Town & Country Village Going Through Tough Changes

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's an iconic shopping center, but Town & Country Village is losing cash, customers and business.

There are plans in the works for a major renovation, but some longtime tenants fear they could be left behind.

From the shop owners CBS13 spoke tom, the big domino to fall was William Glen. It was the biggest store here for 47 years, but it closed in 2010. And now, many of the other stores here will follow.

After 25 years at Town & Country Village, gallery shop owner Helen Jones was given just over three months to leave.

"We need to vacate by March 31," she said. "It's kind of overwhelming because I would have liked a little more time. I have a lot of inventory."

Helen was told by management that the state's oldest shopping mall is undergoing some changes, which she thinks means some of it will be torn down — the end of an era in Sacramento that dates back to 1947.

"Personal attention, personal convenience, and it's local."

That's what shoppers here say they will miss if major changes take place, and big box stores replace the boutiques.

Mark Snyder will lose a piece of his childhood, his father opened William Glen in 1963. It was replaced by Goore's and soon after that went out of business.

"It's an icon for Sacramento, it was The Fountains of Sacramento," he said. "It's definitely a shame."

Mark has opened his own shop in Old Sac.

Stephanie Nishikawa moved her paper shop out of Town and Country after William Glenn moved out.

"We knew we had to do something and we had the opportunity to come to The Pavilions (in Roseville). There was a space open and we took it."

CBS13 wanted to find out exactly what the plans are at Town & Country, but the owners of the mall have not returned our calls.