Lincoln Mall Owner Promises Repairs, Cash

Lincoln Mall owner Mike Kohan promised Wednesday to wire $100,000 to the Village of Matteson and offer up a mall renovation plan in compliance with last week's court orders, reports the Sun-Times Media.

The Village of Matteson recently sued the owner of the facility for more than 25 building, safety and fire violations. On Aug. 8, Judge Thomas J. Condon issued Kohan a week-long deadline to either submit a mall restoration plan and deposit $100,000 into an escrow account or face immediate closure.

“I owned it about a year, and I will do whatever is in my power to keep the tenants happy,” Kohan told the Sun-Times Media.

Village manager Brian Mitchell told the Sun-Times Media he believes Kohan will stay true to his word. His track record, however, gives reason for concern. Kohan also owns malls in Northwood, Ohio, Florissant, Mo. and Effingham, Ill. All three have had issues with unpaid bills, and Woodville Mall in Northwood has been closed since 2011 due to code violations.

“It’s not because I bought it that it happened,” Kohan said about Woodville's closure. “Anybody who bought that would have done worse than I did.”

You can read more on the Sun-Times Media's website.