Oak Park plans for new stores

Published 7:43am Thursday, August 19, 2010
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The Oak Park Mall will soon become the home of three new stores, with a fourth store likely by October.

Shan Kehret, marketing coordinator for the mall, said the emphasis for her and owner Martin Graff has been to build the mall up to what it once was. Graff admits the mall has been hit by the economy, but is looking to utilize the mall’s location, just outside of Interstate 90 and close to local retail outlets, to create a destination for Austin residents and visitors.

Having new stores opening is a sign they’re moving in the right direction, Kehret said.

Weight Watchers, located next to Cinemagic Theatre, opened within the last month. Acclaim Studio of Dance also opened a studio, located across from the mall office. Two Bears Trading Post, currently located on Main Street, is slated to open the doors of its new mall location Sept. 1.

With plans in place to include yet another store by Oct. 1, which Graff was not able to name, Graff said any rumors surrounding the closure of the mall just don’t make sense.

“The mall has no plans on going anywhere,” Graff said.

In addition to new store, Graff is planning events for the mall, including the Home Expo, set for Saturday, Sept. 18. The second annual event is expected to draw over 40 home-based businesses, along with entertainment and food. Music will be provided by Mischief and Mayhem, a self described dueling pianos group.

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Comments
  1. Chiodos August 20, 2010 at 1:23 am <Link>

    No retail stores for the younger crowd or anything? And they wonder why we go out of town to shop or order things online.

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  2. minnesotaborn August 20, 2010 at 7:47 am <Link>

    Shop Austin? They really need to do something about the parking lot. With all the holes and cracks no one can hardly even get to the mall. It’s horrible.
    Weight Watchers and a dance studio – They might as well just turn the whole mall into a exercise station. That’s all anyone uses it for anyway, to WALK.

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  3. Inny August 21, 2010 at 8:04 am <Link>

    Are you kidding me? These are the “new ” stores? Two bears has been around for a long time and another dance studio? Weight watchers? Color me unimpressed.

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  4. anonymous2 August 23, 2010 at 9:23 am <Link>

    This mall was hit hard by the economy….in the ’80s.

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  5. Hootch August 24, 2010 at 10:12 pm <Link>

    This should have been in the entertainment section of the sunday paper.

    I once told Jack Capretz I called it the “Warehouse of the walking dead” he told his dad that who walked there and he went ballistic. So I got some major mileage out of the mall.

    I actually think the old mink farm swamp it’s built on did better economically.

    The battle cry for the mall now should be “Bring back the frogs” there were some salamanders there too, I’m not sure if they were Leopard or Tigers.

    Anyway give amphibians another chance. :) humans have ruined the place in the name of PROFIT ?

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