The Bangor Mall Just Can’t Catch A Break. Now Part Of It’s Condemned

Our poor old mall just can't catch a break

It's not just us. Malls all over the country are experiencing the same sort of problem ours is. With the age of Amazon, people don't see the mall as the shopping mecca they did 30-40 years ago. Heck, even 15 years ago. But it seems our own mall, in particular, seems to have been hit hard with bad luck in recent years.

Don't get me wrong. There are still some awesome, thriving businesses that call the mall their home. And if you're a business that rents, there's a ton of parking, and likely a decent deal on monthly fees. But there's also the legendary road surrounding the mall, and despite the places that are thriving, it can seem almost ghostly in spots.

The bad luck's not getting immediately better

Just recently, according to the BDN, the section of the mall that once housed Sears Automotive, has now been condemned by the city of Bangor. This is mostly due to having no heat, and no working sprinkler system. But there's a little bit more to this story, as the person renting this section of the mall is allegedly no stranger to situations like this with the city.

The old Sears Automotive space was rented to Nathan Reardon. If that name sounds familiar, Reardon has tried with limited success to start other businesses around the area, but also known as one of the first people in the state to be brought up on federal charges for fraudulent PPP loans during the pandemic.

Reardon has tried several times to open a car dealership

In a few locations around Bangor, such as Odlin Road and Perry Road, Reardon has tried setting up a sales lot for cars. In each case, again according to the BDN, he has typically been denied for not having all his bases covered safety-wise. The old Sears Automotive location was the third attempt at such a business.

Additionally, the city informed Reardon that the space in the former Sears Automotive location was also not a spot he could legally set up to sell cars, delivering another blow to the space, other than just being condemned. In the past, he's typically either refused to do work that would bring spaces up to code, or he's applied for permits that violate the use of the space, such as in this case.

All in all, the city has had several experiences dealing with Reardon, and this was just another in that series. Who knows what will become of the old Sears Automotive spot at this point, but in the meantime, it looks like the mall's luck is taking another hit.

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