Latest news with #TownCenterMall
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Auction of Cobb County's Town Center Mall averted after owner pays outstanding property taxes
After paying off nearly $1 million in property taxes, Cobb County's Town Center Mall in Kennesaw won't be headed to auction. The county confirmed that the owners made good on what they owed. The mall would have gone on sale on the Cobb County Courthouse steps this Spring had they not paid. The mall experienced a power outage in January due to outstanding bills to Georgia Power. The owner, Kohan Retail Investment Group, which owns dozens of malls across the country, was also sued by a tenant following the power shut-off. The mall will now remain open since the debts have been cleared. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: UGA student's smiling mugshot breaks the internet 18-year-old shot, killed at Newton County park, shooter on the run Metro Atlanta activists react to Trump's repeal of segregated facilities ban in federal contracts [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business owner files civil lawsuit against Town Center Mall owner
A civil lawsuit has been filed in the Cobb County Superior Court against the owner of Town Center at Cobb and some of his other companies. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Attorney Mitch Skandalakis who filed the lawsuit, represents the plaintiff Starrcade, an arcade that rents spaces in the mall. 'Where's all this money going these tenants are paying? He's doing something with these funds and not paying the utilities,' said Attorney Skandalakis. The lawsuit was filed weeks after business owners and customers showed up at Town Center Mall only to be turned away. While anchor stores remained open, other access points to the mall were prohibited. The doors were locked as signs indicated a temporary closure due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. Georgia Power told Channel 2 Action News it tried to work with the owner numerous times and issued several warnings about the highly delinquent bill. The owner eventually paid up, after power was disconnected. 'Apparently this money is being diverted. It's being stolen by Kohan. This is inexcusable. There's something going on here and he needs to be held accountable for it,' said Attorney Skandalakis. Skandalakis says his client Starrcade paid everything the business was supposed to regarding rent and utilities. 'I can tell you he has paid on a monthly basis, and he is current on all of his payments,' said Attorney Skandalakis. RELATED STORIES: Town Center at Cobb closed after Georgia Power says mall owners haven't paid bills Business continues at Town Center Mall despite struggles to stay afloat Lights back on at Town Center at Cobb after power bill dispute Store owner hires lawyer to investigate Town Center at Cobb mall owner Despite that Shane Starrs business was one of numerous others that were temporarily left in the dark, because power was restored. In the lawsuit, Mike Kohan and some of the other companies he owns are accused of doing the same thing to tenants of other malls in other parts of the country. Skandalakis said he hopes to get more answers about Kohan's financial decisions through discovery. 'Through what's called discovery we will be able to access his books and his records that's where the rubber meets the road. It's going to show where this money is going to,' said Attorney Skandalakis. The lawsuit states Kohan Investment is not licensed to do business in the state of Georgia. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The lawsuit alleges the conduct of Kohan and some of his other companies constitutes a pattern of racketeering activity under the Georgia RICO Act. 'You need basically two predicate acts to be subject to RICO and each time there is a power bill that is diverted to Kohan or wherever else it is a violation of civil RICO,' said Attorney Skandalakis. When asked what Attorney Skandalakis' client is hoping to get out of the lawsuit, he told Channel 2 Action News Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell, 'First of all we want to have a receiver appointed. Someone else (was) appointed by a judge to run this mall. We want him out of the picture, we want an accounting, and we want damages. These tenants are entitled to damages for this type of behavior because this guy's screwing with their livelihood,' said Skandalakis. Before Kohan backed out of two scheduled interviews, he told Newell over the phone that he wasn't sure why the electric bill got so high and said he was looking into that. He said he is current on his water bill and plans to appeal back taxes on the property.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Our View: Too long for Dawson
We are glad the City of Ashland is taking quick action on the repair of Dawson swimming pool. Not many communities have municipal swimming pools. Ashland, Flatwoods and Kenova do have municipal pools. One can look at Google Earth of our area and find home swimming pools dotted throughout the community. Not every family can afford to have a swimming pool in their back yard. We can recall the glory days of Southside swimming pool in Ashland. After its closure in the early 1990s, that left Ashland with just one municipal swimming pool. Dawson Pool is located off Central Avenue near the Ashland Town Center Mall. The pool did not open in 2024. Despite promises from city officials it would open later in the summer, it never did. At the last city commission meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Sean Murray gave an update on progress of pool repairs. Right now is the time to be working on a municipal swimming pool. Murray indicated the majority of the repairs have been concluded. He anticipates an on-time opening Memorial Day weekend. We realize this is right in the middle of winter. Most of our minds are not focused on swimming. Too many area residents don't have access to swimming for recreational purposes. In 2024, Ashlanders wanting to use the pool had to meet at the pool and take a city bus to the Flatwoods municipal pool. Ashland has been working on consolidating expenses. In Washington, they have Department of Government Efficiency, aka DOGE. It is led by non-elected officials. Ashland is taking a different approach with elected officials and newly appointed city manager, Tony Grubb. One of the items that recently caught our eye Is an elimination of a $300,000 IT contract. Grubb, working with city department heads, determined it would be more cost-efficient to have some of the police officers and a firefighter perform this task. Those departments have personnel trained in IT. We realize that that's not necessarily the role of a police or fire department. At any rate, saving $300,000 is an efficiency. This is the kind of thinking local governments need in today's world. Soon to disappear will be Covid funding, and the infrastructure funding from a federal program.
