JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In the midst of summer in Florida, Regency Square Mall businesses are feeling the heat. A power outage by a lightning strike hit the mall earlier this month and some of the damage has yet to be fixed. Employees say it's just too hot to work.
"At one point, it was over 90 degrees with the ovens going on," First Coast Cookies Owner Michelle Rhodes said.
For nearly two weeks, the lights at First Coast Cookies at Regency Square Mall have been off. A sign on the counter tells customers it's closed until the air conditioning returns.
"I brought in some portable AC units for my staff, and it was just still too hot. We just couldn't work," Rhodes said.
Bath and Body Works also closed its doors because of the temperatures in the mall. First Coast Cookies Owner Michelle Rhodes says on top of the rising temperatures she's also lost thousands of dollars in food caused by the power outage.
"We had to throw away all of our batter. We make everything fresh. We weren't informed for a couple days about it so therefore, everything just perished," Rhodes said.
A representative of Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group confirmed a lightning strike hit the mall causing a power outage earlier this month. This damaged a few of the air handlers that serve the mall's public spaces. One of the air handlers is undergoing repairs while others are expected to be back up and running within the next week.
In a statement, the representative said:
"Earlier this month, a thunderstorm struck Regency Square Mall, resulting in a power outage caused by a lightning strike. Consequently, a few of the air handlers that serve the mall's public spaces were damaged and rendered nonfunctional. One of those air handlers is undergoing repairs today, while the others are in the process of obtaining repair quotes and are expected to be fully operational again within the next week. The mall's chiller, which supports the functionality of each tenant's air handler, is fully operational. Each tenant is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the air handler that serves their respective space. Management has been in regular communication with tenants since the storm and has advised on the steps to take if their individual units are not fully operational in the meantime.”
The temperature inside Mandarin Kitchen reached 99 degrees Thursday. For years, First Coast News has reported on issues inside Regency Square Mall including an air conditioning outage in 2019. The mall's structure has also deteriorated with empty stores, mold, and water leaks.
"The traffic at the mall has died. More and more stores closed. It's been really exhausting. It just looks like a really hazardous area," Rhodes said.
Rhodes says in the meantime, she chose to relocate her staff to the San Jose location but says other businesses have no choice but to stay open in the mall.
"I'm thankful for this second location, but if I didn't have this, I wouldn't be able to stay afloat," Rhodes said.
Rhodes says she spoke to the mall's management Thursday and says the mall is waiting for corporate approval for repairs.
First Coast News reached out to the mall's management to ask about plans to repair the mall's roof and mold issues and in a statement it said:
“We are working swiftly to repair the roof as it sustained additional damage from the most recent storm. We are currently in the process of gathering bids to initiate the restoration to its optimal condition. Upon the roof's complete repair, we will promptly address any interior damages."
