OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Central Village in Bolton celebrates its grand opening

By Nicole DeCosta

The West Linn Tidings, Oct 11, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Vern Uyetake / West Linn Tidings

Workers, Jesus Martinez, front, and Ceasar Martinez, back, put up lights for the grand opening celebration Wednesday of West Linn Central Village in the Bolton neighborhood. Construction on the complex is done after more than two years of planning and work.

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Elaine Mahoney sips something warm from a Starbucks cup. She looks content, walking amid the shops at West Linn Central Village.

Nearby, people hang decorative lights to illuminate the new shopping center – noting that it is now officially open. Others walk dogs, or push children in strollers.

The project in the Bolton neighborhood – built by Gramor Development, and located between Burns and Garden streets – has been attracting attention, and visitors, for months.

Currently 23 of the 29 businesses are open, and have been moving in steadily over the past year. On Wednesday, the complex celebrated its official grand opening.

Locals and those from far away have visited the variety of shops, and many have formed new routines to incorporate the center.

Mahoney – who spent 33 years raising her family on nearby River Street – now resides in Oregon City but remains the chairman of Friends of Maddax Woods and president of the West Linn Garden Club.

She visits West Linn Central Village often, she said.

“It’s convenient. It’s on my run home,” Mahoney said. “I’ve been in West Linn (a while) so I’ve seen a lot of changes here. … this is a real anchoring point for the area.”

Across the street from the project, members of the West Linn Public Library said the new center has been helpful.

“People used to call and say, ‘where are you located?’ Now, we’re easier to find. We’re, ‘next to the shopping center,’” said Linda Malone, library co-director.

Malone also said that the library staff likes to swing by Market of Choice, situated on the south end of the complex, on their way home to grab dinner. And that it’s not uncommon for people shopping to then stop by the library.

On any given day, people from the city and far away visit to shop, dine, grab a snack and catch up with friends.

Antonia Lindsey of Damascus and Megan Hughes of Portland sat at a bistro table outside Starbucks. Lindsey, an artist, just had a showing at the coffee shop and now travels there regularly to view other people’s art.

“(The art) makes it a regional place,” Lindsey said.

Hughes said she likes meeting her friend at Central Village because it’s halfway between where they both live.

But, she doesn’t like the landscaping.

“This could be a shopping center anywhere in the country, it’s got the same … plants. It could be Texas, it could be Oklahoma,” she said. “There should be native plants.”

Plants aside, people are visiting the center, spending money and time – all things the West Linn Chamber of Commerce is proud of.

“(The center) has dramatically improved the product and services offering in our community,” said Mark Buser, chamber president. “One of the chamber goals has been to increase spending locally. Each dollar spent by local residents in West Linn businesses has a multiplier effect. The longer the dollar bounces around West Linn, the better off we are.”

Mayor Norm King agreed with Buser about the importance of shopping locally.

“(Central Village) has added employment and added some exciting and interesting new shops and restaurants, and it’s a structure that’s attractive,” said King, who added he enjoys the new Taco Del Mar and Coldstone Creamery.

About 100 new jobs have been created because of Central Village, Buser said. And – so far – nine businesses have joined the chamber, according to Mary Closson, executive director at the chamber.

The chamber presented Gramor Development the “Bridging Business and Community Award” at last year’s chamber dinner as a thank you for their investment with West Linn businesses, Buser said.

A varied assortment, Central Village features clothing stores, restaurants, dog destinations, exercise and health facilities, hair shops, furniture stores and more.

“We have been getting great feedback,” said Cecilia Barinstein, owner of Happenstance, a women’s clothing boutique. “Our customers range from their mid 20s into their 60s.”

Chelsea Benedict, assistant buyer and e-commerce manager at Via Lago, another boutique, said their customer base is similar.

“I shopped here before I started working here, and I’m 23. My mom also shops here,” Benedict said.

Cindy Craig, owner of Edible Arrangements, said she also gets a variety of customers to her store, which specializes in table arrangements made of finger food.

“We get kids ordering for their parents and parents for their kids’ birthdays,” she said.

The center is a new walking destination for Bolton neighbor Barbara Steinberg, who pushes her 7-month-old in a stroller to the center often.

“We love going to five-o-three,” she said of the new restaurant. “We used to always go to Lake Oswego to shop. At least there’s an option now.”

The center, situated on approximately seven acres, is two years and three phases in the making. An older grocery store – now Market of Choice – was remodeled. The building that housed Starbucks and a fitness gym was also revamped. The completion of a new building, housing five-o-three, Via Lago and several other stores, finished the project.

Years ago, the proposal of Central Village had Bolton residents banning together to have an impact as to how their neighborhood would be developed.

Bolton resident Robert McCarthy said that they didn’t want a 24-hour pharmacy across from the library, which was initially proposed. They hoped six to eight large trees wouldn’t be removed for development. They wanted an underground parking structure and unique looking, boutique buildings – not a strip mall.

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