Elk Grove Promenade Mall

April 28th, 2007 categories: Elk Grove

Promenade Mall Elk Grove Elk Grove will soon have its first Shopping Mall. No, I didn’t say another strip mall…I said Shopping Mall. The target date for Elk Grove Promenade Mall is projected for October 2008. This has been discussed prior to the City of Elk Grove becoming a City in 2000. So, it is safe to assume that a lot of thought and effort has been put into the design, location and retail. There are those who are against this Shopping Mall.

Let’s talk about that for a minute. The City of Elk Grove needs to have Promenade Mall Walkway money in order to run the City. Where does the City get money? It gets money from the taxes, the business owners when you keep your purchases in the City of Elk Grove, money from builders etc. Since building has reduced dramatically in Elk Grove, the revenue for the City of Elk Grove has taken a hit.

It’s important to grow and grow in such a way as to bring jobs and revenue into the City of Elk Grove. Jobs and revenue will help Elk Grove flourish and keep the taxes down, the roads in good shape, the police and fire department ready for each citizen when the need arises. The Promenade Mall for Elk Grove is a good sensible start in bringing revenue to Elk Grove.

Now, you may not agree on an open air shopping mall but this is the way of the future. Closed in Shopping malls are no longer being built. There are several reasons…one it is cheaper to build an open air mall and two, it’s cheaper to maintain an open air shopping mall.

After reading the article in the Elk Grove Citizen about the new Promenade Mall, I called several colleagues in the Cities where open air malls are located and asked each of them to tell me what the good things and the not so good were with the open air shopping malls. Here’s what each had to say:

Christina Whipple of San Antonio Texas said, La Cantera-San Antonio Mall “The La Cantera an Open Air Shopping Mall has been open for 1 year on the north side which is a growing area. Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are the key stores in the mall. There is a recreational area for the kids that has a teekee theme but it gets quite hot. The open air mall needs to have continuous hang-overs instead of the little hang over that was built due to the heat.”

Allison Goodman from Arkansas said, “The Pinnacle Hills Promenade has awnings over most of the walkways and where there isn’t any awning, the stores have a hang over to keep the customers dry. In my opinion it is a glorified strip mall with Dillards on one side and J.C. Pennys on the other with a theater on the 3^rd corner. Our open air Arkansas mall shopping mall opened last Fall and is still developing. We have no kids area. The thing I would change is to make it more pedestrian friendly. I think this is an accident waiting to happen. There is parking in the center that is diagonal with a 2 way street going down the middle. I would make this all pedestrian and have parking on the exterior. If that wasn’t possible I would definitely make the street one way and cut down on the parking in the middle, making it more pedestrian friendly. I would also have more covered walkways and install misters due to the heat.”

Michelle Tsioles from Real Stager in Chicago talked about 2 Open-air Malls in the Chicago area. On the positive side, Michelle stated that Bolingbrook Promenade is beautiful, OakBrook is big and winds around a lot. She indicated that when the weather is nice, she goes shopping at the open air mall but when it is rainy and cold she goes to the closed-in mall.

Bolingbrook Promenade, not by the same developer as Elk Grove’s Promenade but Forest City Enterprises. This open-aire mall has a road through the middle as would the Elk Grove Promenade. But, there is metered parking for those parking in the middle of the mall. Michelle was very excited about this mall which has Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor Loft, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Champs, Charlotte Russe, Claire’s, Coldwater Creek, Delia’s, Foot Locker, Forever 21, Francesca’s Collection, GameStop, Gymboree, Hallmark, Johnny Rockets, Journeys, Kay Jewelers, Lady Foot Locker, Lane Bryant, Lenscrafters, New York & Company, PacSun, Portrait Innovations, Select Comfort, Stride Rite, Sunglass Hut, Ted’s Montana Grill, The Walking Company, Ulta, Victoria’s Secret, Yankee Candle, Zales and Zumiez.
OakBrook Center, Michelle described as very big and winds around alot. This center was built by the same developer’s as the future Elk Grove Promenade. Some of the stores at OakBrook Center are: Sears, Macys Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, Eddie Bauer, plus more that you can view at Oakbrook Center’s website for the mall.

I would like to thank all of those interviewers who took the time to let Elk Grove know what their thoughts were on an Open-air mall. It would be great if we could learn from others…don’t you think?

Now, it comes as no surprise as you travel throughout the City of Elk Grove, there are plenty of Walgreens and strip malls with duplication on several corners. We have Target stores, as well. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Walgreens nor Target. But, how many do we need? Is this what you think belongs in a shopping mall?

The newspaper article indicates that there are no set plans which “anchor stores” will be in the Elk Grove Promenade Shopping Mall. I certainly hope that since the goal is to keep Elk Grove residents spending their hard earned dollars in Elk Grove to further the City of Elk Grove’s revenue that the officials will make sure that the stores they do pick will keep the residents here in Elk Grove. We need to have anchor stores that we don’t currently have and that we drive elsewhere to shop at.

How does a City survive and thrive? Revenue. Where does the revenue come from? Builders, homeowners, businesses and customers. It would seem logical to keep the revenue in the great City of Elk Grove and not send it to other Cities and communities.

It’s important that the Promenade Mall have the right stores and the right look to lead Elk Grove into a prosperous future with increasing revenue and keep the shoppers in Elk Grove.

There is a meeting scheduled May 1, 2007 (update – May 1^st 6 pm at Elk Grove City Hall) with the mall architects and May 16^th (update – May 16 th at 6:30 at City Hall) by community members but unfortunately the newspaper article did not say where the meetings would be held or at what time. Big oversight. Hopefully, next time something this important is printed the newspaper will get the dates and times for the citizens of Elk Grove.

It’s important to attend the meetings if and when we find out where they are but in the meantime, voice your thoughts and concerns to our City officials, the Elk Grove City Council. Here are their respective emails.

Mayor James Cooper, jcooper@elkgrovecity.org 916.600.1964

Mayor Pro Tempore, Michael Leary, mleary@elkgrovecity.org 916.683.7111

Council Member, Gary Davis, gdavis@elkgrovecity.org 916.683.7111

Council Member Patrick Hume, phume@elkgrovecity.org 916.683.7111

Council Member, Sophia Sherman, scherman@sophia-elkgrove.com 916.478.2279

Remember, speak up and let your voice be heard. It’s important, it’s your City.

*** Update for Elk Grove, CA Promenade Mall: Due to the economy and slow down, Elk Grove Promenade Mall is not set to open until the fourth quarter of 2010. For futher information about the mall see the developer’s website at General Growth Properties, Inc.

Also, see the official Elk Grove, CA Promenade website.