OREGON, Ohio — The city of Oregon purchased a 12.5-acre plot of land off of Navarre Avenue for $4.5 million on Friday, making official a sale that many residents were expecting for months.
"Closing on this property with River Rock Property Group was a major milestone for us in this project," City administrator Joel Mazur said of the plot, which was formerly a Kmart.
The city had been in a lease agreement with the lot's previous owner since 2019. Soon, according to Mazur, it will be part of Oregon's town center project.
"Now what they (River Rock) will be able to do is secure financing for the project and start construction in the spring," said Mazur.
River Rock is a private developer that the city tasked with giving the land some new life.
It's not the developer's first project in northwest Ohio either, as it most recently redeveloped the former French Quarter property in Perrysburg into French Quarter Square.
Now the question is what will be built on the lot.
River Rock President Bill Bostleman sent the following statement to WTOL 11:
"We took a big step on Friday when we closed on our acquisition of the property from the City of Oregon. Meanwhile, we are in active discussions with several potential users – mostly retail and restaurants at this time. No one is far enough along to announce yet and there are literally dozens of concepts in play for different layouts and buildings. The one item we know will be ultimately included is the Town Center outdoor public space for gatherings, entertainment, farmer’s markets, etc. But what exactly that space will be and where on the property is still in flux. We believe we will have enough committed users to be able to start Phase I next spring, hopefully with tenants opening by the end of 2025. Overall project will be 2 to 4 phases over multiple years. We are excited about it as is the City!"
The idea of new restaurants and stores excites people who frequent Oregon, like Tina Braun, who works in the city.
"I would actually like them to have some steakhouses around here, like a Texas Roadhouse," she said. "Or a Kohl's or a shoe store. We don't have those around here in Oregon."
Mazur says Oregon will welcome any business that moves, as the city tries to catch up to its neighbors in having a downtown attraction.
"They (the city of Oregon) never had an established downtown area, so that's what this project means, having that urban center where people can gather and hold events and we can do some programming as a city to help people enjoy the ambiance of being in a town center setting," Mazur said.