Time and time again, efforts have been made to save the struggling Concord Mall.

But a new proposal would change the mall as we know it.

In addition to businesses, an Ohio-based real-estate development company wants to add residential and light industrial space, a roughly $20-million investment, to revamp the Concord Mall complex, giving it a use for more than just shopping.

In the 1970s, Concord Mall was the place to go for shopping, casual dining, and socializing.

Many in Elkhart County have fond memories of it.

“My mom was a hairdresser, and so I would do my homework in the back room of Regis or BoRics Hair Salon and use her tip money to go play at the arcade and eat mall food and things like that,” said Aaron Mishler (D), Elkhart District 1 Councilman.

Fast forward 50 years and Concord Mall is quite a different sight. Other than a handful of businesses, the place sits empty.

“The mall has struggled in recent years. It worked to hang on as best as it could, but like many malls throughout the United States, it has struggled recently,” said Mishler.

There have been many attempts to bring life back into the mall.

The newest involves more than just a facelift.

“The development company that we're working with on the project is looking at making a significant investment in revitalizing and refurbishing the actual mall structure,” said Mike Huber, Development Services Director.

Developer “Industrial Commercial Properties”, working with mall owners, put forth an idea to modify the mall site, and transform it to a mixed-use property for commercial, residential, and light industrial use.

But before any big ideas can move forward, it needs to be approved by the Elkhart Planning Commission on Monday.

Once the property is re-zoned, the plan would go before the city council for approval.

From there, developers could start on property improvement plans and recruiting businesses.

“It has a strong history and tradition of being an economic generator from the retail perspective, bringing traffic into the corridor and bringing disposable income dollars for being used for various different reasons and it’s important that we don't lose that.,” said Huber.

Community members are invited to give their input on this proposal, whether it be at city council meetings, or by contacting their council members.