VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A $200 million redevelopment plan for Pembroke Mall is forcing dozens of businesses out.
Pembroke Mall management said 48 businesses will have to leave by January 31, 2022.
“Since the beginning, we’ve always been the games you don’t have to plugin or download. Darts, pool, chess, poker, role-playing games, card games," said Bit of England Store Manager Chris Sizemore.
"Bit of England" has been a fixture in Pembroke Mall for decades.
“We’ve survived recessions. We’ve survived the pandemic. For 40 years, we survived," said Sizemore.
Sizemore said he will survive again, but this time the survival comes with a move to a new location. The move is due to Pembroke's mall redevelopment plan announced in November.
“They gave us a month in a half maybe at our busiest time of the year. I think we could’ve had a little bit more time or they could have put the end date back a little farther," said Sizemore.
Sizemore said he worries about how the move will impact his business.
“That’s tens of thousands of dollars to just shut down here and to fix up the new place. The loss of revenue when you’re closed from one place to the other," said Sizemore.
The redevelopment plan includes the construction of a hotel, a senior living facility, and apartments. Pembroke Mall Asset Manager Ramsay Smith says he and others are working with business owners and managers.
“We have various tenants moving to other property of ours. We’ve solicited the other brokers in the community to help us with other people that didn’t find a good spot," said Smith.
Sizemore said his family are in the process of a new place to call home.
“It’s frustrating and it’s scary but we’re going to fight that fight as long as we can. It’s my family business. It’s what we’ve been doing as long as I’ve been alive," said Sizemore.
Smith said the construction should take two years. But during that time many of the outer stores and restaurants like Target and Kohl's will stay open.
Mall management anticipates the new facilities should be up and running by 2024.