With the word out that the Burlington store in the Village Mall is closing soon, Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr says he will miss this store personally, as he spends a lot of time there. He says communication will be underway soon on where to go from here on that store area, as well as the mall and local business itself.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: Burlington is one of the stores that I frequent. In fact, I buy a lot of my ties and work clothes there. We’ve had meetings, and we have another meeting with the owners of the mall; and also we have a meeting scheduled with Vermilion Advantage, and some other local developers, to see what we can reimagine for that property; in hopes that we can make it most beneficial to our community long term.
For new Vermilion Advantage Executive Director Mike Marron, the future is something his eyes are on. But he says Danville and Vermilion County certainly need to realize that they are not alone.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: We’re not unique in this respect. I think communities all over the country are facing similar situations with shopping malls. It’s kind of a model of the past. And so I think it’s maybe an opportunity to rethink our approach, and turn it into something positive.
The Village Mall Burlington is aiming for an end of February closure.
