Midwest City turns up pressure on mall
A photo from inside the Heritage Park Mall. Photo provided
City council declares property blighted, begins urban renewal process
By Jeff Harrison
Managing Editor
Midwest City leaders recently took a big step towards revitalizing the former Heritage Park Mall property.
The city council on Aug. 23 declared the mall property as blighted and agreed to create an urban renewal plan for the area. The Midwest City Urban Renewal Authority will be required to adopt an Urban Renewal plan.
The urban renewal plan will consider the current conditions of the property and determine potential future uses for the site. The goal is to revitalize the property so it is no longer blighted and becomes a benefit to residents, according to Don Maisch, city attorney.
Maisch presented the city council with a blight report that outlines issues with the property as well as a resolution declaring the property as blighted. The blight report included reports and photos taken by fire and building inspectors over the past several years.
Under state law, a property can be considered “blighted area” if it meets certain criteria. They include unsanitary or unsafe conditions, deterioration of the property, improper lot and street layout among others. Maisch argues that the mall property clearly meets the definition of blighted.
“We only need to meet one of the conditions, but the blight report clearly shows that we have met all of them,” he said.
The blighted area includes the main portion of the mall, Sears, Montgomery Ward, A to Z Outlet as well as the former Thunder Burger. The mall, Montgomery Ward, A to Z Outlet and Thunder Burger are owned by Ahmad Bahreini and ABAB Inc. Midwest City’s Economic Development Authority purchased the Sears building in 2019.
Life Church, Pelican’s Restaurant, and Becker’s Auto Service are not included in the blighted area.
Ward 4 Councilman Sean Reed, whose district includes the mall property, said urban renewal is an intentionally lengthy and difficult process. He said the city has worked tirelessly to find other solutions to problems with the mall but were left no other choice.
“The city has done everything in its power to bring a different conclusion than this,” Reed said.
Mayor Matt Dukes praised city staff for their work on addressing the issue.
“We’ve been methodically moving through this for the past six years,” he said. “Staff has done a phenomenal job of getting us to the finish line.”
The next step in the process will be creation of the urban renewal plan. The Urban Renewal Authority will review and adopt the plan. The city must then amend the comprehensive plan and zoning. The planning commission will review the changes and make a recommendation. The city council will later hold public hearings before they can adopt the changes.
After that is completed, the city can begin taking possession of the property. The city will be required to pay fair market value for the property.
“I can’t say if this will take three month, six months, or nine months,” Maisch said. “We’re not sure what type of response we’ll get from the property owner. But I can tell you that we’ll move as quickly as we can on this.”
Maisch said the urban renewal plan could include both commercial and public uses for the property. If the city had instead chosen to condemn the property, it could only be used for a public purpose in the future.
Dukes issued a statement on the matter, saying:
“We’re heartbroken over the state of Heritage Park Mall. It’s shocking that an area that was once so full of life and economic vitality could fall into such a state. Each of the new and existing Midwest City Councilmembers has been asked questions about why we can’t make something happen here.
The truth is that we have tried. We’ve wanted someone to step up and be responsible for the revitalization of this property. We’ve wanted someone to recognize its worth in this vital commercial area of our city. But we’ve only received excuses. Excuses about cost, excuses about why things can’t be repaired to code, and excuses that Midwest City is not providing enough help.
We have examples throughout our city where we have been able to partner with responsible developers and turn areas that needed help, into thriving corridors. Unfortunately, in its current state, we’ve come to realize that Heritage Park Mall may not be recoverable. We’ve come to realize that we can’t let our future residents and community leaders inherit this problem.”
City Manager Tim Lyon echoed that frustration about the declining condition of the mall. He said those same concerns are expressed on a daily basis by residents, business owners and community leaders.
“Since its closure more than a decade ago, the Midwest City community has repeatedly asked questions about the future of Heritage Park Mall. In these conversations, similar concerns are usually expressed.”
“At this point, public perception of the deterioration and disrepair of Heritage Park Mall is embarrassing to Midwest City,” he said. “Basic maintenance tasks are being ignored. The property becomes less and less attractive every single day. We have reached the point that we must take action to help this key economic corridor make a change and move forward. Waiting for someone else to do what is right for our residents is no longer an option.”
Midwest City officials have been urging Bahreini to bring the property into compliance since November2016. After seeing little progress, they started issuing citations in March 2017.
The city has also been pushing Bahreini to find new uses and tenants. The city commissioned a feasibility study which determined that the mall property has potential, but it needs creative and careful planning to make it a viable destination.Bahreini told the city that he does not have money to redevelop the building as the study suggested.
Midwest City has issued numerous citations for violations of building and fire codes at the property located at 6707 and 6777 E. Reno Ave. Bahreini has challenged several of the citations in district court.
To see the city’s complete blight report for the Heritage Park Mall property.
A photo of inside the Heritage Park Mall in Midwest City. Photo provided
Mayor Matt Dukes (Left) and Councilman Sean Reed (Right) discuss plans to declare the Heritage Park Mall as a blighted property and develop an urban renewal plan for the property. Photo by Jeff Harrison
I miss a small mall it was great but now it needs to go. I think it makes our great town look bad. I also am worried about so many business out on Air Depot
I have said for years that the city should bulldoze the mall and turn it into residential property. High End apartments with businesses below like in other states. Levels two through five apartments level one grocery store, dry cleaning, hair salon, restaurant’s. Make it a community with a walking path and gym.
I spent my teenage years at heritage, from the arcade to the food court to the movies and everywhere in-between I recently moved back to the area after 10 years and
am disappointed to see something so once full of life so dead. I would love to see it full of life again. I used to take my kids there a lot as kids they are now adults themselves.
Midwest City, and East Oklahoma County, needs a new YMCA. The current YMCA is not large enough to accommodate very many patrons at a time, particularly the pool. With the amount of seniors, and respective High Schools that could benefit from a larger pool for aquatic exercise and swim teams practicing, a larger, up-to-date pool and parking areas, would be most beneficial.
I remember going in there years ago! It was a very nice Mall like Sooner Mall. It is very sad now living in Midwest City and driving by it most everyday. It is a shame it has came to the appearance it has. The owner should have no say so!
This mall is an important part of my past. I worked there in the spring of my senior year of high school in 1987 at Claire’s Boutique and had my first date with my husband of 33 years at El Chico. We then went to the movie theater in the mall where we saw the movie Hoosiers. My now husband would meet me when I got off work and we would cruise Air Depot. After that time, we shopped there with our kids until it closed in an effort to support it. Then when the mall closed we still supported Sears. We hope that Heritage Park mall is restored and reopened because we will definitely be some of the first ones to shop there again. So much potential here!