Temple Mall Closure Affects Small Businesses [Video]

TEMPLE, Texas — The City of Temple has officially closed the Temple Mall after the property owners failed to fix fire code violations by Friday’s deadline. This decision has left many small business owners and their employees grappling with uncertainty as they face temporary closures.

Celeste Coleman, owner of “The Fae’s Bounty,” has been a part of the mall community for 15 years. When the closure was announced, she prepared to open her first store in just a few weeks.

“Because of that, you see a lot of the smaller people that want to come in and open here and be part of what kind of seems like a close-knit family,” said Coleman. “So it’s, it’s just, I don’t know, I’d hate to see some of these people leave.” 

Rob Brandenburg, who operates …