MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — The Marshalltown Mall has now been without power for ten consecutive days, after Alliant Energy cut electricity to the complex on Nov. 3 for non-payment of bills dating back to last winter.

City business leaders say mall businesses have been left in a terrible position and are looking for other options.

“We’ve met with 14 of the 16 businesses,” said Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce President John Hall, “and at least six are actively looking to move or have moved.”

Hall says while the owner of the mall—the Marshalltown Development Group LLC in Great Neck, New York—has installed temporary lighting on the exterior, this is a temporary fix.

He is skeptical that any long-term solution is coming.

“I have heard from ownership that Nov. 18 is the date that a resolution might be coming on the electrical issue,” Hall told the Marshalltown City Council Monday night. “This has been going on for about ten months of unpaid electric bills, so I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The Marshalltown City Council would later point out that the mall owners also failed to pay their September property taxes.

Hall says the owners’ trust with the community is “permanently severed” and doubts they will have any luck convincing any new business to locate there. Hall says the best solution for the mall at this point is for it to find a local buyer.

“We’ve spoken with the owner and we know that a sale is a possibility,” Hall said.