CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One of the last tenants at Corpus Christi's Sunrise Mall is closing up shop, leaving just one more retail business inside the mall.
The store has been open for nearly as long as the mall itself.
"Well, we've been here almost 22 years," said Noe Bocanegra, the owner of War & Peace.
Bocanegra opened his gift shop never expecting this day to come when he'd be closing the doors to his store.
"You know I hate to see it end, but the man wants to close the mall down," Bocanegra said.
Not the entire mall that is; all of the outer businesses -- Sears, Burlington, Wilcox, both fitness operations and Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend -- will remain open. Still, many customers said seeing the last of the mall's internal retailers shutter is emotional.
"It's a little bit upsetting. I wish there were some potential they brought to this place," mall customer Joseph Tafur said.
"I remember coming here as a kid. It was, I'm sorry, it's almost emotional. Yeah. Yeah, it is," customer Jeremy Gomez said. "I'm just sad that it's not going to be here anymore."
"I don't want to go anywhere else," Bocanegra said. "It's too much work. I'm an old guy."
Still, Bocanegra is a businessman and understands when it's time to close up shop.
"I've been trying to give some real good deals. I mean the shirts are now only $5 now. They cost $18.99 regular price, so basically giving stuff away," Bocanegra said. "So maybe I'll do a gun show, some conventions, stuff like that."
One place now remains, Factory Shoe Warehouse, but it will operate with no air conditioning and with just one entrance to the interior of the mall.
A Sunrise Mall spokesperson told 3News that once the last store inside closes, that will be it. Only the outside anchor stores will remain.
As for Bocanegra and his military gifts -- "You'll see me around," he said. "I got a lot of stuff. I can't stop working so I've got to do something. So I'll be out there somewhere."