Starbuck Says Nine Prospective Anchor Tenants Id'ed For Elk Grove Promenade

Nine prospective anchor tenants identified for the unfinished  Elk Grove Promenade  Mall.

Cooper, Gill travel to Texas

During his quarterly presentation to the Elk Grove City Council, Economic Development Director Randy Starbuck delivered a sliver of hope for the moribund Elk Grove Promenade Mall.

The completion of the mall on the city's south side, which has been called an eyesore by many Elk Grove residents, has also become a major priority for the city after construction abruptly stopped four years ago this July. The original developer of the mall, General Growth Properties entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 and the property is now owned by the Howard Hughes Co.(HHC).

"This is the most important thing I have to tell you tonight," Starbuck said. He went on to say that as a result of his attendance at the recent International Council of Shopping Centers conference in Las Vegas, nine prospective tenants for the promenade were identified.

After the meeting Starbuck said once the prospects were identified, they were given to HHC for follow up. Starbuck did not identify the prospects during his presentation.

Additionally, Starbuck reported that so far this year eight notable businesses have opened in Elk Grove. Included are four fast food restaurants, a grocery store, a new car dealership and medical facility. Starbuck  noted most of these businesses came as the result of the normal growth of the city and most had made their plans to locate in Elk Grove prior to the start of his employment last year.

In other economic development news, Mayor Jim Cooper also reported that he and City Manger Laura Gill made a two-day trip to Frisco, Texas on Monday to visit the FC Dallas Stadium. City leaders earlier this year had expressed interest in developing a stadium to host a professional soccer league.