Malls

[Beukeboom]

Above I said that Tallahassee has a very mild case of flight. And in your piece you help to reinforce my point yet you say you disagree with what I said. I'm confused Beuke! I'm not sure I understand. Whatever the case may be, this community has done a fair job limiting sprawl and maintaining the urban area. If you go to places like Jackson, MS you'll notice almost immediately they have not done the same within the actual city itself, while outlying suburban areas seem to be flourishing.

I was disagreeing on a couple of small points, that's all. Minor quibbles. Not your entire POV. Mainly I was disagreeing with comparing Tallahassee's potential suburban flight to Jackson's since the situations are completely different. It's sort of an apples-and-oranges type comparison. As I said, a minor thing.

When you think about it, the Tallahassee Mall really isn't in that bad of shape... it seems the main part that needs to be worked on is the exterior. The inside is quite modern and well kept. They just need some higher quality stores and a re-worked exterior.

How many years was it when they did completely renovate the interior? It doesn't seem to have been all that long ago, or has time flown by? I still remember how it was before the expansion. It was in TERRIBLE shape back then.

[insituphoto]

Convert Tallahassee Mall into a combination outlet mall and antique mall; throw in some entertainment venues like Dave & Busters or Jillians; maybe even sell it to Simon Properties and make it part of the "Mills" line like Concord Mills, Potomac Mills, Discover Mills, Sawgrass Mills.... Call it Apalachee Mills.

Replace it with DeVoe's project at Mahan/I-10 or Southwood's planned outdoor mall.

[bighardrivesrule]

I have been monitoring the posts to this forum and tallahassee.com concerning the Dillards leaving and the request for economic help for the Tallahassee Mall. I for the most part believe in free enterprise and letting the free market determine the course of things. I think in this case the City/County needs to work closely with the redevelopment plans for the Tallahassee Mall. Yes the Mall is privately owned but it is the economic engine for NW Tallahassee and the surrounding area. All those businessses in the area in some way benefit from the Mall being there. I can speak first hand about how the decline of the Montgomery Mall has effected the surrounding area. I have relatives that live about a mile from the there Mall and that whole area of Montgomery is changing and not for the good. Back in the 70's, 80', 90's it was a great place to live but not so much now.

The way I see it government spends lots of money helping fix up historic sites and buildings with very little return on investment in the long run. Help the Tallahassee Mall owners improve the whole area not just the Mall would be a great investment for the future. The return on investment would certainly bear more fruit that all of the boondoggle trips they make all over the place for ideas to help the community. This idea is already under ther noses.

On a side note the folks that posted on Tallahassee.com about how the teenagers were dressed haning out at AMC20 on Friday or Saturday nights, need to get a life. I would much rather have my child haning out at the Mall where there are security and police than somewhere that is maybe ourside in the dark with no security. I have a 16 year old daughter that I drop off and pick back up on Saturdays with her friends. For teenagers there are not many options like this in Tallahassee.

Also for the folks that don't want the investment into this Mall they need to all crawl back under the rock they came out from. Maybe they don't want the Mall or don't care but I DO.

[Florida]

I have been monitoring the posts to this forum and tallahassee.com concerning the Dillards leaving and the request for economic help for the Tallahassee Mall. I for the most part believe in free enterprise and letting the free market determine the course of things. I think in this case the City/County needs to work closely with the redevelopment plans for the Tallahassee Mall. Yes the Mall is privately owned but it is the economic engine for NW Tallahassee and the surrounding area. All those businessses in the area in some way benefit from the Mall being there. I can speak first hand about how the decline of the Montgomery Mall has effected the surrounding area. I have relatives that live about a mile from the there Mall and that whole area of Montgomery is changing and not for the good. Back in the 70's, 80', 90's it was a great place to live but not so much now.

