Two more stores are vacating Leigh Mall.
The Cookie Store, once located by the mall’s main entrance, has already shuttered, though a store representative could not be reached by press time.
Additionally, Payless ShoeSource in the mall has “Store Closing Sale” signs posted on its windows. Store representatives confirmed the closing of the mall location but did not comment further. Last year, Payless filed for bankruptcy but both the Columbus and Starkville locations remained open. Now, the closest Payless can be found in Starkville at 812 Hwy. 12.
With more than a dozen vacancies in Leigh Mall, these two tenants are added to a list of store departures including J.C. Penny, Sears, Radio Shack and Reed’s Jewelry which all left in recent years.
Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL), an investment and real estate management company based in Chicago, is now managing the mall, The Dispatch confirmed this week, taking over from mall owners Security National Properties.
Incidentally, JLL is one of the companies listed as a secured creditor on a notice of sale that ran in The Dispatch in September. The notice indicated Security National Properties had defaulted on a multi-million loan and that Leigh Mall – which was put up as collateral along with dozens of other SN Properties – would be up for public auction in December.
The Dispatch reached out to David Renninger, JLL’s senior vice president and regional manager overseeing Leigh Mall, but he declined to comment on whether JLL plans to be the long-term mall management company or if the scheduled auction is still on.
Over in Starkville, Eric Hallberg opened The Breakfast Club last week.
The Breakfast Club offers customers some homemade favorites like biscuits and gravy, pancakes and shrimp and grits for breakfast, and chicken and waffles, poboys and hamburger steaks for lunch.
Hallberg, owner of Cappe’s in the Park, opened the new restaurant at 105 Eckford Drive, the old Cappe’s Steakhouse building. Cappe’s Steakhouse closed its doors in July while Cappe’s in the Park continued serving customers on Technology Boulevard.
The Dispatch previously reported the building was up for sale, but Hallberg said Starkville residents needed a menu The Breakfast Club could provide.
The Breakfast Club offers breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and dinner Thursday and Fridays from 4:30-8:30 p.m.
A new wedding venue in Starkville finalized renovations and hosted its first wedding in mid-October.
Kelly Murphree, along with her brothers Alan and Jason Page, renovated their grandfather’s old dairy barn into an open concept wedding venue. Dodson Farm Venue, 684 Mt. Olive Road, offers an indoor or outdoor location with a lake view on a 230-acre properly. If you’re a bride or groom looking for a unique venue with an interesting history, email [email protected].
Murphree said Dodson Farm will have an open house from 1-5 p.m. on Dec. 2 for potential brides and grooms to tour the facilities..
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