Possible plans to redevelop old Pierre Moran Mall, city says

 

ELKHART, Ind. -- When it comes to breathing life back into dead malls, the city of Elkhart says it’s not stopping at the Concord Mall.

The city announced possible plans to buy the old Pierre Moran Mall for $5 million to transform the nearly vacant shopping center, but it's still not set in stone.

“It was very thriving,” says Elkhart resident Goldie Nuet, who remembers visiting the Pierre Moran Mall. “You could go in there and walk and shop.”

“I grew up here, I was a mall rat,” remembers Chad Hoogenboom, another Elkhart resident.

Folks like Nuet and Hoogenboom remember the Pierre Moran Mall back in its prime decades ago, before watching the shopping center slowly dissolve.

“It’s changed a lot, declined a lot,” Nuet says.

“You come here, and the malls are all vacant,” says Hoogenboom.

The city announced early plans to transform the old mall into a Neighborhood Hub; with opportunities for expanded health care and job training by partnering with Heart City Health and Goodwill of Michiana.

The city says their Economic Development Team has been working for months to figure out how they can convert the vacant space into a vibrant, and once again thriving development to serve the needs of people in the neighborhood.

“I’m just excited to see that they’re going to do something,” admits Nuet. “I hate to see buildings emptied and businesses shut down.”

There would also be opportunities for new housing developments the city says which, including the Neighborhood Hub, could all total $100 million of investment.

Residents on that side of Elkhart say it’s time for a change.

“If they can make use out of it with something, that would be good,” Hoogenboom says.

“It’s nice that somebody wants to bring something back again,” says Nuet.

City officials say the property still needs to be purchased by the Redevelopment Commission first before they can move forward.