DICKSON CITY -- If you were looking to cool off at the Viewmont Mall in Lackawanna County. You likely noticed a number of shuttered store fronts inside.
But officials say, that's actually a good thing, all part of a strategy to add a restaurant and two new stores.
The outside of the Viewmont Mall's food court has been under construction since late last year and now several changing storefronts inside the mall are creating even more speculation.
Tuesday, mall officials clarified it all for Newswatch 16. The work on the food court be a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and there are other plans for inside the mall.
Mall-goers aren't the only ones who may have been put off by the amount of stores shuttered or under construction at the Viewmont Mall in Scranton.
The swirling speculation has even long-time employees like Jean Bomersheim wondering too.
"I mean, it's a big change, it's a dramatic change and what's it going to do for the mall and what's it going to do for us as mall employees?" Bomersheim said.
The mall's food court has been under construction for several months. And at the start of this spring, long-time stores have displayed signs saying they're moving to another part of the mall.
All of the moving and changing inside the mall is going to leave two big open spots where Express and The Limited are now. One of those spots is filled the other is not.
Women's clothing store Forever 21 will fill the spot Express and Bath and Body Works are in now. The re-vamped food court will be home to a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant this fall.
Mall officials said since the lease isn't signed, the second new retailer won't be announced until later this year.
Mall employees like Bomersheim said they'll put up with the speculation now as long as the changes bring more patrons.
"Hopefully it will bring in more people for everybody not just us. But we're hoping, we're looking forward to the future like everyone else in the mall and we'll see what happens from there," she said.
Buffalo Wild Wings and Forever 21 are set to open this fall. The stores that are moving to make room are scheduled to reopen in time for the back to school shopping season.
No word on when mall officials will announce which retailer will fill the open storefront.