What would you replace Heritage Park Mall with?

[Redskin 70]

There comes a certain point where the local government has to step in and say, no more crap and no more eye paint on that piece of crap old building. Tear it down.
No more pawn shops, no more used car lots, no more flea markets, no more second hand stores.
No more. Just because a "business man" and most of them really arent, wants to put in a junk store, there is no reason the City should let that happen.
Midwest City, Del City, we are in the same boat, there has to be cooperation between the two to change the look of this part of the county. And that cooperation is occurring, trust me.
Heritage Park mall can be a great asset again.........just don't allow it to become a second hand super store...........Get involved about that issue. Contact the chamber of commerce and express your concern and thoughts. Folks there have been some truly great ideas you have posted about.......Share that vision with some one who can make it happen.
Citys have lots of power if harnessed to the same team...........
though I be a Del City citizen, I truly do miss the old Heritage Mall. But at least my(your) Sears store is still there.

Just my ramblings, it is in your court no doubt, but that building is still in great great shape, it just needs some active work to revamp.

[bombermwc]

Very true Redskin. The building is in excellent condition. Not too many places can exist for 40 years and not ever be remodeled and still be that nice. It can serve a purpose, but a few things have to happen.
1 - someone needs to buy the place that will invest in it instead of bleeding it for cash like Simon did. Every cent it earned for Simon went into Penn for it's remodeling. That really pissed me off to no end. They deny it now, but it was easy to find out at the time the remodeling at Penn was going on.

2 - It needs a face lift inside. It's still dark inside with the 70's design. (and the blue junk has got to go).

3 - ACTIVELY PURSUE GOOD TENANTS. There are stores that would go there, they just have to make it happen. Get rid of all the crap in there and work on some real stores. A bookstore for god sake, come on! They just exists and don't work towards anything there. If you don't push to make something happen, you're guranteed to fall. It's like college recruiting. You can say "it's not my job to recruit", but if you don't have students, you lose your job. Same thing here...if you wait for a tenanat, you'll lose your mall.

And I still disagree mmonroe. You'll find things like you pointed out, all over town. No matter what area you go to, you'll find good/bad/ugly. I don't find the area around the mall any different from any other. Have you ever driven around Penn Square? Good god, it's crack-ville there off Classen...the same distance away! Go up north to Mayfair Village...or 63rd/May...big shopping areas. You'll find all kinds of CRAP around there too. MWC isn't any different folks. Again, I think people try to label it for some weird reason, but it's just not that way.

[mmonroe]

Hey now, i don't try to place any label on anything. I would just like to see us advance farther. If you could get the quality of Penn, but in a better, no crack infested, area. Would you live there, or by Penn?


AND!! Heritage Park had a bookstore, but no one really went to it. How do I know, because I worked in Heritage back in the day, and Waldens just became the discount store for all the other Waldens to ship their old books too. Even then no one really bought the books.

[bombermwc]

I never considered Walden's a bookstore. They didnt ever even have crap in any of their stores. And they were overpriced for what you got too. I was glad to see them go. I'd go to Amazon before I went there.

[mmonroe]

I get tired of going all the way to NW Expressway or SOMEWHERE along Memorial to get what I want... i'm tired of driving. What do we have to do to get some business here.

[Drake]

Shop here when we do get something.

One of the main reasons Circuit City closed the MWC location was due to the fact that they were doing a more business at the I-240 location from MWC people than at the MWC store.

The indoor malls are mostly relics in the retail world. We have 1 really successful one (Penn) and a bunch of struggling ones. We are not unique in that area.

I'm just not sure you ever see athe area at Reno & Air Depot become a major retail center again.. Most retail is built similar to SE 29th with visiabilty from a major highway. The growth in eastern Oklahoma County is toward the SE. The area 1/2 mile north the intersection hurts it. For most people (especially the subdivisions w the larger homes) that is not a convenient to get to. Many people close to 240 will just get on and drive to the southside.

[bombermwc]

I shop in MWC whenever possible for sure. I can generally get it all done here now...thanks to 29th. I still venture into Heritage for GNC...but even with that I can find stuff online cheaper (with shipping).

I think my first choice would still be to bulldoze it and make a neighborhood.

