The Upper Valley Mall, which closed on June 16 after decades of business, currently lies in the hands of the Clark County Land Bank until ownership is transferred to the developer, Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP). ICP purchased the property earlier this month and plans to turn the former mall into a business park. The exact time frame of the ownership transfer is not currently set.
The Clark County Land Bank, a nonprofit community improvement organization, has given the Heritage Center full reign to take whatever materials they want to memorialize the history of Clark County, according to Ethan Harris, director of the Clark County Land Bank.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
“For us, it was important to document the significance that the mall has played in our community for the past 50 years,” Harris said.
The Heritage Center could decide to take any items that may be important to memorialize the mall including items like benches or displays. However, Harris says one of the bigger areas of interest was the Charlie Brown peanut characters’ Christmas displays.
According to Executive Director of the Clark County Historical Society Roger Sherock, they intend to display the peanut characters around the holidays.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
“We feel it’s very important [to preserve]. It’s what we are here for. It’s our mission: collect, preserve, interpret.”
If not for the Heritage Center, these materials would either be sold or transferred with the property to the new owners, according to Harris.
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