Olathe’s Great Mall closing this fall

[stanleychief]

Looks like another mall bites the dust..

http://www.kansascity.com/news/busin...e10464437.html

Olathe’s Great Mall of the Great Plains will close in mid-to-late fall. The 786,000-square-foot mall, at Interstate 35 and 151st Street, opened to great fanfare in 1997.

In a statement, mall officials said: “The decision to close was difficult, but one that was guided by very compelling economic realities. "The development began to face struggles soon after it opened in 1997, and has been unable to recover in the intervening years due to a variety of factors, including the economic downturn and changes in customers’ shopping habits.”

VanTrust, the asset manager for the property, said it has “worked diligently to identify potential uses for the existing development.” But the structure, maintenance costs and layout do not support preservation of the current building. The developer is working with the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council to determine the best use for the property, one that is in the interests of both the city and the community.