Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The citizens of Oregon will start seeing real progress on the development of the Oregon Town Center project as city officials celebrated its official groundbreaking on May 27.
“We faced a lot of critiquing to get to this point,” Oregon mayor Mike Seferian said. “But this actual parcel right here was the only chance we, the city of Oregon, had to develop something in our retail area other than a development along a state route.
“We had to take the risk, and we had to have patience and a lot of guts because we took a lot of bruises along the way. It looks like it's well worth all the hits we took to get to this point, and it's exciting for me, and I hope it's exciting for everyone else.”
The project, which sits on the old K-Mart site at 2830 Navarre Avenue, began in 2019. The initial developer, Fairmont Properties, left the project and with other issues such as the pandemic that stalled things, the city eventually partnered with River Rock Property Group in the spring of 2024.
“It's a unique public-private partnership, and it will come to fruition and be a great asset for the city,” Bill Bostleman of the River Rock Property Group said.
Bostleman said phase one of the project, which includes the frontage along Navarre Avenue, will begin right away and take approximately one year to complete.
It will initially include a four-tenant building in what he called “somewhat a little more upscale than your typical retail strip center.”
Although he said he can’t specifically say which restaurants or businesses are on board, Bostleman said people will be excited once they hear.
“We have restaurants primarily to start, and we have five that are already basically committed,” he said. “They're national, or at least regional types … names you will recognize. But they like to announce themselves after they get all their final building permits and decide exactly where the opening fits in their schedule of national openings.
“I can't divulge the names, but they will all be assets and destination types of servicers. We're excited about it.”
Steve Hornyak, Oregon city councilman and economic development committee chair, said he is thrilled to see the progress of this project after what he called “a long struggle” to get to this point.
“It's been a lot of work,” he said. “It's been a lot of effort put in by a lot of people. And I think from everybody in Oregon, the administration, the mayor's office, city council, and all of our residents, I think we're just ready to see some dirt fly and start seeing some buildings come to life around us.
“We're excited to see the opportunity. We're excited to see this project start, and it is the start of many, many more good things to come for the City of Oregon. “
The town center will incorporate mixed-use residential and commercial development, and after phase one is completed, phase two will begin. That part will include three buildings on the south part of the property, where the old K-mart building originally sat.
Bostleman said phase two needs phase one to be complete in order for people to believe in the retailers and (to get) others believing in the project. He expects phase two to kick off in the next two years or so.
“Phase two will be what is truly the town center, and it will include a public space that we will call the town center, but it will be an open public area surrounded by restaurants, retailers, patios for nice weather and (people to have) a couple cocktails (or) whatever.
“It can be a venue for farmers markets, for concerts, for viewing the fireworks, all those kinds of public events. We're really happy to be able to provide that. That's something that Oregon hasn't had. We're happy to be able to provide that, and it will be exciting.”
Bostleman said his group takes properties that are in good commercial areas but are vacant and bordering on blight. He noted that they did it in Perrysburg with the French Quarter Square and on Central Avenue with the old Giant Eagle building.
City administrator Joel Mazur said the Oregon Economic Development Foundation is a “great partner and a great asset to the city of Oregon and all of the residents and all of the businesses here” while noting that they helped assemble the land needed to make the project happen.
Rebecca Bennett, who is the executive director of the Oregon Economic Development Foundation, also spoke at the groundbreaking.
“Today is not just a groundbreaking, it's a declaration, a declaration that Oregon, Ohio is investing in its people and its future,” she said. “For a long time, this part of town has held potential. You could feel it, you could see the need, but today we stopped talking, and we see what can happen. We are going to celebrate what is happening.
“The Oregon Town Center is more than a development, it's a signal. It tells our residents we're listening. We see the need for more places to gather, to shop, to eat, to feel proud of where we live, and we're responding with something that reflects the identity of this city.
“Not something imported or imposed, but something that's built for us. This is economic development that makes sense. Development that's walkable, connected to neighborhoods like the K. Hovnanian Homes right next door, designed to support small businesses, create jobs, and generate tax revenue - to invest in city services and schools.
“It's development that's rooted in community and driven by purpose. This kind of progress doesn't just show up, it's led.”
Seferian made sure to credit River Rock’s Mike Denman during the ceremony as he was the first person city officials spoke with to really get the project back on track last spring.
Mazur said that Program Solutions is the general contractor for the project.
Bennett, although she recently took over this role, said she isn’t new to the power of economic development and what it means when it’s done with care, strategy and a whole lot of heart.
“That’s what this town center represents,” she said. “It's not just steel and signage, it's pride, it's momentum, and it's Oregon investing in Oregon. This is a milestone, and it matters.”
