Officials for Dubuque’s mall are in negotiations with three national retailers as work is underway in a space formerly occupied by Younkers.

Kennedy Mall spokesman Joe Bell said he could not confirm which retailers mall officials are speaking with, as deals are not yet finalized.

“At the current time, we are in negotiations with three different national retailers,” he said. “… We’re making good progress, and a good portion of those retailers would be going into the former Younkers space.”

Bell said work on the former Younkers women’s store began about a month ago. Younkers vacated the space in the summer of 2018, though the space was used as a Dubuque County COVID-19 vaccination site last year.

Bell also said potential deals with the three national retailers would require some movement of current stores in the mall, though he could not confirm which stores could be affected at this time.

“It’s exciting,” Bell said. “We’re very encouraged by what we’re hearing, and we’re looking forward to making a formal announcement about this.”