Oakdale Mayor: Where We've Been, Where We're Going

Oakdale has come a long way over the years. 

The city has been a fast-growing community in the Metro since Oakdale's inception in 1974. In the '90s, Oakdale had an abundance of commercial and industrial land, but the city didn't know how to utilize it. 

Now, the city is booming with more than 30 restaurants and coffee shops, which have helped transform the city into a full-service community, said Mayor Carmen Sarrack. 

Sarrack met with the Oakdale Business and Professional Association Thursday to highlight past, current and future projects for the city.

But first, a few facts about the city:

• The city's total commercial and industrial value has gone from $416 million in 2007 to $471.7 million in 2012.
• The city's market value has jumped from $866.6 million in 1997 to $2.3 billion in 2011. 
• Jobs have gone from 7,898 in 2000 to 9,292 in 2011.

The city's jobs increase is thanks, in part, to some new additions to the city, including Five Guys, Maglio, Target, Pinz, McDonalds and The Oaks, Sarrack said. 

Keep up with city projects by signing up for the Oakdale Patch newsletter. 

While the city has had success in adding new businesses to the area, Sarrack said the council is focusing its efforts on redevelopment. Completed or current projects include:

• The Red Oak Preserve: . Now it's a mixture of townhomes, single-family homes and senior living.
• Tartan Crossing: It was the old . Now it is becoming Tartan Crossing, of retail, commercial, office and residential uses
• Caribou Coffee #2: It was the old Kwik Stop Gas Station. it will become the city's second Caribou Coffee. It will be at the intersection of Century Avenue and Highway 36. 
• Park Tool headquarters: It was the old Golf and Tennis site. Now it will become the bicycle manufacturer's . 
• Tanners Lake (at Geneva Avenue, north of I-94): The area was the location for Blackie's and Toby's restaurants. Now proposed plans for the site include an apartment building, a boardwalk and restaurants.

The city is also working on rehabilitating the 15th Sreet Town Home Association and the Lakeview Condo Association through its Housing Improvement Area (HIA) program. The program allows the city to issue low-interest loans to rehabiliate and improve certain neighborhoods based on the petitioner's qualification. 

"We are really committed to redevelopment," Sarrack said. "When someone drives through a city it's the first impression that's going to count." 

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