A resolution aiming to pause construction work for a long-range plan at The Mall in Eat Isles failed at the Park & Recreation Board meeting Wednesday night.  

Commissioners Tom Olsen, Becky Alper, Meg Forney, Billy Menz, and Steffanie Musich voted against the resolution. Commissioners Shaffer, who represents The Mall area, voted for the resolution, along with Cathy Abene, Becka Thompson, and Charles Rucker.

The Southwest Service Area Master Plan, passed by the Park & Recreation Board in November 2020, includes a redesign for The Mall. The plan removes two blocks of the northwestern end for green space development. A group of East Isles neighbors voiced concerns last year about the removal of parking in the plan.

In the Southwest Service Area Master Plan, two blocks of The Mall’s top-end streets are planned to be removed, with the bottom streets remaining as is. Image courtesy of Google Maps, visual design by Southwest Voices.

After hearing from East Isles residents, the Park & Recreation Board voted to pause the long-range plan in May 2024 and issued a parking study, which found that the highest demand for parking happened overnight, which currently isn’t permitted.

Olsen questioned the board’s ability to have a “fair, equitable and balanced planning process” at Wednesday’s meeting.  

“How can I look my constituents in the eye?” Olsen said, “And tell them that we value their voices, when you know a well connected minority can come in and completely undercut over two years of planning in the 11th hour?”

Shaffer, who met with residents early on in this process, said it wasn’t about disrespecting community engagement.

“This is about considering a portion of a long-range plan idea at the time of implementation, and making sure that it makes sense within the whole redesign,” Shaffer said at the meeting. “We don't want to have regrets.”

The Mall’s long-range plan is being considered now because sewer work is planned for The Mall. Instead of ripping up the street in a few years to complete The Mall project, the Park & Recreation Board is being given the opportunity now to address the long-range plan. The board otherwise utilizes an equity matrix that would put the project further down on the completion list.

Residents were surveyed in 2024 for feedback on amenities for The Mall’s planned green space, including connections to the nearby trails, water fountains, and benches. The Mall butts up against the Midtown Greenway, Lake of the Isles, and Bde Maka Ska.