…Has finished its facelift.
On my last visit, in August 2013,
there were advertisements for some up-and-coming changes
and now they are complete.
The plan was to make the mall more family-friendly
and more modern,
and that it did for the most part.
They were removed a few years ago.
Last year, this area was wide open
with several kiosks offering products like
custom bumper stickers and herbal weight loss tonics.
Now, the area has been made into a large lounge.
Sit and relax with your spouse.
Buy some popcorn at the popcorn stand
or a cookie and a coffee at the cafe stand.
There's even a tiny table for the kids.
The food court, support pillars and some trim have received
a new paint job.
Hello modern "herbal" greens contrasted with dark grays!
Goodbye outdated 90's pastels.
By the Hollister, on the end with the Dillards and Macy's,
Is a fun new bungee attraction.
Some stores also received makeovers.
Aeropostale, for one, has updated to a new look
that appears like a multi-room beach bungalow
when last year it was just a standard open layout.
Barnie's Coffee has left the building.
The coffee, cookie and ice-cream stand sits in front of it.
The original Petland store is still at the back of the mall.
Most of the anchors are also still there,
Except for the Belk that moved to The Villages,
which was filled in with a Burlington Coat Factory a few years ago,
and The defunct Mervyn's, which was replaced by Sports Authority,
which moved from its space next to
the Chuck-e-Cheese near the mall's entrance road.
Of course, the most anticipated new feature is the cinema.
It is attached to the mall and situated directly across from the lot
where the old free standing theater was. (It's been bulldozed).
Everyone loves a shiny new theater with high tech screens,
quality surround sound,
modern design and clean new concession stand.
The only thing that surprised me, however,
is that this theater does not have an exit
back into the mall.
A shopper must leave Sports Authority
and walk next door.
I don't know what positive or negative impact it will have,
but hopefully it will breathe new life into LSM.
It was opened in 1988 and has been struggling
throughout the 2000's, especially since the 2005 opening
of the Villages on the south end of town.
They took Belk,
Added a Kohls which helped trump a few other stores,
Added a better Victorias Secret,
And Killed Barnes and Noble with their large
new Books-A-Million.
No comments:
Post a Comment