CRESTWOOD • A three-year-long experiment that temporarily turned Crestwood Court into a home for dance studios, theater groups and jewelry makers is soon coming to an end for many of these artists.
Most of the mall's 70 ArtSpace tenants were recently told they must vacate the premises by the end of February so the mall can go forward with soon-to-be unveiled redevelopment plans. But some of the arts groups will be able to stay put because they are being incorporated into the mall's makeover.
When Chicago-based Centrum Properties bought the struggling mall in 2008, it announced plans to partially tear it down and turn it into an open-air lifestyle center. In the meantime, Centrum began offering short-term, cheap rents to artists to help fill empty storefronts in what was considered by some to be a model of what to do with dying malls.
"It's a shame it can't continue," said Petree Eastman, Crestwood's city administrator. "They definitely have provided a nice place for people — almost like an incubator — to grow their own businesses. Hopefully some will now move on to more mainstream developments."
Surrounded by boxes and tape, Christine Dee spent Wednesday packing up the remnants of DEEsigns, a jewelry and metalsmithing shop she opened in Crestwood Court 2½ years ago.
It had been her lifelong dream to set up her own store. So when Crestwood Court rolled out the welcome mat to artists, she took the plunge. While she's sad to have to leave her large space, she noted that it didn't come as a surprise.
"They told us right from the get-go that it was a temporary thing," she said.
Dee already has a new spot in Kirkwood, but it's significantly smaller than her 1,375-square-foot space in Crestwood.
"I'm going to have to downsize," she said. "My new location is 388 square feet — and that includes the bathroom."
But some tenants are still scrambling to find new quarters.
"I'm now in the position where I'm getting season renewals, and I'm not sure where or if we're putting on our shows," said Greg Matzker, founder of Marble Stage Theater. "They aren't giving us a lot of time. The mall is forgetting they're not dealing with large corporations, but nonprofits without a lot of money."
The theater's final shows in Crestwood Court will be "Beauty and the Beast" and "Flip/Flop," a cabaret show. But he has no idea where the company will stage its April production — Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite." He is contacting local churches and dance studios.
Since moving into Crestwood Court, the theater company has expanded its season from two shows to 12. The cheap rent — $180 a month for its 3,000-square-foot, 49-seat venue — also allowed him to take artistic risks and keep ticket prices low.
"We were able to break even with most shows," he said. "But if we go from paying $180 a month to, say, $150 a week to rent a studio, well, one bad show could be disastrous for us."
Tony Stephens, the mall's manager, said about 17 of the ArtSpace tenants are being retained. He declined to say which ones or how they were chosen.
"It's been a very successful concept for us," he said. "That's why we're carrying it into the redevelopment."
The redevelopment plan will be presented to the Crestwood Board of Alderman early next year, Stephens said, but he declined to give details.
Centrum officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Eastman said the city has been given a general preview of the plans so far.
"It's not going to be predominantly retail," she said. "It's going to be primarily entertainment-based."
The mall, which first opened in 1957, has fallen on harder times as other retail developments have grown in prominence.
After losing both its Macy's and Dillard's department stores, a Sears is now its only remaining anchor. And that store's future could be in doubt, too, because Sears Holdings said this week that it would shutter 100 to 120 of its stores nationwide. But it hasn't released the list of stores to be closed.
Inside the mall, a handful of other national retailers remain, including Foot Locker and LensCrafters, as well as an AMC movie theater and a post office. But the food court is shuttered.
Some retailers who are not leaving said ArtSpace helped bring foot traffic to the mall but didn't help drive their sales.
"It has not helped at all," said Rick Hornbuckle of Affton, owner of LynnLight Photography. So he said their departure in February will have no effect on his business, which does wedding photography and high school senior portraits.
Most of the ArtSpace tenants, which are scattered throughout the massive mall, were usually open for limited hours. On Wednesday, more than half of them were closed, with chains pulled down and signs posted telling customers to call for appointments or listing new addresses.
Around midday, mall walkers outnumbered shoppers.
Hip-hop instructor Nicholas Gates is moving his school, Hip Hop Foundation Fanatics, to just east of Crestwood Court near Watson and Grant roads. He can now afford to pay a commercial rent after building up his clientele at the mall, he said. He often kept his curtains wide open during class so mall walkers and others could watch.
"Within a month, I tripled my student body," he said. "I'm really sad ArtSpace is closing. I'm proof of what a young up-and-coming artist can do if they just get a little support."
