Town Center Mall says it will reopen on Wednesday after abrupt closure
Town Center Mall expected to reopen Tuesday
Town Center Mall, which was forced to close because of an unpaid power bill, says that it will reopen on Tuesday.
KENNESAW, Ga. - Town Center Mall was forced to close its doors after becoming "highly delinquent" on its Georgia Power bills, according to the service provider.
Town Center Mall tenants left in the dark, they say
Town Center Mall business owners say they were left in the dark Tuesday when they found out the electricity had been cut off due to unpaid bills.
What we know:
Georgia Power says Town Center Mall hasn't paid its bills in months and hasn't taken advantage of "numerous solutions to assist them" from being disconnected from their services.
The Cobb County mall was closed Tuesday as a result.
FOX 5 went behind the scenes of the Georgia Power Storm Center to see how they are preparing for the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. (FOX 5)
What they're saying:
Georgia Power issued the following statement to FOX 5 Atlanta:
"We work with Georgia Power customers every day to address past due bills and make payment arrangements to avoid disconnection, which is always a last resort for our company. In this case, we’ve tried to work with Town Center Mall for many months and have provided numerous solutions to assist them in avoiding disconnection. Unfortunately, any customer that is highly delinquent in paying their bills ultimately has a negative impact for all of our customers so, while we will continue to work with the customer and are hopeful a payment will be made, we can no longer continue to extend the grace period. We provided advance notice regarding this disconnection to mall management, as well as tenants, by delivering letters in person and placing signage onsite. We also made key community leaders aware."
The other side:
"My partner came in this morning to open around 10 a.m. He found signs on the door and people standing, basically instructing people due to unforeseen circumstances, the mall is closed," said store owner Scott Z.
Town Center Mall
Scott said he was shocked to find out those "unforeseen circumstances" were unpaid bills. He said he has been a tenant at the Town Center for more than a decade and always paid his bills on time.
"We pay the property, and the property pays it to Georgia Power," he said he thought.
"As a business owner, it’s unbelievable that they just let a thousand employees who do work on this mall on a daily basis just not know what’s going on," he said. He told FOX 5 Atlanta he's tried reaching out to the mall's owners, but has not gotten a response.
FOX 5 Atlanta has not received an official comment about the closure from a Town Center Mall spokesperson.
What's next:
On Tuesday, it was not clear when the mall would reopen or how much money the group that owns it owes.
Cobb County officials say they are monitoring the situation closely, and working with the mall’s property management to come up with a longer-term plan to maintain security until the mall can reopen. They also say they are planning to have a meeting with stakeholders on Wednesday to see if there are any resources they can provide for those who have been impacted.
However, a message appeared on the mall's website overnight that says, "We will reopen at 11am, Wednesday, January 29. We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you soon."
The Source: The information in this article was provided in a statement from Georgia Power and a statement on the mall's website.