Tonight: Public Meeting At Four Seasons Mall

Down to one business, Kaplan Professional Schools, the Four Seasons Mall stands pretty empty these days.

But tonight, from 6 to 8 p.m., the parking lot could be quite full while people file into the mall to attend a public meeting called by property owner Walmart.

Walmart purchased the land for $10.6 million, but has not put in proposal to build on the site. The company wanted to have public meetings to engage the community and get feedback about building on the site before making any formal proposals.

According to ProSource.com, a website for Kaplan class scheduling, classes will no longer be held at its Four Seasons Mall location in Plymouth after Nov. 1., 2012, and are being moved to a new spot. 

Previously, the Plymouth City Council had put a moratorium to halt any possible site plan proposals for the property as city staff put together information regarding possiblities, needs and future uses for the site. The council met to discuss these at several work sessions as well, but the moratorium was lifted in November 2011.

According to the city's website: 

"The city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan states that the site is a good candidate for mixed use when it redevelops. The city intended mixed use in this location to include commercial, retail, office and potentially specialized housing (i.e senior, live/work). The plan also indicates that redevelopment include a transit element and be sensitive to the adjacent neighborhood to the west."

The 21-acre site of the former mall is zoned neighborhood commercial and would have to be rezoned for Walmart to build there. The city will have to be given rationale by the business that supports rezoning it. 

At previous public meetings held by the city of Plymouth about its vision to redevelop the site, many neighbors living near the Mall don't want to see a Walmart built there. Concerns expressed included traffic demand on local roads around the property, implications of Walmart being open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and more.

Walmart sent out a letter in September 2012 to the surrounding neighborhood to invite people to discuss the possibility of it building on the site. Originally, the meeting tonight was planned for Sept. 26, but since that was during the celebrated Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, it was rescheduled for Oct. 10.

Currently the only use for the Four Seasons Mall is a five-day fundraiser sale called Angel's Attic benefitting the Angel Foundation, which benefits cancer patients in need and their families. Walmart donated the site for the fundraiser.

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