MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — Mall shopping is declining across the country, and the Marshalltown Mall is no exception, with only a few of its indoor stores left.
Marshalltown native Scott Turner has fond memories of the time he spent at the mall.
"I'd spend it in the arcade, or I'd go over to like Sam Goody and check out records and CDs, or go to Waldenbooks," he said.
Life has come full circle for him. He back at the mall these days, but not as mall rat—as an entrepreneur.
Turner opened Game Haven at the end of 2021.
"We have retro video games. We have magic and Pokémon cards. We have Warhammer, which is a miniatures game," he described.
On Fridays, he said, it can get busy, which is just what the Marshalltown Mall needs.
"This particular asset is ending its primary lifecycle, which is the quintessential, monolithic looking, built in the 80s mall," said Nina Becker, senior director of leasing for the Kohan Retail Investment Group, the company that owns the mall.
The owners are confident things will look different soon and that they'll be able to attract new tenants.
"We are willing to work with national tenants and make make things work to ensure that their projected sales are met," Becker said. "But we can't do that by ourselves. There has to be a cooperation with with the locality."
Turner and his fellow small business owners could play a big part of the mall's next life.
"There's a lot of opportunity here, and especially if you are willing to to do the work to be your own marketer to to draw more folks in, this is a great location to to start," said John Hall, president and CEO of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce.
While Turner got into this venture with more modest intentions, he's hopeful about being part of this shift.
"I think especially with how stubborn Marshalltown people are, like me, maybe we can change it into something better than it used to be," Turner said.
Owners told Local 5, they're really looking to make this a family destination with new entertainment venues and restaurants.
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