Lights out again at The Westwood Mall in Marquette Township due to unpaid bill - WLUC
Lights out again at The Westwood Mall in Marquette Township due to unpaid bill
MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - Electricity has been shut off and inside businesses are closed at The Westwood Mall in Marquette Township Wednesday, according to business representatives.
Business owners inside the mall told TV6 the outage is once again the result of the property owner, Michael Kohan and his business Kohan Retail Investment Group (KRIG), not paying the electric bill. Businesses said the Marquette Board of Light and Power (MBLP) gave them notice Tuesday about the outage. Lights went off Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
This is the second time in three months that businesses inside the mall have gone without power due to an unpaid bill. Power was shut off March 27 and remained off for nearly six full days for the same reason. Another outage at the end of April was very nearly avoided when a payment was made last-minute.
Business owners in the mall made it clear the last time power was cut that it was not the fault of property management, but rather the owner, Kohan and his company KRIG.
The Westwood Mall was sold to Kohan in 2019. Kohan owns 52 mall sites around the country and his website claims to invest in local communities by purchasing shopping centers and working to revitalize them.
However, more is owed than just an electric bill. The Marquette County Treasurer told TV6 Wednesday the property still faces potential foreclosure if outstanding taxes totaling $265,987 owed by Westwood Mall Realty Holding are not paid by March 31, 2025.
Mall business owners said the BLP did not give them a timeline for how long the power would be shut off. Rather, they said it was dependent on when the owner pays the bill. TV6 has contacted the BLP to see if the bill remains unpaid as of 1:30 Wednesday afternoon and if a payment plan has been made.
The spaces in which Dunham’s Sports, North Iron Church, and Kohl’s operate are not under Kohan’s ownership. Their power remains on and doors open.
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