One of three remaining stores is pulling out of Slidell’s fading North Shore Square mall

SLIDELL, Louisiana (WVUE) – Conn’s HomePlus at the North Shore Square shopping center in Slidell is offering items up to 60 percent off during its clearance sale.

The nationwide retailer recently filed for bankruptcy and is closing all of its stores.

For neighbors in the area, this means there is one less store in the shopping center, which has been almost closed for years.

“It’s sad. As an older man, I remember shopping malls being very different for my generation,” said David Manning.

Manning says he used to take his kids to the arcade during the mall’s heyday, and he misses the shopping trips and retailers that made visiting North Shore Square special.

“Those were some of her fondest memories of her childhood,” he said.

With Conn’s soon pulling out of the mall, the only anchor stores left will be AtHome and Dillard’s. The interior of the mall is also currently closed.

“I used to drive from Covington to Slidell to shop, and it has definitely changed,” said Mike Cooper, president of St. Tammany Parish.

Cooper says he has been working for years with Slidell management, the St. Tammany Corporation and Morguard, the mall’s owners, in hopes of breathing new life into the property, which is located between I-12 and Northshore Boulevard.

“I don’t know of any concrete plans, but it’s in a great location, close to the hotels and the airport,” Cooper said.

Meanwhile, neighbors report that other parts of Slidell are experiencing an economic boom, such as Fremaux Town Center, just 15 minutes away.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t spend some time there myself,” Manning said.

And as other nearby malls remain competitive or add housing and a medical center, such as Clearview Mall in Metairie, Slidell neighbors want to see much of the same, too.

“If we make it look like some of the malls around here, it might be more attractive to get some stores to come back here,” Manning said.

Although North Shore Square is currently mostly closed and empty, community leaders say it is a place full of possibilities.

“It’s a very attractive property for investors planning mixed-use, corporate development and some retail projects,” Cooper said.

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