Message from the City about Town East Mall
A community message from Cliff Keheley, City Manager, City of Mesquite:
A recent article in The Dallas Morning News speculating that Town East Mall could possibly be redeveloped has troubled some of our residents and raised concerns within our community. I want address several of the statements made in this article and reassure our residents about our mall.
First, the Mall has been a fixture in Mesquite and a part of the fabric of our community for more than 50 years. And, we don’t expect any changes. The Mall is located in one of the strongest retail areas in the DFW region and continues to attract new retailers and new development. I have personally spoken with the Mall management, who have reassured me of the Mall’s stability. The City of Mesquite is committed to the Mall, its tenants and their employees.
There are currently no plans for the redevelopment of the mall, especially construction of multi-family housing. While we are working with the owner of the former Sears store, none of their plans include any type residential development. It is premature to disclose these plans at this time, but the proposed changes are consistent with current uses at the mall. This proposal, and any proposed development in this area, would be clearly communicated with our residents and would be required to go before the City Council for approval. We look forward to announcement of these plans in the fall.
The Mall has had and maintains a very strong occupancy rate. And according to mall management many stores have had their strongest months of sales recently. Due to the Mall’s location and its consistent occupancy rate, it remains an attractive property for retail investors. The delay in refinancing of the debt addressed in the article is a result of Covid 19 and the complexity of these types of transactions.
A “Vibrant Economy” is a goal of the City Council and Town East Mall is essential to Mesquite’s economy. I encourage our residents to support the Mall and all of our retail and restaurants as they recover from the impacts of the pandemic.