The planned redevelopment of Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach is leaving small businesses scrambling to find new storefronts during a busy holiday shopping season.

Mall owner Pembroke Realty Group is closing the mall interior as part of a planned $200 million redevelopment effort announced Nov. 16. Kohl’s, Target and other large retailers might not be going anywhere, but smaller indoor shops at the mall will have to move or close by Jan. 31, the real estate firm said.

The family-owned company is doing what it can to help businesses find other locations while the redevelopment takes place, Mary Stott, vice president of marketing, said.

“We are definitely working with our tenants,” Stott said.

Most of the national chains with outside-facing entrances on the mall property will not be affected, including: Old Navy, J. Crew Factory, Bahama Breeze, Kohl’s, American Red Cross, Target, Rack Room Shoes, The Fresh Market, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Nordstrom Rack, Coastal Edge and Latitude Climbing and Fitness.

The news came at a bad time for a longtime game and hobby store at the mall.

Chris Sizemore and his family have operated Bit of England Dart and Game Shoppe for more than four decades. About halfway through November, mall management told them they would have to move out by Dec. 31, leaving them with just weeks to clear out in what is traditionally the most important time of the year for sales, Sizemore said.

“We live for this time,” he said.

Sizemore said he was frustrated that the mall did not inform tenants about the changes sooner. Even though the store has found a new home in the Pembroke-owned Timberlake Shopping Center near Mount Trashmore, it won’t be able to move in until Jan. 21. The delay will cost the store three weeks of revenue, he said.

Pembroke Mall tenant and eye doctor Nathan Bond has operated his practice, EyeCare Optometry, since 1994. His business will be staying at the mall, moving to a location next to Latitude, a rock climbing and fitness center.

Bond said mall foot traffic has been declining for years, so he wasn’t surprised that the owners were redeveloping and pivoting away from a purely retail space. He noted that even eye doctors have suffered as more people choose to buy their frames and contacts online.

“Everybody has switched to an online situation,” Bond said.

Malls across Hampton Roads have been hurt by the rise of online shopping for years as department stores close or leave the area. Mall owners, too, are turning away from retail.

The city of Norfolk purchased Military Circle mall in 2020 and is weighing three multiuse redevelopment proposals, including two that would construct arenas on the property. The owners of Chesapeake Square mall told the Pilot in 2019 that they were plotting property improvements with dining and entertainment options to complement the Cinemark movie theater.

As part of Pembroke Mall’s redevelopment, the owners plan to construct a 156-unit senior living facility, a 329-unit apartment complex and a nationally known hotel to open in 2024.

The revamped mall will have some indoor retail space under the apartments, Stott said.

Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com