25 News first told you about the Temple Mall closing on Friday.
Many shoppers were surprised when they showed up to the mall on Saturday to locked doors and 'do not enter' signs from the Fire Marshall.
- Business owners, like Rob Brandenburg, are affected but remain hopeful
- The community is urged to support small businesses during the mall's closure
- The Temple Chamber of Commerce will set up a Tenant Resource Center on Monday, Sept. 30
- Xtreme Jump Adventure Park and Dillard's are both independently owned businesses and can operate a fire watch temporarily while repairs are underway. As a result, these locations will remain open
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Dozens of shoppers showed up to Temple Mall on Saturday, not knowing it's been temporarily shut down.
"I was shocked because my sister was just here yesterday," Temple resident Helen Ratliff said.
Ratliff said she had no clue the mall closed until she arrived Saturday morning.
"My nephew is getting married next month and I was going to shop for a dress to wear to his wedding," she said.
Rob Brandenburg owns three small businesses in the Temple Mall. He said what's happening at the mall is not the stores' fault, but it's an ownership issue.
25 News looked into it and found out the Kohan Retail Investment Group owns the Temple Mall, so it's their responsibility to make the changes to get the mall back up to code.
Right now, there is no definitive answer as to when the mall will reopen.
"It's important for the community to actively engage with the social medias of the stores that they are wanting to attend or are curious about what's happening because there will be updates posted as often as possible," Brandenburg said.
However, Brandenburg said he is trying to stay positive about the situation.
"We're a small business and we've pivoted many times over the last five years to survive," he said. "This is just another bump in the road of what it means to be a small business owner."
He said right now they need community support.
"Forget about the mall for a minute and remember the small businesses and corporate businesses in the mall that are a part of the community," he said.
Brandenburg said the Temple Mall is like a family to him.
"Employees and customers, that's kind of become my family which kind of makes this my home which is temporarily shut down," Brandenburg said. "It's a hard pill to swallow but that doesn't mean we're giving up."
Starting Monday, the Temple Chamber of Commerce will have a tenant resource center to help affected businesses during the closure.
