Sikes Senter tenants left to keep business alive while city officials reshape the mall without them

Malls have slowly been becoming a thing of the past as shoppers look for more convenient means of consumerism. In Wichita Falls, this outlook has made city officials act in an attempt to be proactive instead of reactive. Earlier this year, they were intending to purchase the Sikes Senter shopping mall. The goal is to convert it into something that brings more traffic to the area.

However, this decision didn’t come without its share of controversy. Many in the Wichita Falls community stood on one of two sides: either this was a long time coming, or disappointed the situation has gotten to this point. No matter what side of the fence you’re on, officials with the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce believe this investment will greatly benefit the entire community.

Throughout this conversation, many in the community have shared concerns over what is going to happen to the mall’s current tenants. A handful of local business owners decided to invest in a storefront within Sikes Senter, such as Withershins Menagerie and the Nexus Game Lounge. 

Before the official sale, Dark Roast’s Seth Marsicano sat down with Vickie Pratt and Moriah Williams, two Chamber of Commerce Partners, to learn more about the discussion behind the idea. Williams is also the CEO of Forward Wichita Falls, the organization that was hired by the city to manage the mall. 

“It starts with getting control of the property,” Pratt stated.

That $26 million purchase officially took place on Oct. 15. The previous owner of the facility, Summit Properties USA, oversees 26 different malls across the country, according to their website. During the conversation, Pratt said it became apparent after previous conversations with city officials that Summit Properties had no intention of making improvements to the building. The mall sits on a piece of land over 50 acres—  most of the space is empty.

When the sale was first announced, a main point of tension was that none of the tenants in the mall were notified. 

“We were shocked. Like many of the small businesses in the mall, we first heard about the sale through news reports and word of mouth, not directly from the city or mall management,” said Amy Walker, one of the owners of Withershins. “It was jarring to realize such a big decision had been made without any prior conversations with the businesses that call this space home, nor the community, for a public vote.”

This made many in the community, especially the business owners, feel as though their efforts went unnoticed and unappreciated. Dark Roast asked Chamber officials about this, and in response, Pratt said the responsibility was on Summit. Either way, the situation has left tenants with their backs against the wall as they try to keep their businesses alive in this next chapter.

Fortunately, chamber officials said no leases will be terminated. However, all of the money and time invested is seemingly going to waste. Pratt said there have been unofficial conversations with a few of the businesses about potential help for relocating, but owners say they haven’t been meaningful.

“We’ve received no formal relocation assistance offers, timelines, or guidance from city officials,” Walker stated. “However, Ron Kitchens did advise that the city and chamber are in talks for incentives, but he is unsure what they'll be and that they may be a year out before offering them. For businesses like ours, that uncertainty has been one of the hardest parts — trying to plan for staff, inventory, and customers without knowing when or how we’ll be asked to leave.”

For Jason Chapman, the owner of Nexus Game Lounge, he’s seen even less than that. 

“As someone who has invested significant time, energy, and resources into bringing business and jobs to Wichita Falls, this situation has been disheartening,” Chapman stated. “The silence and lack of engagement from city leadership and the Chamber have left us feeling invalidated and dismissed. It’s discouraging to see so little outreach toward businesses that have worked hard to build something positive in this community.”

After seeing the success the Nexus Game Lounge brought in, they opened up a second suite for more space and food called the NX Pub and Grill. For tenants like Chapman, they were seeing the return on their investment in this building, enough that allowed them to start opening a location in a mall in Denton. Meanwhile, the situation in Wichita Falls is making this location’s future uncertain.

“Managing the potential relocation or closure of our Wichita Falls store while launching a new store introduces serious financial risk for our company,” Chapman stated.

Just the discussions around the sale of the mall have decreased foot traffic in an “already struggling retail environment”, according to Chapman. Looking ahead, both businesses are determined to survive. The owners of Withershins are looking to move to a brick-and-mortar location in the downtown area. 

“We see this as a chance to not just survive the disruption, but to grow, becoming part of a downtown that we hope will be thriving, not displaced. Revitalization for downtown has to happen, and we're willing and driven to be a part of it,” Walker explained.

As for Chapman, finding a space large enough to accommodate the experience they provide in Sikes Senter has been deemed difficult.

"We intend to remain in Wichita Falls if at all possible and are actively searching for a new location within the city,” Chapman said. “The lack of support from local institutions has forced us to also consider opportunities elsewhere.”

The concept of malls dying isn’t anything new or inconsiderable, and many people agree that action needs to be taken with Sikes Senter. They also believe it’s equally important to take care of the people who invest. These two entities aren’t the only ones being affected by this sale, either. City officials have big ideas for what to do with the space, but nothing is yet set in stone. Major changes aren’t expected to happen until 2027. Moving forward with the uncertainty, it’s important for the community to invest in these businesses that have invested in the community if they hope for longevity.