[mmonroe]

Well, Life Church did buy the Dilliards building.

[Lauri101]

Well, Life Church did buy the Dilliards building.

It'd be nice if they could turn it into a place of actual ministry - to youth, families who need food or other assistance.

Ehhh...the bulldozing idea would probably help the community more than what is happening now.

[Redskin 70]

laurie,
I do disagree about the church thing. The rest I will leave unsaid.
Bull dozing should not be an option for this structure and do consider it still has section line road status.
The concept of placing a neighborhood there may have merit but would not cash flow as acquisition of the property would be high and the utilities in place are not positioned for a res development.
Now I would not be saying that it the structure were 50 + years old. Then the condition might warrant such a expenditure.
The primary thing is getting some good tenets in there. Anchors like the past.
The down side is all the major tenets you could attract are now clustered on 29th.......so............The majority of the neighbor hood is not a problem as it is still aggressivly watched for code violations.
Ah so much to say,,,,Perhaps in the short term the removal of this building would be a good thing but ................not my decision.

[bombermwc]

Unfortunately, i think we're stuck with the place....as is.

[mmonroe]

Lets just get active and start writing letters and calling.

Something has to be done... is there not a community board set up with the CofC?

[Lauri101]

Here's the MWC Chamber of Commerce website
Midwest City Chamber of Commerce

There are some contact numbers and addresses, but no online forum.

In general, I haven't seen much evidence of "community involvement" - unless you are a paying member. Understandable, of course, but you'd think a C of C of a growing city like MWC would see the value of courting a solid customer base to support the Chamber member businesses!

[mmonroe]

I'll get to work finding out something...

[ewoodard]

I for one would like to see a major movie theater move in to that location. Something with about 12-15 screens so that we don't have to drive to bricktown, or into OKC to see a decent movie. I believe with new ownership, HP could be an attractive venue for shoppers with a few minor upgrades.

[okcustu]

A dream development would be an old fashioned downtown like atmosphere with plenty of two to five story brick buildings for residential, retail, and office space and even relocate the city center I think all would appreciate something classier than the current ones 70s mall look that's my dream

[route66gal]

They were able to bring Penn Square Mall back to life in the 80's with a classy renovation. And Shepard Mall is doing great with offices. I see both as options, but not the renovation they have on their site, I hope city council shoots that one down ! Oh my !

[Bostonfan]

I say demolish the place. Sad? yes. But I just don't see anything working without wiping the place out and starting over.

[Lauri101]

They were able to bring Penn Square Mall back to life in the 80's with a classy renovation. And Shepard Mall is doing great with offices. I see both as options, but not the renovation they have on their site, I hope city council shoots that one down ! Oh my !

That's the same "renovation" they've had for almost a year and it's awful - thank goodness it hasn't happened.


As much as I hate to say it, for nostalgic reasons only - Bostonfan is right. It'd be more useful in it's former incarnation as a dirt bike hangout!

[mmonroe]

I forgot to mention awhile back that I called the chamber. I left my name and number, and NO ONE got back to me... pos.

[Lauri101]

I forgot to mention awhile back that I called the chamber. I left my name and number, and NO ONE got back to me... pos.

My point exactly - unless you are a dues-paying member of the MWC C of C, they are not interested in feedback or concerns. Is OKC the same way?

It's not logical, if one were to look at a business model of the functions of a Chamber of Commerce. It'd be good to hear from a C of C leader, if one lurketh.

[spaceannie54]

I think maybe an Incredible Pizza would be good.
Or offices, with a deli/coffee shop.
Whatcha think?

[mmonroe]

Midwest City just seems unique. We don't have what other places have except what you find on 29th. Apparently, when you build one big box store, they come as a set.

[oneforone]

I think Office Depot may be moving to 29th or at least somewhere new in MWC. A for lease sign went up in front of their store this week.

Yes, they are still open.

[Bostonfan]

I think Office Depot may be moving to 29th or at least somewhere new in MWC. A for lease sign went up in front of their store this week.

Yes, they are still open.

If they are moving, probably would be 29th. Makes me wonder people have given up on the north side (reno area). Surprised ACE Hardware is still around.