Some city officials believe developers of a mall in south Provo are playing unfair name games with downtown merchants.
JP Realty plans to name the new mall Provo Towne Center. Several members of the City Council say the name is too similar to Provo Towne Square, the name used for the downtown shopping district."The Provo town center is downtown," an angry Councilman Karl Thalman told other council members Tuesday night. "A mall is a mall, and Provo town center is not a mall."
Councilwoman Shari Holweg said downtown merchants have worked hard to create their own unique image and believe the mall name damages those efforts. She said the name is disrespectful and believes the development firm should show a gesture of goodwill and choose another one.
"I think it's detrimental to downtown," Holweg said.
However, city officials have no power over JP Realty to change the name. The company has sole naming rights to the $100 million mall. Mayor George Stewart said the firm is not likely to change the name because the name is consistent with others developed by the company.
"People are not even going to call it Provo Towne Center. They're going to call it the Provo mall," Stewart said.
Thalman said the city used bad judgment in letting JP Realty use the name. He said the name is an intentional effort to confuse shoppers and residents.
"We're fortunate to have a city that we know where it starts and where it ends," Thalman said.
The mayor disagrees with claims the company is attempting to confuse shoppers or be unfair with downtown merchants.
"I don't think it has a long-term business implication, I really don't," he said.
Council members will discuss a resolution next week that urges JP Realty to consider other names for the mall. Some have suggested that East Bay Mall or Provo Bay Mall would be more fitting names.
"They need to know that they've struck a sensitive chord with Provo city," Councilwoman Jane Carlile said.