Hobby Lobby coming to Northland Mall in Sterling

STERLING, Ill. (KWQC) - At a time when traditional shopping malls have been struggling to find tenants, Northland Mall in Sterling is now full. Lydia Chernitsky-Hamd, Leasing Director for Brookwood Capital, announced they have leased out the former Bergner’s department store space to craft store chain, Hobby Lobby. She says both anchor spaces at the mall are now leased.

It’s quite an accomplishment since when Brookwood acquired the mall earlier this year, 13 storefronts were vacant. In fact, she says 70-percent of the space was empty. Now, it’s 100-percent full.

How did the turnaround happen so quickly? TV6 reported last month that the Nashville-based company was offering space in the mall rent-free for six months to entice businesses to give the mall a try. Chernitsky-Hamd said they wanted to see a full mall, even if it meant taking a six-month hit.

Copyright 2022 KWQC. All rights reserved.