MT. VERNON, Ill. – Music, food, pony rides, a petting zoo, and more awaited Mt. Vernon residents as they visited the City’s Times Square Mall grand reopening on Friday, October 17. A free event open to the public, scores of local consumers turned out to see the transformation Times Square Mall had undergone after months of renovation, rebranding and upgrade.
“Like Mt. Vernon is ‘Creativity Redefined,’ Times Square Mall is now ‘regional retail redefined,’” said Mayor Chesley, referring to the City’s own recent rebranding efforts. “The results from our mall’s enhancement will create jobs for local workers whose salaries will contribute to the City’s economy and tax revenue that we’ll reinvest in the future.”
Purchased in April 2012 by Sansone Group and Pine Tree Commercial Realty, LLC, and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group, the 270,000 SF Times Square Mall saw its former Sears and other small shop spaces converted into three big box spaces now occupied by Hobby Lobby, Big Lots and Ross Dress for Less, the latter of which opened its doors to the public on October 11.
“By choosing to invest in the community’s retail center, Pine Tree and Sansone Group saw great potential in the City of Mt. Vernon,” said Mayor Mary Jane Chesley. “Mt. Vernon is the perfect location for retail growth, and the improvements made to Times Square Mall provide the missing pieces to complete the puzzle.”
