Warrenton, Citizens group hosts first openhouse on interchange propositions
By Jimmy Potts,
Record Managing Editor
Posted 11/7/19
Warrenton officials and Citizens for Access Now, a group supporting funding a new Interstate 70 interchange, hosted the first of a series of open houses last Thursday attempting to educate the public …
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Warrenton, Citizens group hosts first openhouse on interchange propositions
Posted
By Jimmy Potts,
Record Managing Editor
Warrenton officials and Citizens for Access Now, a group supporting funding a new Interstate 70 interchange, hosted the first of a series of open houses last Thursday attempting to educate the public on Propositions O and P that will be on the Aug. 2 ballot.If passed, the propositions would fund construction of an interchange west of Warrenton and future economic development via two half-cent sales taxes, which supporters hope will create what Citizens for Access Now Consultant Sally Poole called Warrenton’s “gateway to the west.”“There are a lot of questions and some antagonism about the project,” Poole said. “With education, the majority of the population will realize this is a win-win for everyone. This interchange will grow Warrenton fast . . . This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I think it’s going to happen. All of the puzzle pieces are falling into place.”One of those pieces is the potential sale of the Warrenton Outlet Mall to Art King, a local property developer, which is contingent on passage of Propositions O and P.During the town hall, King unveiled his plans for the beleaguered outlet mall, which includes revamping it with the introduction of a grocery store, a hardware store, a new fitness center and three lots slated for restaurants.“We put a lot of resources into it and I feel confident,” King said. “This will be the gateway into Warrenton from the west. It brings in new stores, a new sales tax base and a lot of employment. The statement I’ve heard the most is ‘This will be a lot more convenient than driving 20 miles to Wentzville.’ ”Although restoring the old outlet mall has garnered much of the attention surrounding the project, Warrenton Director of Operations Terri Thorn said the interstate project is much broader than originally reported.While King’s firm (RAK Development) is spearheading redevelopment of the mall, three other developers — Kevan Properties, Samolt Properties and Boegeman Properties — are working on projects surrounding the proposed interchange and also were part of a signed agreement with the city of Warrenton to develop those properties, contingent on passage of the propositions.Thorn said Boegeman, who owns properties on the north side of the proposed interchange, plans to use its land for industrial development while Kevan and Samolt have retail and commercial aspirations for their south-side properties.She added that the model the city is using for its interchange development plans is similar to successful models used in booming areas such as Troy, Wentzville and Washington’s Pheonix Center.“When you think about how Wentzville developed, it all started at the interstate,” Thorn said. “We certainly see retail and commercial around the interchange. We don’t know what’s going to come. We know Art King has a couple of anchor stores. We don’t know what they are, yet, but we’re hoping he will make an announcement in the near future.”As for the mall, Thorn said the current owners, Moonbeam LLC, has done well at maintaining the stores despite most of them going out of business.She hopes the interchange will restore it to the prominence it held long ago, when people would take a bus from St. Louis just to visit its stores. She said the Warrenton Outlet Mall also may need a name change because neither the city of Warrenton nor King want it to host outlet stores.“Without the interchange, the mall has no future,” Thorn said. “Unfortunately, right now, we don’t have much to get them off of the interstate, except Walmart. This is going to be our gateway to the west.”As for the upcoming vote, Warrenton Mayor Eric Schleuter said the open houses are an excellent opportunity to answer questions regarding Propositions O and P, which he hopes may sway some potential detractors.“This is extremely important. Giving an open forum that is in a relaxed setting is an easy way to bring the public in,” Schleuter said. “You are more or less encouraging more conversation with the public. That was the big thing with this, give them a say in it.”Citizens for Access will host additional open houses at the Warrenton City Hall this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and all day Election Day.
Warrenton Economic Development Director Michelle Schlenter shows a Warrenton resident a mockup of a proposed interchange in I-70 last Thursday.
