Crestwood looks to redevelop shopping center across from old Crestwood mall

CRESTWOOD, Mo. (KMOV) - It’s been nearly a year since new development came to the site of a former Crestwood mall.

The bulldozers and dirt will be replaced with a Dierbergs and single-family homes.

Just across Watson Road, the Crestview Plaza shopping center is being added to the list of items the city is looking to revamp.

Salty Underground is one of the survivors of Crestview Plaza.

Owner Cynthia Brown says there are only four businesses still open in the plaza. Brown says it’s her business, Zen Thai & Japanese Cuisine, The Clark Academy of Irish Dance and American Red Cross.

“A lot of people, when they see the area it looks pretty depressed and they don’t even realize a lot of the businesses are in here,” Brown says.

Brown says she’s seen at least three businesses leave within the last year.

However, Brown says no one’s coming in to replace them.

“In revitalizing the area, they need to bring in some more businesses that would bring in an influx of people,” Brown says.

The plaza property is now for sale and Crestwood wants proposals to redevelop the site.

Crestwood Mayor Grant Mabie says he’s hoping this will breathe new life into the shopping center.

“That being just adjacent to the new Crestwood Crossings development, we’re hoping we see some kind of exciting mixed-use to compliment that project,” Mayor Mabie says. “Whether that be multi-family, whether that be retail, a combination of those things, some office space. Something that would bring some vibrancy back to that site.”

The South County town has struggled for years to grow its population and business, especially after losing the mall.

Mabie says Crestwood has seen a lot of growth in the last year and hopes a new approach to business can continue that.

“While you may see some red tape and difficulties in some other areas, you’re not going to have that in Crestwood,” Mayor Mabie says. “We do want to have high-quality development so we’re looking for things that complement the good things that are going on.”

The proposals for the redevelopment of Crestview Plaza are due by the end of March.

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