Lights turned off at Towne West Square again. Owner working to restore power
Towne West Square has once again gone partially dark when its electricity was shut off after the owners of the mall apparently failed to pay the power bill.
On Monday, Evergy disconnected electricity service at Towne West Square for non-payment, Evergy Communications Director Gina Penzig said in a statement.
The owner of the mall is New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group. Mike Kohan, managing partner for the group, said in a phone call that there was a “mixup” and that the bill was paid.
“It seems to me that there was a mixup between the accounts and everything else,” Kohan said. “We’re trying to figure it, OK ... It was definitely not non-payment.”
Asked if payment was made, Kohan said “Yes, absolutely.”
Kohan said he hopes to have power restored at the mall within the next few hours.
Mall tenants were notified Sunday of the possible disconnection, an Evergy spokesperson said.
“The larger stores at the mall have separate accounts that remain in good standing and are not subject to disconnection,” according to the Evergy statement.
Passageways, a military veteran outreach center located inside the mall, posted on Facebook Sunday about the imminent disconnection.
“We learned tonight that Kohan’s payment to Evergy did not clear the bank; it bounced,” the business said. “Per Evergy, disconnection of service is imminent.”
This marks the second power shutoff the mall has experienced this year.
On Sept. 8, the mall’s electricity was cut off for several hours after Kohan Retail Investment Group failed to pay its bill.
In June, the mall was on the verge of having the lights turned off. The bill was paid last minute and the power was kept on that time, The Eagle reported.