BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — A nearly vacant shopping center — White Oak Plaza in Blue Springs — is going to be redeveloped using a special subsidy designed to help developers pay off the financing.
Some say the project will breathe new life, into an old Blue Springs center
“We used to frequent this neighborhood, but unfortunately the only store we frequent now is the dollar store here now, because most of the other stores are out of business,” said Ray Turner, who lives near White Oak Plaza.
If you look around the plaza– the shopping center on the southwest corner of Sunset Avenue and 7 Highway in Blue Springs — you won’t find much.
“Pretty much the property is empty, we`re pretty much the only ones left here so, I`m guessing people get scared at night time when there`s only one business,” said Juan Almonte, the Dollar General Manager.
Almonte says for the last year they’ve been one of the only businesses left.
“Supposedly it used to be a beautiful place,” he says of the shopping center.
“It used to be a vibrant neighborhood full of shops and stores that were busy, and we`ve noticed the deterioration over the last several years,” added Turner.
Developers — Development Associates, LLC — are hoping to return it to the glory days.
The White Oaks tax increment financing plan, or TIF, was approved in November 2014.
The White Oak Marketplace planned unit development (PUD), was approved by the planning commission at the January 11th meeting, and is supposed to include a grocery store and associated retail center.
“I think it could attract business back to the community,” Turner said.
“It`s going to bring more people, make the place look better, pretty sure blue springs is going to be proud of it,” Almonte added.
Turner says they rarely venture into this neighborhood now for the few remaining places.
“We liked the convenience if it were in one shopping plaza like it used to be in this neighborhood, but unfortunately that`s just not the case now,” said Turner.
“Everything just went down hill,” Almonte said.
FOX 4 News reached out to the developer and its lawyer, but so far they have not responded about what the new retailers will be once the project is complete.
It’s not unusual for developers to withhold tenant names until leases are signed- so stay tuned for those announcements.
