NORFOLK, Va. — Inside the MacArthur Center mall, there is still a light buzz of people inside. Some shops remain open with workers bustling through the day.
Other storefronts are closed, empty shelves lingering behind the gated windows. However, behind one of those closed doors, is a new opportunity for the non-profit organization, 757 Creative ReUse Center.
Beth Dryer started setting up new shelves for the fresh space she recently leased inside the MacArthur Center. It's a leap of faith she said is worth it.
"Our mission is to decrease waste and increase creativity by operating a donation-based thrift store where people can come and donate their excess, unused, but still usable arts and crafts supplies," said Dryer.
Dryer said she takes the donated items and sells them at a reduced cost like a thrift store, compared to big stores holding very similar arts and crafts. She owns a shop on Granby as space for the organization but said that because of the load of donations and the activities she does with the community, she needed more space to handle the growing non-profit.
So, she looked at places to fit the bill both physically and financially, saying, "We looked at 14 other spots before we looked here."
Just like Dryer's mission to re-use and recycle items, she found a new purpose for this space left empty in the middle of the MacArthur Center, after her friend recommended she look into the opportunity.
"It was a lot of space and it did solve a lot of our problems," said Dryer.
However, Dryer's big move comes as the MacArthur Center recently went up for sale. JLL Commercial Real Estate has the mall listed for sale on its website.
In the last several years, the embattled mall has also faced challenges including acts of violence, such as a shooting that left one person dead in April 2022. The 24-year-old Downtown Norfolk staple also lost a number of stores over the last few years in the ever-changing fate of American malls.
Despite the lack of predictability, Dryer said it's not going to stop her from taking the chance to push her mission forward.
"I think it's a really good time for other small businesses to think about coming down to MacArthur Center, especially if they have trouble locating a viable lease anywhere else," said Dryer. "Because they're open to business ideas that other people tend to shoot down."
Dryer said she plans to close her original shop on Granby Street by the end of March and have her grand opening inside the MacArthur Center on April 1.
13News Now asked MacArthur Center representatives if there are any new steps in the sale of the mall, but they would not comment on the current status.