Kimberly Florsheim, of Keller Williams Realty-Parishwide Partners, confirmed this morning that she’s taken over management of the long-neglected Mellor Park Mall and has plans for bringing business back to its quiet halls.
Florsheim, the wife of Henry Florsheim, president and CEO of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, advised that she won’t release any details publicly until her plans have been solidified.
What changes would you like to see at the mall?
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Something for the kids
Torn down and rebuilt. It needs so much work that rebuilding would probably be more cost-effective.
Well, it’s about time that the wealthy business people of El Dorado started taking pride in this town!
I was just home this past weekend and almost cried when I saw how bad the mall looked. When I was young, Mellor Park Mall was a beautiful place to shop and holds such nice memories for me. WalMart, The El Dorado House, JC Penney, and M M Cohn were the flagship stores that held it together. While the other home owned stores like Sue Mason’s and Rollow’s added to the charm that was El Dorado. The former owners and managers have let it fall apart. Unfortunately, all they saw were dollar signs. They did not see the people who made that mall a thriving entity in this community. They raised the rent prices on these stores every year and ended up driving them out. I hope that the old owners lost their shirts in the process!!! They deserve that for what they did to the community business owners.
I am happy to see that a “hometown” person is going to take this over and I hope and pray that she brings it back to it’s former glory days and beyond. Mrs. Florsheim, please remember what this mall used to be and do your best to make it even better!!! Help bring El Dorado back to life!!!
Obviously a major overhaul is needed if ANY retailers are going to be drawn to the mall. Businesses that fill a gap in South Arkansas should be the first priority. Putting in another discount store or gift shop will not bring the mall back to life. Stores that people travel to Little Rock or Monroe to visit are what this area needs: Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, Kohl’s, etc.
You mean, besides tear it down?
I kid, I kid…. somewhat.
Seriously though. The building itself needs a lot of work before you start bringing new tenants in. And unless you get a new major anchor store to sign on, you might try talking JC Penney into moving to the “front” of the mall.
The man that owns the mall will never spend one dime unless his lawyer tells him he has to. Until that mall is sold to someone who cares about El Dorado, nothing will change. Good luck to Mrs. Florsheim!
The mall needs to be torned down and rebuild it as an outlet mall put Target JC Penney Kohls Old Navy etc. That would be a good way to have a nice gateway into town
I agree! It will be a miracle if the owner makes any move to bring the mall back to life . He is responsible for its demise! And at this point it will require money to make it attractive to new business (& reasonable rental fees.) I also agree that the best scenario would be Kohl’s, Bath & Body Works, Children’s Place, Carters, etc. I applaud the change in management & hope for cooperation that brings new life to our mall!
I think a Dillards and Cheese Cake Factory would be great.
Mrs. Florsheim has the best of intentions I’m sure, but she’ll not make any progress under current ownership! I used to have a store there and had to withhold rent in order to get him to install new AC units (the others were beyond repair) and a bathroom in my space. After WalMart pulled out, I was struggling and needed to move to a smaller space in order to stay afloat. He refused my request and several months later, upon learning of my bankruptcy filing, commented that he thought I was just bluffing to get cheaper rent! If you talk to other former store owners, I’m sure that you will get similar stories – BTW, my store was named Sports Stuff and it was between Zales and Radio Shack.
It saddens me to see our mall look the way it does! We lose money by driving to other cities and states to shop in their nice and more accommodating malls! We need a mall that will can help build up our economy. By adding more shops, booths, a food court, and a children’s area our community will be able to grow! Bring jobs into the community and money! I think that fixing and repairing the mall is an wonderful idea!!! I hope that everyone that is needed to make this decision happen gets on board!
I remember your store Keith. I was going to tell the tale but see you beat me to it. ( we were in computer classes together when that happened)
I would just like to see the building fixed up so businesses will rent again, and reopen their interior doors so you can walk the mall inside shopping. And fixing the roof would be nice.
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Remodel and update and either / or bring in Local Business owners or a Target, Outlet Mall, Victoria Secret, Bath and Body, T J Max, Factory Outlet Mall, Khol’s, Dillards, A few food Courts, such as Original Cookie, Cheese Cake, Pizza, Chelsea Street, Sears, Bed Bath and Beyond, American Eagle, Gap, Old Navy, Sams, etc…
When i was a child my parents took me to the mall and it was amazing!!!! Now I’m grown with a teen of my own. Last fall I made the trip to see my dad which is 5 hrs away from me. I decided to make it a girls day out and took my girl to the “old” mall. When I walked inside I instantly remembered the fountain,which was beautiful and mesmerizing back in its day. I almost cried when I saw the emptiness!!!! I remember people elbow to elbow! I’m comming back in apx a month to visit again. I would love to see some action being taken in restoring this relic to its former glory so I can share the memories with my daughter. And I would love to see the original fountain in working order and as beautiful as it use to be. The kids were always huddled around it in amazement. I’d love to see the new generation doing the same! Thanks again.