A walk through MacArthur Center today feels like a bygone era of retail. The lighting is dim, casting long shadows across row after row of dark, shuttered storefronts. The only sound is the hollow echo of stray footsteps where kiosks once stood in a building once defined by foot traffic and big-box stores.
Now, the city-owned mall is entering its final days. Following a four-month notice issued in February, remaining tenants face a hard eviction deadline; the last day of business is June 27. Tenants must be cleaned out and packed by early July.
Norfolk’s Department of Economic Development told WHRO in an email its staff “have been in regular communication with all 22 local tenants to discuss their next steps,” adding that 19 tenants had accepted a rent abatement for May and June while their economic development team “remains actively engaged… to identify opportunities throughout Norfolk.”…