Life at Mall del Norte ...

Mall del Norte general manager Ken Beckmann said small business entrepreneurs are taking advantage of retail opportunities at the mall.
Beckmann and assistant general manager Margie Joachim were on hand to talk about retail business and Mall del Norte's ability to hold up during the recession Tuesday at the Kiwanis Club meeting at Holiday Inn Civic Center.
"Looking at the fourth quarter, we're not even in a position to predict what might happen," Beckmann said. "It will depend on how strong the peso will get, plus the U.S. economy and how successful the 'Cash for Clunkers' program ended up being."
Beckmann said the mall needs to remain flexible and look at a long-term strategy.
When asked if Mall del Norte can gauge how successful it has been in luring Mexican shoppers through its doors, Beckmann said it wasn't quantifiable.
"Mexican shoppers make up 50-60 percent of our traffic, but that number has been declining" Joachim said.
Beckmann has been in his role for CBL & Associates Properties for six months, so he's still learning the lay of the land (so to speak) around Laredo and in the border region.
"My No. 1 job is to find retailers to come into the mall," Beckmann said. "Looking at the demographics, it shows the city wouldn't support many retail stores. Then we show prospective retailers the Mexican market and how it can help keep their doors open."
Beckmann did say his biggest challenge so far has been trying to fill Circuit City's vacant store space.
Mall del Norte has more than 1 million square feet of space for retailers of all shapes and sizes. JC Penney recently spent a lot of money sprucing up its store and adding some additional pieces.
It's no secret retailers are holding off and waiting to see what happens in the U.S. economy, when to move and how much it will cost.
Beckmann is looking forward to having more retailers be a part of Mall del Norte.
Laredo is looking forward to just having more businesses -- retail or not -- make their home here.

-- Joe Rutland