First new look for Fair Oaks Mall unveiled to public

Members of the public got their first look at the possible future of the Fair Oaks Mall property last night.

Consultants for the city’s oversight board, the Fair Oaks Mall Community Development Corp., made a presentation last night of their first conceptual ideas for a new joint use of the building to be shared by the city parks and recreation department, Columbus Regional Health and commercial establishments.

The proposed uses for the building were taken from the public input at two previous meetings.

Under the preliminary plans, the revamped building would include a fieldhouse for normally outdoor sports, a revamped parking layout and access road, an outdoor greenspace surrounding a grand entrance into the new facility. And per public input, there would be an abundance of pickle ball courts. However, the consultants cautioned that the building improvements would have to be done in phases and that until costs and architectural designs can be worked out, their suggestions were necessarily speculative at this point.

Under the suggested layout, the fieldhouse would be on the north side of the building closest to National Road, while the large entrance would be off of 25th Street where the former JC Penney store now sits.

There was good news for those concerned about the expense. The consultants said that a large portion of the building would be reusable in some form, because the layout of internal supports would largely allow for the spaces needed in the future revamped building. Some uses, such as a swimming pool or the fieldhouse, would need reconstruction though.

Lindsey Peckinpaugh of architectural firm Perkins & Will outlined the internal layout suggestions, while Eric Lucas of MKSK landscape architects, presented the outside and streetscape improvements.

You can find the preliminary designs later today at reimaginefairoaksmall.com