Hearing held on evidence in West Park Mall lawsuit; case continues

Both sides in the lawsuit regarding the West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau returned to court on Friday, May 29. Attorneys for the Drury family argued that they have received crucial evidence, specifically a JCPenney lease agreement and a letter from Jackie Walker, which they claim would have been a key point in the bench trial. They assert that these documents support their claim that mall tenants were required to follow non-permissible building parameters outlined in the master plan. Additionally, the Drurys accused River City Centre CEO Lucas Haley of being dishonest on the stand, pointing to his testimony that he received no disapproval to begin development from anyone other than the Drurys. They argued that Haley did receive notices from CISO and JCPenney stating construction could not exceed those parameters, and that River City Centre withheld key documents. River City Centre's attorneys countered by calling the Drurys' claims a delay tactic in what has already been a two-and-a-half-year legal matter. They defended Haley, stating he was not being dishonest and was responding to a different line of questioning. The judge decided to take everything into consideration, meaning a decision on the evidence could be weeks away. The Drury family is suing River City Centre, the current owner of the mall, claiming the new owner is expanding beyond the boundaries set in a decades-old development agreement. During a bench trial earlier this year, the Drurys said the agreement outlined where future buildings could and could not be built, and that River City Centre is now in breach of contract. River City Centre pushed back, pointing out that other buildings have gone up over the years outside the boundaries without objection.

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