The future of the mall
LISA HOBBS
News Editor
Is Warren County government forcing businesses out of Three Star Mall? That’s the speculation some individuals are circulating in the community.
“No, we have not raised anybody’s rent out there,” said County Executive Terry Bell, when asked if that rumors were fact or fiction. “Not one business has had its rent increased by us purchasing the mall. We want everybody to stay exactly where they are.”
The county purchased the JCPenney portion for Warren County Health Department, a grant from the state funded that acquisition and renovation. Reimbursement monies from the federal government purchased what remained. JCPenney was purchased for $4.1 million, while the rest was obtained with $2.3 million.
“The other part we purchased with money the county received by sending in receipts of money we spent during COVID at the ambulance service and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and we got reimbursed. It came from the federal government. We took that money and purchased the rest of the mall.”
Bell says the county’s intent was to provide better housing for the health department and the senior center, not to get into the rental business and compete with privately owned businesses in Warren County.
“There’s no grant money or anything out there to help you build a senior center. So, it would have cost us nearly $4 million to have built them what they actually received. They sold their building and spent $500,000 of their own money to renovate the place. They pay $15,000 a year in rent and have a 20-year lease. They obtained a grant and paid to put several AC units on top of the building.”
Bell was asked about the departure of the Hibbett store.
“That was all about foot traffic. People were just not shopping there. If you want to keep these businesses local, then people need to go out there and support them. I was told, but I didn’t check it out myself, that you could go online and purchase Hibbett’s products cheaper. They claimed it was $10 to $15 cheaper online, compared to what you paid in the store. Their sales weren’t there to keep them in that space. I hated that.”
J’s Restaurant, owned by Junior Petit, recently requested from the county a reduction in his monthly rent due to lack of revenue. He pays $3,199 a month and stated during a Building and Grounds Committee meeting that sales have fallen $230,000 over the past year as the mall has lost tenants.
Bell was asked about Rose’s future.
“Their lease is good until 2027 or 2028. I can’t remember which year. They just renewed a five-year lease when we took over. We honored their contract. We will negotiate a contract with them when their lease is up, just like we do everybody else. We hope nobody leaves.”
It’s not all gloom and doom at the mall. A tech company has recently opened, a new ice cream shop will soon open, and the game store has done so well that it is relocating to a larger space.
To the consumers of Warren County, Bell says this, “If you want to keep a store, they don’t close stores that are profitable. They close stores that aren’t making money. Blame yourself if you didn’t go out there and actually support that business. We haven’t raised rent on any of them.”