TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — The Temple Mall was forced to close its doors last Friday.
- Mall business owners have to respond to violations
- No timeline for when mall will reopen
- Dillard's and Xtreme Jump are under different business owners
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"I sell clothing and I have brides right now telling me, 'What's going on with my dress?'," said one business owner at the Temple Mall.
Temple Mall business owners gathered at the Chamber of Commerce this week to share their frustrations, and discuss options regarding what they can do next — many wanting to get back to work by any means necessary.
Temple's Fire Marshal Landy Setzer says he understands the hardship closing the mall is causing, but he has to put public safety first.
Three main things have to be fixed before the mall can re-open — repairs to a fire pump, fire risers, and the fire alarm system.
Two stores, Dillard's and Xtreme Jump, are under different operators and have agreed to be on 24/7 fire watch, but they have two weeks to create a plan — making sure their portion of the building will be secured in case of a fire.
Setzer is now checking every day, because there is no timeline for when the whole mall may re-open.
"We don't know for sure if anything is wrong with that pump," he said.
"If they fill up the pump and start testing and it looks like its not going to overheat and it's going to run," he said.
Many owners say they are going to try other options like live sales and parking lot tents to keep themselves afloat.
For now, the fate of the mall is up to the owner.
