Asian grocery planned for former Crossroads Mall
Planning documents filed with the city of Oklahoma City show that the new owner of Crossroads Mall plans to install an Asian market.
According to the documents, the west end of the mall will be converted into a retail and wholesale grocery store.
The second floor of planned renovations will eventually include a food court.
The property was known for decades as Crossroads Mall until the mall closed more than a decade ago amid declining interest in big-box retail stores. Developers then rebranded it as Plaza Mayor at Crossroads to lure Oklahoma City's burgeoning Latino community. It became a cultural hub of commerce with Hispanic stores and restaurants, and a retail business incubator.
That venture folded in 2017, leaving both the retail property of the mall and surrounding businesses without the foot traffic that once kept the southeast side of Oklahoma City an economic powerhouse.
Some activity on the property continued, however, especially with the charter Santa Fe South High School remaining on site. Santa Fe South Charter School recently expanded its footprint at the former mall with construction of an elementary school and new administration offices on the mall's north side.
Last year, Price Edwards handled a transaction that saw Lins Crossroad Plaza LLC pay $6.5 million to CRM Properties Group LLC for the once struggling mall, which sits on 60 acres of land near where Interstates 35 and 240 meet in southeast Oklahoma City.
Little was known about the new owner's plans until recently. Rumors swirled about the prospect of an Asian market and also a marijuana grow facility, and both rumors appear to be true. Last month, additional planning documents were filed with the city that described plans to convert a section of the mall into a marijuana farm.
The grow facility would be in the south side of the mall, in a section that previously housed a Dillard's department store. It will take up about a third of the space where Dillard's used to be. Those plans were met with criticism from Santa Fe South's superintendent.
Although the new owner has been tight-lipped about their plans, an assistant told The Oklahoman there are plans to build a decorative "Friendship Gate" leading into the property. Friendship gates are large, ornamental gates often found in China and other countries.
Staff writer Dale Denwalt covers Oklahoma's economy and business news for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Dale? He can be reached at ddenwalt@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @denwalt. Support Dale’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC's Crossroads Mall is getting an Asian grocery store and market
