Four Seasons Mall Open House Sept. 22

The public will have a chance to weigh in on the second phase of a redevelopment study of the Four Seasons Mall at an open house 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at Plymouth Creek Center.

The mall, located on the southwest quadrant of County Road 9 and Highway 169, sits on 21 acres in Plymouth and has been around since the late 1970s. The largely vacant site has had a moratorum put on it  that prevents any new development to allow the city to conduct its planning city. The council passed this interim ordinance last December.

The open house will offer a presentation at 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. that looks at the study the city has been working on, finding the best way to redevelop the aging and economically challenged property.

According to Community Development Director Steve Juetten, phase two of the study focuses on developing guiding principles for redevelopment of the mall site. The guiding principles address such issues as landscaping, lighting, architectural standards, building materials, access, storm water management, open space and traffic.

In addition to presenting the draft guiding principles, the city’s consultant will also show concept plans that demonstrate how the principles might help shape future redevelopment of the site.

The concept plans are based on a market study for the site that was completed earlier this year as well as feedback received at public meetings.

“The concept plans are merely an attempt to demonstrate how the guiding principles might help shape future development,” Juetten said. “The concepts will illustrate how the principles might be used to incorporate amenities and environmental improvements in future redevelopment proposals, and the impact the concept proposals would have on traffic and water quality.”

According to a city press release, the overall intent of the redevelopment study is to look at how the largely vacant site might get redeveloped in the future. Juetten said the study is affording time for thoughtful analysis of how the gateway site to the community might be redeveloped.

Juetten also emphasized that the study will help the city determine how it might balance successful redevelopment of the site with meeting local needs, addressing water quality issues, incorporating amenities and fitting with the neighborhood.

More than 150 people attended a May open house to hear about phase one of the redevelopment study, which included the findings of a market study. The market study looked at current demographic and economic trends, the site’s strengths and weaknesses and other area development. The study also considered potential uses for the site, including senior housing, general office, medical office, community (larger) retail and neighborhood (smaller) retail.

The city is working with the Bassett Creek Watershed and Hennepin County to conduct the planning study. The Metropolitan Council provided $100,000 in funding for the study. Hennepin County contributed $18,500.

The draft guiding principles, concept plans and market study are available for review on the city website.