Manager says owner will address issue this summer

Anyone driving across the Oak Park Mall parking lot should soon be able to breath a sigh of relief and lighten the grip on their coffee.

Oak Park Mall owner Martin Graff, of M H Graff & Associates, Inc., will repair the mall’s parking lot this summer, according to mall manager Shan Kehret.

Kehret said she doesn’t know when construction will begin, but Graff is talking to someone local to repair the pot holes. The mall filled holes with rock and recycled blacktop last summer, Kehret said, but after general wear over one or two weeks, the holes would come back. This repair job would be more of a permanent fix, she said.

“It’s in pretty bad shape right now. It’s rough,” Kehret said. “You have to dodge some holes.”

Kehret said she gets calls every week about the lot, and said she’s very sympathetic to concerns.

“I feel their frustration,” she said. “But we’ve addressed the issue with the owner and he will take care of it. … I know this would be a win-win for the stores, customers and potential businesses.”

Kehret said she is excited about shops opening in the mall, and a repaired parking lot will add to the mall’s appeal. The mall has announced seven new stores since September 2011, and only Family Dollar has closed during that same time.

“The biggest downfall [of the mall] is the parking lot,” she said. “This will only benefit the mall in the long.”

Graff did not return calls for comment.