PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Despite plans to close Feb. 27, the Aroostook Centre Mall is still open.
To keep the lights on, some retailers are helping pay for electricity in their parts of the mall, and ongoing negotiations between the mall manager and owner have so far averted closure, said Presque Isle City Councilor Craig Green.
General Manager Bruce Brigman announced Feb. 26 the mall would close because its New York City-based owner, Kohan Retail Investment Group, failed to pay the utility bills. Tenants faced moving out or paying for their own water and electricity, and last week city officials announced two local buyers had expressed interest.
Now there are more prospective buyers interested, including several from the local area and one from out of state, though the city isn’t making the names public yet, Green said.
Power was still on Wednesday throughout the mall. Its few businesses were still operating, with the exception of Wintergreen Arts Center, which temporarily moved to the Sargent Family Community Center, and the United Way of Aroostook, which had planned to move March 1.
City officials are looking at state programs that could assist the mall, Presque Isle City Manager Martin Puckett said.
