The bad news is that another national chain is likely leaving the Meadowbrook Mall. The good news is that another national brand is currently negotiating with the owner of the property to come to Bridgeport.

 

Individuals that have been to the mall in recent weeks have likely seen signs up in Aéropostale stating the store was closing. However, for a while there was a possibility that the store was not closing as employees stated that they weren’t sure if they were one of many nationally that would be coming to the end of their run.

 

In May, Aéropostale filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. At the time of the filing, Aéropostale operated roughly 800 stores. Plans to emerge from bankruptcy reportedly, according to Fortune.com, show that the chain will have 229 stores.

 

Bridgeport, as confirmed by a store manager Tuesday, did not make the list of initial surviving stores. She said that employees have been notified and she anticipated the store to be closed no later than Jan. 1 of 2017.

 

Joe Bell,director of corporate communications for the Ohio-based Cafaro Company that owns the mall and retail space nationwide, was aware of problems with Aéropostale.

 

“They have had serious trouble the past few years. We don’t’ know how many of their stores will emerge from this, but there is a strong possibility that whoever owns the store coming out of bankruptcy will close this location,” Bell said recently about the location, which was confirmed by a store manager Tuesday.

 

However, Bell added that there’s still a chance that the new set of stores under new ownership could re-open the Bridgeport location. He said it’s far from a certainty, but the door isn’t 100 percent closed on that happening.

 

“We do know the stores will be selling all of their inventory and it very well could be closing at the end of the year, but we also know there’s a possibility it could reopen,” said Bell, who indicated that employees being told that the store would close by Jan. 1 doesn’t necessarily mean a reopening won’t happen. “The list of stores that will reopen hasn’t been released and even though it may not happen, there is a distinct possibility it could make it back.”

 

The mall also lost WV Fan Zone recently. However, Bell did reveal some good news about filling a portion of another space that was vacated – Gap – in January. The space held by Gap was one of the biggest, roughly 10,000 square feet, which needs to be filled.

 

“We’re in discussions with a retailer for that particular space. At this point, we haven’t completed those negotiations, but we’re somewhat confident we’ll get a finalized deal,” said Bell. “You just never say who it is or someone is definitely coming until the deal is done.”

 

Bell said the retailer in question is involved with clothing. He said they may need up to 80 percent of the former Gap location with the rest left for another entity or perhaps more than one.

 

“We can always subdivided property, even the space left over if this deal goes through,” said Bell.

 

Bell said it’s highly doubtful that if the deal goes through that it will be open in time for the holidays. He said if it happens, it’s likely the space will see some retrofitting depending on the retailer’s needs and other work, but that an opening there would almost certainly be in 2017.

 

With several brands leaving the ball after many years, including Gordon Jewelers, Dollar Tree West and those listed above, one may wonder if Bell is concerned. Right now, he said, things are still going well at the facility.

 

“This is very much a typical cycle here. You generally see more stores leaving around this time, particularly with locally owned locations. What will balance this out for the next several months is that we’ll have seasonal tenants for the upcoming holiday,” said Bell. “At times, those temporary tenants become permanent tenants. We would prefer all of our businesses remain prosperous and stay for a long time, but this is the type of rotation that we’re used to at many of our properties.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photos shows the signs at Aeropostale, while Joe Bell is shown below.