The Leaf-Chronicle from Clarksville, Tennessee • 146

m- '5- -iff I Governor's Square Mall Booming Governor's Square mall, which opened in the 1988, boasts 98 stores, specialty shops food services. With an occupancy rate of 92 percent, a multitude of new stores and restaurants have been added to the mall since last year. Foot Action, Lady's Footlocker, Beauty Fair USA, Monfried Optical, Friedman's Jewelers, Air Brush by Darryl and New York, New York have been opened since 'mid-1383." Frank Dascenzo, mall manager, said Brooks and Orange Julius, which previously operated stores in the mall and then closed, also have re-opened. In addition to that growth, the mall owners are banding a plaza type, or strip shopping center, on its property just off 79 North near Interstate 24. The area, known Governor's Square Plaza, will be anchored by two major jstores with six or seven smaller stores between them, Dascenzo said.

Currently, Fhar-Mor drug store anchors one end of the plaza. The other anchor store has yet to be announced. Dascenzo said officials are working with several grocery operators as well as 10 other vendors which range from apparel to electronics to snecialitv items Umuvor Courtesy clerk Neal araat io rviuyer store on Jviad son Street. Many students work part-time to earn money for college or other aSf 1 plans are set He said the plaza's completion will hinge upon when the space will be contracted "The operators (we are talking to) would give us a real The mall also has seen growth outside the plaza area. A Toys 'R Us store was built on the man property and opened last fall while Western Auto and Chi Chi's restaurant have opened earlier this year.

The mall also opened a oot community room for use by various groups. Completely furnished, the meeting room is available at no charge for community functions. The $5 million mall features Carmike Cinema Five, a first-run movie theater with five screens. While there are several fast-food type restaurants within the mall, Governor's Square also offers Ruby Tuesday's and Sadie's Buffet and Grill for more varied The mall was built by The Cafaro Youngstown, Ohio, and CBL Associates, Chattanooga. The Cafaro Co manages the mall The mall is anchored by four major department stores: Hess's, Penney's Parks-Belk and Sears.

Meanwhile, the future of Two Rivers Mall, located on U.S. 41 A North and Riverside Drive at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red rivers, is uncertain. The mall, owned by First Union Real Estate Investments of Cleveland, Ohio, is for sale along with 14 other malls owned by the firm. Earlier this year, First Union officials had considered redesigning Two Rivers into a strip shopping center concept but announced its plans in April to sell the mall as part of a 15-mall package at the offering price of $425 million. The real estate firm is selling the malls because of a decision to more actively invest in multi-family residential properties.

It has no plans to sell any of the malls individually. Two Rivers Mall opened in 1969 as Clarks-ville's only enclosed mall until Governor's Square opened in 1986. Since then, the mall lost its anchors Sears and Parks Belk to the larger Governor's Square malL Despite renovations to update its" ance, the mall continues to have only 14 tenants including Walgreen's Drug Store; Book-land Books, Zales Jewelers, Baskm Robbins Banquet Table Buffet restaurant, Country Cobbler, Cut-UpsKid's Cuts, General Nutrition health food store, Homer Rausch Optical, JoAnne's Fabrics, Karmelkorn, KEG and Merle Norman cosmetics. Dominion Bank, Ben's Tire and Wheel and Bonanza restaurant also operate on mall property. Peggy Terrell is acting manager..