Mall merchants close up shop
By Julia Torres Barden CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Shahin Naz Sayani (left) shows Retina Dabney of Cumberland some jewelry during one of Italian Gold's final days at Cloverleaf Mall.

Cloverleaf Mall's few remaining merchants rang up their final sales last Friday, as the mall closed after 35 years in business. For years, shop owners had faced uncertainty over the future, not knowing when the county would finally ask them to vacate their stores, so the mall can be torn down and redeveloped into a new neighborhood of housing, shops and offices called Chippenham Place. That uncertainty ended in January when they were given their walking papers for the end of February.

Some merchants immediately packed up and left, leaving behind a handful of hold-outs who stayed until the end. Now, they face a different kind of uncertainty as they reopen in new locations, hoping their customer bases will make the move with them.

For others, the challenge was too great. When the mall closed, so did their businesses.

"I'm sad about the mall closing," says Shahin Naz Sayani, whose family owned the Italian Gold jewelry store at Cloverleaf. "It seems like I've been coming here my whole life. I've been coming to our store since I was 9 years old to help out with the family business. I'm accustomed to it, and this closing will be a change in my life." Sayani expressed concern about how the mall's closing will impact the community "because of the fact that some kids work here, and I knew a girl who worked here to keep herself off the streets."

Former Cloverleaf merchant Frank Oh praised the professionalism of security officers like Ali Abdul (above) for keeping the mall safe.

Like so many merchants before them, Italian Gold will move to nearby Chesterfield Towne Center to join another family location.

The past few years were tumultuous for Cloverleaf tenants, not knowing when their time would finally run out.

"So far we've had six or seven closing dates, but this one is actually going to happen," said Tray Barber, store manager for Shoe City, during an interview a few days before the mall's closing. "This is no surprise. I'm just finally glad it's here because I can't wait to move."

The store is moving across the street to Beaufont Center.

Some shop owners like Mary Tran of the Oriental Shop, which sells jewelry-making supplies, are frustrated with the county over the amount of notice they received to vacate.

"Before Christmas, I asked them at a meeting when I would have to leave, and they said June or July. Then, after Christmas, they said Feb. 29. I had to do something real quick with only two weeks notice," said Tran, who will move her business down the road to another Midlothian Turnpike location.

Frank Oh, owner of Ecstasy II, a hip-hop fashion store, feels the county closed the mall earlier than planned because so many tenants had already moved out. Oh was a mall tenant for five years and commented about his customer base saying, "This area has a high quality customer. [Cloverleaf management] offered good security and one-stop shopping at an inside mall." He prefers more traditional, indoor malls to the newer, open air malls such as Stony Point Fashion Park and Short Pump Town Center.

With the closing of Cloverleaf, Oh has been unable to find a new home for Ecstasy II in the county. "I wanted to stay in Chesterfield County, but rents were too high with few spaces available, but I hope to return to the neighborhood because of my good customers within 3-4 months."

Athletic wear retailer Lim's is also leaving the county. All of the Cloverleaf location's employees have been transferred to the company's Southpark Mall and Virginia Center Commons locations, said Yul Lim, owner of Lim's.

He hopes the move is just temporary though. Lim has already expressed interest in returning to Chippenham Place once construction is completed. After doing business at Cloverleaf for the past 10 years, Lim said, "I like this area, and I want to be back at the new location when it opens - the sooner the better!"

So far, there's no set timetable on when that might be. The mall is expected to be razed sometime this year followed by construction of around 540 homes - mostly multifamily - and at least 200,000 square feet of retail anchored by a new Kroger.

"The whole strategy of this investment by the county," explained Tom Jacobson, the county's director of revitalization, "is to stimulate, reinvigorate and improve the community's surrounding commercial and residential areas."

Although there may be some sadness over losing the mall, Lim agrees that it's time to give the site a new life.

"The mall didn't keep up with changing times," said Lim, "but if they do it right, it'll be something everybody will be proud of. I think this is long overdue. Chesterfield County will be showcasing its entrance [with Chippenham Place], and it's gonna be nice!"