With the opening of the Marshalls clothing store in North Windham a week ago, some members of the business community believe the Windham Mall will prosper and bloom with the new addition.

Community Development Director Roger Timmons had just begun his career with the Windham municipal government when the Shop ‘n Save Supermarket was built in 1978 next to Route 302. Now Hannaford, the Windham Mall grew out of the side of the supermarket.

Timmons said the Marshalls store attracts female consumers to the mall.

“That’s given it new life, I’m sure,” he said.

The mall prospered in the 1980s. It featured stores such as Bookland, Skillin’s Greenhouse, Romard’s Hallmark Store and Welby Drug. All of these stores either went out of business or moved to other locations and Windham historian Kay Soldier said the mall developed a reputation for high turnover concerning its stores.

“At the time it opened it was unique,” she said.

In the mid-1990s, she said, the mall became a shell of its former self with many empty store sockets. In October of 1998 the Windham Mall was aquired by Redstone Investments based in Youngstown, Ohio. Redstone Investments owns a number of shopping centers throughout the country, including the Lewiston Mall and the Center for Shopping in Sanford.

Property Manager Bruce Tamarkin said the mall has been generating more revenue and attracting more businesses in recent years. He said a new roof was installed last year, and the mall has seen renovating and landscaping work.

“The Marshalls should do a tremendous job of revitalizing that center,” said Tamarkin. “Anytime you get a national retailer, it’s a great boost to the traffic and attracts other local and regional tenants.”

“I think it’s only going to have a positive impact,” said Jon Harris, manager of Autopart International, which sells car parts directly to local garages from a store located in the back of the mall.

Not everyone thinks mall tenants will prosper because of the Marshalls opening. Louis Pantano, assistant manager of Five Star Cinema, said he doesn’t think the Marshalls will help stores inside the mall since Marshalls is not connected internally to the other stores.

“I would imagine foot traffic to the inside of the mall will not increase,” he said, saying that the only entrance to Marshalls is on the outside of the mall and he believes customers will not have any reason to come inside.

The Card$mart greeting card store was moved to make room for the Marshalls. The indoor entrance from Hannaford no longer exists and the hallway in the back of the mall has been severely narrowed.

Ken Faut, assistant manager of Rent-A-Center said his store was moved to a larger opening and the Card$mart will open in its former spot. He said business has boomed in the past five weeks in the bigger location and that empty store slots in the mall are being filled.

“This is the greatest capacity since I’ve been here,” he said.

“I definitely see the mall becoming busy again,” said Mark Barnett, manager of the Music Maniac store that sells instruments and equipment.

Steve Farnham, store manager of Big Lots discount goods store, said the Marshall’s store is good for the Windham Mall.

“It’s making sales better for everybody. It’s better for the customer and it’s better for us,” he said.