From the Daily News:A struggling Glendale shopping mall is shooting for a comeback, and nothing would make nearby residents happier.
The Shops at Atlas Park is being re-energized. Its owner has added a grassy 10,000-square-foot courtyard, and has been reaching out to the community, offering free outdoor movies, concerts and even a fireworks show.
But skeptical Glendale residents — who watched the airy, upscale mall go bankrupt several years ago — say the only thing that counts is filling the vast empty storefronts.
On Tuesday morning, contractors were putting the finishing touches on the outdoor parking lot, reconfigured to get shoppers closer to stores including the soon-to-open Forever 21.
“That will help enormously,” said Peter DeLucia Jr., marketing manager for the center, which was snapped up by mall giant Macerich in 2011 for $54 million.
DeLucia refused to divulge the names of new shops poised to move in, but rumors have included a Modell’s sporting goods site and cosmetics giant Sephora.
“We’re trying to get the community back,” said DeLucia, who noted hundreds of people have already responded to an email campaign that asks them to compile a wish list of stores for the site.
