Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Visitors to the Aroostook Centre Mall in recent weeks may have noticed a few changes taking place, including a bit of construction and moving of mall tenants — activities Patti Crooks, mall manager, is confident will please future shoppers.
According to Crooks, the renovations are taking place to accommodate the facility’s newest lease holder.
“We’ve had a lot of construction going on in preparation of the arrival of a large big-box operation that will have both interior and exterior entrances,” said Crooks, noting the lease was signed in June with a nationally-recognized retailer whose name is not being released at this time at the tenant’s request.
“Company officials want to be the one to make the announcement. For now, all I can say is the lease has been signed with a well-known retailer,” she said.
To accommodate the new business’s floor space needs, Crooks said some mall tenants had to be moved.
“The new business will be located at the front of the mall, where Rent-A-Center and Trader Joe’s were located. Trader Joe’s will be moving across the hall, next to Yarns, Glass & More… The U.S. Army and Marines will be moving next to CardSmart. Rent-A-Center will also be moving across the hall,” said Crooks.
“All this is being done, including construction to renovate the space once occupied by Rent-A-Center and Trader Joe’s, to accommodate the 25,000 square feet the new store requires,” continued Crooks.
Despite economic conditions in the United States, Crooks said a strong Canadian dollar and the distance to the next biggest shopping experience — the Bangor Mall — factored heavily in the new tenant’s decision to locate in Presque Isle.
“Canadian business has increased with the strength of their dollar. Canadian business has been phenomenal,” she said.
Crooks said she’s continuing to look for ways to attract more businesses to the mall.
“I’ve talked with several major businesses that have expressed interest in the area. I should know more on those in coming months,” said Crooks.
Crooks said the future of shopping is looking bright for the Star City.
“I’m very excited that we were able to ink a deal with a large big-box of this magnitude. It’s definitely a good sign for not just the mall but Aroostook County,” said Crooks, noting the new store is expected to open in 2012. “It all depends on when the renovations are completed and they can get set up and stocked.”
