Oakway Center - Eugene, OR - a shopping center that has been completely renovated

Oakway Center is a recently renovated shopping center with both national and local business within it. The Heritage Courtyard was added giving visitors a place to enjoy entertainment, dining and shopping under oak trees. The center can be reached using Interstate 5 from the west, north and south; those traveling from the east can take highway 126.

Oakway Center was built during the 1960's and was the first enclosed mall in Eugene, Oregon's northern suburbs. Thirty years after the construction the amount of customers visiting the mall had begun to dwindle because of the tenants and outdated appearance of the building. A family owned business found in Eugene, McKay Investment Co. owns the center and claims a low rate of vacancy. There was a ninety-three percent rate of occupancy during January of 1995 when the renovations began. The idea behind the renovations was to create an upscale center and return it to the original standing.

The Oakway Center is 150,000 square feet making it unable to compete with regional malls. The center is on a triangular piece of land that covers twenty-five acres. The cosmetic appeal of the center is not the only thing that was of concern with the renovations although the store fronts and roof were a concern of the inner and outer appearances. The large amount of traffic that goes through the area on a daily basis was taken into consideration as well to find the best methods for attracting patrons to the mall.

The first phase of renovating Oakway Center was at a cost of approximately two million dollars. The interior, exterior and signage were redesigned as part of this renovation phase. The fazade was ripped off the front of the building and redesigned. A canopy of glass and steel was built and a gray skin put up in place of original exterior. A short tower made of glass was placed at the mall's northern entrance. The interior floors were redone as well.

Oakway Center new graphics incorporated an oak leaf into the logo for the exterior signs in an effort to make them more appealing and fit into the new dycor better. New lighting on the outside of the center and landscaping designed to redirect traffic and improve parking at the facility in order to increase safety for pedestrians were part of the renovations as well. Making the traffic flow simpler was a large part of the goal. In order to achieve these goals the center's access points were reduced and the parking areas realigned.

Oakway Center is adding new tenants as part of the renovations being done. The goal of Oakway Center is to provide visitors a chance to shop in a relaxing atmosphere. Everything that can be done to improve the development and attract new patrons is being done. The center is adding new tenants as well in its efforts to revitalize the centers business. If you are ever in the area it is worth it to stop and give Oakway Center a try.