Sunrise Mall's interior is now closed to the public.

A note on the mall doors states "Mall interior closed" and the doors are locked.

Property manager Rebecca Peralez said there are no immediate future plans for the mall, but it has been for sale for about six months.

The mall's interior was closed in March, but it didn't gain wider notice until a post on Facebook this weekend mentioned the closure. Several businesses had closed or moved to other locations in the months leading up to the mall's shuttering.

More:What happens to Sunrise Mall if Corpus Christi's Sears closes?

Ben Molina, who represents the district Sunrise Mall is in on City Council, said he hopes the next owner is able to take advantage of the mall's great location.

"In any industry you have to be willing to adapt and change and not be afraid of change if you want to be successful," the councilman said.

Molina noted that the mall is a source of great memories for many in the community.

"To see it in its current state is disappointing — knowing that what it was and what it could be," he said.

Peralez has been the property manager for about three years. She referred further questions to the owner Tom Morris, who stated in an email he would not comment to the Caller-Times about the mall's future.

The mall — built in 1980 — was open nearly 40 years.

Sunrise Mall's remaining stores are Sears, Planet Fitness, Freedom Fitness, Wilcox Furniture and Burlington Coat Factory. It's unclear how those businesses are affected, but they are located on the outskirts of the mall and have their own entrances and exits.

New Life Church and a Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend office are also located on the outskirts of the mall.

Workforce Solutions opened its Sunrise Career Center at the mall in July 2007. The space is owned by mall officials, and the agency has two and half years left on its lease.

"Business is as usual for us," said Monika De La Garza, agency public relations manager. "It's one of the larger career centers and stays busy."

Sunrise Mall went into bankruptcy in 2011. Sunrise Corpus Christi LLC took over the deed for the mall from Premier Tierra Holdings, Inc. in November 2016, according to the Nueces County Appraisal District.

Kathryn Cargo follows business openings and developments while reporting on impacts of the city government’s decisions.Help support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Caller-Times

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