A walk through MacArthur Center today feels like a bygone era of retail. The lighting is dim, casting long shadows across row after row of dark, shuttered storefronts. The only sound is the hollow echo of stray footsteps where kiosks once stood in a building once defined by foot traffic and big-box stores.
Now, the city-owned mall is entering its final days. Following a four-month notice issued in February, remaining tenants face a hard eviction deadline; the last day of business is June 27. Tenants must be cleaned out and packed by early July.
Norfolk’s Department of Economic Development told WHRO in an email its staff “have been in regular communication with all 22 local tenants to discuss their next steps,” adding that 19 tenants had accepted a rent abatement for May and June while their economic development team “remains actively engaged… to identify opportunities throughout Norfolk.”
But for Larry Estes, the owner of Cool and Eclectic, that official statement doesn’t match life on the mall’s floor. Estes’ shop is packed with vintage vinyl records, comic books, autographed sports memorabilia and historic mementos.
While he plans to stay until the final day to give shoppers a chance to buy a “souvenir of the mall,” Estes says the city’s promised guidance quickly faded. An initial contact passed Estes’ case to three others, with no follow-up after that. The shop owner says searching for a new location has been tough in an expensive commercial market.
“The leadership of Norfolk, as much as they climb up the tree and shout from the rooftops that they’re pro-business, it’s not necessarily felt at the grassroots level,” Estes said. “And I’m in the trenches.”
Nonprofit confronts moving and revenue challenges
Six local tenants have confirmed a new location, five in Norfolk, the city says. One is the 757 Creative Reuse Center, a nonprofit craft supply and community workshop space. Executive Director Beth Dryer says a previous WHRO interview caught the ear of a local property owner who offered a former church space at 4210 Colley Avenue near Old Dominion University. The center will open there in September, but that leaves a summer gap with no foot traffic or retail revenue, and an estimated $20,000 in double-moving costs - first into storage and then into the new sapce once it’s ready.
“There’s been some handholding… but there’s not really been a ton of actual support from the city,” Dryer said. "The progress that we've made, we've made largely on our own.”
Other tenants are watching the clock. Lids and H&M close June 21. White House Black Market closes June 23. Lush is moving to Lynnhaven Mall after June 25. DJ Bee's record shop Freshtopia is hunting for a new downtown space while leaning on his online storefront.
Pusha T's boutique Crème will stay until the finalhour, then will move temporarily to its 21st Street location.
Others won’t say. When approached on the mall floor, Foot Locker employees said corporate management had explicitly barred them from discussing any details of the store’s closure or future.
Retailers and the community brace for change
In 2024, Mayor Kenny Alexander announced plans to redevelop the mall into a major mixed-use footprint anchored by a 400-room military-themed hotel, 518,000 square feet of high-rise residential space and a 2.5-acre pedestrian promenade.
In an email, the city told WHRO the redevelopment is guided by NFK2050, Norfolk’s adopted comprehensive plan that sets a framework for how the city will grow over the next 25 years, covering housing, economic development, transportation, land use, and arts and culture, among other areas.
The goal for MacArthur, the city said, is a modern destination that reflects current market trends and works alongside existing downtown attractions and venues.
With the rise of online shopping, MacArthur declined in parallel with many of the nation’s brick-and-mortar malls. In recent years, it became a low-rent incubator where local entrepreneurs could afford a spot downtown. Estes says what grew inside wasn't just business.
"I love all the tenants here," he said. "We're part of a team, and that's the way I see a mall structure. It's just a sort of fraternity amongst us, whether it's voiced or not. We're all working together. Whoever I bring may stop at other businesses and whoever they bring may stop over here, so it's definitely a team."
