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More tenants leave mall

The Schuylkill Mall is losing more tenants.

MasterCuts and Rebekah's Creations have announced they will close at the mall. A sign on the outside of MasterCuts on Wednesday said, "Sadly our time at the Schuylkill Mall has come to an end. Our last day of business (will) be Sunday, April 30. Some of our stylists will be relocating in different salons. Thank you so much for your loyal business throughout the years."Dianna Schoch, manager, said the sign was posted Wednesday, when they found out they would be closing. The four employees will have jobs at other locations, she said. She estimated the store has been at the mall for 15 years. The business will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m."Thanks for all the loyal business. We're sad to go," Schoch said.A sign at Rebekah's Creations said there is a clearance sale of items 20 to 50 percent off. Rebekah Hall, owner, said in a Facebook post Wednesday, "Dear Friends, I am sorry to announce that I have to close my shop. Starting today everything in my shop is 20 to 50 percent off. Thank you so much for your patronage. I do hope that sometime soon I will be able to reopen somewhere. I will continue to build my website, my Etsy shop is still open, and I am looking for events to set up. I want to keep providing you with the great products you know and love. I just can't stay where I am now. I hope you stop in and help me clear my shelves."Reached by phone Thursday, Hall said the store will likely close by May 14, after opening December 2015. To contact Hall for her merchandise, call 570-581-1832. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. until the store closes or all merchandise is sold."It's not the mall's fault. Every time an article is run, people think the mall is closed," she said.Foot traffic has decreased significantly to the point it has been difficult for her to meet her financial obligations. Closures of stores at the mall make it difficult for the mall to survive."It's just chipping away at the life force that has kept this mall open," she said.If the mall does eventually close, it will be a loss to the community."This mall is a staple for a lot of people in Schuylkill County. It's going to hurt when it's gone," Hall said.The stores are the latest to announce they are closing. The Bon-Ton closed Tuesday after announcing last month it would close at the mall. The department store had been at the mall since 1983. The letters were removed from the front of the store entrance in the mall this week.Gertrude Hawk Chocolates also closed earlier this month. The lettering is also off the front of the store. The Frackville Discount Grocery also appears to be closed. It opened Feb. 2, 2016.NP New Castle LLC, Riverside, Missouri, purchased the mall for $2.1 million earlier this year. The mall was up for bankruptcy auction in January.Calls to NorthPoint were not returned Thursday.Numerous stores have left the mall this year, including Totally Twisted Pretzels, the Shoe Dept., Arby's, and This and That. FYE started a liquidation sale but has not closed yet. An employee said Wednesday they have not been notified if they are closing. The manager of Brackney Leather said Thursday the store remains open."We are not planning on going anywhere," Rob Williams said.Mike Masser, an owner of Benigna's Creek, which has a store at the mall, said the store will remain open as of now. He is on a month-to-month lease like the other tenants. He said they waiting to see what the owner of the mall is going to do with it."I'm not real optimistic that they're going to keep the mall open," he said Friday.John Sylaj, owner of the Suglia's Pizzeria & Restaurant at the mall, said he does not know how much longer the mall will be open."We're trying to stay here as much as we can," he said Friday.The Bath & Body Works and Victoria Secret stores will remain open, an L Brands representative said in an email.Gabby Hopkins, assistant manager of Pearl Theatre Stadium 8, said Friday the theater has no plans of going anywhere."The only way we are moving is if they (the owner of the mall) kick us out," Hopkins said, adding they will fight to stay at the mall.The theater will remain open for business. If they do leave, Hopkins said, they will stay in Schuylkill County. She said the owner of the mall has not talked to the tenants recently about the plans for the mall.Employees at Passion Nails & Spa, Dunham's and the AT&T store said Friday there are no plans to close.