Sioux Falls, SD – The start of 2012 brought with it management and ownership changes at The Empire Mall.
As of Jan. 1, the Simon Property Group took over full ownership and management of The Empire Mall and Empire East from The Macerich Company. The shuffle is expected to mean few changes in Sioux Falls, at least at first. Local management, including senior property manager Dennis Gilliam, also will stay in place, said David Contis, president of Simon’s mall platform.
But as with any change in management, fresh eyes probably will provide new ideas on how the mall can improve, whether it’s as simple as new seating and improved bathrooms or changing the tenant mix, he said.
“We’re going to do a bottom up, top down evaluation of the property,” Contis said. “What can we do to the property? How can we improve the tenant mix? We think there’s a lot of opportunity. It’s a great asset.”