The Roanoker March/April 2017 - 57

can be something more tangible with the given ownership
of the property and how they're taking care of their asset."
With its newly renovated interior and a mix of stores
that attract both neighborhood and destination customers, Towers is showing how even a more than 50-year-old
mall can continue to see success.

VALLEY VIEW MALL - THE REGIONAL HUB
Meanwhile, Valley View Mall continues to set the standard as Roanoke's premier collection of destination retailers. At age 32, it continues to adapt to a changing marketplace through creative thinking and regular reinvention.
CBL & Associates Properties owns the core of the mall,
but the outparcels around it-everything from Walmart
and Olive Garden to anchor department stores attached
to the mall-are owned by third parties, which not only
relieves the burden of maintenance but also gives more
flexibility to businesses to reshape their spaces as needed.
Mall management also partnered with government to
improve the flow of traffic, including the incorporation
of an alternate pattern during the holidays. After years
of construction to build out and rework a partial intersection with I-581, the nearly $64 million Valley View
Diamond Interchange opened late in 2016. The built-out
interchange provides an additional entrance and exit from
the interstate, as well as potential access to developable
open space on the west side of I-581.
Additionally, the mall's management has been willing
to shake things up. It redeveloped a portion of the parking lot and mall near the JCPenney and Sears entrances
into what's now known as the District at Valley View. The
District, which includes Barnes & Noble, clothing retailers and restaurants such as Carrabba's Italian Grill and
Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy, is an example of Valley View's dedication to providing "an experience for our
customers-a place where they can gather with friends
and family to shop, dine or be entertained," says Valley
THEROANOKER.COM

View Mall Manager Louise Dudley.
Cronk is bullish on the mall's longterm future: "I think
Valley View will always be successful, primarily because
of the market. Valley View made Tanglewood and Crossroads reinvent themselves. No one's going to come in and
create something that will make Valley View reinvent itself. Something with a national impact would have to
happen to affect them."
Of course, something with a national impact is happening-the continuing shift from physical stores to online retailers. Dudley, however, says she doesn't see online
as the enemy of bricks and mortar.
"Retailers that get it know that a physical store location can build brand loyalty and increase spending both
in-store and online-the two really need each other,"
Dudley says. "Mall owners are looking to provide the
in-mall infrastructure needed to support retailers' omnichannel efforts."
That's included a recent redesign of the mall's website
to make it easier to access on a mobile phone, she says.
And sure enough, during my visit, I checked the web via
smartphone a couple of times: Once to look at the mall's
directory to find a particular store, and again to price
check an item, which I eventually bought in-store.
Valley View looks entrenched as the alpha mall in Roanoke, with Towers finding success by diversifying its tenants to reach a range of new customers. Tanglewood has
struggled in recent years, but with a new owner planning
substantial physical changes, there's reason for optimism
on Electric Road.
The continuing growth in online buying-and a related sag in brick-and-mortar sales-looms over the Roanoke Valley as it does elsewhere. But while other cities
have seen widespread mall closures, creative management
and ongoing investment have allowed Roanoke's malls
not only to survive, but to thrive. Well, two out of three
of them, anyway. I

Towers Shopping Center
suffered through the
'00s, but has found new
success through local
retailers and tenants
that address the living
needs of the surrounding
neighborhoods, such
as grocery stores and a
fitness club.

MARCH/APRIL 2017| 57

http://www.THEROANOKER.COM

The Roanoker March/April 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker March/April 2017