close around March. Information on when the Alton store may close was not given to Riverbender.com at this time.
While these national chains and shopping centers are folding nationwide, mostly due to online competition, the Alton Square Mall may see new life as a hub for local businesses. Stores such as The Cookie Factory and Poputopia currently operate out of the Alton Square Mall, and beloved CD and game store, Slackers, is set to move its location front and center on the mall's first floor in March.
Slackers is moving there at the same time another of the mall's anchors, GameStop is moving away from the mall.
