Sit-in restaurants, ‘names you will recognize,’ coming to Oregon’s town center
Posted By: Toledo Blade on May 28, 2025. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
Major restaurants are coming to Oregon, part of the new town center, the project’s developer announced Tuesday.
Developer River Rock Group has signed several sit-down restaurants, something residents have long yearned for.
“I can’t tell you, unfortunately, exactly who the tenants are,” said Bill Bostleman, of River Rock. “I can tell you the types of tenants. We have five restaurants already basically committed. They are regional types of users and names you will recognize.”
He made the comments at a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new town center at 2830 Navarre Ave. Tuesday. It was attended by city officials and the River Rock Development Group.
City Councilman Steve Hornyak, chairman of the economic development and planning committee, said the public will be pleased by the new restaurants.
“We do have some sit-down restaurants coming here. We have a variety of different shops and retailers coming into the area. Commitments keep coming. I think residents in the community will be very happy with what’s coming in here when they see the plan unfold,” Mr. Hornyak said.
“It’s always an exciting thing when you get to announce a new project in your town,” said Mayor Mike Seferian. “There’s nothing more exciting than finally getting to say ‘town center.’ ”
The city bought the former Kmart site and sold the property to the developer to find commercial projects for the town center. The pandemic, a poor economy, and the loss of the first developer, Fairmont Properties, left the project adrift until River Rock signed with Oregon.
“River Rock Development group has been with us a little over a year,” City Administrator Joel Mazur said. “Somehow we found our way, got together, they took on the project, and are now seeing it through to fruition.”
The project, which started in 2019, faced several hurdles, Mr. Seferian said.
“We faced a lot of criticism to get to this point,” he said. “When Kmart was coming up for sale, if we were ever going to have some type of development here, other than development along a state route, we would have to own it. If someone else bought it, we would not have access to land behind it. This actual parcel was the only chance the city of Oregon had to develop something in our retail area. We had to take a risk. We took a lot of bruises along the way. But it was well worth it.”
Mr. Hornyak said the city’s patience paid off.
“It’s been a long struggle, a lot of work, a lot of effort put in by a lot of people. We’re just waiting to see some buildings come to life around us,” Mr. Hornyak said. “We’ve taken a few lumps over the years. We had a lot of questions about when it was going to get started. Gladly, today, we get to say, ‘Now.”’
The town center calls for mixed-use residential and commercial development that spans from Navarre Avenue to Pickle Road near I-280 and next to Mercy Health St. Charles Hospital.
The concept and vision of developing a town center was to create a downtown atmosphere in the city, which never had an historic downtown.
The project will be developed in two phases. The first, an upscale retail strip center with four tenants, will be developed on frontage along Navarre Avenue, Mr. Bostleman said. Phase 2 will consist of three buildings in the south part of the parcel where the actual Kmart building was located.
“That is what will truly be the town center. It will include an open public area surrounded by restaurants, retailers, and patios for nice weather. It can be a venue for farmers markets, concerts, and for viewing fireworks. This is something Oregon hasn’t had,” he said.
Completion of Phase 1 is expected within a year.
“We expect Phase 2 to kick off in the next two or so years,” Mr. Bostleman said.
Oregon Economic Development Foundation President Tim Pedro said the project has all the hallmarks to become the newest and most vibrant town center in Northwest Ohio.
He likened the excitement of Kmart’s legendary Blue Light Specials, a marketing ploy that offered instant bargains for in-store shoppers, to the completion of the town center and everything it will offer.
“If you thought Kmart Blue Light Specials were the best, just wait until you hear and see what is being planned for this site. There’s been careful, thoughtful planning to reach today’s celebration,” said Mr. Pedro.
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