The RoomPlace plans to close its Northwoods Mall location and seven other locations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The corporate offices announced the closures to RoomPlace employees in a conference call on Friday, according to Northwoods Mall general manager Julie Revallo.
Revallo said the announcement took her by surprise.
“That store does a great amount of business. It’s just that they are basing most of their sales now concentrating on their Chicago stores,” Revallo said.
While employees and mall management are aware of the closure, Revallo said there is no official paperwork filed to end the original 10-year lease agreement with The RoomPlace.
“I just heard about it from a Peoria Journal Star reporter who called me at 5:30 p.m. on Friday,” she said, ”That was the first I’d heard about it.”
Northwoods Mall management plans to reach out to The RoomPlace to renegotiate lease terms. The closure of the furniture store would leave JCPenney as the only remaining anchor store at the Northwoods Mall. Round1 closed last year, and the former Sears has been vacant for several years.
Despite the closures, Revallo said she is confident the mall will continue to fill vacancies with new businesses.
“We still have 39 national tenants and twice as many local tenants,” she said. “We only have three open spots right now.”
The RoomPlace opened its Peoria location in 2018. It's unclear when the Peoria store may close. Eighteen Chicago-area stores are set to remain open.
