Southern Illinois city to buy vacant outlet mall

  WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. (AP) - A southern Illinois city plans to buy a dormant outlet mall in hopes of spurring redevelopment along a highway interchange. West Frankfort elected leaders have approved a $1.8 million purchase of a former Factory Stores of America site and surrounding property near the city's Interstate 57 exit ramp. The city's contract for the 20-acre purchase from a Fresno, California, developer provides for a 60-day review period before the deal is final. City commissioner Tara Fasol-Chambers calls the purchase an "economic development dream come true." The 91,000-square-foot mall was built in 1990 but has been largely vacant for the past decade.