The way I see it government spends lots of money helping fix up historic sites and buildings with very little return on investment in the long run. Help the Tallahassee Mall owners improve the whole area not just the Mall would be a great investment for the future. The return on investment would certainly bear more fruit that all of the boondoggle trips they make all over the place for ideas to help the community. This idea is already under ther noses.

On a side note the folks that posted on Tallahassee.com about how the teenagers were dressed haning out at AMC20 on Friday or Saturday nights, need to get a life. I would much rather have my child haning out at the Mall where there are security and police than somewhere that is maybe ourside in the dark with no security. I have a 16 year old daughter that I drop off and pick back up on Saturdays with her friends. For teenagers there are not many options like this in Tallahassee.

Also for the folks that don't want the investment into this Mall they need to all crawl back under the rock they came out from. Maybe they don't want the Mall or don't care but I DO.

I like this post! Very well said.

[Aerobird]

2006 Statistical Digest 3.2 Tallahassee Trade Area

I find it interesting that Calhoun and Taylor Counties are included, but not Seminole County, Georgia - I presume that (as well as Jackson County) fall in the Dothan trade area?

[Aerobird]

Regarding the redevelopment of Tallahassee Mall, they could do much worse than take a good long look at Countryside Mall* in Clearwater. There's an ice skating rink in the centre of the mall, and it has the most palatial bathrooms I've ever seen in a "public" building.

* Now 'something-or-other something-or-other at Countryside' due to a name change but I'm calling it what it was all the years we lived down there.

(As an aside, I was rather startled to discover that Clearwater Mall has been completely redeveloped as a collection-of-boxes outdoor mall; guess I really have been away from down there too long...)

[poonther]

Some rambling thoughts of mine on Tally Mall:

I was there yesterday afternoon and shopped the Mall from one end to the other, something I've not done in a long long time. Dillard's doesn't have that much on sale yet. Signs for Panera are up. Not that big of a change from Parisians to Belk's. They do have a bigger housewares section on the second floor. I want to do the bungee type jump thing in the center of the mall. Anyone wanna do it w/me?

On this Sunday, the mall wasn't too crowded, but it wasn't dead either. There were all types of folks shopping and walking around. I am not sure where the folks blogging over at the Democrat get their information about Tally Mall being a rough scary place, but I've never experienced it like that. I mean if you go to the movies on a Fri or Sat night, of course it's going to be crowded w/teens and yes you will think they are odd and dressed inappropriately, but guess what, those blogger's parents and elders probably thought the same thing about them when they were teens in their wild 80's outfits.

If you go to AMC when a big teen movie is being released, the place will be over run w/teens. If you go on a night when a big hip-hop movie is being released, it will be over run w/the hip-hop crowd. If you go on the release weekend of a movie that Oprah highly recommends, the place will be loaded w/middle-age and old ladies. It's just common sense. As an avid movie-goer, rarely do I see a movie on Fri or Sat nights b/c it's too crowded and noisy and tickets are cheaper during the week.

Funny how all the comments on the Democrat blog I read talk about safety issues at Tally Mall and how they prefer Gov. Sq. Hasn't Gov. Sq. been shut down in the past b/c of potential riot problems at least once? I know when I lived here as a student back in the 80's, a girl was forced from the parking lot of Gov. Sq. kidnapped, tortured and killed. I'm not dogging Gov. Sq., just saying every mall has its troubles. Everyone in my former hometown of Boca Raton knows the most crime in the city takes place at their tony mall: Town Centre.

The Democrat bloggers on any subject make me embarrassed to live in Tally. It's all knee-jerk opinions and never fact. I've noticed if a fact question is asked, it's rarely answered w/fact. I wish they would put those comments BELOW the stories and not BESIDE them so my eyes would not wonder over and read them. I can't help that, I do love a train-wreck, but I always regret it afterwards.

Aerobird, you are correct, Jackson County, FL and Seminole County, GA are both in the Dothan, AL market area. However I'm sure we get many of their shoppers b/c we have stores Dothan does not.

