University Mall is on the way out in Midtown, and that's as West Little Rock gets another major shopping center opening this weekend.
It's a geographic shift in how we shop and a lot of shoppers still want to see more work done to replace what’s leaving.
There are renderings from Simon Property Group on what it envisions for the land that University Mall currently occupies. The largely vacated mall will have its final tenants leave by October 27. J.C. Penney is already gone and the shutdown of M.M Cohn is imminent.
Shoppers in the Midtowne area already have ideas of what could replace it.
"Maybe something cool like a Rainforest Cafe,” says shopper Shannon Stewart. “You know if we could get something really fun in here and make that a site people would want to come see."
Clary Development is counting on shoppers wanting to see their Shackleford Crossing.
"That’s where the new J.C. Penney is going to be," says shopper Ashley Gibson.
Gibson is right. Penney’s closed down from University Mall and will reemerge this weekend at I-430 and Shackleford.
"I need to see it before,” says shopper Natalie Saegaert. “After I see it maybe I will be excited maybe I won't. I don't know."
There are two newly announced tenants going in. Both are in the "feed me" category, Zaxby's Chicken and Ruby Tuesday. And they join already announced eateries of Cracker Barrel and cajun-seafood chain Copeland's along with AT&T and Alltel Wireless, Rackroom Shoes and Dunlap's clothing store.
"I know J.C. Penney's is going in there for sure," Gibson says. “So I’m ready.”
J.C Penney is having a soft opening this Saturday with their grand opening set for October 6.
