In 2017, local reporters wrote that south Frederica Street was undergoing a “retail exodus” in the wake of several stores leaving one of Owensboro’s most profitable economic areas since the 1970s. Over the last 5 years, Mayor Tom Watson said it’s been a mission to maintain the relevance of that corridor.
Now, the city is potentially on the verge of bringing some life back to that corridor, with two new restaurants along with plans — some existing and some still hopeful — in Towne Square Mall.
When the mall opened in the 1970s, it created one of the biggest economically crucial areas in the city’s history. After the success of the mall, they created Towne Square North.
The traffic that came in was so heavy it almost put the businesses in danger since customers couldn’t reach the stores in an effective way. Frederica Street eventually expanded from two to five lanes in the 1980s, while Southtown Boulevard was paved around the same time.
The new roads provided some access to the plethora of businesses on south Frederica — from the mall’s then-staples of JCPenney, Macy’s and Sears, to local businesses that have come and gone.
Eventually, KY 54 started developing and businesses migrated east making it the economic hot spot it is now. Staple locations like Hobby Lobby, Kirkland’s and Malco all announced their relocation from Frederica to KY 54 in June 2017.
When the statements came out that year, Mayor Tom Watson said that work will need to be done to keep the Frederica corridor “relevant.”
And he still stands by that statement 5 years later.
“It’s kind of been forgotten, I guess is the best way to put it, with all the work that’s going on out on 54,” Watson said.
The mayor said that development follows the traffic — meaning busier areas will attract more companies — so the mission is to bring relevance back to the south side. He said there has been a deliberate intention to get some more traffic to the area.
While there’s been some development with restaurants — Chick-fil-A underwent a million-dollar renovation, Chipotle recently opened, and Chili’s is expected to open later the year —one major focus area economically has been the Towne Square Mall.
Though numerous stores have departed the mall, Ellis Park is taking over the former JCPenney’s location with an entertainment venue, offering a wide selection of historical racing machines, a simulcast betting and viewing area, and a new race- and sports-themed bar and grill. It has an anticipated opening date in early 2023.
There have also been talks about the future of the old Macy’s location. A local investment group purchased the location with hopes of opening an indoor sports facility, though they later scrapped those plans and sold the building to Gulfstream, who already owned the rest of the mall.
Watson said there’s still a chance of a sports facility being built.
“There’s a possibility that a sportsplex may go in the old Macy’s building. We haven’t made that decision yet, but it needs to be revisited as far as that whole area of south Frederica still being a very important component of economic development for the community,” Watson said.
Watson noted that society is leaning toward smaller strip centers where people can park outside and then shop in the chain of stores rather than inside a mall.
He added that he foresees much of the construction coming in already established buildings rather than in land development. Watson acknowledged there isn’t much room to add anything new, fueling the need to utilize current structures.
All in all, while businesses both big and small have either shuttered or relocated from the south side, Watson is hopeful the area can be revitalized.