Countryside Mall is now owned by Westfield and is called Westfield Countryside Mall. Clearwater Mall was pretty much torn down and redone in the outdoor fashion you see now. That was a great and successful revamping of a dead/dying mall IMHO.

bighardrivesrule I am glad someone else has seen Montgomery Mall in the past and in the present. Like me, you know first-hand how devastating the loss of a big mall can be in a metro about our size. It kills retail life all around it. I definitely would never want that to happen here w/Tally Mall.

TJ I'd be in favor for this Feldman/COT/County partnership if the funds were allocated as you proposed above. Also Tally Mall needs to change its function to survive better and not directly compete w/Gov. Sq. and the new Pinnacle thus becoming more of an entertainment center.

I learned a few inside tidbits about this proposal the other day. One, Rackleff rejected the idea w/out even knowing any facts about the proposal. Rejection is fine by a commissioner as long as he makes an educated well informed decision. I don't want my commissioner (District 5 here) to make knee jerk uninformed decisions on any subject. COT has stated that if Feldman can get the County to go along w/it, they will too. Of course all the details must be worked out. Desloge, Daily and Sauls seem open to exploring the proposal at the is time and there was not read yet on DePuy.

[Florida]

Nicely said there Poonther. Strangest thing just happened. The Tallahassee Democrat just called and left a message on my cell phone regarding I letter to the editor I submitted on this subject. They wanted to confirm my relationship to Feldman Mall Properties. I told them I'm simply a concerned citizen who from time to time gets passionate about current events.

I agree with you Poonther, the Tallahassee mall does need to move in a different direction. I think some of us were headed in the right direction before when we mentioned this mall should, perhaps, become an outlet mall with several entertainment options. Again I'm not sure if we should tear the place down. The structure seems sound, and I'm sure given $30,000,000 renovation it can once again look top notch.

I also wanted to try the bungee thing, but I might be too big for it. I saw some little kids on it last week when I was in the mall and they looked too big, so I know I'll be.

[Go Gators]

Nicely said there Poonther. Strangest thing just happened. The Tallahassee Democrat just called and left a message on my cell phone regarding I letter to the editor I submitted on this subject. They wanted to confirm my relationship to Feldman Mall Properties. I told them I'm simply a concerned citizen who from time to time gets passionate about current events.

I've had this happen to me on some letters to the editor. Ive written to a few other major papers around the state and none have ever called to confirm anything about me except for the Democrat. Very strange indeed.

[Florida]

What's the deal with them? They don't publish you if you're linked to your cause? I'm just a general citizen! Furthermore, at least I have the guts to sign my name to my comments unlike some other people who hide behind their screen names and zinger anonymity.

[poonther]

I also wanted to try the bungee thing, but I might be too big for it. I saw some little kids on it last week when I was in the mall and they looked too big, so I know I'll be.

That's what I thought too when we first walked by it. But on our return, I noticed a lady that weighs much more than either of us, bouncing around on it.

On your Letter to the Editor I hope you requested them NOT to publish your email addy. If you don't tell them that, they'll publish it along w/your name and you'll get some nasty-grams in your email.

[Florida]

I WANT them to send something nasty to my e-mail!

[Beukeboom]

I was there yesterday afternoon and shopped the Mall from one end to the other, something I've not done in a long long time. Dillard's doesn't have that much on sale yet.

Dillard's had a lot on sale at 75% off when I went there last Saturday. Bunch of shirts in my size but that's not what I needed. Tried to find some pants my size on sale and all I could find was one pair of brown pants. I need navy blue so I resigned myself to buying two pair of overpriced Polo's. Dillard's had plenty of blue pants in their store brand but all of them have the dreaded "expando-waist" which I despise. A clerk explained to me that the Tallahassee Mall Dillards is one of the stores where other Dillards send their excess for sales. Apparently the size I wear is quite popular and disappears quite early.

