By KEVIN ELZE
The proposed Provo Fashion Mall announced in late January 1995 that it had run into some major setbacks despite efforts by the city and the developer.
'We originally wanted to do some dirt work this fall but with all the difficulties the city has faced that date has been pushed back,' said Jim Lavender, JP Realty's project director for the mall.
The announcement came Jan. 31, 1995, and since then the plans have been delayed by a number of obstacles. Provo City Mayor George Stewart said the city plans to start construction as early as late February and be open for business in the fall of 1997.
Lavender is not as optimistic about the opening. He believes the construction will not begin until June.
'Realistically, you're looking at the spring of '98,' he said.
Steve Gleason, the business developer for the city of Provo, said the main problem detaining construction has been the trailer park residents of Laurelwood Estates at 200 W. 1300 South. The mall site is planned where this existing trailer park is located.
'Most of the trailers have been purchased by the city and the remaining trailers have been relocated by the city. The city has taken a major loss on this process,' Gleason said.
'We are down to two from 150 trailers that haven't been relocated. The city owns them but we still haven't found places for the two remaining,' Stewart said.
Diane Dunton, a single mother and a resident of Laurelwood Estates Trailer Park, has lived in the park for three years. Dunton had to sell her trailer to the city because of the takeover of the park by American Property Management on Aug. 1, 1995.
When APM, a subsidiary of the city, took over the trailer park they told residents they had to move. The residents were originally required to be out of the complex by early October. The date was moved back several times because of the difficulty finding places for the residents to live.
Apparently trailer parks around the Utah Valley raised their prices significantly when the relocation of Laurelwood Estates was announced.
'Other mobile home parks were charging outrageous prices when they found out about it,' Dunton said. 'Many people were so desperate they had to pay outrageous prices for new trailers.'
Some of the trailers in Laurelwood haven't been suitable to move and others have not been accepted into other parks because of their age or size. The residents had to sell their trailers to the city at whatever price they could.
Dunton sold her trailer to the city for $13,500, thousands less than its actual value.
To assist the resident relocations, the city gave out loans.
'They gave me a $5,000 loan to help me pay for a trailer I found in Crestline Trailer Park,' Dunton said.
Besides the residents of the trailer park, the main problem holding up the progress of the mall is the acquisition of the land needed to build the mall.
'We've been held up pending the acquisition of a motel that needs to be taken out in order to start construction,' said Stewart. 'We think it has been taken care of and the deal is almost finished.'
Originally the plan was to remove all of the motels from 1500 South to the freeway. Now only one motel will be removed.
Gleason said the motel was the National 9 Colony Inn along University Avenue.
Erik Flynn, manager of the National 9 Colony Inn, refused to comment on the buyout of the motel except to say that 'the deal has not been finalized.'
A neighbor motel to the National 9 Colony Inn, the Super 8 Motel is excited about the coming of the mall.
'It will bring in a lot more traffic and I think it will help business,' said Brian Snyder, general manager of the motel.
'We have in mind even to expand our existing facilities,' said Snyder.
The purchase of the land has been hard on the city not just because of the business dealings with the motel but because of the businesses coming into the mall itself.
'It has been a little discouraging because the holdup in obtaining the land has inhibited us to announce the addition of stores to the mall,' said Stewart.
Dillard's Department Store was announced as the anchor of the mall. The only other store that has announced to commit is Sears.
'We do have Oshman's Sporting Goods committed but the city has not formally announced it to the public,' said Stewart.
Oshman's is a very large store that is based on the east coast. It plans to have a driving range and a tennis court inside the store so that customers can try out the merchandise on the spot.