(La Porte, IN) - Improvements at Maple Lane Mall in La Porte are in high gear.  The work is occurring outside right now in areas like the parking lot, which was badly in need of repair.

Bert Cook, Executive Director of the Greater La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, said people taking notice are expressing a lot of positive feedback.

Rural King, a nationally known farm and variety store, is the owner of the mall and plans to open a store there in March.  The inside of the mall will also see improvements to offer space for other retailers.

Cook said other retailers who is consideration Maple Lane Mall is not known at this time, but Rural King is attempting to recruit other businesses to occupy the rest of the mostly vacant mall.

Cook expects the work to move indoors once the weather becomes too wintry to continue the work outside.