[Beukeboom]

What's the deal with them? They don't publish you if you're linked to your cause? I'm just a general citizen! Furthermore, at least I have the guts to sign my name to my comments unlike some other people who hide behind their screen names and zinger anonymity.

I think the Democrat got burned in the past with letters to the editor and are more cautious about whom they allow on their pages.

Back in the pre-internet days, I'd write letters to the editor on a few occassions but didn't want my real name associated with it so I used a comic-book character alias and the address of Doak Campbell stadium and they published it. No big deal really, but I think some recent letters to the editor may have made the editors more cautious. Just an idea.

[Go Gators]

What's the deal with them? They don't publish you if you're linked to your cause? I'm just a general citizen! Furthermore, at least I have the guts to sign my name to my comments unlike some other people who hide behind their screen names and zinger anonymity.

Easy cowboy. I ZING! regularly!

[Florida]

Easy cowboy. I ZING! regularly!

No offense to you. I just tend to think Zingers are cowards along with anyone else who'll throw a stone and hide their hand.

[blackcoffee&bourbon]

^ i agree. Zings! are for wimps. man up, write a letter and sign your name.

[poonther]

What I think is whacky about Zings is that they are usually one or two lines, but then the bloggers will respond to those short zings w/ two or three paragraphs and often times Zings get many if not the most blog comments in a day.

[Go Gators]

To TJ and Blackbean, I should clarify. Normally, I only ZING! lightheartedly. College football, in response to a crazy "not relating to anything" ZING!...those sorts of things. If I have something serious to say, I'll write a letter. But I think ZING! is the best part of the Democrat, and when taken as supposed to, as a comical anonymous section of the paper, I think most find it humorous.

[sdarby]

Hello Everyone,

I would like to introduce myself. I am Steven Darby, General Manager for Tallahassee Mall. I have read several of the comments posted and truly appreciate your support. I have been a resident of Tallahassee since 2000 and was relocated here to work at Tallahassee Mall. As you may or may not know Feldman Mall Properties (FMP) had a meeting with the county commissioners on September 18^th. Our request at this time is for the county to see if there are any options that could be used to help us improve Tallahassee Mall. The "do nothing" alternative for FMP and local government would result in the decline of surrounding area and possible closure of Tallahassee Mall.

Obviously, as owners, we have a large investment in Tallahassee Mall and do not want to see that happen. But also, as a Tallahassee resident, I personally do not want to see this become a blighted area of our community. The Tallahassee Mall is an economic driver for this region, and it would be devastating to lose the nearly 850 jobs, more than $6 million in annual sales tax revenue and more than $1 million in real estate taxes collected. And that does not begin to take into account what has been witnessed in other areas where malls have failed with respect to increased crime and vandalism among other things.

I know many residents are concerned about this issue, and I would like to clarify whatever I can to help educate people about our efforts and our request of the city and county. If you have questions or concerns, I'd be happy to address them on this discussion board.

Thanks again for taking interest in this issue. I'm here to help if I can.

Steven

[Florida]

I know many residents are concerned about this issue, and I would like to clarify whatever I can to help educate people about our efforts and our request of the city and county. If you have questions or concerns, I'd be happy to address them on this discussion board.

Thanks again for taking interest in this issue. I'm here to help if I can.

Steven

Welcome to UrbanPlanet {sodEmoji.|} Tallahassee sdarby

This is absolutely great that you've joined and offered to answer our questions. May I first begin by asking you this:

How confident are mall owners that they'll be able to find a replacement for the Dillard's space? What type of companies have been contacted about this pending vacancy, and are any interested?

Then this... it seems unlikely that the Tallahassee Mall will be included in any of Tallahassee's existing CRA districts given its location and condition. However, there's a strong possibility that resources are available from different sources. Is FMP prepared to spend its own $30-$35 Million doing what it can to improve the mall property -- while we continue to look for those funds?

