Union Station (Shannon Mall) - Final Attempts To Survive

Final Attempts To Survive

By 2006, the mall was struggling to keep the few major retailers it had left. Many were staples from the mall's heyday. As the more major names left, the numbers were dwindling. Some of the vacant spots were filled by independent and startup retailers but many of them ultimately left due to the lack of business. In 2009, according to an interview of Maria Allen (former Marketing Director) in Home Rule News, the mall only had 32 stores left (including the big box anchors). The mall offered incentives such as free rent for a period to lure businesses back into the mall. Event planners were given the use of the mall corridors to hold events to draw in potential shoppers. However, no major corporations bit. Event planners hit snags as Union City required permits and variances as the mall was not zoned for assembly usage. Some events such as an En Vogue concert, the Mayor's Annual Bike Race and Race Against Cancer did draw numbers. However, few people actually went inside of the mall. In 2010, the Chick-Fil-A and Picadilly Cafeteria both closed. Both businesses were original tenants from the 1980 opening.