Mall merchants hope expansion will be a shot in the arm

By Michael Cass - The Tennessean - January 2, 2009

When patients sign in at Vanderbilt University's medical clinics at 100 Oaks Mall later this year, they will receive pagers, like guests at busy restaurants.

Armed with their buzzers, they will be free to wander and spend their down time at the mall's restaurants and retail shops, which, not surprisingly, are looking forward to seeing them.

"We're hoping a lot of people come in here," said Ronald Gooch, assistant manager of K & G Fashion Superstore. "Killing five or 10 minutes, they may buy some stuff."

Vanderbilt's arrival at 100 Oaks, which will start in earnest early next month, could be a boon for K & G and the other businesses at the mall a few miles south of downtown, which has needed a shot in the arm for years. About 750 university employees will work there at least part-time, and 1,000 patients are expected to come through the 19 clinics each day.

Vanderbilt's medical center agreed 18 months ago to lease 440,000 square feet of space at the mall, which a pair of Dallas developers bought in 2006. The university opened one clinic there last winter.

About 200 workers are readying the rest of the space on the mall's second and third floors so the other clinics can start opening in February, Vanderbilt construction coordinator Doug Kinsey said.

In the meantime, Vanderbilt's police department will start handling mall security full time on Sunday.

"It's going to be a real big advantage and make consumers feel a lot more secure," said Tony Ruggeri, one of the mall's owners.

It's harder to say how the daily infusion of hundreds of people and vehicles will affect the mall's neighbors, though the owners have taken steps to make traffic smoother and safer at the facility off Thompson Lane and Powell Avenue.

Traffic lights have been installed and aligned. A new entrance off Powell, framed by a rock wall façade, makes entering and leaving the mall campus much more comfortable for drivers, who previously navigated a confusing series of ramps.

Joe Baker, city manager of Berry Hill, the city of about 700 people that sits across Thompson Lane from the mall, said the project's ultimate impact on traffic is difficult to predict. Though some travelers will arrive via Interstate 65, some will use Berry Hill's streets, too.

"It's a wait-and-see thing," Baker said.

The new base of skilled medical professionals also could lure developers, who might see a chance to build houses, condominiums and apartments once the economy improves.

"I would certainly anticipate a lot more creative use of a lot of real estate in that area," Ruggeri said. "I think there will be a lot of redevelopment in various forms. Some residential makes sense. But other pieces will have to come together before we see the dimension of that."

Metro Councilwoman Anna Page, who represents the district the mall is in, said the area has a strong mix of housing already, and she hopes it won't see heavy development.

Building relationships

Page said Vanderbilt, which has a 12-year lease at 100 Oaks, has worked well with the community.

The university offered grants totaling $25,000 to community organizations, which helped fund a wellness center at Glencliff High School, a community garden at Coleman Park, a festival in the Flatrock neighborhood and other projects.

"I can't say enough positive things about the impact they've had on the community," Page said.

Mary Pat Teague, Vanderbilt's associate director of community, neighborhood and government relations, said another grant program would start in a few weeks. Baker said the university also has joined Berry Hill's merchants association.

"We're building those relationships constantly," Teague said. "We've been fortunate. It seems everything's going pretty well out there."

Vanderbilt spokesman John Howser said the university eventually will build two swimming pools and a whirlpool in an enclosed building near Guitar Center. That facility will be open to community members after hours.

Mall gets new tenants

The mall, which opened in the 1960s, is bringing in some other new tenants as well.

A Cheeseburger Charley's is scheduled to open next to a Regions Bank branch in an out-parcel next week, Ruggeri said. A Logan's Roadhouse is under construction just off Thompson Lane, and Einstein Brothers Bagels is expected to open inside the mall, near the top of the grand staircase.

Ruggeri said his company is negotiating with prospective tenants for an empty lot on the south end of the campus, near the Regal Hollywood Stadium 27, and for the two vacant stores formerly occupied by Media Play and CompUSA.

Gooch, the assistant manager at K & G, which moved into a new space at the mall six weeks ago to make way for Vanderbilt, said curiosity about the mall's transformation has already made a difference in the customer mix.

"We've been seeing a lot of different faces coming in just to see what's going on," he said. "That's a start."

Contact Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com.