Old Hickory Mall, one of Jackson's best-known shopping destinations, has a new owner, and at least one longtime tenant hopes the sale will bring more shoppers through its doors.
Talk-N West TN reported Monday that Old Hickory Mall Ventures II LLC sold the North Highland Avenue property to RM Commercial Investments LLC for $9 million. Details about the buyer's plans have not been released. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News said Tuesday it was still working to learn more about the new owners.
The sale comes six months after the mall was put on the market in May. At the time, Talk-N West TN reported the enclosed mall sits on about 44.6 acres roughly two miles from Interstate 40 and was being marketed for possible mixed-use redevelopment, including housing. Belk and JCPenney were listed as the current anchors, with two other anchor spaces vacant.
Derik Dabis, owner of Airbrush Dreams, told WBBJ he has operated inside the mall for about five years. He said business was extremely busy when he first arrived, but summer traffic has slowed over time. The holiday season is still strong, especially from Black Friday through Christmas, and he is getting ready with custom T-shirts and car tags.
Dabis said he hopes the new owners will bring in new stores or pop-up shops to draw visitors year-round. "Maybe some new stores, maybe some pop-up shops or something to draw attention, because I think it's still got a lot of potential," he said. "You know, we just got to hang in there and make it work."
The mall has a long history in Jackson. According to Talk-N West TN, it opened in July 1967, was enclosed in 1978, and was the site of the second Hard Rock Cafe in the world, opened by Jackson native Isaac Tigrett in 1983.
Raw 100.5 will share more as the new owners announce their plans for the property.
Sources: WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News; Talk-N West TN