Ear Hustle

South Suburban Mall Ordered To Shut Its Doors After The 2014 Holiday Season

lincoln mall

Cook County judge issued an order this week that will force the Lincoln Mall shopping center in south suburban Matteson to close after the Christmas holiday shopping season.

Judge Thomas Condon of the Circuit Court in Markham issued the order late Monday that says the mall will close for business as of Jan. 7 with the exception of the Carson Pirie Scott store. That store will remain open.

The mall’s fate has been the subject of a lawsuit brought by Matteson village officials to force the mall’s owner, New York real estate developer Michael Kohan, to maintain the structure. A court-ordered receiver, Chicago-based Collateral Trustee, was appointed in August 2013, but attorneys for Kohan were unable to provide money to enable the receiver to make adequate repairs.

Village President Andre Ashmore said he wishes the shopping mall — which dates back to 1973 and has capacity for four major anchor stores and 100 smaller shops inside — could have been maintained.

“As a village, we have done all that we can to keep Lincoln Mall open,” Ashmore said in a statement. “We understand Judge Condon’s decision, but this is incredibly disappointing for the local residents who make their livelihood at that mall.”

Benjamin Peacock, owner of the 3 Circles School of Karate, said he understands the financial problems that are causing the mall to close. But he wishes village officials could have waited until next spring or summer to act.

“Closing in the winter like this, that is going to put more of a burden on us,” Peacock said, adding that the 183 people who work in the mall’s businesses also will be hurt.

 

 

“These people have mortgages to pay, they need to earn a living,” he said. “Now they’re going to be out of work.”

Ashmore said village officials want to help the 40 businesses remaining in the mall find other locations in Matteson.

Leon Carver, owner of LJ Graphics, said he wants to remain and is counting on some village assistance.

“I would hope so,” he said of his remaining open at another location.

But Shareese Tovar, owner of the Ricardo Tovar shoe repair business, said no one had informed her of any possible help from Matteson to remain open.

“It would help a lot if they did that,” she said, adding that she also is upset about the timing of the closing. “You’d think they could be more compassionate about the way they handled it.”

During the past 15 months, the mall’s owners made a total of $150,000 in payments to the receiver for structural improvements and the cost of overdue bills.

Repairs were made to faulty fire exits, and parts of the mall that are partially demolished were blocked off. Repairs that still need to be made to keep the mall open long-term include new exits to comply with fire codes and replacement of obsolete electrical and air conditioning systems.

Officials with Collateral Trustee say keeping the mall open for two more months will incur about $250,000 in expenses on their part that they expect to remain past due.

Village officials also say the mall’s owner still owes more than $10 million in unpaid fines and taxes.

Michael Aschenbrenner, an attorney for Kohan, said Tuesday that the mall’s tenants do not generate enough in the rent they pay to cover the cost of improvements.

“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter because we have not been in charge of what happens at the mall for over a year,” Aschenbrenner said. “It was up to the receiver to get things done there.”

 

Source: Chicago Tribune

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