Renovations under way at mall

ROANOKE RAPIDS -- Becker Village Mall began its three-month facelift Monday.

Renovation and refurbishing of the location will include a new, modern-looking stucco faŤade, a new brick sidewalk and planters, a new canopied main entrance, new signage, improvements to the department stores located within the shopping center, and restroom renovation.

Once inside the mall, customers may notice the new fluted wood treatment on the columns at Center Court upon completion of the project.

"Brookhill has owned the Becker Village Mall property for many years, and we have determined it is due for a new look and refurbishing," said Donald Derman, Brookhill property administrator. The Brookhill Group, based in New York, manages and owns the Becker Village Mall property, which opened in 1980. The firm specializes in acquiring and developing real estate, with an emphasis on shopping centers. The Brookhill Group has developed properties in 21 states.

The firm made the decision to begin renovations this summer to take advantage of sunny, hospitable weather and to finish construction before the holiday shopping season.

Nancy Northington, marketing director for Becker Village Mall, said in addition to the renovations, the mall will welcome a new tenant in September. Mastercuts, a division of Regis Corporation, a worldwide leader in the salon industry, will locate in the main entrance corridor between Radio Shack and Kay Jewelers. Appointments will not be necessary.

"We are also talking with additional retailers, but until a contract is signed, we cannot give out any names," Northington explained.

Though Becker Village had lost several tenants in recent months, Northington and Derman both assure the mall is not in financial trouble.

Optimetric Eye Care, K-Mart, Ben Franklin, Hallmark and Maurice's all terminated their leases.

"They all left for different reasons," Northington said. "Some vacancies were a result of corporate downsizing, some were a result of strategic changes. It wasn't always a case of those stores are not doing well. For instance, Optimetric Eye Care wanted to own its own building; Hallmark did away with its corporately-owned stores... And we all know what happened with the K-Mart Corporation.

"However, this gives us the opportunity to offer new uses. Between our home office leasing team and our new partnership with The Shopping Center Group, a national shopping center real estate broker, we feel confident that we'll be bringing in new retailers to the area that our shoppers will enjoy."

Derman said the mall has historically been a successful location for the Brookhill Group.

"Becker Village Mall has always been 99 to 100-percent leased -- it's been a flagship," Derman said. "We intend to fill the vacancies, and we are already searching."

Derman said showings for potential tenants at the now-empty K-Mart store are underway and a group of retailers is looking at the location.

However, bankruptcy court is not expected to render a final decision in the K-Mart case until mid to late June.

Vance Construction of Henderson is the general contractor for the Becker Village Mall renovations.

The mall contains 321,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by Belk, JCPenney, and Lowe's Foods.

Senior Editor Kathryn Bridges can be reached at 537-2505 (ext. 238) or kathrynbridges@charter.net.