Urban solution eyed for ailing Jamestown Mall
KMOX
July 16, 2010
By Michael R. Calhoun
The storefronts are emptying, but a movie theatre at Jamestown Mall was packed to the aisles.
Instead of the latest blockbuster film, the dying mall's future was the featured presentation Thursday evening.
The ceilings would be ripped out and the buildings dismantled. Instead, stores with awnings would face wide, tree-lined sidewalks. People could live atop their favorite shop, with offices above restaurants.
It sounds a lot like New Town at St. Charles meets the Central West End's Maryland Plaza.
"The trend right now is going back to urban places and main streets and places which provide amenities.. shopping amenities, working opportunities," Glenn Kellogg, a Washington D.C. designer, said.
County Executive Charlie Dooley couldn't zero in on the level of public involvement with financing, but he said a redevelopment of the site would require a long-term commitment from all parties involved.
"Every community is different, and their desires are different," he said. "So their approaches have to be different."
They're stocking the graph paper and Sharpies for a week-long design studio in September. Then, residents will fill in the blanks and contribute their ideas on specific offerings.
For more information: http://www.slcec.com/jamestownmall.html
