What Have They Done Lately? Construction Halt on Elk Grove Promenade Now in its Sixth Year

July 28, 2014 | On or about July 25, 2008, construction on the Elk Grove Promenade came to an abrupt stop. The unanticipated and sudden...

July 28, 2014 |

On or about July 25, 2008, construction on the Elk Grove Promenade came to an abrupt stop. The unanticipated and sudden stop of construction precipitated the Great Recession's credit crunch and the bankruptcy of the mall's developer, Chicago-based General Growth.

In the six years since then there has been much speculation on what will become of the half-built structure on the city's far south side. Notwithstanding the rumors and sometimes humorous suggestions on future uses for the abandoned structure (see video below), the mall's current owner, Howard Hughes Company (HHC), has most recently announced the facility would be converted to an outlet shopping center.
This east facing sloping roof shows visible deterioration.  



With much fanfare, this spring HHC announced that the unfinished shopping center would be converted into an outlet mall dubbed the "Outlet Collection at Elk Grove." According to HHC's website, "the first phase includes reconfiguring existing buildings and site work that began during the economic downturn by the former developer to allow for approximately 500,000 square feet of retail in the suburban community located just seventeen miles south of downtown Sacramento."

Since that announcement, anyone who has driven by the skeleton-of-a-facility along Highway 99 and Grant Line Road can attest, the weeds continue to grow in the rainy months, dry out in the heat and the structure, most notably the sloping east facing roof, seems to be deteriorating. Aside from a lone security guard, there is absolutely no activity of any sort on the fenced-in site.

Obviously since the hullabaloo following the announcement of the conversion of the structure to an outlet mall, not much has happened. Indeed, had HHC landed enough leases on the Outlet Collection, one suspects construction would have restarted

The Outlet Collection faces many challenges until construction can restart and the eyesore be eliminated. First, there is the nearby Delta Shores project in nearby southwestern Sacramento city that will easily draw shoppers from the west side  of Elk Grove as well as north side when the Cosumnes River Drive extension to I-5 is completed.

Another big challenge is the quickly evolving way consumers shop. When the mall was originally proposed close to 20-years ago, companies like Amazon and numerous others were in their infancy.

Cities no longer compete for malls like they once did, rather the competition is for the huge distribution centers the likes of Amazon need to get product to their customers. 

Closer to home, the Outlet Collection still faces another daunting challenge - not enough nearby rooftops. While building in the Laguna Ridge area is slowly ramping-up following the housing collapse, it may not be enough.

Likewise, while city leaders have promised a greater concentration of commercial zoning in the SEPA area, notwithstanding pressure from residential builders who fund city council members, there could be organic pressure to build more homes to create the rooftops needed for HHC to sign some leases.  

So while we all wait to see when construction restarts, or the site re-purposed, all we can do is ask HHC what have they done for Elk Grove lately?

An interesting use for the Outlet Collection at Elk Grove

  


Last known video recording of construction activity at the Outlet Collection of Elk Grove, formerly known as the Elk Grove Promenade. 


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5 comments

Anonymous said...

To first answer the question, "What Have They Done Lately"...MORE ROOFTOPS! Other problems I see in our future:

MALL....Delta Shores will have a hugh impact on our proposed Outlet Mall ever being built. Should it happen, I see many empty strip malls due to their moving to the Outlet
Mall...a no-win situation.

SEPA...Rooftops and Office planned. Office trends are changing, due in large part to Technology. The office space planned will take many years to ever be filled, if it ever is. Corps. are changing the space requirements needed and supporting their employees' ability to work anywhere, anytime.

FEASIBILITY STUDIES..Plenty of those hangin' out. Lets take Soccer 1st. Sacramento/Mayor Johnson has that one in their pocket...we're just spinning our wheels. So why are we not working on getting some soccer fields with all the goodies that go with them built? That is what will bring the $$ in and should already be in the works. Time spent on MLS is a waste of time.

Aquatics Center/Water Playground.....Forget the Playground and work on the Aquatics Center, but downsize that too.

I suppose you get my drift, we're wasting time in chasing rainbows & the storage facilities are filling up with Feasibility Studies. JMHO

Failure Creep said...

We have all heard of mission creep - Elk Grove is suffering from failure creep.

-The Mall
-Elk Grove's crown jewel, Madeira
-The softball fields
-The soccer fields
-The octopus civic center
-The soccer stadium
-The aquatics center

The only thing this city can accomplish is building more homes and knowing the mayor will pimp his coffee shop any chance he can.

Anonymous said...

Proud Heritage, Bright Future?

A City by the developers, of the developers and FOR the developers!

Increase in armed robberies, assaults and various street crimes

More sprawl

$100 million soccer stadium

Garish 70 - 100 foot tall lighted signs

Sister city to the Kingdom of Zamunda

Octopus Civic Center

Amusement park right across from single family homes in Madeira "the Jewel of Elk Grove".

Visions of the Olympic Trials.

3,600 units of high density very low and low income housing on the way to "Meridian" (the Southeast Plan Area) - Hood of the future to be known as Mack Road South.

Bring on more low income housing projects, liquor stores, fast food joints, shooting ranges, gun stores, smoke shops and nail salons.

Elk Grove Thriving!

Anonymous said...

Elk grove promenade? That's gonna happen. EVER!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry Steve Ly and Nancy Chares will save the day

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