I have more questions, but I'll start with these two.

[Go Gators]

Hello Everyone,

The "do nothing" alternative for FMP and local government would result in the decline of surrounding area and possible closure of Tallahassee Mall.

I have an issue with this statement. Are you implying that without government assistance to help you renovate, the mall will close because it's losing Dillards? Or are you implying the mall, at its current standards, is currently contributing to the decline of the area? Or finally, are you only claiming that the closure of the mall is the only thing that will lead to the decline of the area?

If you are only claiming the last question is true, I will give you that. But here is my question. If FMP is truly concerned about the well being of the area, as opposed to FMP's bottom line (and there is nothing wrong with that), is now the best time to ask loval government for financial assistance when they just recently went through budget cuts and thus are cutting citizen services?

I'm curious to here your response! Welcome to UP!

[poonther]

Thanks for joining us sdarby!

I have always been wondering this, if Dillard's at Tally Mall is closing in the winter of '08 and the new Dillard's out at Pinnacle isn't opening until at least '09, what is happening to those folks employed at your Dillard's? Are they giving them jobs at Gov. Sq. or are they laying them all off. I realize that's more of a Dillard's question, but I bet you know something.

Speaking of Pinnacle, we all know it's coming and they will try and attract high-end stores and then we have Gov. Sq. too. The size of Tally's metro really won't support 3 fashion malls, so I think it would be best if Tally Mall tried to change their function to more of an entertainment mall. I go there now mainly for the movies and I also enjoy going to Barnes and Nobles which I visit more for entertainment than shopping.

Has management at Tally Mall considered this change in function? More restaurants and entertainment functions? Have you explored the possibility of luring Dave and Buster's to the Dillard's location?

Have you guys explored other retailers that are expanding in the South such as: hhgregg and Steve and Barry's? Yeah I know they won't completely fill the function or space of Dillard's, but could you spilt Dillard's into two parcels and of course there's still the Sound Advice empty space next-door.

Good job on getting a Panera!

And finally, is there a weight or age limit on that bungy thing in the center court?

[josefk]

Thanks for joining us sdarby!

I have always been wondering this, if Dillard's at Tally Mall is closing in the winter of '08 and the new Dillard's out at Pinnacle isn't opening until at least '09, what is happening to those folks employed at your Dillard's? Are they giving them jobs at Gov. Sq. or are they laying them all off. I realize that's more of a Dillard's question, but I bet you know something.

Speaking of Pinnacle, we all know it's coming and they will try and attract high-end stores and then we have Gov. Sq. too. The size of Tally's metro really won't support 3 fashion malls, so I think it would be best if Tally Mall tried to change their function to more of an entertainment mall. I go there now mainly for the movies and I also enjoy going to Barnes and Nobles which I visit more for entertainment than shopping.

Has management at Tally Mall considered this change in function? More restaurants and entertainment functions? Have you explored the possibility of luring Dave and Buster's to the Dillard's location?

Have you guys explored other retailers that are expanding in the South such as: hhgregg and Steve and Barry's? Yeah I know they won't completely fill the function or space of Dillard's, but could you spilt Dillard's into two parcels and of course there's still the Sound Advice empty space next-door.

Good job on getting a Panera!

And finally, is there a weight or age limit on that bungy thing in the center court?

Said before, but I'll say it again: a big warm welcome to the forum Mr. Darby. I think it's great that your team has taken the initiative to not only observe, but also take part in our discussions on the board.

That being said- guys, ease into it or you're going to scare off our new member and/or make his head explode with all of these questions/issues right out of the gate

[Go Gators]

I know many residents are concerned about this issue, and I would like to clarify whatever I can to help educate people about our efforts and our request of the city and county. If you have questions or concerns, I'd be happy to address them on this discussion board.

No way Jose! He said to ask away! Im not neccesarily against the City/County helping the mall, Im just tyring to get all the answers first.