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Samantha Hayes reportingA major clothing retailer may be leaving another "Gap" in Crossroads Plaza Mall.
Mall managers say the Gap has not renewed its lease and the current one ends next month.
The Gap is one of the most visible stores at Crossroads, with window displays along Main Street where shoppers walk between the two downtown malls. Gap employees are saying they were just recently informed that Gap, Gap Kids and Baby Gap will close in Crossroads mall the day after Christmas.
The dictionary defines "gap" as a break or opening, an empty space or interval.
For Crossroads Plaza Mall, it could be a gaping gap in square footage...if employee reports that the corporate retailer is pulling out, are true. Chamber of Commerce Director Lane Beattie expects both downtown malls to go through growing pains while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints begins hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovation.
Lane Beattie, Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce: THERE WILL BE SOME WHO WILL MOVE, WHOSE LEASES AND THEY ARE WAITING TO NEGOTIATE AND LIKE IT OR NOT THESE ARE THE BIG BOYS AND THEY KNOW HOW TO NEGOTIATE."
SAMANTHA HAYES/EYEWITNESS NEWS: "CROSSROADS MALL MANAGERS DECLINED AN ON CAMERA INTERVIEW, BUT THEY DID TELL US THAT THE LEASE FOR THE THREE GAP STORES NEEDS TO BE RESIGNED BY NEXT WEEK. THEY SAY SO FAR, THEY HAVEN'T HEARD FROM GAP."
Lane Beattie, Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce: " EVEN SOME WHO HAVE PULLED OUT I ANTICIPATE WILL COME BACK."
But for corporate retailers it all gets down to the amount of money each store is making- Nordstrom didn't sign another lease because its Crossroads store was at the bottom of its earning's list.
In the immediate area, Gap also has stores at Gateway and Trolley Square.
This past July, the Gap-owned Old Navy store, also on Main Street, was closed due to underperformance.
Lane Beattie, Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce: "THE NUMBERS FOR OTHERS THAT WOULD MOVE OUT WOULD NOT HAVE IMPACTS ON THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, WHICH IS ALSO VERY POSITIVE."
Positive enough for today's business section of the Salt Lake Tribune...where both Crossroads and ZCMI "forecast a 3 percent rise in holiday sales over last year."
Because of the Thanksgiving Holiday, Gap media relations say they can't confirm the closing until next week.
