Demolition of empty space to begin at The Mall at Turtle Creek

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - The Mall at Turtle Creek, which sustained heavy damage in the March 28, 2020, tornado, will be torn down.

The mall’s owners, Spinoso Real Estate Group, announced on social media Thursday that it will begin demolishing the mall in the coming weeks.

“SREG was assigned to oversee the management of the mall in late 2022 and has since been evaluating the best path forward for the center,” the announcement said.

“After careful consideration and planning, it has been determined that the first step in the future of The Mall at Turtle Creek is to focus on safety and improving the appearance of the property,” said Carmen D. Spinoso, chairman and CEO of SREG. “To that end, we will be initiating efforts to clean up the site, demolish and remove damaged structures and improve the overall safety and appearance of the site.”

In a separate statement, the City of Jonesboro said SREG had “pledged to work with the city to create something we can be proud of in this space. We all look forward to the newest developments at Turtle Creek.”

Bill Campbell, communications director for the city, said SREG would only be demolishing the empty stores and buildings. The demolition will not affect Target, Dillard’s, and JCP. He stressed the city wants to keep the space retail.

“You know the mayor obviously wants there to be some type of retail development there and there are a lot of things you can do with that type of space,” he said.

Locals like Rhonda Hutchison love the idea of retail even if it isn’t a traditional mall setting, as many places continue to move to more storefronts and outdoor shopping complexes.

“Well you need something to fill it in I think it would bring in more shoppers and more money for the city and you know I think it is just a great chance,” she said.

Campbell said once demolition begins, they think it would only take about a week for the empty spaces to be completely gone.

“We look forward to sharing further plans as they are developed and this important first step is completed,” Spinoso said.

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