MANSFIELD — The key to solving the decaying West Park Shopping Center is getting it into local hands, according to Mayor Jodie Perry.
The recent decision by the current New York-based ownership to try to sell the 17-acre site through a local real estate company may help move that process forward — along with the continued legal pressure of a demolition order.
That was the message the mayor gave City Council on Tuesday evening in announcing Namdar Realty Group had contracted with Sluss Realty, which has now listed the property for $2 million.
That listing became effective April 15 for a property that has vexed city leaders for the past few years.
The city initially ordered the demolition of the 1157 Park Ave. West structure in 2022 during the administration of former Mayor Tim Theaker and former Law Director John Spon.
Needless to say, the deteriorating eyesore along the Park Avenue West “Miracle Mile” — and its out-of-state ownership group– outlasted both both Theaker and Spon and has continued to vex Perry and current Law Director Rollie Harper.
“I have been talking with the owner, and of course Law Director Harper’s office has been as well,” Perry told council.
“(Harper) is continuing to put the fire on from the demo side. I guess I’m (the) good cop in this situation and (we are) talking with the developer trying to get it out of their hands and into local hands so that we could do something with it,” Perry said.
“I think it’s good they are working with Sluss,” she told local lawmakers.
The Sluss listing includes current photos of the buildings on the property at 1157 Park Ave. West, unlike those on the Namdar website.
According to the Sluss website, the property is a “colossal opportunity to revitalize the heart of Mansfield’s ‘Miracle Mile,” including “an expansive strip mall encompassing over 179,000 square feet and spanning over 17 acres with high visibility offering 1,127 (feet) of frontage and currently 1,256 parking spaces.”
“Surrounded by both new and established businesses, and anchored by Little Caesar’s and Safelite, this property is on a direct route linking Mansfield and Ontario, making it a prosperous location for a vast variety of new or expanding business ventures,” according to the listing.
“The possibilities are virtually endless for this location with multiple zoning options … Multi-family, Condos, Planned Development … Bring your vision to enliven this iconic property once again,” the Sluss listing said.
After the meeting, Perry said the site has been for sale all along, even as the city has ordered its demolition, a legal move that many Namdar attorneys have challenged during numerous City Planning Commission meetings.
“The difference right now is that they’re working with a local broker, so we’re hearing about it a little bit more,” the mayor said.
“It is still under the demolition order, so any sale or further development there is going to have to be approved by the City Planning Commission,” she said. “(Namdar) understands that.
“I have not been shy about my desire to see it come back into locally owned hands so that we can get it back to where it needs to go,” said Perry, who took office in January 2024 after a decade of leading the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
“I’ve had several conversations over the last year with a representative from the owners. And more recently, we’ve talked three or four times in the last couple of months as they they were coming up empty with (a non-local broker).
“We’re glad (Sluss has the listing.) We’ll see what comes out of it.
“The best-case scenario is we can get it to someone who’s going to invest in it and we can look at potentially state grants to help get things taken care of,” Perry said.
It appears Namdar has dropped the price by around $300,000 in the new listing.
Why would seeing it sold to a local owner be better for the city and local taxpayers than just tearing down the buildings?
Company attorneys have made it clear legal challenges to demolition efforts may be mounted, a process Harper has said could take years to resolve. If the city follows through and demolishes the property on its own, there is no guarantee it could recoup the costs of the work — and Namdar would still own the property.
Over the last two years, local officials have said Namdar is tough to pin down. It has a portfolio of nearly 400 properties, which includes more than 170 retail properties in 37 states.
In January, Harper told council his office would be filing a new demolition order.
“Frankly, we inherited this case and there was a faulty demolition order to begin with. It didn’t include the parking lot, which is what we have to go back and re-do. That’s what we are doing,” Harper said in November.
But it’s also apparent the company has not invested to keep the existing buildings from continuing to decline.
“We have not (seen that investment.) We’ve had to turn in some things to them when entryways get opened and … they’ve made it clear they want to divest the property, which again, I think it is probably best,” the mayor said.
“But you know, it can’t sit there forever. I understand … I’ve had this question a lot when I’ve gone and spoken places … almost everywhere I speak … I assure people … You’re not seeing things happen on site, but it’s not because there’s not a lot of people talking about it and trying to figure out how can we do it in a way that is in the best interest of the community,” she said.
“I am having bi-weekly conversations with the owner at this point. We are talking a lot … trying to put things in motion.”
