Commissioners Question Oakdale Mall Security, Senior Housing

The Oakdale Economic Development Commission heard from Community Development Director Bob Streetar at its meeting Wednesday about progress on the redevelopment of the Oakdale Mall site, which the city purchased at the end of March.

Following are some of the questions they raised, and the answers they got:

Commissioner Frank Orsello asked why the city doesn’t have police officers patrolling the site more heavily to prevent break-ins.

With holes all over the walls punched by thieves looking for copper, holes on the roof used for entry into the building and even a mattress and clothing left by someone who had used the mall for shelter, evidence of break-ins is all over the site, Streetar said.

“It’s like a big piece of cheese, we block it up, they make another hole,” Streetar said.

While the city has a security plan for the site, the police department doesn’t have the manpower to have an officer there at all times, Streetar said.

Commissioner Mel Dario asked whether the city really needs more senior housing at this point. With baby boomers just beginning to retire, “It just seems to me we’re about 15 to 20 years too early on this,” he said. Instead, he asked, what about making it more of a destination with a restaurant theme or even a museum?

 “How do you know there’s a demand? I say, we’ve got the studies,” Streetar said. Market studies by the city and the senior housing provider who has signed a letter of intent with developer Wellington Management to build at the site showed that the area can absorb up to 700 more units of senior housing, he said. Further, the company’s investment committee was confident about moving ahead with the project, Streetar said. If the demand wasn’t there, a bank wouldn’t fund it, he said.

City council members have said they would like to see a restaurant on the site as well, he said.

Commission Chair Mark Landis said he’s glad that seniors who’ve lived in Oakdale their whole lives will have the option to stay in the community if they want to.

Commissioner Bob Stiglich wanted to know whether anything could be done to improve the the gas station so it looks like the “same vintage” of property as the new development.

The city is looking at doing a streetscaping project in that area on Hadley Avenue, so the gas station property could possibly tie in with that, Streetar said.

With so much land still available for development near and at The Oaks Business Park, Commissioner Jodi Christensen asked how the city thinks it will be able to fill the Oakdale Mall space.

The city and developer have recognized that it might take from four to six years for the site to fill with businesses, Streetar said, and so the financing of the site is set up to reflect that with bonds being sold in three-year increments. Streetar said he does get calls regularly from businesses that are interested in the space.