The owner of the Monument Mall confirms that Kohl's is one of the retail firms he has been talking to about locating in the former Wal-Mart property. But Michael Perkins told KNEB News today nothing has been finalized and did not give a timetable on when a tenant might be located for the 110,000 square foot area that served as the main anchor space for the mall.

However, employees at Kohl's stores in the region have told area residents shopping at their stores that Scottsbluff is high on the Kohls list for a new store. Perkins has indicated previously that filling the former Wal-Mart property will create a "domino effect", and be the catalyst for other improvements at the mall.

When asked whether the struggling economy might have an impact on getting someone in the vacant space, Perkins said it is impacting everybody. But he also noted the economy in the Midwest is the strongest in the country right now. Perkins has owned the mall for close to two years.