Turnaround Seen at Citadel Mall

Economic conditions may be looking up for the Citadel Mall. Three new tenants will open their doors at the West Ashley mall by the summer’s end, and a shoe store plans to expand. Sam Billingsley, general manager of Citadel and Northwoods malls, is thrilled.

In addition to the new mall shops, the opening of a multi-screen theater complex adjacent to the West Ashley shopping center this fall should increase traffic. “While there are national challenges in the world of retail, we continue to see signs of growth despite national market conditions,” Billingsley said.

The new theater complex adjacent to the mall is set to open Oct. 1. The Citadel Mall IMAX Stadium 16 will include 16 screens and an IMAX theater being developed by Southeast Cinemas Entertainment of Charlotte.

Other merchants have reported an increase in demands for higher-end goods. In general, the overall observation is that customers are starting to creep back into the mall after a hiatus that followed the meltdown of financial markets last fall. People, apparently, are not as afraid or as cautious as they once were about spending money.