OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – If you’ve been to Oak View Mall, you know its been on a decline in recent years. But plans are in place to revitalize it. One Millard woman hopes to change that with a plan to spark life back into the seemingly dead mall.
You don’t have to be from the area to remember the excitement of going to the mall. Kathy Rigg tells First Alert 6 she remembers what it was like for her.
“It was a social gathering, it was where you met your friends, it was the real happening place,” said Omaha resident Rigg.
But the shift to online shopping and economic woes have made malls like Oak View look empty, despite having over 30 stores in operation.
“7 to 10 different stores have left in the last couple of years but probably eight to fifteen new stores have come in as a popup or as a restaurant or as a local vendor,” said Stephanie Goodrich.
Stephanie Goodrich grew up in Millard and remembers Oak View in its heyday.
“This was the hangout, a lot of my friends and I would come here to, they had a recording place downstairs where you could record CD’s,” said Goodrich. “I was not a musician at all but I sang my heart out and recorded a CD.”
Stephanie is a local business owner and teacher. She helped coordinate a Halloween event at the mall that saw lines out the door.
“Most of the stores have been here 15-20 years and they said you know a couple hundred will come through nothing major and we had over 3,000 families come to that event,” said Goodrich.
In December, she was hired as general manager for Oak View Mall. Along with plans for the facility itself, Stephanie has helped sparked excitement through the mall’s social media accounts, collecting thousands of views online.
“We now have a TikTok page, we have a lot more videos, we are spotlighting some of the local businesses in here,” said Stephanie. “Our videos are making some pretty good traction and that is because the people of Omaha want Oak View to succeed.”
Her hope is to focus on local entrepreneurs through pop-up events and a new storefront called Oak 22 Market.
“That is where 22 local vendors can come very weekend. We will have a youth weekend at the end of every weekend as well,” explained Goodrich. “People can start creating and building their business, learning more about business, networking.”
Along with more local flavor, some old favorites like light up floors are back. New businesses are also on the way, including “Kid Lavie” which opens in about a month.
“That is a brand new kids facility it’s for ages 3 to 12 years old. It’s a giant 22,000 square foot facility,” explained Goodrich.
Stephanie tells First Alert 6 she hopes the new additions will bring more businesses and folks back.
“I really wanted to see Oak View Mall come alive again and that is because community is very important to me,” said Goodrich. “So being able to see families come together and find a spot that is affordable, that is fun, that is safe, Oak View Mall is the perfect spot for that.”
Stephanie tells First Alert 6 more community events are coming like a car show, money hunts, and an Omaha Women’s Business Center event later this month.
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