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Barnes & Noble pulls out of Harrisburg Mall
After several long delays in opening, Barnes & Noble
Inc. has decided to pull the plug on moving into a 30,000-square-foot store at
the Harrisburg Mall.
The Barnes & Noble signature logo that adorned the front
of the space was taken down this past week.
“Due to the mall owner’s financial uncertainty and their
inability to complete substantial components of the property, Barnes &
Noble does not have plans to open a new store in the Harrisburg Mall at this
time,” wrote Don Kuszmar, Barnes & Noble director of real estate, in an
e-mail.
Feldman Mall Properties Inc. owns the mall. In late
November, Feldman’s mortgage lender filed a suit in federal court to take
possession of the Harrisburg Mall property because Feldman was in default on
its mortgage.
Barnes & Noble is the third business to pull up stakes
in the mall’s streetscape project this year. Panera Bread abandoned its space
next to Barnes & Noble, and a half-built, abandoned sports bar and restaurant
juts out from the front of the mall on the other side of the empty bookstore. The
businesses were going to move into new exterior parcels that would connect to
the mall.
The businesses were supposed to be included in the second
phase of a $77 million development project at the mall. The streetscape project
also included an Applebee’s restaurant and a 14-screen movie theater.
Applebee’s and the theater were built and have opened.
Harrisburg Mall general manager Mark Nobile only would give
one comment concerning the Barnes & Nobile situation earlier today.
“Barnes & Noble elected to take down their exterior sign
in order to not confuse their customers until the store opens,” Nobile said.
