University Mall

 I took a walk through University Mall this afternoon and things look bleak. In the retail part of the facility there are two not-for-profits:  the Science Center and the African American Museum. There are two outside facing businesses:  AMC Theater and Ross Dress for Less. In the mall remain 4 for-profit businesses:  Claire's , Embroidery Station, Finish Line and Hot Topic.  Maruices, Rue 21, Magikal Hippie and Hemp 'n Stuff have moved out since the last time I walked through.

SIU Credit Union

 From the sign, SIU Credit Union will move their corporate offices into the back of University Mall, where Service Merchandise was located once upon a time. Now all mall management needs to do is find a corporate office to take over the Macy's wing and leave Bed Bath and Beyond open for Spirit Halloween each fall.

Bath and Body Works

 Spoke with an employee at the Bath and Body works in University Mall today. Apparently the plan is, at least for the forseeable future, to keep both locations open. I guess the one on the north side of 13 will feed on traffic going to University Place while the University Mall location relies on the diminshed traffic going there.

Univeristy Mall

 Drove by the University Mall tonight and Ross Dress for Less was the only light on in the whoe facility. Both the entrances were dark about 7:45 and no cards in the parking lot save for those parked in from of Ross. Want to take a walk through sometime before Christmas and see if there are any stores still remaining open in the place.

Update:  Well, duh. University Mall now closes at  7p.m. so of course everything was dark

Bed Bath and Beyond

 According to this, empty Bed Bath and Beyond stores are hot commodities on the rental market with landlords charging up to 50% more for the space. there has not been a lot of large retail space built since 2008 so these spaces are a hot commodity. Not sure how quickly it willl rent in Carbondale, given that the Macy's location has sat empty for a couple of years.

Shoe Dept.

 Just heard that the Shoe Dept. shoestore in Univeristy Mall closed down Oct. 15. some of the staff had said the store was moving to another location in town, like Ulta Beauty and Old Navy, but apparently not. One more large empty space in the mall. Still not as bad as marions Illinois Centre Mall, but getting close.

Buckle

 Antoher retailer is leaving University Mall. The Buckle has followed Old Navy and Bath and Body Works to Unversity Place Shopping Center, relocating to the vacant Kirkwood's location next to PetCo. I think now the number of empty locations in the mall exceeds the number of operating retail locations.