Cafaro: TJ Maxx here to stay; so is Sandusky Mall

SANDUSKY — TJ Maxx has committed to extend its lease Sandusky Mall, a move that will keep the popular discount clothing store at the mall for years to come, a top executive for the mall's owner says.Anthony M. Cafaro Jr., co-president of The Cafaro Co., also told the Register his company is actively seeking a new occupant for the former Sears space at the mall and that he hopes to have an announcement by spring or summer.Cafaro said he's confident the Sandusky Mall, which opened in 1976, has a bright future and will remain open for decades to come."Sandusky Mall, 40 plus years later, is and can be as viable and the day as it opened," he said.Certainly, some malls that have not been successful in reinventing themselves will fade, Cafaro said, citing Midway Mall in Elyria as a struggling mall with an uncertain future."But Sandusky Mall is a property that is not going to go away anytime soon," he said.The Register asked Cafaro about the contradictory reports concerning TJ Maxx. A developer had claimed that a new TJ Maxx store would be built near Home Depot, on U.S. 250 not far from Ohio 2, and that the store would move from the mall.Cafaro replied that he was aware of those reports, but said that only a few days ago, TJ Maxx committed to a new lease which will keep it at the mall."TJ Maxx, for the next few years, is not contemplating relocating outside of the mall," Cafaro said. "Their sales inside Sandusky Mall have continued to improve year after year. We're excited to have them continue."Cafaro said he could not discuss specifics of the lease but said it will keep TJ Maxx at the mall "for several years."A spokeswoman for TJ Maxx declined comment."Thanks again for reaching out, but we have nothing to add to your story," said spokeswoman Bethany Crocetti.Cafaro, 42, is a member of the third generation of a prominent Youngstown family. He started work in the family business at age 12, when he got a job working with the maintenance crew at Eastwood Mall, near Warren.He and his brother, William Cafaro, became co-presidents of The Cafaro Company in 2010. The company's website displays 13 enclosed shopping malls such as Sandusky Mall, and an additional 30 shopping centers such as Sandusky Pavilion (home of Target) and Perkins Plaza (where the new Kroger is located). The company owns properties not just in Ohio, but also in Iowa, Kentucky, Washington, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Michigan.Cafaro said his company has a good track record in finding replacement tenants in Sandusky Cafaro properties. A closed K Mart north of Sandusky Mall was replaced by a Target. The new, expanded Kroger grocery store upgraded the Cafaro Company's Perkins Plaza shopping center."Things don't happen overnight. It takes patience," he said. "We do believe there's the same type of opportunity with the Sears building."Cafaro remarked that for years, as U.S. 250 was developing a retail hub for the area, Sandusky Mall's spaces were all occupied and there was no room to bring in additional major retailers."Today, we have opportunities to re-energize the center," he said.Sears played a historic role in American shopping for generations of families, he remarked."But the reality is, today's consumer really doesn't care about Sears anymore," he said. "Seeing a retailer like Sears leave the market really is just an opportunity for us."Cafaro said he'd like to attract locally-owned businesses to the mall. It's a misconception that rents at the mall are too high, he said."We very much are looking for local, regional businesses," he said. Being with other businesses in a climate-controlled environment "really can help them take their business to the next level," he said.Sears closed in 2016 and Macy's closed in 2017.The closure of Macy's was a surprise, Cafaro said."Macy's actually continues to occupy that space on their lease, despite the fact that their store has closed," he said. Macy's the year before had extended the lease for additional years and had reported the store was profitable.Restaurants are increasingly important to enclosed malls such as Sandusky Mall, and there is room for better quality hotels in or near the mall, he said.It's quite possible that the mall will bring in professional offices and it might bring in a hotel, Cafaro said. Health care and professional offices are likely coming to U.S. 250 and to Sandusky Mall."The mall of the future, the mall of today, quite frankly, is not necessarily going to be 100 percent focused on shopping. It needs to be a community destination, it needs to be a destination where people go on a frequent basis, on a daily basis, not just once or twice a month for that shopping excursion," he said.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.TJ Maxx at the Sandusky Mall on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017.Anthony J. Cafaro Jr.