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re: Will Cortana Mall Make it through 2019?
Posted on 11/27/18 at 8:34 am to fallguy_1978
Posted on 11/27/18 at 8:34 am to fallguy_1978
quote:
Cortana was the shite in the 80s and early 90s.
I remember when it overtook Bon Marche' as THE place to shop in BR....To a kid, it was awesome. We had really "arrived".
So many cool places were there....now gone forever.
Posted on 11/27/18 at 9:26 am to oleheat
wasn't there an italian restaurant behind cortana...? 'the village' or something like that?
Posted on 11/27/18 at 9:32 am to CAD703X
quote:
wasn't there an italian restaurant behind cortana...? 'the village' or something like that?
I don't remember that. There was Bennigans and Chi Chi's across the street. That whole area was pretty happening back in the day with Fun Fair Park.
Sadly it looks nothing like it used to. Franks and El Rio Grande are still open though.
Posted on 11/27/18 at 10:27 am to CAD703X
quote:
wasn't there an italian restaurant behind cortana...? 'the village' or something like that?
The Village was located across Airline Hwy close to the property where Academy Sports and Outdoors is now located. The building was to the back of the property, as I recall.
Posted on 11/27/18 at 10:31 am to My2ndFavCivilNgineer
There is current interest in the site. Mainly from people needing large amounts of space for warehousing and distribution (which BR lacks)
The main issue, from what I’m hearing, is there are still multiple owners and no one is on the same page. Apparently, there is some outdated contract limiting what can be done with the current structure. Some owners are completely absent and probably haven’t even set foot on the property.
If the issues could be resolved and the property put on the market as a single property (high & dry land) it would probably draw tons of interest from investors wanting to redevelop the entire site.
I could easily see some limited retail, housing, multi-family and more warehousing/distribution, etc.
The main issue, from what I’m hearing, is there are still multiple owners and no one is on the same page. Apparently, there is some outdated contract limiting what can be done with the current structure. Some owners are completely absent and probably haven’t even set foot on the property.
If the issues could be resolved and the property put on the market as a single property (high & dry land) it would probably draw tons of interest from investors wanting to redevelop the entire site.
I could easily see some limited retail, housing, multi-family and more warehousing/distribution, etc.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:09 pm to longtooth
I'm not sure if any of you are interested in dead malls like I am, but I've been following the demise of Century III Mall in West Mifflin, PA- a gargantuan three story mall that was the third largest enclosed shopping center in the US when built in the late '70s. Cortana and Century III have two things in common: they're both dead malls and they're owned by the same company called Moonbeam Capitol Investments, LLC out of Las Vegas.
Moonbeam, as I'm sure you are aware when Cortana was purchased in 2013, buys struggling malls in hopes to flip them to where they are profitable once again. If you look at their property listing, you'll see that they aren't very successful in flipping malls. Most of their malls have fewer tenants than Cortana does. LINK
Now back to Century III mall in PA. Moonbeam is in big trouble with the City of West Mifflin. The city has confiscated and closed the privately owned road that surrounds the mall as they have been unable to maintain it. Mall visitors say it's more comfortable driving on the moon, and that the craters are smaller in space. In addition to closing the road, they have also tried to sell the property at a sheriff's sale, but each time the sale is scheduled, it gets postponed. Shoppers are reporting the mall is falling apart: water pours through the roof, elevators and escalators don't work, and ceilings are falling down.
Moonbeam, remember they own Cortana, is in the process of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This post on a Century III fan page pretty much explains how Moonbeam is out of money. LINK In my opinion, Moonbeam is up to no good. I have a feeling they're buying these cheap dead malls and using them to somehow launder money. A former manager of Moonbeam's West Oaks Mall in Ocoee, FL have reported this to be a credible rumor. You can tell they haven't done anything to try to save Cortana. Nobody has moved in since they bought the mall, but they're sure moving out. Something is definitely fishy with their business.
I was at Cortana today. It was eerie. It was nicely decorated for a dead mall, and there was Christmas music playing in the background, yet there were no shoppers as there are no stores. I went earlier in the year, but this time it was different. I went wanting to walk around and see how much had changed. This time I didn't stay longer than 5 minutes. Much to my surprise, they still employ security, and I even saw a Cortana Mall security car rolling around.
Does Dillard's own the store they occupy? If they don't, I think they'd be better off finding another location in the area. There are plenty of shopping centers in better parts of town that have huge spaces available.
I drove around the Cortana property and it looked like they were doing minor brickwork at what I believe was the former Mervyn's store. Heck, I even saw a girl taking senior pictures outside of the soon to be shuttered Virginia College. That will be another blow to the mall when it closes too.
TL;DR: I have a feeling Cortana may not be around much longer as the company that owns the property is pretty much out of money.
