Northpark Mall getting new businesses. More are coming

Two new tenants are slated to start doing business at the Northpark Mall in Ridgeland in the next 30 days.

One is coming back to Northpark after some time away and another will be a first-time business for the mall, which announced its 40th anniversary Tuesday with a gathering of dignitaries.

Northpark launched its 40th anniversary celebration by announcing its planned events and initiatives for the year.

While the mall industry has been on the downswing for the past 20 years, Northpark continues to make announcements of new businesses.

The newest announcement of the mall in Ridgeland is that Sbarro will be making its return to Northpark.

The pizza franchise that originated in Brooklyn in 1956, will be opening back in the Northpark food court in the next 30 days, according to Shawn Cochran, the general manager of Northpark. These days, Sbarro has 630 eateries in 28 countries.

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"Yes, we are excited to have Sbarro back with a growing number of business here in the building," Cochran said. "There are a lot of new and exciting things on the horizon. There are two other big announcements coming in the next 60 days, but we can't talk about those just yet. The contracts are signed, but we will make those announcements very soon. I think most people are going to be very excited about them."

One announcement that has already been made but has not yet opened is that the global lifestyle retailer Minoso is coming to the second floor of Northpark in the coming weeks. Minoso promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience.

Northpark is home to more than 120 stores and specialty shops. It features Dillard's, JCPenney, Belk, H&M, B&B Theatres, Victoria's Secret, Windsor, Pac Sun, and Buckle and more than 50 locally owned businesses.

Beyond that, Cochran said to expect a lot of changes at the mall in the coming months as it begins its next 40 years in business.

"We are always going to be a retail center, but I think where we go from here is about reimagining what we do and how we serve our customers," Cochran said. "We have always had large national tenants for retail, but in order to be more inline with what the customer wants means having more entertainment, maybe having more green spaces. I think that is where we are going to evolve."

At the moment, Northpark has a $60 million economic impact on Ridgeland and the surrounding community.

"Northpark has significantly contributed to our community over the past 40 years, bringing numerous business opportunities, hosting engaging events and serving as a central hub for residents to gather and connect," Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee said.

However, the future is what Cochran said they are looking to.

"We have to look at things differently," he said. "Maybe we can take a retailer and flip it into a restaurant. We have to be open to many different types of ideas. That's where Northpark is heading to connect and becoming a community hub."

Cochran said the mall has been successful in the last several years and has built back enough that it has 90% occupancy. The mall has even turn away potential tenant in order to pursue a more vibrant future.

"We are in a really good spot," Cochran said. "We have gotten to the point that we can be a little choosy. We need retailers that do speak to our community, not having retailers just to have them. We want to make sure we have the right tenants. Sometimes we have to have those honest conversations with people. But we are in a good spot with occupancy."

Of the occupants at Northpark, more than 40% are local businesses and that he feels comfortable with where Northpark is as many malls around the country are seeing lower traction.

"We are holding steady and that is good," Cochran said. "There are a lot that have much lower traffic, and we understand that. There are about 200 malls where traffic is way up, but are good and holding steady."

If you have a story idea, Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or at 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Northpark Mall in Ridgeland MS getting new businesses