CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WVEC) -- The Chesapeake Square Mall is headed for foreclosure, a city spokesman confirmed Thursday.
Chesapeake spokesman Mark Cox says the sale date is set for April 21.
City manager, Jim Baker, says this is something they've been anticipating.
"The mall has had some struggles the last couple of years," he said. ""They have a couple of key tenants that are vacant so it's not like the city thought this was going to happen necessarily now but it is something we've been anticipating."
He says the foreclosure won't have any immediate affects on current tenants at the mall. He even says it could be a blessing in disguise for the approximately 80 stores.
"What happens a lot of times is that things get worse before they get better," said Baker.
Baker says the original price tag on the mall was $73 million but unsure what it'll cost a new owner.
He says the hope now, since finding out yesterday about the official foreclosure, is to revamp the current mall and bring it back to life with new ownership.
The Western Branch mall has struggled in recent years, losing anchor stores such as Sears and more recently, Macy's.
Residents in the area have tried to bring new business to the area, but the efforts may be unsuccessful for the mall itself. Most recently, a nearby movie theater that had been closed for several years was demolished to make way for a retirement community.
Earlier this year, 13News Now reached out to Chesapeake Square Mall management to find out their plans on filling the empty store fronts.
A statement from mall manager Edward Zivic read: "Although Macy's made the decision to close several locations, we remain southeastern Virginia's popular family shopping, dining and entertainment destination with a mix of national and locally owned retailers. With stores such as JCPenney, Target and Victoria's Secret plus special events that impact the community, we continue to provide local residents with a great place to shop, dine and relax with friends and family."