Moonbeam, as I'm sure you are aware when Cortana was purchased in 2013, buys struggling malls in hopes to flip them to where they are profitable once again. If you look at their property listing, you'll see that they aren't very successful in flipping malls. Most of their malls have fewer tenants than Cortana does. LINK
Now back to Century III mall in PA. Moonbeam is in big trouble with the City of West Mifflin. The city has confiscated and closed the privately owned road that surrounds the mall as they have been unable to maintain it. Mall visitors say it's more comfortable driving on the moon, and that the craters are smaller in space. In addition to closing the road, they have also tried to sell the property at a sheriff's sale, but each time the sale is scheduled, it gets postponed. Shoppers are reporting the mall is falling apart: water pours through the roof, elevators and escalators don't work, and ceilings are falling down.
Moonbeam, remember they own Cortana, is in the process of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This post on a Century III fan page pretty much explains how Moonbeam is out of money. LINK In my opinion, Moonbeam is up to no good. I have a feeling they're buying these cheap dead malls and using them to somehow launder money. A former manager of Moonbeam's West Oaks Mall in Ocoee, FL have reported this to be a credible rumor. You can tell they haven't done anything to try to save Cortana. Nobody has moved in since they bought the mall, but they're sure moving out. Something is definitely fishy with their business.
I was at Cortana today. It was eerie. It was nicely decorated for a dead mall, and there was Christmas music playing in the background, yet there were no shoppers as there are no stores. I went earlier in the year, but this time it was different. I went wanting to walk around and see how much had changed. This time I didn't stay longer than 5 minutes. Much to my surprise, they still employ security, and I even saw a Cortana Mall security car rolling around.
Does Dillard's own the store they occupy? If they don't, I think they'd be better off finding another location in the area. There are plenty of shopping centers in better parts of town that have huge spaces available.
I drove around the Cortana property and it looked like they were doing minor brickwork at what I believe was the former Mervyn's store. Heck, I even saw a girl taking senior pictures outside of the soon to be shuttered Virginia College. That will be another blow to the mall when it closes too.
TL;DR: I have a feeling Cortana may not be around much longer as the company that owns the property is pretty much out of money.
This post was edited on 12/9/18 at 8:11 pm
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:11 pm to Hermit Crab
Dear god all of BR is depressing
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:15 pm to udtiger
quote:
The mall was where you would go and interact with people. Now, just buy online and never leave the house.
Exactly.
Back in my time (cough cough) the mall is where you went to do your shopping because everything was all in one place.
Plus it was something of a community center, where you could agree with your neighbors to shop together.
Now you just order everything online in your pajamas.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:20 pm to My2ndFavCivilNgineer
Malls in the New Orleans metro area appear to be doing fine and are busy AF.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:22 pm to The Levee
Yes, malls in metro NOLA are doing fine. But keep in mind there were 3 dead malls the have since been closed and demolished: Belle Promenade in Marrero, New Orleans Centre next to the Dome, and Lake Forrest Plaza in NOLA east. And it seems like Esplanade will be the next one to go.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:22 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
Sad to see malls disappear imo
Pretty iconic aspect of Americana
I don't feel sad for them. Malls and Wal-Mart ran my grandparents business to the ground back in the 1980's.
Getting a taste of their own medicine now.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:23 pm to foshizzle
Your mall pick-up game had to be on point back in the day.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:24 pm to Y.A. Tittle
quote:
Ehh, they’re really one of the shittier aspects of 20th century “Americana.
I’d say, for the most part, good riddance. ”
I agree 100%
This post was edited on 12/9/18 at 8:26 pm
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:25 pm to BRBoy0586
Kenner is exploding with population and Palmisano group is building a fancy new school. They will probably develop an outdoor market like Grand Boulevard within the next four years.
New Orleans east has been dead since Katrina and isn’t coming back.
New Orleans east has been dead since Katrina and isn’t coming back.
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:26 pm to JW
quote:
Dear god all of BR is depressing
If you are really a feature film arts director living in NOLA than you shouldn't feel bad for many people
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:33 pm to oleheat
quote:I remember being so impressed b/c the village had actual parking valetsquote:The Village was located across Airline Hwy close to the property where Academy Sports and Outdoors is now located.
wasn't there an italian restaurant behind cortana...? 'the village' or something like that?
such high class
I always wanted to go but my family couldn't afford it
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:40 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:aside from the usual youth nostalgia everybody has, I possess virtually no nostalgia for malls themselves
Sad to see malls disappear imo
Pretty iconic aspect of Americana
I'd much rather see Sears survive -- THAT is Americana
Posted on 12/9/18 at 8:48 pm to BRBoy0586
quote:hometown of SCTV's Joe Flaherty
I've been following the demise of Century III Mall in West Mifflin, PA
whenever I see it mentioned I think of "Count Floyd" telling us of the upcoming horror movie The Monster That Ate West Mifflin Pennsylvania
Posted on 12/9/18 at 9:10 pm to CAD703X
quote:
green hills and galleria in Cool springs.. All 'A' malls that seem to be doing ok but there are definitely signs of trouble for those as well.
Green hills and galleria are far from trouble
Posted on 12/9/18 at 9:22 pm to Kafka
The parish should buy it and convert it into the new prison they have been dreaming of since Kip was first elected. Central location and plenty of parking that could be converted into yard space
The bail bondsmen could scoop up all the vacant retail frontage on Florida
The bail bondsmen could scoop up all the vacant retail frontage on Florida
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