Chicago-based Urban Retail Properties has been awarded the contract to operate Rome’s Mount Berry Square mall effective immediately. A foreclosure auction last week on the steps of the Floyd County courthouse on behalf of the ownership consortium drew no bidders.

“One of our goals is to make Mount Berry Square more of a destination so that more people will want to shop locally,” said Lisa Bell, senior vice president and director of marketing for Urban Retail. “We’re going to aggressively look for new tenants and work closely with existing merchants.”

“Mount Berry Square mall remains fully open for business serving the local Rome, Ga., community. The center will continue to offer customers the selection of retailers and restaurants as it has prior to the transition,” said Ross Glickman, CEO of Urban Retail. “We look forward to bringing our team’s best practices to the property.”

Urban Retail looks at Mount Berry Square as a major regional mall. It will be the company’s first such property in Georgia. Presently, Urban Retail has strip shopping centers in Kennesaw and Marietta.

Major players at the Mount Berry property include anchor stores Belk, JCPenney and Sears. One anchor property, originally occupied by Proffit’s, remains unoccupied. Other major tenants include Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Chick-fil-A, Express, The Children’s Place and Victoria’s Secret.

“We have already put a team in place to analyze leasing, marketing and management of the mall,” Bell said.

The property does not currently have a general manager; however, Bell said she expects one to be appointed soon.